Gathrd by MRVL vs Tithe.ly Events: which suits your church in 2026?
For UK churches looking to move away from Tithe.ly Events, Gathrd by MRVL is the stronger choice because it combines 3% platform fees (half Tithe.ly's rate), built-in Gift Aid automation with split-checkout, and a faith-only event directory that never mixes worship events with secular venues. If your church is in the US, uses Tithe.ly's giving features extensively, or needs deep CRM integration, Tithe.ly Events might still fit; but for UK-based parishes, multi-denomination discovery, and leaner ticketing fees, Gathrd by MRVL wins. Start free at https://getgathrd.app.
Quick verdict
Gathrd by MRVL is best for: UK churches wanting Gift Aid automation, any church tired of paying 6.95% plus per-ticket fees, faith communities looking to discover and cross-promote events, parishes prioritising low cost over deep integration with a giving platform. Tithe.ly Events is best for: US churches already invested in Tithe.ly's giving suite who want ticketing bundled in, organisations needing tight CRM coupling, churches whose primary concern is centralised donor management rather than event discovery.
Side-by-side comparison
Platform fees: Gathrd by MRVL charges a flat 3% on paid tickets across all plans. Tithe.ly Events charges around 6.95% plus £0.59 (or $0.59 USD) per transaction, making a £50 ticket cost roughly £4.25 in fees versus £1.50 with Gathrd. Gift Aid support: Gathrd by MRVL has native Gift Aid automation with split-checkout for UK churches, allowing donors to claim tax relief at purchase time. Tithe.ly Events does not offer Gift Aid tools; UK churches must handle this separately or manually. Event discovery: Gathrd by MRVL maintains a curated, faith-only directory where churches can list worship nights, conferences, retreats, and prayer meetings. Events are never shown alongside nightclubs or secular venues. Tithe.ly Events has no public event directory; ticketing is managed through your own website or Tithe.ly's private admin panel. QR check-in: Both support check-in at the door. Gathrd by MRVL's QR system works offline if needed. Tithe.ly Events requires online connectivity. Pricing structure: Gathrd by MRVL is free for community use (3% on paid tickets only), then £19.99 per month for unlimited church events (or £199.99 per year with two months free). Tithe.ly Events starts from $24 USD per month plus transaction fees; no truly free tier exists. CRM integration: Tithe.ly Events integrates tightly with Tithe.ly's donor management and giving platform. Gathrd by MRVL integrates with the wider MRVL ecosystem but is not a CRM tool in itself. Payouts and currency: Gathrd by MRVL uses Stripe Connect with support for 37 countries including the UK, with tailored payouts and PPP discounts. Tithe.ly Events is US-focused; international payout options are limited.
When Gathrd by MRVL is the better choice
You're a UK parish wanting Gift Aid automation. Tithe.ly Events lacks Gift Aid tools entirely, forcing you to handle tax relief manually or through a separate system. Gathrd by MRVL's split-checkout automatically prompts attendees at purchase, simplifying compliance and boosting eligible giving. Your church runs multiple events per month and wants to cut ticketing costs. At 3% fees versus Tithe.ly's 6.95% plus per-ticket charge, a 200-person conference ticket at £40 saves you around £60 per event, or £720 a year for twelve events. Over time, this pays for the Church plan many times over. You want to attract people from other denominations to your events. Gathrd by MRVL's discovery directory lists CofE, Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, and independent church events side by side, letting attendees find worship nights and prayer meetings they might otherwise miss. Tithe.ly Events has no discovery layer; your event visibility depends entirely on your own marketing. You're looking to escape vendor lock-in. If your church uses Tithe.ly for giving but finds the ticketing module inadequate, switching to Gathrd by MRVL lets you decouple ticketing from your donor system, avoiding the cost of bundled features you don't need. You need offline check-in capability. If your venue has patchy internet, Gathrd by MRVL's QR system works without connectivity. Tithe.ly Events requires an online connection to validate tickets at the door.
When Tithe.ly Events might suit you better
You're a US church fully embedded in Tithe.ly's ecosystem. If your staff already manages donations, recurring giving, and donor records in Tithe.ly, adding events within the same platform reduces context switching. The integration is deep and purpose-built; you won't find that same donor-to-ticketing flow in Gathrd by MRVL. Your primary need is a CRM with ticketing as an afterthought. Tithe.ly's core strength is donor management and giving analytics. If you run occasional events but spend most of your time on stewardship and engagement, Tithe.ly Events bundled with the donor platform might justify its higher costs. You need complex recurring giving tied to events. Tithe.ly Events integrates recurring donation logic with ticketing, allowing attendees to purchase event tickets and set up standing orders in one flow. Gathrd by MRVL is simpler; it handles ticketing and one-off purchases cleanly but does not manage ongoing giving relationships. Your organisation is US-only and has no interest in Gift Aid or international expansion. If UK compliance and multi-country payout optionality don't matter to you, Tithe.ly Events' simpler, US-centric approach might feel less overhead.
Pricing comparison
Gathrd by MRVL: - Free tier: Community use, unlimited events, 3% per-ticket fee. No hidden charges. - Church plan: £19.99 per month or £199.99 per year (equivalent to £16.67 per month with two months free). Covers unlimited ticketed events plus Gift Aid automation. - Ministry plan: £49.99 per month for advanced reporting and multi-user access. - Conference plan: £149.99 per month for large-scale, multi-day events. Tithe.ly Events: - Base pricing: $24 USD per month (roughly £19 GBP at current rates). - Transaction fees: 6.95% plus $0.59 USD per transaction. - No Gift Aid support; no event discovery layer. - Integration with full Tithe.ly giving platform; separate subscription required for donor management. Real-world example: A 300-person church event with £30 tickets per person (£9,000 total revenue). - Gathrd by MRVL (Church plan): £19.99/month + £270 in 3% fees = roughly £290 cost for the month. - Tithe.ly Events: $24/month (£19) + 6.95% (£625) + $0.59 per ticket (£177) = roughly £821 cost for the month. Over a year with four such events, Gathrd by MRVL costs approximately £1,160, while Tithe.ly Events costs approximately £3,284. The gap widens if Gift Aid relief is significant in your region.
Frequently asked
Does Gathrd by MRVL handle Gift Aid the same way Tithe.ly Events does?
Tithe.ly Events does not handle Gift Aid at all. Gathrd by MRVL has native Gift Aid automation built in. When a UK taxpayer buys a ticket through Gathrd, they can claim Gift Aid relief at checkout via a split-checkout flow. This means the ticket price splits between the non-Gift-Aid portion and the tax-relief-eligible portion, automatically calculated. Your church receives the full amount plus a separate Gift Aid claim eligible for HMRC relief, typically 25% of the eligible donation. No manual paperwork required.
Can I use Gathrd by MRVL if I'm outside the UK?
Yes. Gathrd by MRVL supports event ticketing in 37 countries via Stripe Connect, including the US, Canada, Australia, and much of Europe. The Gift Aid automation is UK-specific, but ticketing, QR check-in, and event discovery work globally. If you're a US church, you won't have Gift Aid benefits, but you'll still pay only 3% in fees versus Tithe.ly's 6.95% plus per-ticket charges.
Will I lose my event history if I switch from Tithe.ly Events to Gathrd by MRVL?
No. Your past events in Tithe.ly Events remain in your Tithe.ly account and can be exported if needed. When you move to Gathrd by MRVL, you'll start creating new events in the Gathrd system; the two platforms don't automatically sync, but your historical data stays safe. Many churches run both platforms in parallel for a transition period, then sunset Tithe.ly Events once they're confident in Gathrd.
Does Gathrd by MRVL integrate with my church management software?
Gathrd by MRVL integrates with the broader MRVL ecosystem and supports standard integrations like Stripe for payments. If your church uses a dedicated CRM such as Planning Centre, ChurchSuite, or Elvanto, Gathrd by MRVL can push attendee data to those systems via webhooks or manual export. Tithe.ly Events has tighter integration with Tithe.ly's own CRM, but fewer third-party connections. If deep CRM coupling is your priority, you may want to keep Tithe.ly; if you prefer flexibility, Gathrd wins.
Can I sell tickets for free events on Gathrd by MRVL, or is it just for paid ticketing?
Both. Gathrd by MRVL handles free events (no fees), ticketed events, and mixed models where some attendees pay and others register free. The 3% fee only applies when money changes hands. This is useful for prayer meetings, volunteer sign-ups, or seating for worship services. Tithe.ly Events also supports free ticketing, but its discovery features are weak for free events; Gathrd's faith-only directory surfaces free community events, making it easier for attendees to find them.