In an attempt to help our readers compare church software, Church Solutions contacted a bevy of church software companies for product and company information, condensing our findings to make them accessible. We’ve compiled responses from a dozen of the more than 70 companies serving the industry, ranging from standard church management to software with a financial focus. All responses were self-reported. (Editor’s Note: Responses were edited for length and paraphrased when appropriate.)

COMPANY: Ekklesia 360

CONTACT: 877.452.0015; info@monkdevelopment.com

LATEST VERSION: Ekklesia 360 2.8

Q: Are upgrades free?

A: Yes.

Q: Are they automatic?

A: Yes.

Q: Is your software Web-based?

A: Yes.

Q: Is your software hosted remotely, or can churches choose to host on an in-house server?

A: Churches can host their content on an in-house server, but our software is hosted remotely.

Q: Does your management software: Include accounting, payroll and bookkeeping features?

A: Some accounting features for online donations and e-commerce purchases; can be paired with third-party software.

Q: Have a built-in content management system for churches to use to update/upload content to their Web sites?

A: Yes.

Q: Include resources for operating an Intranet or Web portal?

A: Yes.

Q: Organize mass e-mailings?

A: Yes.

Q: Track and manage attendance?

A: No.

Q: Allow uploads of images?

A: Yes.

Q: Include a general ledger?

A: No.

Q: Track individual giving?

A: Yes – online giving only.

Q: Contain a calendar for the planning of events and use of facilities?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you offer 24/7 tech support? If not, what is the availability of your tech support?

A: Phone support is 8-5 p.m. PDT, but e-mail support and the support site is 24-hour.

Q: Do you provide help for installation and implementation beyond the manual?

A: Yes. Implementation teams are available for churches who decide not to implement on their own.

Q: How does your pricing structure work?

A: It’s based on the needs and budget of a church.

Q: What three things do you want churches to understand about your company and product?

A: 1.) Ekklesia is Web-based, simple and straightforward. 2.) We allow churches complete flexibility in their designs and ability to interact with third-party applications because of these forward-thinking philosophies. Our design flexibility allows churches to choose from one of our 50+ design partners or create their own. 3.) We’re passionate about the church and technology. We speak at and attend conferences, read vigorously about new advances and continue to map out how churches can better use technology.