Comparison · Updated October 2, 2026
Tithe.ly vs Pushpay for church giving
Tithe.ly
B
Tithe.ly (now styled Tithely) is a US church giving and church software company run from Nashville, Tennessee. Its giving product is free to set up, with no monthly fee or contract. As of September 2026 you pay 2.9% + $0.30 on each card gift, 3.5% + $0.30 on American Express and 1% + $0.30 on ACH bank gifts. Donors can choose to add the fee to their gift. Payments run on Stripe: each church signs Stripe's connected-account agreement and gets a sub-merchant account under Tithe.ly's platform, so approval is quick but the account relationship sits with Stripe and Tithe.ly. Deposits go out weekly on Wednesdays by default, card gifts become available after two business days, and ACH gifts can take up to ten. Tithe.ly also sells church management, apps, websites, messaging and worship planning. It lists these at $19 to $89 a month each, or $119 a month for everything in its All Access bundle. The company grew through mergers: it combined with Australian church-software firm Elvanto in 2018, bought Breeze ChMS in 2021, and has had private equity investment from Accel-KKR since 2022. Reviews on Capterra and Trustpilot are strongly positive. However, the BBB rates it F, largely for leaving complaints unanswered, and recent complaints focus on subscription billing after cancellation.
Pushpay
B-
Pushpay is a church giving and church management company. It was founded in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2011 and now runs its US business from Redmond, Washington, with an office in Colorado Springs. It was listed on the NZX and ASX until May 2023, when a company owned by entities associated with investment firms BGH Capital and Sixth Street bought it and took it private. Pushpay sells digital giving on its own, or bundled with church management software and a branded app as ChurchStaq (ParishStaq for Catholic parishes). It also owns Resi, a church live-streaming service. In the US, its subsidiary Pushpay Processing, Inc. describes itself as a registered ISO of KeyBank, and churches sign a card merchant agreement with Fiserv and KeyBank. In Australia and New Zealand the only processing partner Pushpay lists is Stripe, and it lists Stripe's connected-account agreement for the US and Canada too. Software is quote-based. As of August 2026, Pushpay's own blog gives card rates of 2.1% to 2.9% + $0.20 to $0.30 and ACH rates of 0.5% to 1.0% + $0.20 to $0.30, variable based on total giving volume. Contracts run one, two or three years (36 months unless the order form says otherwise), renew automatically and cannot be cancelled early without paying the balance. The BBB rates Pushpay A+, and it scores 4.2 from 183 reviews on Capterra.
VS
Overview
Both sell digital giving and church software to US churches, but they sell it in very different ways. Tithe.ly (now styled Tithely) publishes its prices. As of October 2026, giving costs nothing a month and carries no contract. Card gifts cost 2.9% + $0.30, American Express 3.5% + $0.30 and ACH bank gifts 1% + $0.30. Church management, an app and a website are optional monthly add-ons, or $119 a month for everything in All Access. Pushpay is quote-based. Its pricing page shows no prices, but its own blog gives its card pricing as 2.1% to 2.9% + $0.20 to $0.30 and ACH as 0.5% to 1.0% + $0.20 to $0.30, depending on giving volume, so a large church may be quoted less per gift than Tithe.ly charges. It sells one-, two- and three-year contracts, defaulting to 36 months, that renew automatically for the same length unless you give 90 days' notice. Leaving early means paying the rest of the contract, and Pushpay must be your only payment processor while it runs. Pushpay is quicker to pay out: card gifts arrive in two business days and ACH gifts in about four on a fixed schedule. Tithe.ly's default is a weekly Wednesday deposit, and ACH gifts can take up to ten business days to clear. Pushpay also has the much better BBB record, an A+ against Tithe.ly's F. Payment Review grades Tithe.ly B and Pushpay B-.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Tithe.ly is the better fit for most US churches: giving is free to set up, has no monthly fee or contract, and its card, Amex and ACH rates are published. A high-volume church may be quoted lower per-gift rates by Pushpay.
- ✓Pushpay does not publish its software price or a rate card; its blog quotes card rates of 2.1% to 2.9% + $0.20 to $0.30 by giving volume. Its contracts default to 36 months, auto-renew for the same term without 90 days' notice, cannot be cancelled early without paying the balance, and make Pushpay your only processor.
- ✓Pushpay deposits faster: card gifts land two business days after they are made and ACH gifts in about four. Tithe.ly deposits weekly on Wednesdays by default, ACH gifts can take up to ten business days to clear, and a church's first gift takes ten business days.
- ✓Pushpay has the stronger BBB file (A+, accredited, seven complaints in three years). Tithe.ly is rated F, mainly for leaving two of its three complaints unanswered. Tithe.ly's Trustpilot score is solid (4.1 from 1,170 reviews), while Pushpay's seven Trustpilot reviews are too few to judge.
- ✓Both are privately owned. Pushpay was taken private in May 2023 by a company owned by interests associated with BGH Capital and Sixth Street. Tithe.ly is led by its co-founders and has had equity investment from Accel-KKR since 2022.
Tithe.ly
Tithe.ly suits small and mid-size US churches and ministries that want online, app, text and kiosk giving at a published price, with no contract. It also suits churches that want church management, an app and a website from the same vendor for a flat $119 a month, and any church that may need to switch platforms within three years.
Pushpay
Pushpay suits large and multi-campus churches, and Catholic parishes through ParishStaq, that want giving, church management and an app from one vendor. They should have the giving volume to negotiate rates, be ready to commit for up to three years, and value faster deposits and a dedicated merchant account. Get every rate and fee written into the order form before signing.
Overall Winner
🏆 Winner
Tithe.ly
Bexpert grade
Runner-up
Pushpay
Why?
For most US churches Tithe.ly is the better choice, in line with the site's grades (Tithe.ly B, Pushpay B-). Its giving costs nothing a month, carries no contract and has published rates of 2.9% + $0.30 for cards and 1% + $0.30 for ACH. A church can add church management, an app and a website for a flat $119 a month and leave without paying out a multi-year term. Pushpay does better on deposit speed and BBB standing, and it suits large or multi-campus churches and Catholic parishes that can negotiate. Its per-gift rates can undercut Tithe.ly's for a high-volume church, since its own blog quotes cards from 2.1% + $0.20 and ACH from 0.5% + $0.20. But its software price is quote-only, each church's processing rate is set in its quote, and it adds a monthly card account fee. Its contracts default to 36 months, renew for the same term unless you give 90 days' notice, cannot be cancelled early without paying the balance, and make Pushpay your sole processor.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Giving fees (US, as of October 2026)
| Feature | Tithe.ly | Pushpay |
|---|---|---|
| Card gifts (Visa, Mastercard, Discover) | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2.1–2.9% + $0.20–$0.30 (quoted) |
| No winner, because Pushpay's rate depends on the quote. Tithe.ly's pricing page and help centre list one US rate for every card gift, online or in person, with no volume discount. Pushpay publishes no rate card: its pricing page lists none, and its billing FAQ tells customers to contact support for their rates. Pushpay's range comes from comparison tables on its own blog (posts updated 2 June and 17 August 2026), which give its card pricing as 2.1% to 2.9% + $0.20 to $0.30, 'variable based on total giving volume'. A separate Pushpay post (updated 6 August 2026) lists ChurchStaq at 2.9% + $0.30, the top of that range. Pushpay does not say what volume earns which rate. On a $100 card gift Tithe.ly's fee is $3.20; Pushpay's range works out to $2.30 to $3.20, so a high-volume church may pay less per card gift on Pushpay before its monthly account fee. | ||
| American Express gifts | 3.5% + $0.30 | Not disclosed |
| Pushpay's help centre lists American Express as supported but gives no rate, and the ranges on its blog do not single out American Express. | ||
| ACH bank gifts | 1% + $0.30 | 0.5–1.0% + $0.20–$0.30 (quoted) |
| No winner, because Pushpay's rate depends on the quote. Pushpay's own blog comparison tables (updated 2 June and 17 August 2026) give its ACH pricing as 0.5% to 1.0% + $0.20 to $0.30, varying with total giving volume, so its whole range is at or below Tithe.ly's 1% + $0.30. Tithe.ly's $0.30 fixed fee makes a $10 ACH gift cost 4%. | ||
| Donor can cover the fee | Yes (Cover the Fees) | Yes (Donor Covers Fees) |
| Tithe.ly says about 60% of donors choose to cover the fee. That is the company's own figure. | ||
| Other processing charges | None listed for refunds, disputes, PCI or deposits Winner | Monthly card account fee; processing fee charged again on refunds |
| Tithe.ly's pricing page says there are no extra charges for refunds, disputes, PCI compliance or deposits, and its help centre says the same of refunds and chargebacks. Its terms (section 3.5) still let it debit the church's bank account to recover negative balances from refunds, chargebacks or disputed payments, 'including any pass-through fees', without naming an amount. Pushpay's help centre says card processing fees are withdrawn between the 3rd and 6th of each month and 'consist of a monthly account fee and a transaction processing fee'. It does not publish the account fee. Pushpay's billing FAQ says the processing fee for a gift 'is collected when a gift is processed, as well as when it is refunded'. | ||
| Check scanning | Included in free Giving; no per-check fee listed | From $0.29 per check |
| No winner: Tithe.ly lists check scanning with remote deposit among its free Giving features and publishes no per-check fee, but its check scanning runs through a Jack Henry pass-through agreement. Pushpay's pricing FAQ says check scanning and remote deposit start at $0.29 per check. | ||
Card gifts (Visa, Mastercard, Discover)
Tithe.ly
2.9% + $0.30
Pushpay
2.1–2.9% + $0.20–$0.30 (quoted)
No winner, because Pushpay's rate depends on the quote. Tithe.ly's pricing page and help centre list one US rate for every card gift, online or in person, with no volume discount. Pushpay publishes no rate card: its pricing page lists none, and its billing FAQ tells customers to contact support for their rates. Pushpay's range comes from comparison tables on its own blog (posts updated 2 June and 17 August 2026), which give its card pricing as 2.1% to 2.9% + $0.20 to $0.30, 'variable based on total giving volume'. A separate Pushpay post (updated 6 August 2026) lists ChurchStaq at 2.9% + $0.30, the top of that range. Pushpay does not say what volume earns which rate. On a $100 card gift Tithe.ly's fee is $3.20; Pushpay's range works out to $2.30 to $3.20, so a high-volume church may pay less per card gift on Pushpay before its monthly account fee.
American Express gifts
Tithe.ly
3.5% + $0.30
Pushpay
Not disclosed
Pushpay's help centre lists American Express as supported but gives no rate, and the ranges on its blog do not single out American Express.
ACH bank gifts
Tithe.ly
1% + $0.30
Pushpay
0.5–1.0% + $0.20–$0.30 (quoted)
No winner, because Pushpay's rate depends on the quote. Pushpay's own blog comparison tables (updated 2 June and 17 August 2026) give its ACH pricing as 0.5% to 1.0% + $0.20 to $0.30, varying with total giving volume, so its whole range is at or below Tithe.ly's 1% + $0.30. Tithe.ly's $0.30 fixed fee makes a $10 ACH gift cost 4%.
Donor can cover the fee
Tithe.ly
Yes (Cover the Fees)
Pushpay
Yes (Donor Covers Fees)
Tithe.ly says about 60% of donors choose to cover the fee. That is the company's own figure.
Other processing charges
Tithe.ly
None listed for refunds, disputes, PCI or deposits
Winner
Pushpay
Monthly card account fee; processing fee charged again on refunds
Tithe.ly's pricing page says there are no extra charges for refunds, disputes, PCI compliance or deposits, and its help centre says the same of refunds and chargebacks. Its terms (section 3.5) still let it debit the church's bank account to recover negative balances from refunds, chargebacks or disputed payments, 'including any pass-through fees', without naming an amount. Pushpay's help centre says card processing fees are withdrawn between the 3rd and 6th of each month and 'consist of a monthly account fee and a transaction processing fee'. It does not publish the account fee. Pushpay's billing FAQ says the processing fee for a gift 'is collected when a gift is processed, as well as when it is refunded'.
Check scanning
Tithe.ly
Included in free Giving; no per-check fee listed
Pushpay
From $0.29 per check
No winner: Tithe.ly lists check scanning with remote deposit among its free Giving features and publishes no per-check fee, but its check scanning runs through a Jack Henry pass-through agreement. Pushpay's pricing FAQ says check scanning and remote deposit start at $0.29 per check.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Small or mid-size church starting or switching online giving
Recommended
Tithe.ly
Tithe.ly can be set up in minutes with no monthly fee or contract, at published rates of 2.9% + $0.30 for cards and 1% + $0.30 for ACH. Donors can cover the fee. Pushpay requires a sales demo, does not publish prices and defaults to a 36-month contract.
Church that wants giving, church management, an app and a website from one vendor
Recommended
Tithe.ly
Tithe.ly's All Access bundles all of it for a flat $119 a month on a monthly or annual subscription. Pushpay's ChurchStaq does the same job, but its price is quote-based and it comes with a one- to three-year contract.
Large or multi-campus church with high giving volume
Recommended
Pushpay
Pushpay offers per-campus giving, branding and bank accounts in its Complete tier. It deposits card gifts in two business days and ACH gifts in about four, and gives each US church its own merchant account. Pushpay's own blog says its rates fall with total giving volume, to as low as 2.1% + $0.20 for cards and 0.5% + $0.20 for ACH, so volume gives you leverage, but get the card rate, ACH rate, monthly account fee and any early termination fee written into the order form and processing application.
Catholic parish or diocese
Recommended
Pushpay
Pushpay sells ParishStaq, a suite built for parish and diocese administration, giving and a parish app. Tithe.ly has no Catholic-specific product.
Church that depends on Sunday's gifts reaching the bank quickly
Recommended
Pushpay
Pushpay deposits Sunday card gifts on Tuesday and Sunday ACH gifts on Friday, on a fixed schedule. Tithe.ly deposits weekly on Wednesdays by default, ACH gifts can take up to ten business days to clear, and the first gift takes ten business days.
Pre-launch church plant
Both waive software fees for a qualifying plant's first year, with processing fees still charged. Tithe.ly's offer leads to a published $119 a month with no contract. Pushpay's grant requires affiliation with a planting network and leads to unpublished standard pricing.
Tithe.ly: Best for 2 use cases
Pushpay: Best for 3 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It depends on your giving volume, because Pushpay quotes each church and does not publish a rate card or its software fees. Tithe.ly charges $0 a month for giving, plus 2.9% + $0.30 per card gift, 3.5% + $0.30 for American Express and 1% + $0.30 per ACH gift, as of October 2026. Pushpay's own blog gives its card rates as 2.1% to 2.9% + $0.20 to $0.30 and its ACH rates as 0.5% to 1.0% + $0.20 to $0.30, depending on total giving volume, so a high-volume church may pay less per gift than on Tithe.ly. Pushpay also adds a software fee and a monthly card account fee, neither of which it publishes. Ask Pushpay for every figure in writing.
Not without paying. Pushpay's pricing FAQ says early cancellation is possible but 'the balance of the contract will need to be paid'. Its Additional Agreements make order forms non-cancellable during the term, except for an uncured material breach. They renew automatically for the same length unless either side gives written notice at least 90 days before the end. The separate Fiserv and KeyBank card agreement has its own three-year initial term and keeps charging fees until it is cancelled in writing. Tithe.ly's giving has no contract. Its paid subscriptions need 30 days' notice, and you owe fees to the end of the current monthly or annual term.
Pushpay is faster on its standard schedule. Card gifts arrive two business days after they are made, so a Sunday gift lands on Tuesday. ACH gifts arrive in about four business days, and checks scanned before 5pm Pacific arrive the next business day. Tithe.ly deposits weekly on Wednesdays by default. Card gifts clear after two business days, ACH gifts can take up to ten, and a church's first gift takes ten business days. Approved daily deposits get a Sunday card gift to Tithe.ly churches by Tuesday.
Both are private. Pushpay was founded in Auckland in 2011 and listed in New Zealand and Australia. It was delisted in May 2023, when a company owned by interests associated with BGH Capital and Sixth Street acquired it. Tithe.ly is led by co-founders Dean Sweetman and Frank Barry. Private equity firm Accel-KKR made an equity investment in 2022 and has four people on its board, but has not disclosed the size of its stake.
Yes. Tithe.ly calls the option Cover the Fees and Pushpay calls it Donor Covers Fees. Either way, the donor can add the fee to the gift so the church receives the full amount.
Yes. Both list Planning Center integrations, along with Rock RMS, MinistryPlatform, Shelby, FellowshipOne and QuickBooks Online. Pushpay also lists Sage Intacct, and Tithe.ly also lists Elvanto, Breeze and Church Community Builder.