Choosing the right communication platform for your church or faith-based organization can be a game-changer in how you connect with your community. As you explore your options, you've likely come across Flocknote, a well-established player in the field, and perhaps you've heard about Called, an emerging alternative.
Both platforms offer unique features and benefits, but which one is right for your church or ministry? Let's dive deep into a comprehensive comparison of Called and Flocknote to help you make an informed decision that aligns with your community's needs and goals.
Understanding the Basics: What Are Called and Flocknote?
Before we jump into the nitty-gritty details, let's start with a brief overview of each platform.
Called: Your All-in-One Community Platform
Called offers an all-in-one community platform designed specifically for churches, ministries, and faith-based organizations. It aims to foster deeper connections among church members beyond Sunday services, providing a digital space for your community to thrive throughout the week.
Flocknote: Your Comprehensive Church Management Tool
Flocknote positions itself as a comprehensive church management and communication tool. It's designed to help churches and religious organizations stay connected with their members, offering a centralized solution for various administrative and top-down communication needs.
Target Audience: Who Are These Platforms For?
Understanding who each platform caters to can help you determine which might be a better fit for your organization.
Called's Broad Appeal
Called casts a wide net, catering to a diverse range of faith-based communities:
- Church-goers
- Ministry leaders
- Bible study groups
- Church groups
- Faith-based schools
- Faith-based organizations and teams
- Event organizers
Called+ and additional paid tiers specifically target:
- Parish/Church Leaders (Priests, Pastors, Ministry Directors)
- Multi-Church Leadership (Diocesan Directors, Operations Pastors)
Flocknote's Focused Approach
Flocknote primarily targets:
- Churches and religious organizations
- Medium to large congregations
- Organizations with multiple ministries or groups
- Dioceses and multi-campus churches (Enterprise plan)
Core Features: What Can They Do?
Now, let's break down the core features of each platform to see how they stack up.
|
Feature
|
Called
|
Flocknote
|
|
Group Messaging
|
✅ (With modern features like reactions, GIFs, and polls)
|
❌
|
|
Event Management
|
✅
|
✅
|
|
Prayer Feature
|
✅
|
❌
|
|
Group Discovery
|
✅
|
❌
|
|
SMS Messaging
|
❌
|
✅
|
|
Email Messaging
|
❌
|
✅ (Newsletters, announcements, etc.)
|
|
Online Giving
|
❌
|
✅
|
|
Profanity Filtering
|
✅
|
❌
|
|
Chat Moderation and Chat Transcripts
|
✅
|
❌
|
|
Advanced Safe Environment Features
|
✅(Coming Soon!)
|
❌
|
|
Free Tier
|
✅ (All core features)
|
❌ (Tiered pricing)
|
|
Notifications
|
✅ (Customizable)
|
✅
|
|
Content Library
|
❌
|
✅ (Free)
|
|
Community Management
|
✅ (Multiple communities/groups in one place)
|
✅
|
|
CRM Tools
|
✅ (Called+)
|
✅
|
|
Insights Dashboard
|
✅ (Called+)
|
✅ (Higher tiers)
|
|
Chat, Events, and News Boosts
|
✅ (Called+)
|
❌
|
|
Member Database
|
✅ (Called+)
|
✅
|
|
Mobile App
|
✅
|
✅
|
|
Web App
|
✅
|
✅
|
|
Family, Visitor, & Religious Education Registration
|
❌
|
✅ (Complete plan)
|
|
Advanced Donor Management
|
❌
|
✅ (Complete plan)
|
|
Robust Member Management Tools & Reporting
|
✅ (Called+)
|
✅ (Complete plan)
|
|
Subnetworks Syncing
|
❌
|
✅ (Enterprise plan)
|
|
Advanced Analytics and Reporting
|
❌
|
✅ (Enterprise plan)
|
Called: Building Community
- Group Discovery: Users can find groups within their church or nearby communities.
- Messaging: Group and direct messaging with modern features like reactions, GIFs, and polls. Very similar to GroupMe or WhatsApp.
- Event Management: Create events, send invites, and manage RSVPs.
- Notifications: Customizable alerts for important updates.
- Community Management: Organize multiple groups in one place.
- Prayer Feature: A dedicated space for prayer requests and support.
Called+ adds:
- CRM Tools: Detailed member profiles, follow-up notes, and tags.
- Insights Dashboard: Community health metrics and weekly reports.
- Enhanced Chat Features: Polls, announcements, and leader-only chat options.
Flocknote: Managing Your Church
- Mass Messaging: Unlimited email and standard texting for all plans.
- Member Database: Manage and organize member information.
- Groups and Ministries: Create and manage various church groups.
- Event Management: Schedule and promote church events with Simple Signups.
- Online Giving: Facilitate donations and tithing with digital and mobile payment processing.
- Mobile App: Access features on the go.
Additional features in higher-tier plans:
- Family, Visitor, & Religious Education Registration (Complete plan)
- Advanced Donor Management (Complete plan)
- Robust Member Management Tools & Reporting (Complete plan)
- Subnetworks Syncing (Enterprise plan)
- Advanced Analytics and Reporting (Enterprise plan)
Pricing Models: What's the Cost?
Budget is often a crucial factor in church and ministry decision-making. Let's examine how Called and Flocknote approach pricing.
Called: Free with Premium Options Coming Soon
Called currently offers a free version that includes all core features (Chat, News, Events, Prayer, Polls, etc.), making it an attractive option for organizations of all sizes. This allows communities to get started without any financial commitment.
Premium and paid plans for Called are in development and will be released soon. They will provide additional features such as insights and analytics, CRM, and chat engagement tools for organizations looking to expand their capabilities.
Flocknote: Tiered Pricing Structure
Flocknote offers three pricing tiers:
- Flocknote Starter:
- Monthly cost based on church size
- Includes unlimited email, unlimited standard texting, online giving, and Simple Signups for events
- Flocknote Complete:
- Monthly cost is Starter price + $75
- Includes all Starter features plus family, visitor, & religious education registration, advanced donor management, and robust member management tools & reporting
- Flocknote Enterprise:
- Custom pricing (must reach out for quote)
- Designed for Diocesan & multi-campus church solutions
- Includes subnetworks syncing up to a parent network, free training, support, and migration for all churches, and advanced analytics and reporting
Unique Selling Points: What Sets Them Apart?
Every platform has its unique strengths. Here’s what makes Called and Flocknote stand out from the crowd.
Called: Safety, Privacy, and Community-Centric Design
- Safety-Focused: Features like chat moderation and profanity filtering create a safe environment for your community (even more safe-environment features coming soon!).
- Privacy-Centric: Called doesn’t sell user data unlike other tools in the group messaging space like GroupMe or WhatsApp, prioritizing the privacy of your members.
- Ministry-Specific Design: The platform is tailored to the unique needs of ministry leaders and church communities.
- Multi-Platform Accessibility: Available on mobile devices and desktops (web.called.app).
- Community-Driven: Emphasizes fostering connections among members, not just top-down communication.
Flocknote: Comprehensive Management and Integration
- All-in-One Solution: Flocknote offers a comprehensive set of tools for church management in one place.
- Scalable Plans: Options for churches of various sizes, from single congregations to multi-campus organizations.
- Advanced Features: Higher-tier plans offer robust tools for donor management and member registration.
- Training and Support: Free training, support, and migration assistance for Enterprise plan users.
Data and Insights: Understanding Your Community
In today's data-driven world, having insights into your community can be invaluable. Let's see how each platform approaches analytics and reporting.
Called+: Comprehensive Community Insights
Called+ offers a robust set of analytical tools:
- Insights Dashboard with community health metrics
- Weekly automated reports sent via email
- Ability to track new and inactive members
These features can help you understand engagement levels, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions about your ministry.
Flocknote: Tiered Analytics Offerings
Flocknote's approach to analytics varies by plan:
- Basic reporting available on all plans
- Robust member management tools & reporting on the Complete plan
- Advanced analytics and reporting on the Enterprise plan
These insights can help you gauge the effectiveness of your communication and track important metrics for your church, with more detailed analysis available at higher tiers.
Scalability: Growing with Your Ministry
As your ministry grows, your communication needs may change. Each platform handles scalability in its own way, here’s how:
Called: Flexible for Various Sizes
Called is designed to be scalable:
- Free version suitable for small groups to large organizations
- Called+ offers features for multi-church leadership
- Can grow with your organization as your needs evolve
This flexibility makes Called a good option for ministries at various stages of growth.
Flocknote: Tiered for Growth
Flocknote's tiered structure is designed to accommodate growth:
- Starter plan for smaller churches or those with basic needs
- Complete plan for growing churches needing more robust features
- Enterprise plan for large, multi-campus churches or dioceses
This structure allows churches to start with basic features and upgrade as their needs become more complex.
What They Don't Do: Understanding the Limitations
No platform is perfect, and understanding the limitations of each can help you make a more informed decision. Here’s what Called and Flocknote don't offer:
Called's Limitations
- Lacks comprehensive church management features (e.g., attendance tracking, giving)
- Limited integration with other church software
- No mass text messaging or email feature
- No customized branding options
- A dedicated resource library for storing and sharing materials
Flocknote's Limitations
- Lacks modern social media-like interactions (e.g., reactions, GIFs)
- No group discovery feature
- No explicit emphasis on data privacy
- No dedicated prayer feature
- Top-down communication only
Shared Limitations
Both Called and Flocknote lack:
- Built-in live streaming capabilities
- Advanced volunteer management tools
- Direct integration with Bible apps or study tools
Making Your Decision: Which One is Right for You?
After reviewing the features, strengths, and limitations of both Called and Flocknote, you might wonder which one is best for your ministry. The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Your decision should be based on your specific needs, goals, and community's nature.
Consider Called if:
- You're looking for a modern, community-centric platform
- Privacy and safety are top priorities
- You want to encourage ongoing, informal communication among members
- You're working with a limited budget (the free tier can be a great starting point)
- You're a smaller organization or just starting to build your digital community
Consider Flocknote if:
- You need comprehensive church management features
- Mass communication (email and text) is a priority
- You require detailed attendance tracking and online giving integration
- You're a medium to large congregation with complex administrative needs
- You want a platform that scales with your church's growth
Remember, it's not always an either/or decision. Using Called for community engagement and Flocknote (or another church management system) for administrative tasks can give you the best of both worlds.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Whether you're looking to build a more engaged community or streamline your church administration, both Called and Flocknote offer powerful tools to support your ministry.
Why not try Called?
Creating a community is free, so you can explore its features without any financial commitment. Sign up today and see how it can transform your ministry's digital presence. >>>
Are you already using Called and loving it?
Look for the upcoming premium features that will take your community engagement to the next level. If interested, email us at info@called.app to learn more!