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ServeHQ & TrainedUp alternative · 2026 pricing & features

EquipEngine vs ServeHQ: church volunteer training software compared

ServeHQ bundles TrainedUp training and its 700+ video library with HuddleUp messaging, priced by how many people use it. EquipEngine is a bring-your-own-content church LMS with flat pricing that runs on your Planning Center Workflows. Here's how their pricing, Planning Center integration and features compare.

ServeHQ pricing verified October 7, 2026

EquipEngine vs ServeHQ at a glance

Which volunteer training platform fits your church?

Choose EquipEngine if…

  • Planning Center Workflows drive your volunteer onboarding
  • You train more than 50 people and want a lower bill
  • You want courses with prerequisites, due dates and reminders
  • You’d rather train with your own content than a stock library
  • You want a free plan to pilot with one team

Choose ServeHQ if…

  • You want 700+ ready-made ministry training videos
  • You want email, text and chat in the same tool as training
  • You want automated leadership pathways (FollowUp)
  • You need an open API on every plan
  • You run several campuses today
Training 200 volunteers
$59 vs $126 /mo
Training 500 volunteers
$59 vs $247 /mo
PCO Workflow automation
Yes vs not listed
ServeHQ pricing vs EquipEngine pricing

What church volunteer training costs as your team grows

ServeHQ prices its plans by how many people use TrainedUp or HuddleUp. EquipEngine charges a flat plan price, and you never pay per learner.

  • Up to 50 volunteers

    EquipEngine

    Free

    Starter · 5 active courses

    ServeHQ

    $41/mo

    Starter

    Save $492/yr with EquipEngine

  • 51–200 volunteers

    EquipEngine

    $59/mo

    Equip

    ServeHQ

    $126/mo

    Standard

    Save $804/yr with EquipEngine

  • 201–500 volunteers

    EquipEngine

    $59/mo

    Equip

    ServeHQ

    $247/mo

    Unlimited

    Save $2,256/yr with EquipEngine

  • 500+ volunteers

    EquipEngine

    $99/mo

    Multiply

    ServeHQ

    $247/mo

    Unlimited

    Save $1,776/yr with EquipEngine

ServeHQ Starter covers 50 people, Standard 200, and Unlimited has no cap. ServeHQ counts active users with TrainedUp or HuddleUp access, and every plan includes all of its features and its video library. EquipEngine Starter is limited to 5 active courses. Early adopters get Equip for $29/mo.

Feature-by-feature church LMS comparison

Planning Center integration, training content & volunteer tools side by side

"Not listed" means ServeHQ's public pricing, TrainedUp and integrations pages don't mention the feature as of October 7, 2026.

Pricing & plans

  • Free plan

    EquipEngine
    Free forever, up to 50 learners
    ServeHQ

  • Free trial

    EquipEngine
    30 days on paid plans
    ServeHQ
    14 days, credit card required

  • Pricing model

    EquipEngine
    Flat price per plan
    ServeHQ
    Priced by people tier (50 / 200 / unlimited)

  • Price for 200 volunteers (monthly)

    EquipEngine
    $59/mo
    ServeHQ
    $126/mo

  • Price for 500 volunteers (monthly)

    EquipEngine
    $59/mo
    ServeHQ
    $247/mo

  • Annual billing discount

    EquipEngine
    ~17%
    ServeHQ
    ~9–15%

  • No contracts

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ

Planning Center integration

  • Planning Center sign-in (SSO)

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • Planning Center People sync

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Import from PCO lists

  • Planning Center Groups sync

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • Planning Center Services sync

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • PCO Workflow step → auto-assign training

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • Completion advances the Workflow card

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • Completion written back to the PCO person record

    EquipEngine
    Custom fields you choose
    ServeHQ
    Course completion data

Training content & LMS

  • Built-in video library

    EquipEngine
    No — bring your own
    ServeHQ
    700+ ministry training videos

  • Upload your own video

    EquipEngine
    50 GB (Equip) · Unlimited (Multiply)
    ServeHQ
    Unlimited storage

  • YouTube & Vimeo embeds

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • Written lessons & PDFs

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Descriptions & file uploads

  • Quizzes

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Required questions

  • Read-and-acknowledge policies

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • Learning paths

    EquipEngine
    Training Flows with prerequisites
    ServeHQ
    Course series & FollowUp pathways

  • Due dates & auto-reminders

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

Communication

  • Team email & text messaging

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Included (HuddleUp)

  • Individual & group chat

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Included (HuddleUp)

Multi-site, branding & API

  • Multi-campus

    EquipEngine
    Coming soon (Multiply)
    ServeHQ

  • Your logo & brand colors

    EquipEngine
    Included on Equip
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • Custom domain

    EquipEngine
    Included on Multiply
    ServeHQ
    Not listed

  • Open API

    EquipEngine
    ServeHQ
    Included on every plan
Planning Center volunteer training integration

Planning Center Workflow automation vs ServeHQ's People sync

Both platforms connect to Planning Center People. ServeHQ imports people from your Planning Center lists into a ministry area or campus, and sends TrainedUp course completion data back to each person's profile.

EquipEngine also works from your Planning Center Workflows. When someone reaches a Workflow step, EquipEngine assigns the right course automatically. When they finish, it advances their Workflow card and stamps the custom field you chose, like "Kids Safety Training Complete." It also syncs Groups and Services and lets volunteers sign in with Planning Center, so there are no extra lists or passwords.

ServeHQ people tiers vs flat pricing

How ServeHQ's people-based tiers compare with flat church training pricing

ServeHQ counts everyone with TrainedUp or HuddleUp access. Up to 50 people, Starter is $41/mo. Person 51 moves you to Standard at $126/mo, and person 201 moves you to Unlimited at $247/mo.

EquipEngine Starter is free for up to 50 learners and 5 active courses. Equip is $59/mo for anywhere from 51 to 500 learners, and Multiply is $99/mo with no cap. A growing volunteer team doesn't push you into a more expensive plan.

Bring-your-own-content church LMS

ServeHQ's 700+ video library vs training built from your own content

TrainedUp's library covers volunteer onboarding, assimilation and leadership development across ministries, and you can mix its videos with your own uploads. If you're starting from nothing, that's a real head start.

EquipEngine doesn't include a library. It's built for churches that want volunteers to hear from their own leaders: upload video you've already made, embed YouTube or Vimeo, write lessons, attach PDFs, add quizzes and policy acknowledgements. You aren't paying for curriculum you won't use.

Honest church software comparison

When ServeHQ is the right volunteer training tool for your church

ServeHQ is a good fit if you want one tool for training and team communication. HuddleUp handles weekly emails, texts and chat, FollowUp runs automated leadership pathways, and every plan includes an open API and multisite features. Under 50 people, Starter at $41/mo gets you its whole video library.

EquipEngine is the better fit when Planning Center Workflows run your onboarding, when you have more than 50 volunteers, or when you'd rather build training from your own content.

EquipEngine vs ServeHQ FAQ

Frequently asked questions about ServeHQ alternatives and pricing

Is EquipEngine a good ServeHQ alternative?

Yes, especially if your volunteer onboarding runs on Planning Center Workflows or you train more than 50 people. EquipEngine assigns courses automatically from Workflow steps, advances the Workflow card when someone finishes, and costs $59/mo for up to 500 learners. If you'd rather start from a ready-made video library and want email and text messaging in the same tool, ServeHQ covers both.

How much does ServeHQ cost in 2026?

ServeHQ has three plans. Starter covers 50 people for $41/mo ($35/mo billed yearly). Standard covers 200 people for $126/mo ($107/mo billed yearly). Unlimited is $247/mo ($226/mo billed yearly). Every plan includes all features, the video library and unlimited storage, and the people limit counts active users of TrainedUp or HuddleUp. Prices from servehq.church/pricing as of October 7, 2026.

How much does EquipEngine cost?

Starter is free forever for up to 50 learners and 5 active courses. Equip is $59/mo ($49/mo billed annually) and includes up to 500 learners. Multiply is $99/mo ($82/mo billed annually) for unlimited learners. Paid plans never charge per learner, and early adopters get Equip for $29/mo.

Does ServeHQ integrate with Planning Center?

Yes. ServeHQ syncs with Planning Center People in both directions: it imports people from your Planning Center lists, and it sends TrainedUp course completion data back to each person's profile. Its integrations page doesn't list Planning Center sign-in, Groups or Services sync, assigning training from a Workflow step, or advancing Workflow cards. EquipEngine does all of those.

Which is cheaper for a church with 100 volunteers?

EquipEngine. 100 volunteers puts you on ServeHQ Standard at $126/mo ($107/mo billed yearly). EquipEngine Equip covers up to 500 learners for $59/mo ($49/mo billed annually). That's $804 a year less on monthly billing and $696 a year less on annual billing.

Is there a free version of ServeHQ?

No. ServeHQ offers a 14-day free trial, and you enter a credit card at sign-up; billing starts automatically on day 15. EquipEngine's Starter plan is free forever for up to 50 learners and 5 active courses, with no credit card needed.

Does EquipEngine include a training video library like ServeHQ?

No, and that's deliberate. EquipEngine is bring-your-own-content: upload video your church already made, embed YouTube or Vimeo, write lessons, attach PDFs and add quizzes, so volunteers learn from leaders they know. ServeHQ's 700+ video library is a good fit if you don't have content yet.

Does EquipEngine have team messaging like ServeHQ HuddleUp?

No. EquipEngine sends training assignments and reminders, but it isn't a team messaging tool. ServeHQ's HuddleUp includes weekly emails, text messages and individual and group chat. If your team already communicates in Planning Center, a group chat app or email, EquipEngine fits alongside it.

Free church volunteer training software

Train every volunteer team with EquipEngine

Start free with up to 50 learners, no credit card needed. Upgrade when your training outgrows Starter. Early adopters get Equip for $29/mo.

Start free See EquipEngine pricing

ServeHQ pricing and features are from servehq.church/pricing, servehq.church/product/trainedup and servehq.church/product/integrations-and-open-api as of October 7, 2026 and may have changed since. ServeHQ, TrainedUp and HuddleUp are trademarks of their owner. EquipEngine is not affiliated with ServeHQ.