Why this matters
If you are comparing "subsplash vs pushpay" for online giving, here is the short answer. Pushpay is a giving-first platform that pairs with church management software and works well for larger or multisite churches. Subsplash bundles giving with a website and app, which suits a smaller church that wants one vendor for everything. The right pick depends on your size and who maintains the site. Fees for both, alongside three other platforms, are covered in our five-platform giving comparison. This post answers a different question: what each one ties your giving to, and who at your church will keep it running.
Both move money and both work. The thing worth your attention is what you are locked into once you commit. Giving touches your website, your app, your records, and the volunteer who keeps it all running. Switching later means re-teaching your people where the give button lives, so it pays to choose with your next three years in mind, not just this Sunday.
At a glance
- In our view, for a small church with one volunteer running the site, Subsplash's bundled approach is simpler to set up and maintain.
- We would lean Pushpay for a larger or multisite church that already runs a church management system and wants giving to feed it cleanly.
- Ask each vendor for its per-gift processing fee as well as any plan price, so you compare the full cost. As of October 2026, Subsplash lists its giving fees on its pricing page, and Pushpay gives pricing after a demo (pushpay.com/pricing).
- Whichever you pick, we think the give button on your homepage matters more than the platform brand. A first-time guest should reach a finished gift in a few taps.
A one-minute check on your own give button
Do this on your phone before you talk to either vendor.
- Open your church homepage the way a first-time guest would.
- Count the taps from the homepage to a finished gift form. Write the number down.
- When the giving page opens, look at the address bar. Note whether it shows your church's web address or the giving vendor's.
- Ask the person who runs your website: if we changed website builders later, would this give link still work?
The tap count tells you what to fix on your homepage, whichever platform you pick. The last two answers show whether your giving lives inside your website or beside it, which is the lock-in question this comparison turns on.
How they actually differ
| Aspect | Pushpay | Subsplash |
|---|---|---|
| What it leads with | Giving, paired with church management | A website and app suite that includes giving |
| Best for | Larger or multisite churches | Small to mid-size churches wanting one vendor |
| Setup effort | Heavier, more configuration | Lighter if you use their site and app |
| Lock-in | Giving can stay if you change sites | Giving bought alone can stay; in the bundle, giving, site, and app move together |
| Who it suits after launch | A church with a paid admin | A church with one volunteer |
Strip away the marketing pages and the difference is about where giving sits. As of October 2026, both pricing pages show this split: Pushpay lists Giving and Church Management plans (pushpay.com/pricing), and Subsplash lists Giving on its own plus Subsplash One, a bundle of website, apps, media, and giving (subsplash.com/pricing). Pushpay treats giving as the center and assumes you have, or will buy, a church management system around it. That structure rewards a church with paid staff who track giving records, run statements, and want every gift tied to a person's profile.
Subsplash treats giving as one piece of a website and app package. If you also use them for your site, the give button, the app, and the donation flow are already wired together. That is less to assemble for a small team, with the trade-off that, in the bundle, your giving, website, and app live and move as one.
Neither is a trick. The question is whether you want a giving tool you can keep through a future website change, or a single vendor that handles the whole front door at once.
When Pushpay wins
- You run multiple campuses and need giving to roll up across them.
- You already use a church management system and want gifts to feed it without manual export.
- You have a paid administrator who can own setup and monthly reconciliation.
- Detailed giving records and statements are a real part of your year-end work.
When Subsplash wins
- One volunteer maintains your website in their spare time.
- You want your website, app, and giving from one vendor instead of stitching tools together.
- You are a small to mid-size church and value fewer moving parts over deeper records.
- You want a usable give button with the least setup.
Decision criteria
- Do you already pay for a church management system? If yes, lean Pushpay.
- Is your site maintained by one part-time volunteer? If yes, lean Subsplash.
- Do you run more than one campus? If yes, Pushpay's structure helps.
- Do you want a single vendor for site, app, and giving? If yes, Subsplash.
- Can someone on your team own monthly reconciliation? If no, avoid the heavier setup.
- Have you tested giving from a guest's phone yet? Do that before either contract.
- Would changing websites in two years force you to also change giving? Decide if that lock-in is acceptable.
Frequently asked questions
What is the real difference between Pushpay and Subsplash giving?
Pushpay is giving-first and built to pair with church management software, which fits larger and multisite churches. Subsplash bundles giving into a website and app suite, which fits a smaller church wanting one vendor. Both process gifts well; the difference is what surrounds the giving and what you are locked into.
What happens to our giving if we change websites later?
With Pushpay, giving is its own platform, so a new website can point its give button at the same giving page. With Subsplash, it depends on how you bought it: Giving bought on its own can stay, while a Subsplash One bundle moves giving, website, and app together. Before you sign either contract, ask the vendor in writing what happens to recurring gifts if you leave.
Does the giving platform affect whether guests actually give?
In our view, the give button on your homepage matters more than the platform behind it. A first-time guest should be able to find it and reach a finished gift in a couple of taps on a phone. Run the one-minute check above to see where yours stands.
Where this connects in our work
- A four-minute look at your homepage for a check on whether your give button is easy to find.
- See example church sites for how giving fits into a homepage that works on a phone.
Next step
If you are weighing Pushpay against Subsplash, run the one-minute check above on your own phone first, then bring your tap count and the address-bar answer to the comparison. If you would like a second set of eyes on it, our free review is a four-minute look at your homepage, including your give button.