Moving from ChurchBooks3 Desktop to ChurchBooks3 Online

ChurchBooks3 Desktop and ChurchBooks3 Online are two versions of the same church accounting software. Desktop runs on one Windows computer and keeps your data there. Online runs in any web browser, supports several users, and backs up your data automatically. If your church is ready to work from more than one computer, this page explains how the move works.

ChurchBooks3 Desktop remains fully supported. You don't have to switch.

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Why Churches Move to Online

  • Several people can work in the books from any browser, with admin, staff and read-only roles and two-factor authentication.
  • Automatic cloud backups and automatic updates.
  • Online-only tools: event management, email merge, daycare classes, a Givelify-powered online giving page with QR code, and Givelify donation import.
  • The member self-service portal, on the Platinum plan.
  • The same plans and prices as Desktop: Bronze, Silver and Gold, from $9.99 a month, plus Platinum on Online.

What Carries Over

Desktop and Online use separate databases, so there is no automatic or one-click transfer between them.

  • Members: ChurchBooks3 Desktop can export your data to CSV. Member records can then be imported into ChurchBooks3 Online from CSV, on every plan. The Desktop export isn't laid out in the same columns, so it takes some reformatting first.
  • Chart of accounts, funds and opening balances: these are set up in Online, using your Desktop balances on the date you switch. The support team helps you do this.
  • Past transactions and donations: these aren't transferred automatically. Before you switch, print or save the reports you need from Desktop, such as year-end contribution statements and financial statements.

How the Move Works

  1. Start a free 30-day ChurchBooks3 Online trial. You can keep using Desktop while you try it.
  2. Choose a switch date, such as the end of a month or the end of the year.
  3. In Desktop, finish entering everything up to that date, then save the reports you need.
  4. Export your Desktop data to CSV.
  5. In Online, set up your chart of accounts, funds and opening balances as of the switch date.
  6. Reformat the member export and import it into Online.
  7. Record new donations and transactions in Online from the switch date. If your church uses Givelify, import those donations too.

Help with the Move

The ChurchBooks3 support team helps churches move from Desktop to Online. Contact support by email to discuss your options and begin. Each new trial includes a free 30-minute training session with a service manager. Support is available by phone and contact form, Monday to Friday, 10 AM–7 PM, and Saturday, 10 AM–1 PM (Eastern). Contact support or visit the Technical Support & FAQ page.

Moving from QuickBooks Online instead? See how switching from QuickBooks works.

Pricing and the Free 30-Day Trial

ChurchBooks3 Online plans run from $9.99 to $39.99 a month, billed monthly or annually. The free 30-day trial includes the Gold plan features and needs no credit card. Nothing is billed when the trial ends. If the church doesn't subscribe, the account is locked for 30 days, and we email you, including warnings before deletion. Subscribing within that time restores everything; after 30 days, all of the church's data is permanently deleted. See all plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer my data from ChurchBooks3 Desktop to Online automatically?

No. Desktop and Online use separate databases, and there is no automatic or one-click transfer. Desktop can export its data to CSV, and member records can be imported into Online from CSV after some reformatting. The support team helps with the rest.

Will my past donations and transactions move to Online?

Not automatically. Set up Online with your balances as of the switch date, and save the Desktop reports you need, such as year-end contribution statements, before you switch.

Can I keep using Desktop while I try Online?

Yes. They are separate programs with separate data, so you can keep your books in Desktop while you try Online.

Does Online cost more than Desktop?

No. Online and Desktop use one price list: Bronze $9.99, Silver $19.99 and Gold $29.99 a month, billed monthly or annually. Platinum, at $39.99 a month, is Online only.

Will someone help us move?

Yes. Contact the support team by email to begin. Each new trial also includes a free 30-minute training session with a service manager.

What happens if we don't subscribe after the trial?

Nothing is billed. The account is locked for 30 days, and we email you, including warnings before deletion. Subscribing within 30 days restores everything. After 30 days, all of the church's data is permanently deleted.