Gone are the days of making your parish fit within a solution.
Build MinistryPlatform to be exactly what your parish needs.
If you’re a smaller parish, your staff or volunteer may only need a few features today with the option to add more as your parish grows. For larger parishes, you need a solution that can manage all of your ministries from religious education to life groups and more. No matter your size or ministry style, MinistryPlatform can grow with you.
Take a look at how features compare between PDS and MinistryPlatform below.
Administration
| Database Management | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Multiple | |
| APIs | Open |
| User Rights | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Roles and responsibilities | ||
| User-based security |
| Profiles | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Groups | ||
| Attendance | ||
| Giving | ||
| Event Registration | ||
| Sacraments | ||
| Notes | ||
| Prayer Requests | ||
| Volunteer Teams | ||
| User edits their profile | Parish Life |
| Background Checks | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Order and run background checks | ||
| User security | ||
| Send applicant request to complete | ||
| Background check approval | ||
| Store background check details | ||
| Background check renewal reminders | ||
| Search and report on background checks |
| Calendar | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Manage church calendar | ||
| Publish calendar |
| Accounting | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| General Ledger | ||
| Accounts Payable | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Accounts Receivable | ||
| Fixed Assets | ||
| Purchase Orders |
Professional Services can help with financial software integration for purchase with MinistryPlatform.
| Reports | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-the-box reports | ||
| Custom Reports | ||
| Dashboards | ||
| Change Log |
| Analytics | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Mission | Dashboard | |
| Giving | Dashboard | |
| Engagement | Dashboard |
Children & Youth Ministries
| Profiles | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Designate as child | ||
| List parents |
| Background Checks | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Order and run background checks | ||
| User security | ||
| Send applicant request to complete | ||
| Background check approval | ||
| Store background check details | ||
| Background check renewal reminders | ||
| Search and report on background checks |
| Check-In | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Customize kiosk designs | ||
| Child Check-in | ||
| Child Check-out | ||
| Barcode check-in | ||
| Print name tags | ||
| Print labels (allergies, family notes) | ||
| Take attendance | ||
| Room & group check-In dashboard | ||
| Check-in Dashboard |
| Classes | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Place children in groups | ||
| Group promotion |
| Parental Communication | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Text | ||
| Mailing Labels |
Parishioner Care
| Features | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Pastoral care app | ||
| Private notes | ||
| Assign and track follow-up | Limited | |
| Prayer requests |
Education & Discipleship
| Groups | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Assign group leader | ||
| Interactive groups | PocketPlatform app | |
| Find groups online | ||
| Join groups online | ||
| Group directory | ||
| Message group members | PocketPlatform app | |
| Members message leader | ||
| Group calendar | ||
| Group events | ||
| Take attendance | ||
| Promote group participants |
| Assimilation | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| New visitor follow-up | ||
| Forms | ||
| Connection cards |
| Tuition | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Accepting tuition payments | ||
| Tuition tracking |
Events
| Facilities Management | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Tie rooms to buildings | ||
| Create and store room layout | ||
| Book rooms | ||
| Manage room conflicts | ||
| Room reservation approval process | ||
| Book equipment | ||
| Services management (beverages, catering) | ||
| Services approval process | ||
| View booked reservations | ||
| HVAC integration |
| Volunteer Management | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Capture skills and interests | ||
| Capture preferences and conflicts | ||
| Roles and teams | ||
| Volunteer qualifications | ||
| Run background checks | ||
| Schedule volunteers | ||
| Recurring volunteer schedule | ||
| Communicate schedules | ||
| Post volunteer opportunities | ||
| Self-signup | ||
| Admin approve/decline requests | ||
| Message volunteers | ||
| Volunteer check-in |
| Calendar | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Post an external calendar |
| Communication | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Text |
| Registration/RSVP | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Group events | ||
| Registration (paid or free) | ||
| Discounts | ||
| Partial payments | ||
| RSVP to free events | ||
| Recurring events | ||
| Custom questions during registration | ||
| Event reminders |
| Check-In | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Customize kiosk designs | ||
| Multi-family member check-in | ||
| Check-in guests | ||
| Barcode check-in | ||
| Add family member records | ||
| Print name tags | ||
| Print labels (allergies, family notes) | ||
| Take attendance | ||
| Check-in Dashboard |
| Post-Event | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Email attendees | ||
| Automated event attendee follow-up | ||
| Attendance reports |
Media & Communications
| Communication | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Text | ||
| Newsfeed | RSS Feed Widget for Website | |
| Mobile app | Parish Life Portal | PocketPlatform |
| Media | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Website | Refresh Websites | Widgets to add to any website |
| Streaming | Church Online Platform |
Missions & Outreach
| Missions | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Community Analytics | MissionInsite | MissionInsite |
| Fundraising | Go Method | |
| Background checks | ||
| Applications | Go Method | |
| Participant management | Go Method | |
| Trip management | Go Method | |
| Reporting | Go Method |
Stewardship
| PDS Abundant | MinistryPlatform | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Vanco | Preferred Vendor: Vanco; Other integrations: PushPay, SecureGive, Tithe.ly, Generosity by Lifeway, GiveCentral, OnlineGiving.org, Vision2, Kindrid |
| Giving Methods | PDS Abundant | MinistryPlatform** |
|---|---|---|
| Online | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| Text | ||
| Kiosk | ||
| Text Chatbot | ||
| Facebook Messenger Giving | ||
| ACH | * | |
| Cash | ||
| Check |
| Gift Type | PDS Abundant | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| One-time gift | ||
| Recurring gift | ||
| Non-cash gift |
| Features | PDS Abundant | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Admin gift entry | ||
| Customizable giving forms | ||
| Donor covers processing fees | ** | |
| Self-service contribution statements | ||
| View giving history | ||
| Dashboards | ||
| Reporting | ||
| Pledges/Campaigns | ||
| Pledge matching | ||
| Soft Credits |
*ACH not available in Canada.
**Dependent upon merchant account vendor.
Worship Planning
| Volunteer Management | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Capture skills and interests | ||
| Capture preferences and conflicts | ||
| Roles and teams | ||
| Volunteer qualifications | ||
| Run background checks | ||
| Schedule volunteers | ||
| Recurring volunteer schedule | ||
| Communicate schedules | ||
| Post volunteer opportunities | ||
| Self-signup | ||
| Admin approve/decline requests | ||
| Message volunteers | ||
| Volunteer check-in |
| Day of Worship | PDS | MinistryPlatform |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming | Church Online Platform | |
| Manual attendance |