Platform Comparison
Socio Connect vs Subsplash:
Own Your Church Platform vs Rent It
Subsplash is a SaaS platform for churches. You pay monthly fees, your congregation's data lives on Subsplash's servers, and they take a cut of every donation your members give. Socio Connect builds a custom digital platform your church owns permanently — one investment, no recurring fees, no percentage of your giving extracted by a vendor.
This page compares both approaches directly so growing churches can make the right long-term infrastructure decision.
The truth about Subsplash
What you're actually paying for
2.15%+
Processing fee on every donation. A church receiving $500K/year in digital giving loses $10,750+ annually — just in transaction fees — to Subsplash's payment system.
$0
Equity in the platform after years of monthly fees. Subsplash's infrastructure is theirs. You are a paying tenant. The moment you stop paying, your church app disappears.
Same app
As every other Subsplash church. Your brand is a logo on a shared template. Subsplash controls the UX, the features, the roadmap, and the experience your congregation has.
The 5-Year Cost Comparison
Most churches evaluate platforms on monthly cost. The real question is total cost of ownership — including giving fees — and what you own at the end.
Subsplash — 5-Year Cost (mid-size church)
$100K–$200K+
- $500–$1,000/month in platform fees ($30K–$60K over 5 years)
- 2.15%+ on all digital giving — $10,750–$21,500+/year for $500K–$1M in donations
- Fees increase as your congregation grows
- You own nothing at year 5
- Subsplash can change pricing, features, or shut down
Socio Connect — 5-Year Cost
From $45K
- One-time build investment — no recurring platform fees
- Integrate your own giving processor at lower rates (Stripe, Pushpay, etc.)
- Platform owned permanently from day one
- No vendor can raise prices, change features, or shut down your church app
- Optional support plan: $500–$1,500/month — still cheaper than Subsplash plus fees
The reframe: stop tithing to your software vendor.
Subsplash's giving fees mean your platform vendor receives a percentage of your congregation's generosity every week. Owning your infrastructure eliminates that extraction permanently.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Subsplash | Socio Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Platform ownership | Rented (SaaS) | Permanently owned |
| Monthly platform fees | $400–$1,200+/month | None after build |
| Giving processing fees | 2.15–2.9% per transaction | Integrate your own processor |
| 5-year total cost (mid-size church) | $60,000–$150,000+ | One-time investment from $45,000 |
| Data ownership | Subsplash's servers | Your servers |
| Native mobile app branding | White-label template | Fully custom iOS & Android |
| Custom giving flows | Fixed Subsplash giving UI | Bespoke to your ministry |
| Discipleship & groups tooling | Basic groups feature | Custom progression engine |
| Vendor lock-in | Yes | None |
| Feature customisation | Platform constraints | Built to your specification |
| Time to launch | Days to weeks | 16–24 weeks |
| Upfront investment | Low | From $45,000 |
| Best for | Under 2,000 members, fast start | 3,000+ members, long-term scale |
What Socio Connect builds for churches
Everything your congregation needs — built to your exact specification and permanently owned by your church.
Which is right for your church?
Choose Subsplash if…
- Your congregation has under 2,000 members
- You need a church app live within days
- You're not ready for a capital investment
- You want a managed, supported SaaS product
- Your digital giving is under $200K/year
Choose Socio Connect if…
- Your church has 3,000+ active members (or is heading there)
- You want to stop renting and start owning
- Your digital giving generates significant processing fees
- You need a platform built to your ministry's exact vision
- You're multi-campus or planning to be
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to own your church's digital platform?
Apply for a strategy call. We'll map out what your congregation needs and whether a custom build is the right next step for your ministry.
Apply for a Strategy Call