Tithe.ly is the most popular church-specific technology platform in the world — used by over 40,000 churches for online giving, and increasingly for website building, church apps, and church management. If you’ve Googled “church website builder” or “online giving for churches,” you’ve seen Tithe.ly.
But popularity doesn’t automatically mean it’s right for your church. We’ve used Tithe.ly Sites, reviewed dozens of churches built on the platform, and compared it against every major alternative. This is our complete, honest review — covering what it does well, where it falls short, exact pricing, and who should (and shouldn’t) use it.
In This Guide
Quick Verdict
Tithe.ly Sites is the best all-in-one solution for churches that want website + giving + app in a single platform. The integrated giving alone saves most churches $50+/month in separate tool costs. Design quality is good but not Squarespace-level. The free tier is generous enough to get started, and the ecosystem advantage (everything in one dashboard) is genuinely valuable.
Our rating: 4.3 out of 5 for churches
Best for: Churches wanting an all-in-one platform without piecing together multiple services
Not ideal for: Churches where visual design quality is the #1 priority
Pricing: Free tier available · Premium Sites from $49/month · All-in-One from $149/month
What Is Tithe.ly?
Tithe.ly started as an online giving platform in 2014 and has expanded into a full church technology ecosystem. Today, it offers five products:
- Tithe.ly Giving — Online donations, text-to-give, recurring giving
- Tithe.ly Sites — Drag-and-drop church website builder
- Tithe.ly App — Custom-branded church app (iOS + Android)
- Tithe.ly ChMS — Basic church management (people, groups, check-in)
- Tithe.ly Media — Sermon hosting, live streaming, podcast distribution
You can use each product separately or bundle them. The ecosystem advantage is real — giving, website, app, and member data all share one backend.
Tithe.ly Sites: The Website Builder
What It Does Well
Built-in online giving (the killer feature). This is Tithe.ly’s defining advantage. Online giving isn’t an embed, an iframe, or a third-party link — it’s a native feature of the website builder. The giving form matches your site’s design. Members can give one-time or set up recurring tithes. Transaction data flows into the same dashboard as your website analytics, member management, and church app. Compare this to Squarespace, where you need to embed a separate giving platform (creating a visual mismatch and extra setup), or WordPress, where you need a giving plugin plus a payment processor.
Church-specific content blocks. The drag-and-drop editor includes blocks designed for churches — not adapted from business templates. Sermon archive with audio/video players. Event calendar with registration. Staff directory with photos and bios. Small group finder. Prayer request forms. Location pages for multi-campus churches. These are purpose-built, not workarounds.
The ecosystem effect. A member who gives through the Tithe.ly app sees the same profile on your website. Event registrations sync across platforms. Sermon content posted once appears on your site, app, and podcast feed. For churches tired of five different logins and data living in five different silos, this consolidation is the main selling point.
Zero technical maintenance. Like Squarespace, Tithe.ly handles hosting, SSL, security, and updates. No plugins to maintain, no hosting to manage. Your volunteer website manager can focus on content, not tech support.
Free tier that’s actually useful. Unlike most “free plans” that are glorified trials, Tithe.ly’s free tier includes a functional website with church-specific content blocks and built-in giving. The limitations are real (Tithe.ly branding, subdomain, limited features), but it’s a legitimate starting point for churches with zero budget. You can build, test, and use it indefinitely — then upgrade when you’re ready.
Where It Falls Short
Design customization is limited compared to Squarespace. This is the honest truth that most Tithe.ly reviews won’t tell you: Tithe.ly websites look good, but they don’t look as good as Squarespace websites. The template library is smaller. The design flexibility is more constrained. The editor isn’t as refined. If visual design quality is your top priority — if you want a website that makes visitors feel something the moment they land — Squarespace wins.
That said, Tithe.ly’s design quality has improved significantly and is more than adequate for most churches. We’re talking about the difference between “good” and “great,” not “bad” and “good.”
Transaction fees on giving. Tithe.ly charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on all online giving. For a church receiving $10,000/month in online donations, that’s approximately $320/month in processing fees. This is the standard payment processing rate (Stripe, PayPal, and Pushpay charge the same), but it adds up. Tithe.ly does offer a “cover the fee” checkbox that lets donors absorb the processing cost — and most givers (60-70%) opt in, which effectively eliminates this cost for the church.
Premium pricing adds up. The free tier gets you started, but to remove branding, use a custom domain, and unlock advanced features, you need Premium Sites at $49/month. That’s more than Squarespace’s Business plan ($23/month) or self-hosted WordPress ($5-$25/month hosting). The All-in-One bundle ($149/month) includes everything but is a significant monthly expense for smaller churches.
SEO capabilities are basic. Tithe.ly’s SEO tools are limited compared to WordPress (with Yoast or RankMath) or even Squarespace. You can set basic page titles and meta descriptions, but there’s no schema markup control, limited URL customization, and basic analytics. If church SEO is a strategic priority, WordPress gives you significantly more control.
Smaller third-party ecosystem. WordPress has 60,000+ plugins. Squarespace has a growing app marketplace. Tithe.ly’s ecosystem is largely self-contained — which is a strength (everything works together) and a weakness (fewer options if you need something Tithe.ly doesn’t offer).
Tithe.ly Pricing (2026)
| Product | Free Tier | Premium | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tithe.ly Giving | Free (2.9% + $0.30/txn) | Free (same fees) | Giving is free on all plans; fees are per-transaction only |
| Tithe.ly Sites | Free (Tithe.ly branding, subdomain) | $49/mo (custom domain, no branding) | Free tier is genuinely functional |
| Tithe.ly App | Not available free | $49/mo | Custom-branded iOS + Android app |
| Tithe.ly ChMS | Free (basic) | Included with All-in-One | People management, groups, check-in |
| Tithe.ly Media | Not available free | Included with All-in-One | Sermon hosting, live streaming |
| All-in-One Bundle | N/A | $149/mo | Everything above combined |
Total Cost of Ownership Comparison
| Scenario | Tithe.ly | Squarespace + Tithe.ly Giving | WordPress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website | $49/mo | $23/mo | $15/mo (hosting) |
| Giving | Included (per-txn fees) | Free embed (per-txn fees) | Free plugin (per-txn fees) |
| Domain | Included | Free first year, $20/yr after | $12/yr |
| Theme/Template | Included | Included | $0-$99 (one-time) |
| Church app | +$49/mo if needed | Not available | Not available |
| Annual Total (website + giving) | $588/yr | $276-$296/yr | $180-$279/yr |
| Annual Total (all-in-one) | $1,788/yr | N/A (no app/ChMS) | N/A (would need separate tools) |
The value calculation: If your church would otherwise pay separately for a website builder ($23-$49/mo), a giving platform ($0-$50/mo), a church app ($50-$100/mo), and church management software ($50-$100/mo), the Tithe.ly All-in-One at $149/month could actually save money while simplifying your tech stack. For churches that only need a website and giving, Squarespace + Tithe.ly Giving embed is the more cost-effective option.
Who Should Use Tithe.ly?
Tithe.ly Is Ideal For:
- Churches wanting everything in one platform. If managing separate vendors for website, giving, app, and ChMS sounds exhausting, Tithe.ly’s unified ecosystem is the answer.
- Churches prioritizing online giving. If giving is your #1 technology priority, Tithe.ly’s native integration is unmatched.
- Budget-conscious churches. The free tier is the most generous in the church tech space. You can build a real, functional church website with giving for $0.
- Churches that want to get started today. No sales calls, no custom quotes. Sign up, pick a template, start building. Self-service setup is a major advantage over Subsplash (which requires a sales conversation).
- Any church size. From a 50-person church plant using the free tier to a 5,000-member church on the All-in-One plan, Tithe.ly scales.
Tithe.ly Is NOT Ideal For:
- Churches where design quality is the #1 priority. If you want the most visually stunning church website possible, Squarespace produces better-looking results.
- Churches needing deep SEO control. WordPress with Yoast SEO offers significantly more SEO capabilities.
- Churches needing extensive third-party integrations. If your church relies heavily on specific tools that Tithe.ly doesn’t integrate with, WordPress’s plugin ecosystem offers more flexibility.
- Churches that want the highest-quality church app. Subsplash‘s app quality is generally considered superior to Tithe.ly’s, though at a higher price point.
Tithe.ly vs. Competitors
| Feature | Tithe.ly | Squarespace | WordPress | Subsplash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design quality | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Built-in giving | ★★★★★ | ☆☆☆☆☆ (embed only) | ★★★☆☆ (plugin) | ★★★★★ |
| Church app | ★★★★☆ | ☆☆☆☆☆ | ☆☆☆☆☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Ease of use | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| SEO capabilities | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Sermon management | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ (workaround) | ★★★★☆ (plugin) | ★★★★★ |
| Starting price | Free | $16/mo | ~$5/mo | Custom ($99+) |
| All-in-one? | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Detailed comparisons: Tithe.ly vs. Subsplash · Squarespace vs. WordPress · All builders compared
Pros and Cons Summary
Pros
- Built-in online giving (native, not embedded)
- Genuinely useful free tier
- Church-specific content blocks (sermons, events, staff)
- Unified ecosystem (site + app + giving + ChMS)
- Self-service signup (no sales call needed)
- Zero technical maintenance
- 40,000+ churches use it (proven platform)
- “Cover the fee” checkbox saves churches thousands
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Design quality trails Squarespace
- Premium pricing ($49/mo) higher than Squarespace ($23/mo)
- 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fees on all giving
- Limited SEO control
- Smaller template library than general builders
- Free tier includes Tithe.ly branding
- Limited third-party integrations
- Content export is limited if switching platforms
- All-in-One pricing ($149/mo) is steep for small churches
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tithe.ly really free?
The Tithe.ly Giving platform is free to use — you only pay per-transaction processing fees (2.9% + $0.30). Tithe.ly Sites has a free tier that includes a functional website with Tithe.ly branding and a tithe.ly subdomain. The free tier is genuinely usable, not a trial that expires. Premium features (custom domain, no branding, advanced tools) require the $49/month plan.
How does Tithe.ly giving compare to Pushpay?
Pushpay is the premium option — higher adoption rates, better app experience, and dedicated support. But Pushpay costs $99-$399+/month with custom pricing, while Tithe.ly’s giving is free (per-transaction only). For most churches, especially those under 500 members, Tithe.ly’s giving is more than sufficient. Pushpay makes sense for large churches that want maximum giving adoption and can justify the premium pricing.
Can I use Tithe.ly giving on a non-Tithe.ly website?
Yes. Tithe.ly provides an embeddable giving form that works on any website — Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, or any platform that supports HTML embeds. This is actually a very common setup: churches use Squarespace for the website and embed Tithe.ly for giving. See our online giving setup guide for instructions.
Should I choose Tithe.ly or Subsplash?
Tithe.ly for better value and self-service setup. Subsplash for the best church app experience and dedicated support. We have a detailed Tithe.ly vs. Subsplash comparison.
Can I migrate from another builder to Tithe.ly?
Tithe.ly doesn’t have an automated import tool, so you’ll need to manually recreate your pages and content. The upside: starting fresh on Tithe.ly means you can redesign simultaneously. Budget 1-2 weeks for a full migration from another platform.
Our Final Verdict
Tithe.ly is the best choice for churches that want a unified technology platform. If you’re currently paying separately for a website builder, giving platform, church app, and church management system — or if you’re starting from scratch and want everything in one place — Tithe.ly delivers the most complete solution at a fair price.
If design quality is your #1 priority, go with Squarespace (and embed Tithe.ly for giving). If you need maximum flexibility and SEO control, go with WordPress. If you want the best church app experience and have the budget, consider Subsplash.
But if you want one platform that does everything a church needs — and does it well enough across the board — Tithe.ly is the clear winner. Start with the free tier and see for yourself.
Compare all options in our complete church website builders guide. And if you’d prefer a custom-built church website, reach out to us — we help churches choose platforms and build websites every day.
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