What Is the Best CMS for Church Websites?
BeginnerQuick Answer
TL;DR
WordPress is the most widely used CMS for church websites, with church-specific themes and plugins like Church Content Pro and SermonAudio. Purpose-built platforms — Ekklesia 360, Ministry Brands, and Subsplash — offer church-specific features including sermon management, small group finders, and integrated giving. Budget and volunteer technical capacity are the key decision factors: most churches prioritize ease of use over flexibility.
Key Takeaways
- WordPress dominates church websites due to low cost, flexibility, and church-specific plugins
- Purpose-built platforms like Ekklesia 360, Ministry Brands, and Subsplash include sermon management and giving integration
- Sermon archives (audio, video, transcript) organized by series, speaker, and date are a core content requirement
- Online giving integration with Pushpay, Tithe.ly, or Stripe is essential for most churches
- Volunteer-friendly editing interfaces are critical — most church staff are not technical users