What Is ChurchBooks3? Church Accounting Software for Small Churches

ChurchBooks3 is church accounting software for small churches, used since 2002. Track giving, funds, members and reports. Free 30-day trial, no card needed.

ChurchBooks3 is church accounting software for small and mid-sized churches and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. It records tithes, offerings and designated gifts, keeps restricted and unrestricted funds separate with true fund accounting, manages membership and attendance, and produces the financial reports a church board needs. ChurchBooks3 is made by ChurchBooks3 LLC of Bear Creek, North Carolina, and comes in two versions: ChurchBooks3 Online, which runs in a web browser, and ChurchBooks3 Desktop, a Windows program.

ChurchBooks3 at a Glance

  • Made by: ChurchBooks3 LLC, Bear Creek, North Carolina, backed by Hanner Communications (founded 2002)
  • In use since: 2002, and sold online since 2010
  • Track record: more than 500 churches and nonprofits have used ChurchBooks3 since 2002
  • Versions: ChurchBooks3 Online (any modern web browser) and ChurchBooks3 Desktop (Windows 10 and Windows 11)
  • Price: Online $9.99 to $39.99 per month; Desktop from $99 per year, or a one-time $399 Lifetime plan
  • Free trial: 30 days, no credit card required, and no automatic billing when it ends
  • Training: every new trial includes a free 30-minute training session with a service manager

Who Makes ChurchBooks3?

ChurchBooks3 is made by ChurchBooks3 LLC, based in Bear Creek, North Carolina. Its parent company is Hanner Communications, founded in 2002. ChurchBooks3 began in 2002 as a Microsoft Access program installed on the church's own computer, and it has been sold online since 2010.

ChurchBooks3 is not affiliated with ChurchBooks (churchbooks.com), a separate bookkeeping service company.

Who ChurchBooks3 Is For

  • Small and mid-sized churches that want church accounting without enterprise software.
  • Volunteer and part-time treasurers without accounting training. See church accounting without an accountant.
  • 501(c)(3) nonprofits that need to track restricted and unrestricted funds.
  • Church administrators who keep member, family and attendance records.
  • Pastors and boards who need clear financial reports to make decisions.

What ChurchBooks3 Does

Giving and year-end contribution statements

Record tithes, offerings and designated gifts by member and by fund. Print or email year-end contribution statements for any date range; each statement includes the goods-or-services statement described in IRS Publication 1771. Learn more about church contributions.

Fund accounting

Track income and expenses by fund, department or ministry, with restricted and unrestricted funds kept separate. Set up a church-friendly chart of accounts and keep your church ledger in one place.

Budgets and financial reports

Create a budget and run the reports your board asks for, including the Balance Sheet, Income vs. Expense and Budget vs. Actual. See church financial reports.

Membership and attendance

Keep member records with contacts, family relationships, giving history, birthdays and anniversaries, and track attendance for services, events and ministry participation. See church membership and church attendance.

Payroll records and check printing

Keep payroll records for staff and contractor payments. Each employee's Year to Date Report shows the W-2 and 1099 figures on an unofficial report you can use to prepare the official forms; ChurchBooks3 does not print or file the official W-2, 1099 or 941 forms. Check printing is included on every Desktop plan and on Online from the Silver plan. See church employee records.

Online giving with Givelify (ChurchBooks3 Online)

Every Online plan includes an online giving page with a QR code, powered by Givelify. From the Gold plan, you can also import Givelify donations and reconcile them with your records.

ChurchBooks3 Online vs. Desktop

We recommend ChurchBooks3 Online for most churches. Choose ChurchBooks3 Desktop if your church prefers to keep its data on one Windows computer in the office. Both versions include fund accounting, donation tracking, membership and financial reporting, and Desktop remains fully supported.

ChurchBooks3 Online

  • Runs in any modern web browser, on a PC or a Mac, with nothing to install.
  • Supports multiple users and locations, with admin, staff and read-only roles and two-factor authentication.
  • Stores data in the cloud with automatic backups and automatic updates.
  • Four plans: Bronze $9.99/month (up to 100 members), Silver $19.99/month (up to 500 members), Gold $29.99/month (unlimited members) and Platinum $39.99/month (unlimited members).
  • Full ledger accounting and budgets start at Silver; the Financial Management module, payroll and Givelify donation import start at Gold; the member self-service portal is Platinum only.
  • Billed monthly, or annually for the price of ten monthly payments. See Online pricing.

ChurchBooks3 Desktop

  • A Windows program, built on Microsoft Access, installed on one church office computer (Windows 10 or Windows 11).
  • Works without a constant internet connection; your data stays on the church's own computer.
  • Backups are manual, to the computer or a USB drive; updates are installed with help from support.
  • Every plan includes every feature. Plans differ only by length of service and level of support: Annual $99 per year, 2-Year $179, 3-Year $249, or Lifetime $399 one-time.
  • See Desktop pricing.

For a side-by-side comparison, see ChurchBooks3 Desktop vs. Online or read Local Install vs. Online Access. Desktop users can find video tutorials on the How It Works page.

Getting Started with ChurchBooks3

  1. Start a free 30-day trial. ChurchBooks3 Online is ready right away. For Desktop, complete the request form and a service manager will contact you to help with installation. See the free 30-day trial.
  2. Book your free 30-minute training session with a service manager.
  3. Set up your funds and chart of accounts.
  4. Bring in your members. ChurchBooks3 Online imports member records from a CSV file. See the membership import guide.
  5. Record this week's offering and run your first report.

Compare plans on the pricing page, or contact us for help choosing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ChurchBooks3? ChurchBooks3 is church accounting software for small and mid-sized churches and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. It covers giving and contribution statements, fund accounting, budgets, financial reports, membership and attendance. It comes as ChurchBooks3 Online, which runs in a web browser, and ChurchBooks3 Desktop, a Windows program.

Who makes ChurchBooks3? ChurchBooks3 LLC of Bear Creek, North Carolina, backed by its parent company Hanner Communications, founded in 2002. ChurchBooks3 began in 2002 as a locally installed Microsoft Access program and has been sold online since 2010.

Is ChurchBooks3 the same company as churchbooks.com? No. ChurchBooks3 is church accounting software from ChurchBooks3 LLC of Bear Creek, North Carolina. ChurchBooks (churchbooks.com) is a separate bookkeeping service company, and the two are not affiliated.

How much does ChurchBooks3 cost? ChurchBooks3 Online costs $9.99 to $39.99 per month depending on the plan, and paying annually costs the same as ten monthly payments. ChurchBooks3 Desktop has service plans of $99 per year, $179 for 2 years or $249 for 3 years, or a one-time $399 Lifetime plan. There are no setup fees, add-on modules or per-feature charges.

Is there a free trial, and do I need a credit card? There is a free 30-day trial, no credit card is required, and nothing is billed automatically when it ends. The Online trial includes the Gold plan features (the Platinum member portal isn't included). If an Online trial ends without a subscription, the account is locked; the data is kept for 30 days, subscribing within that time restores it, and after 30 days it is permanently deleted. When a Desktop trial ends, the program locks and you contact support to view your records or choose a plan.

Does ChurchBooks3 work on a Mac? ChurchBooks3 Online works on a Mac because it runs in any modern web browser. ChurchBooks3 Desktop is a Windows program, so on a Mac it needs a Windows environment such as Parallels. See MS Access on a Mac.

Can we move our records over from spreadsheets or another program? Yes, with help. ChurchBooks3 Online imports member records from a CSV file, and for certain other records you can download data templates, fill them in and upload them. The support team helps churches move over from another accounting system or a spreadsheet. There is no automated transfer from ChurchBooks3 Desktop to Online.

Do I need accounting experience to use ChurchBooks3? No. ChurchBooks3 is built for volunteer and part-time treasurers without accounting training, and every new trial includes a free 30-minute training session with a service manager.

Does ChurchBooks3 print W-2s, 1099s or 941s? No. ChurchBooks3 does not print or file the official W-2, 1099 or 941 forms. It produces an unofficial Year to Date Report for each employee with the W-2 and 1099 figures, which you can use to prepare the official forms. In ChurchBooks3 Online, payroll is included from the Gold plan.

Try ChurchBooks3

If your church is ready to move its giving, funds and reports out of spreadsheets, start a free 30-day trial. No credit card is required, and a service manager will help you get set up. See plans and pricing, or compare ChurchBooks3 with QuickBooks and Aplos.