ChurchSuite alternative for South African churches
ChurchSuite is a well-regarded, modular church management platform from the UK. Here is how it compares with GraceHub for a South African church, using what each publishes about itself.
Why churches choose GraceHub
- Online donations in Rand through Paystack
- Billed in Rand, not pounds or dollars
- Section 18A certificates, built for SARS
- Main database in Johannesburg
- POPIA settings in every workspace
What ChurchSuite offers
ChurchSuite is made by ChurchSuite Ltd in Nottingham, England, and has been building church software since 2012, first as ChurchApp. It says more than 4,000 churches use it.
It is modular: an Address Book plus modules for children's check-in, bookings, small groups, rotas, calendar and event ticketing, giving with UK Gift Aid, service planning, attendance and networks. iOS and Android apps are included.
ChurchSuite prices by active contacts and modules, in pounds, US dollars, euros or Australian dollars. The full Suite starts at £32.50 (US$56) a month for up to 99 contacts, with a 30-day free trial.
GraceHub and ChurchSuite compared
What each product offers, from ChurchSuite's own website and GraceHub's. Checked 2 October 2026.
| Area | ChurchSuite | GraceHub |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | In pounds, US dollars, euros or Australian dollars, by contacts and modules; the full Suite starts at £32.50 a month. | Billed monthly in Rand, with no contract: cancel any time. Plans are sized to your church; talk to us for a quote. |
| Online giving | Donations by card through Stripe, or Direct Debit through GoCardless. Its South African gateway, PayFast, is for event tickets only. | Members give in Rand through your church's own Paystack account, or Stripe or PayPal, so money settles straight into your account. |
| Tax on donations | UK Gift Aid. | SARS Section 18A certificates that donors download themselves, and an IT3(d) export for your SARS return. |
| Where data is stored | Amazon Web Services in the UK. | GraceHub's main database runs in Google Cloud's Johannesburg region (africa-south1). |
| POPIA | Not mentioned in its privacy notice or terms when we checked; they cover UK and EU data protection law. | POPIA settings in every workspace: your Information Officer, your privacy notice and versioned consent at sign-up, with role-based access and an audit log. |
| Children's check-in | Child check-in with households, consents and medical information. | Rotating QR codes at the door, printed name tags with allergy and consent marks, authorised and barred collectors, and lockdown and missing-child alerts. |
| Member app | iOS and Android apps included. | A member app for iOS and Android is in development. Today members use GraceHub in the browser on any phone. |
Where ChurchSuite is strong
ChurchSuite may be the better fit for some churches. These are the strengths it highlights.
- Modular pricing: pay only for the modules you need
- Multi-site support throughout
- iOS and Android apps included
- Children aren't counted in pricing
- Children's check-in with consents and medical information
- Known for its support
Moving from ChurchSuite to GraceHub
- Export: ChurchSuite lets you export your Address Book and Children records as CSV.
- Import: Upload the files to GraceHub, map the columns, and review the preview and duplicate checks before anything is created.
- Set up roles: Give each ministry the access its work needs, and rename terms to match your church.
- Go live: Move one ministry at a time, or everything at once with our team alongside you.
ChurchSuite or GraceHub: common questions
Can South African churches take donations in ChurchSuite?
ChurchSuite's PayFast integration covers event tickets, not donations. Its online donations run through Stripe or GoCardless. GraceHub takes donations in Rand through your church's own Paystack account, or Stripe or PayPal.
Does GraceHub handle tax on donations?
Yes, the South African way: Section 18A certificates for donors and an IT3(d) export for your SARS return, rather than UK Gift Aid.
How do we move from ChurchSuite to GraceHub?
Export your Address Book and Children records as CSV, import them into GraceHub with column mapping and duplicate checks, and our team will help you plan the move.
Keep comparing
- Online giving: Rand giving into your own account, with Section 18A certificates.
- Kids check-in: Safe check-in and collection for every children's room.
- All comparisons: See how GraceHub compares with other church software.
Try GraceHub before you decide.
Start a workspace, import a sample of your ChurchSuite data, and see how your team finds it. We'll help you plan the move.
Start your church's workspace or talk to our team.
Information about other products is from their own websites, checked 2 October 2026: Pricing, About, Product tour, Security, Privacy notice, PayFast for tickets.
ChurchSuite is a trademark of its owner. GraceHub is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ChurchSuite. This comparison is based on publicly available information and may not reflect changes made after the date above.