Checked in October 2026. Their prices can change. Confirm the numbers on their pages before you buy anything.
| The Gathering | Tithely, from their public pages | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to use the app | No platform subscription to create a church and use the app. | Their church app page lists a custom church app at $89 per month and says there is no setup fee. Their help center says that app is included in All Access at $119 per month, and lists other products such as church management at $72 per month, text giving at $19 per month, and a website at $19 per month. |
| Whose app it is | One app, The Gathering, that a church joins on the web. It is not a separate store listing under the church's name. | They describe a branded custom app for the church, with sermon media, events, giving, and push notifications on their church app page. |
| Giving | The church connects Stripe. The Gathering takes no cut and no application fee. The in-app estimate uses Stripe's published standard US rates: 2.9% + $0.30 for cards, and 0.8% capped at $5 for US bank transfer. A nonprofit discount is Stripe's, if Stripe approves the church. | Their giving pages say online giving has no monthly fee and no setup fee, and that per-transaction fees apply. Their fee article is the place to read the current rates. This page does not restate those rates. |
| Contract | There is no software contract to pay for the app. | Their church app page says you can cancel any time without a penalty, and that there is no long-term contract for that app. That is their statement, not ours. |
Choose Tithely if you want the branded store app and the other products they bundle. Choose The Gathering if you want a free church app and you are fine keeping the live video on YouTube.
Questions pastors ask
Is The Gathering a free alternative to Tithely?
It can be, if you want a free church app instead of Tithely's custom app. There is no platform fee right now. Tithely's church app page lists a custom app at $89 per month (checked October 2026).
Can we move from Tithely to The Gathering?
You can start a church here and invite people. The Gathering does not import a Tithely account. Giving needs the church's own Stripe account.
How do giving fees compare?
The Gathering adds no platform fee right now. Gifts pay standard Stripe processing fees. Tithely says per-transaction fees apply. Their fee article is the place to read the current rates. This page does not restate those rates.