Planning Center vs CDM+ Comparison: Everything You Need to Know Before Choosing

CDM+ is a church and nonprofit management system developed by Suran Systems, a US company, and positioned as a true fund accounting solution for churches, schools and nonprofit organisations. It addresses the particular accounting requirements of these organisations, which must track money by fund, programme and restriction and report accurately to boards, donors and members. Many small organisations use general business accounting packages that are poorly suited to fund-based reporting, creating extra work and potential errors. CDM+ combines fund accounting with membership and contribution management, allowing organisations to manage people and finances in one integrated system. The product has been developed over many years with a focus on reliability and practical functionality, and it has historically supported both Windows and Mac users, which distinguishes it in a market where many church systems have been Windows-only. The vendor’s tagline references plans starting at around USD 50 per month. Key modules include membership records, attendance, contributions and pledges with giving statements, and fund accounting with general ledger, accounts payable, bank reconciliation and budgeting. Payroll functionality supports staff compensation, including features relevant to clergy. Additional modules cover event registration, facility scheduling, child check-in, online giving and a mobile or web portal for members. Reporting tools provide a wide range of standard and customisable reports covering finances, membership and giving trends. CDM+ is available as installed software and in cloud-hosted form, giving organisations flexibility in how they deploy it, and it integrates with online giving providers and other tools. It is aimed at churches of varying sizes, Christian schools, denominational bodies and other nonprofit organisations that need robust fund accounting alongside people management. Pricing starts from around USD 25 in this listing, with the vendor’s own materials citing plans from around USD 50 per month; a free trial is available and there is no permanently free version.