What Is Church Management Software? How Komuniti Works
Church management software is a platform that centralises member records, giving, communications, events and volunteer schedules in one private space. Komuniti by MRVL is a mobile-first community app built specifically for UK churches to replace WhatsApp groups with pastor-led channels, prayer walls, event RSVP, sermon notes and native integration with giving and live streaming tools.
The Purpose of Church Management Software
Most churches rely on email, WhatsApp and spreadsheets to manage members, coordinate volunteers and share announcements. This creates chaos: messages get lost, member data lives nowhere, giving is manual, and volunteers don't know who's free to help. Church management software consolidates all of this into one system where leaders control who sees what, members stay informed without notification overload, and records stay secure and private. As of June 2026, many UK churches are moving away from consumer chat apps toward purpose-built platforms. Komuniti was designed specifically for this transition, letting pastors structure communication by department (worship team, prayer group, welcome, youth) while keeping the whole church informed via a shared announcement wall.
What Komuniti Does (And What It Doesn't)
Komuniti is not WhatsApp with a church coat of paint. It's a closed, invite-only community platform where pastors control who can post in each group, not members. This keeps conversations focused and spam-free. The app includes a prayer wall for private prayer requests, event RSVP for tracking attendance, a volunteer rota with swap requests so members can self-organise helping rotas, and sermon notes so people can revisit the message later. It integrates natively with Ekklesia (member management), Givr (Gift Aid giving), and Streamr (live service streaming), creating a complete church stack without switching between five different apps. Komuniti is also not an open social network. Your church community stays private, locked to members you invite, with no algorithm, no ads, no data mining.
Who Uses Church Management Software
Any church that has more than a handful of members benefits from this. Small home groups and house churches use the Free tier (3 private groups, up to 20 members, 1 event RSVP per month) to stay coordinated. Churches with 20 to 100 members run on Starter (£19.99/month or £179.99/year). Medium churches (100 to 300 members) use Pro (£39.99/month or £349.99/year) for deeper volunteer rotas and multi-event management. Denominations or multi-campus churches run Enterprise (£79.99/month or £699.99/year). The software is designed for pastoral control: elders and wardens can moderate discussions, only certain members can post announcements, and new members can follow a guided discipleship journey in the app itself.
Core Features That Matter
The features that define modern church management software centre on communication, organisation and giving. Private groups by department let the worship team plan songs, the prayer group share requests, and the welcome team coordinate visitor follow-up. A shared prayer wall gives every member a space to post prayer requests and intercede without cluttering chat. Announcements broadcast to the whole church (no one has to scroll back through WhatsApp threads). Event RSVP tracks who's coming to services, socials, prayer meetings and volunteer shifts. The volunteer rota shows who's free and when, with a built-in request to swap shifts. Sermon notes let people save and share what they learned. When you integrate Givr, giving becomes Gift Aid-aware, so church treasurers don't chase donors for tax forms. Streamr integration means live services can be shared directly within the app, keeping your broadcast private.
Why Build vs. Buying Generic Software
Many churches consider using generic project management tools (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Notion) or importing US church software. Komuniti was built from the ground up for UK churches because the needs are specific. Gift Aid giving is a UK tax efficiency that no US software handles natively. WhatsApp is so entrenched in British church culture that moving to something designed to feel familiar but structured was necessary. Payment in GBP, pricing that matches church budgets (starting at free, then under £20/month for small churches), and integration with other UK-built tools like Givr and Ekklesia means you're not buying a toolbox and learning to assemble it yourself. Komuniti includes everything a church needs in one place, with no separate invoices, vendors or API keys to manage. It's also reinstall-proof: data syncs to iCloud, so if a member deletes and reinstalls the app, their prayer requests and sermon notes are still there.
Start managing your church in one app. Download Komuniti free for iOS.
Frequently asked questions
Is church management software the same as member database software?
No. Member database software (like Ekklesia) stores who's in your church, their contact info, and giving history. Church management software does that plus coordinates communication, events, volunteering and discipleship. Komuniti integrates with Ekklesia so you get both.
Can church management software replace WhatsApp?
Yes, that's its main purpose. Komuniti replaces WhatsApp by giving pastors control over who posts, organising conversations by purpose (prayer, announcements, volunteers), and keeping everything stored in the app rather than scrollable threads. Members still get notifications, but they're focused and manageable.
How much does church management software cost?
Komuniti offers a Free tier (£0, for up to 20 members and 3 groups), then Starter at £19.99/month for small churches, Pro at £39.99/month for medium churches, and Enterprise at £79.99/month for denominations. Annual pricing saves 15%.
Does church management software work offline?
Komuniti syncs to iCloud, so members can view cached messages and prayer requests if they temporarily lose connection. Full posting and updates require internet, like most community apps.
What if we want to switch from WhatsApp to Komuniti?
You invite members via a link or QR code. They download Komuniti, join your church community, and you can archive or delete the WhatsApp group once everyone's settled. No data migration needed since Komuniti starts fresh as your new source of truth.
Does Komuniti integrate with online giving platforms?
Yes. Komuniti integrates natively with Givr, which handles Gift Aid declarations and giving analytics. If you also use Ekklesia for member management or Streamr for live streaming, all three sync into Komuniti so everything's connected.