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With a whole host of options available, it can be overwhelming to determine which platform best suits your church's needs.

To help guide you through the decision-making process, we've outlined three popular CMS options tailored specifically for churches that our Fishhook team suggests over and over again. 

WordPress

For many ministry non-profits, WordPress remains the go-to choice. As an open-source platform, WordPress offers a vast array of templates and plugins, providing flexibility and customization options. With a reasonable price point and widespread community support, WordPress is also an accessible choice for churches with varying budgets. 

However, while WordPress is user friendly, some customization may require knowledge of programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript or PHP. Additionally, as an open-source platform, WordPress is vulnerable to security risks, necessitating ongoing maintenance and protection measures. The site needs to be monitored closely for security concerns, and plugins need to be updated periodically.

We don’t typically suggest this for churches mostly because there are other solutions that are more closely aligned to the needs of a church website.

Ekklesia 360

For churches seeking a customizable solution with different budget options, Ekklesia 360 presents a strong choice. Offering both themed and fully custom design options, Ekklesia 360 integrates with church management softwares, streamlining administrative processes and enhancing the user experience.

With Ekklesia 360, churches can create unique websites tailored to their specific needs with many features to engage their audiences effectively. This platform saves time and money in the long run because of its low maintenance. Bug fixes and feature releases happen automatically, maintaining the software with upgrades and security patches. 

Rock RMS

For churches already using or planning to implement Rock RMS for their church management software, building a custom website on the Rock RMS platform offers significant integration and functionality. With a fully customizable approach, churches can create a unique online presence that aligns well with their ministry goals.

While a custom site on Rock RMS may require more significant investment in terms of price and programming skills, the result is a unique website that reflects the church's identity and mission. However, this does require a team of people who have significant technical know-how or a good partner to walk you through the development.

Pick the Platform that Best Suits Your Church's Needs

Selecting the right CMS for your church's website is a crucial decision that requires careful consideration of your budget, technical capabilities and specific requirements. Whether you opt for the flexibility of WordPress, the customization options of Ekklesia 360 or the integration capabilities of Rock RMS, each platform offers unique benefits tailored to meet the diverse needs of churches.

Ultimately, the key is to choose a CMS that aligns with your church's vision and goals, providing the tools and support needed to engage your congregation and reach your community effectively.

In all of this, no matter the CMS a church chooses, a successful website always has a champion so that this tool can be used for ministry. This champion is someone who takes ownership, keeps everything tidy and updated (with others), and is thinking about the strategy of the site first and foremost. 

We’d love to have a conversation with you to help you determine what might be best for your church!