Why Ministrative?

Less administration. More ministry.

There are many good church-management platforms, including some that are genuinely free. Ministrative isn’t trying to replace every one of them. I made it for pastors who want a practical place for their own daily ministry work, on their own computer, with no software subscription.

Built around a pastor’s week

A library for your sermons, lessons, and articles, a calendar for your services, and a directory for your people, rather than a finance-first or large-church dashboard.

Free, not a subscription

Free for everyone, with no subscription, no trial, and nothing to renew.

Your PC, no server

It installs like an ordinary Windows program. There is no database or web server to set up, and it runs without the internet apart from an optional once-a-day check for a new version.

Your records are kept in a folder on your computer, and member details are encrypted there with a key tied to your Windows account. That is not the same as a backup, so keep your own. Settings, Backup & Export makes a password-locked copy of your whole library.

Compare options

Cost, where it runs, and what it takes to start.

Last reviewed: October 13, 2026. Each name links to the page I read. Prices change, so please check the vendor’s own site before you decide.

Church software at a glance: cost, where your data lives, and setup. Open Details for the full notes. This is not a feature-by-feature comparison.
Product	Cost	Where your data lives	Setup
Free
Ministrative	FreeNo subscription	Your PC	InstallerNo server or database
Details for Ministrative Cost Free for everyone. In public beta. Where it runs Windows 10 and 11 desktop app. Your records stay on your PC. Setup needed Run the installer and create a local password. No server or database. Windows will warn that the publisher is unknown.
Congregation Hub	FreeTexting extra	Their cloud	Online sign-up
Details for Congregation Hub Cost Free. The site says everything is free except text messages (3 cents each) and an optional dedicated number ($5 to $10 a month). Where it runs Web in any browser, an iPhone app, and an Android beta. Setup needed Sign up free online. No further setup steps are described on the page.
B1 Church	Free	Their cloudOr self-host	Online sign-up
Details for B1 Church Cost Free, including hosting, with no church-size cap, per the vendor. Where it runs Hosted by B1 on the web. The open-source code can also be self-hosted. Setup needed Create an account online. Check-in needs Android tablets if you use it.
ChurchCRM	FreeYou pay for hosting	Your own server	Server setupPHP, MySQL, web server
Details for ChurchCRM Cost No license fee and no subscription. You may pay a host for the server, domain, and backups. Where it runs A web app on PHP and MySQL hosting that you or your church manage. Setup needed PHP 8.4 or newer, MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.5+, and Apache or nginx, installed by you or a host’s installer.
ChurchManager	FreeDonation welcome	Your PC	Extra databaseInstall MariaDB separately
Details for ChurchManager Cost Free to use. A donation is suggested but never required. Public beta. Where it runs Windows desktop app. Setup needed MariaDB Server for Windows must be installed separately. The vendor advises testing with backups.
Free with limits
Planning Center	Free tierPaid add-ons	Their cloud	Not stated
Details for Planning Center Cost The People database is free and unlimited. Other products have free tiers with limits, and paid plans beyond them. Where it runs Online, with a member app and web platform (Church Center). Hosting is not described on the pricing page. Setup needed Not stated on the page I read.
ChMeetings	Free to 50 peopleThen from $12/mo	Their cloud	Not stated
Details for ChMeetings Cost Free plan for up to 50 active people. Paid plans start at $12 a month. Where it runs Cloud-hosted by the vendor. Setup needed Not stated on the page I read.
Paid
FlockBase Desktop	$139Then $99/yr	Your PCOS not stated	Not stated
Details for FlockBase Desktop Cost Membership: $139 to purchase, plus a $99 annual fee after the first 12 months of updates and support. Where it runs Described as desktop software for an offline format. The page does not state the operating system. Setup needed Not stated on the page I read.
ChurchTrac	From $29/mo	OnlineHosting not stated	Not stated
Details for ChurchTrac Cost From $29 a month for up to 75 names. Higher tiers cost more. Where it runs A web account and a mobile app. Whether it is hosted is not stated on the pricing page. Setup needed Not stated on the page I read.
Church Windows	From $19/mo	PC or webDepends on plan	Not stated
Details for Church Windows Cost Desktop plans from $19 a month for one module, up to $59 for four. A web version costs more. Where it runs Desktop or web, depending on the plan. Operating system not stated on the pricing page. Setup needed Not stated on the page I read.

“Not stated” means the page I read didn’t say, not that the answer is no. Prices are examples from public pages on the date above, and some are for one module or a starting tier rather than a whole suite. Free software can still carry costs, such as hosting, texting, payment processing, or your own backups.

Honestly

Is it a good fit?

A good fit if

You are a pastor or teacher, alone or with a small team, who wants one place on your own Windows PC for your sermons and lessons, your calendar, and your member directory, and you don’t want a monthly bill or a server to run.

Maybe not if

You need online giving, a church website, a member app, or several people working in the same records over the internet. Ministrative does none of those, and the hosted platforms above are a better choice. Bulletins, prayer requests, and teaching schedules aren’t in the first release either, and neither is writing sermons inside the app. It only runs on Windows.