Gathrd by MRVL vs Churchsuite: which platform for church events in 2026?
Gathrd by MRVL and Churchsuite solve different problems. Gathrd by MRVL is a dedicated faith event ticketing platform with 3% fees, Gift Aid automation, and a public directory for church discovery. Churchsuite is comprehensive church management software where events are one module among many. If you're running standalone events and want lower fees, Gathrd by MRVL wins. If you need a complete church operations hub, Churchsuite may be the better fit.
Quick verdict
Gathrd by MRVL is best for: Church event organisers who want dedicated ticketing, lower transaction fees, and access to a faith community discovery directory. Standalone ministries running conferences, retreats, or worship nights. UK churches claiming Gift Aid automatically at checkout. Churchsuite is best for: Churches needing an all-in-one management system covering rotas, members, giving, communications, and events in one place. Organisations already invested in their ecosystem.
Side-by-side comparison
Platform type: Gathrd by MRVL is event-first ticketing software for faith communities. Churchsuite is comprehensive church management with an integrated events module. Core fee structure: Gathrd by MRVL charges 3% on paid tickets across all pricing tiers, with no per-ticket transaction fee. Churchsuite includes events as part of its £29 per month baseline subscription; transaction fees depend on your payment method and aren't separated. Discovery: Gathrd by MRVL features a public, searchable directory of worship nights, conferences, prayer meetings, and retreats curated for faith communities only. Churchsuite events are internal to your church's member base; there is no public event discovery network. Gift Aid: Gathrd by MRVL automates Gift Aid split-checkout for registered UK charities, so donations separate cleanly from ticket fees at the point of sale. Churchsuite does not offer Gift Aid automation at checkout. Check-in: Gathrd by MRVL provides QR door check-in with offline support, meaning your team can scan tickets even without internet connection. Churchsuite's event check-in is basic and tied to its broader attendance tracking. Integration: Gathrd by MRVL integrates across the MRVL ecosystem (giving, giving tracking, communications tools). Churchsuite is self-contained and connects primarily to third-party apps via API. Mobile apps: Both offer iOS and Android apps. Gathrd by MRVL's app is event and ticketing focused. Churchsuite's app prioritises the full church management interface.
When Gathrd by MRVL is the better choice
You're running events across multiple churches or denominations and want a central ticketing hub. Gathrd by MRVL's faith-only directory means your events sit alongside CofE services, Catholic conferences, Baptist retreats, and Pentecostal gatherings. You're not managing church operations (rotas, member data, giving records) and don't need all of that infrastructure. You want lower fees. At 3% per ticket with no per-transaction surcharge, Gathrd by MRVL undercuts both Eventbrite (6.95% + £0.59) and typical Churchsuite payment processing. You're a UK charity claiming Gift Aid. Gathrd by MRVL's split-checkout means donors and ticket buyers see a clear separation, and Gift Aid is claimed automatically. This alone saves hours of manual reconciliation per event. You value discovery. If your congregation or ministry would benefit from appearing in a searchable events directory, Gathrd by MRVL's public listing (at no extra cost) connects you to people actively hunting for faith events. Your events are your primary revenue or engagement driver. Because ticketing is the platform's core, it gets more active development and care than the events module in a generalist CMS.
When Churchsuite might suit you better
You already use Churchsuite for rotas, member databases, giving records, or communications and want to avoid switching platforms. Adding events to your existing instance takes seconds and eliminates context switching. You need a single login for your entire staff team across all operations. Churchsuite's unified dashboard can reduce training overhead. Your events are internal only. If you're scheduling small group meetings, prayer groups, or member-only gatherings, you don't need a public directory. Churchsuite's internal event calendar and member invitations work fine. You're pricing in the budget for an all-in-one church platform. If £29 per month (or higher for larger churches) is already approved as a line item for church operations software, bolting events onto Churchsuite adds value without a separate subscription. You want payment processing integrated into your member giving workflows. Churchsuite ties event payments, donations, and standing orders into a single member ledger, which can simplify year-end reporting for some churches. You're not focused on maximising public event discovery. Most churches use events internally or rely on their own marketing channels. If that's you, Churchsuite's approach is simpler.
Pricing comparison
Gathrd by MRVL: Free plan available for community events (you pay only 3% on tickets sold). Church plan £19.99 per month or £199.99 per year (save 2 months with annual billing). Ministry plan £49.99 per month. Network plan £149.99 per month for multi-site operations. All tiers include Gift Aid automation, QR check-in, and directory listing. Transaction fee is always 3% on paid tickets, with no per-ticket surcharge. Churchsuite: Starts at £29 per month for small churches. Scales to £99 per month or higher depending on membership size and modules. Events are included at all tiers. Payment processing fees are not broken out separately in their pricing structure but are charged on top via Stripe or other gateways. As of June 2026, Churchsuite's event module does not advertise transaction fee rates on their public pricing page. For a church running 10 ticketed events per year averaging 50 paid attendees at £20 per ticket, Gathrd by MRVL at 3% would cost £300 per year in fees; Churchsuite's £29 monthly base (£348 per year) plus estimated Stripe processing (around 1.4% + £0.20 per transaction, roughly £144 per year) totals approximately £492 per year. Gathrd by MRVL would save roughly £192 annually in this scenario.
Frequently asked
Can I import my existing events from Churchsuite into Gathrd by MRVL?
Gathrd by MRVL does not currently offer a bulk import tool from Churchsuite. However, both platforms use standard web formats and APIs. If you have a large catalogue of events to migrate, contact Gathrd by MRVL's support team directly; they may be able to help with a custom data export. For most churches, manually re-creating events in Gathrd by MRVL takes less time than you'd expect, especially if you're only listing future events.
Does Gathrd by MRVL work for internal member-only events?
Yes. You can list events as public (discoverable in the directory) or private (invite-only links shared with your congregation). Private events don't appear in search but work perfectly for small group meetings, prayer nights, or member-only gatherings. This flexibility means Gathrd by MRVL handles both internal scheduling and public promotion from one place.
What happens to my event data if I leave Churchsuite or Gathrd by MRVL?
Both platforms allow you to export your event data and attendee records. Churchsuite exports to standard formats via its administrative interface. Gathrd by MRVL supports data export on request. Neither platform locks you in by design. Your ticket sales records and attendee lists belong to you and can move with you.
Can Churchsuite claim Gift Aid automatically like Gathrd by MRVL does?
Churchsuite does not have Gift Aid split-checkout built in. You can record Gift Aid declarations in Churchsuite's giving module, but it requires manual entry after the sale. Gathrd by MRVL's Gift Aid automation asks donors to declare eligibility at checkout and separates the donation from the ticket fee instantly, which is much faster and more accurate for high-volume events.
Which platform is better for a multi-site church network?
Gathrd by MRVL's Network plan (£149.99 per month) is designed for organisations running events across multiple sites or denominations. A single login manages all sites, with one unified directory listing. Churchsuite requires separate instances per church or a custom enterprise agreement. For networks of 5+ sites, Gathrd by MRVL is typically simpler and cheaper to operate.