CareNote vs FlockConnectThe FlockConnect alternative built for care delivery
FlockConnect is a "Church Relationship Manager" for pastors and care teams that tracks presence, follow-ups and care reports beside an existing church management system, with a two-way Planning Center sync. CareNote is web-based pastoral care software that takes in care and prayer requests, routes them to staff and volunteers, and tracks the visits, notes and follow-ups that result. Here is a current, sourced comparison of both.
What CareNote adds for your care team
Volunteers from $0
Every paid login includes 3 volunteers at no charge. More volunteers are $5 per month for a bundle of five, about $1 each, so involving more of your church never adds a full seat to your bill.
No Logins for Volunteers
Volunteers accept assignments and report back by email or text with one click. No accounts, no passwords, no training.
We Answer the Phone
Built by a pastor who uses it daily. Call or text a real person in the US, or email us. Many churches choose CareNote simply because we pick up.
Why churches choose CareNote
- Everything on the comparison is shipped and included today, not on a tier that is coming soon.
- Care requests arrive through web forms, Planning Center forms, email and the Care Number by voicemail and SMS.
- Volunteers act by email or text with no login, 3 free per paid login.
- Nine direct church management system syncs instead of one.
- Reporting you can see: the Care Pulse Report, seven more reports and an AI report builder.
When FlockConnect may fit better
- You want one flat $9 per month for unlimited users and only need a Planning Center sync.
- You want a member-facing booking link with calendar writeback for pastoral appointments.
- You care most about a presence reading per person (usually weekly, not seen for 3 weeks).
- You want a tool built in English and Spanish from day one.
Price it at your real headcount
Enter the people who sign in and the volunteers who help. Each tool is priced from its own published rates.
CareNoteUs
5 logins at $15; all 15 volunteers are included (3 free per login).
$75/monthFlockConnectStarter
Starter is one flat price for unlimited users of any kind. SMS, connection health and the Collie AI need a Collie plan ($49 to $499 per month by active adults), which is not yet purchasable.
$9/month
Prices read from each vendor's pricing page on November 9, 2026.
FlockConnect pricing: FlockConnect Starter is $9 per month or $89 per year, flat, with unlimited pastors, leaders and care partners and no church-size cap. Collie plans with SMS and the AI assistant are listed as coming soon at $49, $99, $179 and $299 per month by active adults, and from $499 per month for networks and multi-site churches. Trial: 14-day free trial on Starter, no credit card required.
CareNote pricing: CareNote is $15 per login per month, or $10 per login per month billed annually. Every paid login includes 3 volunteers at no charge; more volunteers are $5 per month for a bundle of 5, about $1 each. Volunteers never need an account. CareNote Plus is an optional add-on from $49 per year by team size. Trial: 14-day free trial, no credit card required. See current CareNote pricing.
CareNote vs FlockConnect: feature comparison
Highlighted rows are where CareNote does more than FlockConnect documents.
| Feature |  CareNote | FlockConnect |
|---|---|---|
| Care notes, visits and interaction log | YesTen interaction types, including visits, hospital visits, calls, texts and emails | YesInteraction log plus eight guided care report templates |
| Follow-up tasks with owner and due date | Yes | YesFollow-ups with owner, due date and reminder |
| Milestones and life events with reminders | YesCustom categories, shared across people, in the daily Beacon Report | NoNot documented on their site |
| Daily email of who needs attention | YesBeacon Report every morning | PartialWeekly brief on Collie plans, coming soon |
| Care request intake: forms, email to request, Care Number voice and SMS | YesWeb forms, Planning Center forms, email to care request, Care Number voicemail and SMS | PartialMember booking link and emailed assessments; no request forms, email or phone intake |
| Prayer requests with daily prayer lists | YesDaily prayer lists, prayer digest emails, printable prayer cards | NoNot documented on their site |
| Volunteers who act by email without a login | YesAccept and report back by email or SMS; 3 free per paid login | NoCare partners log in; unlimited seats on Starter |
| Automations and routing rules | YesRouting by care need, on-call schedule, care group and custom rules | PartialCollie AI drafts with human approval, coming soon |
| SMS to the care team | YesAssignment and acceptance by text | PartialCollie plans only, coming soon |
| Direct sync with a church management system | YesPlanning Center, Breeze, CCB, ChurchSuite, Fellowship One, ParishSOFT, OneChurch, CHMeetings, Subsplash | PartialPlanning Center two-way; Notebird and CSV import from others |
| Reporting and trends | YesCare Pulse Report, seven more reports and an AI report builder | Partial"Insights" listed, not described |
| Mobile access | YesInstallable web app with web push notifications; no App Store listing | PartialAttendance from a phone; no app described |
| Private or restricted notes with role permissions | YesPer-note visibility, Privacy Dashboard, three roles plus Huddle users | YesPer-note visibility; care partners see only assigned people |
| Spanish language | YesSpanish interface available | YesEnglish and Spanish |
| Migration in from your current tool | YesOne-click Notebird import; CSV import with AI header mapping | YesNotebird import and CSV import |
| Phone support | YesCall or text a real person in the US | NoNot published |
Based on features documented on flockconnect.com as of November 9, 2026. A gray mark in the FlockConnect column means their site documents nothing for it.
Switching from FlockConnect to CareNote
- 1
Export your people and interaction log from FlockConnect as CSV. Their site says export is available at any time.
- 2
Use the CSV import on the CareNote Import page. AI header mapping matches your columns.
- 3
Connect Planning Center so people and form submissions stay in sync, or connect one of the other eight supported systems.
- 4
Invite your care partners as CareNote volunteers by email. They keep serving without a new account.
What Churches Say
“With CareNote, I coordinate 80 volunteers serving our congregation. They receive assignments by email, accept with one click, and report back, all without needing logins or training. It's transformed how we deliver care.”
“Don't overlook CareNote just because you're a small church or solo pastor. CareNote is not just for large churches. It's designed to make pastoral care management accessible and affordable for ministry teams of all sizes.”
FlockConnect alternative: common questions
What is the difference between FlockConnect and CareNote?
FlockConnect is a relationship layer beside your church management system: presence tracking, follow-ups, care reports and a booking link, with more features coming on its Collie plans. CareNote is a system of intake and delivery: care requests arrive by form, email and the Care Number, route automatically, and are worked by staff and volunteers who need no login. CareNote also includes prayer lists, SMS, reporting and nine direct syncs today.
Is CareNote cheaper than FlockConnect?
No. FlockConnect Starter is $9 per month flat for unlimited users, and CareNote is $15 per login per month ($10 billed annually). Five logins with 15 volunteers is $75 per month on CareNote ($50 billed annually) and $9 on FlockConnect Starter. The question is what you need: SMS, AI and connection health on FlockConnect require a Collie plan from $49 per month that is not yet available, while CareNote includes intake, automations, SMS and reporting in the login price.
Does CareNote have a mobile app?
CareNote is an installable web app with web push notifications; add it to your home screen. FlockConnect says group leaders take attendance from their phone and that there is no member app; a staff app is not described.
Does CareNote sync with Planning Center like FlockConnect?
Yes. CareNote syncs people with Planning Center over OAuth with real-time webhooks and can create care requests from Planning Center forms. It also syncs with Breeze, CCB, ChurchSuite, Fellowship One, ParishSOFT, OneChurch, CHMeetings and Subsplash. FlockConnect lists Planning Center as its only direct sync.
How do I move from FlockConnect to CareNote?
Export your data from FlockConnect as CSV, then use the CSV import on the CareNote Import page. The CareNote team will help with the import at no charge, and you can do it during the free trial.
Can I keep notes private in CareNote?
Yes. Each note inside a care request can be limited to specific people, and the Privacy Dashboard restricts sensitive notes and files. FlockConnect also sets note visibility per note and limits care partners to the people assigned to them.
Is CareNote a church management system?
No. CareNote, like FlockConnect, runs beside a church management system and has no giving, check-in or accounting. CareNote also works on its own for churches without one.
Does CareNote offer a free trial?
Yes, 14 days with every feature and no credit card. FlockConnect Starter also offers 14 days with no credit card.
Ready to deliver better care for less?
Start your free 14-day trial. No credit card required. Import your people from a spreadsheet with AI column mapping, or sync from Planning Center, Breeze and seven more church management systems.
Questions? Call or text 734-418-8434
Sources
Every statement about another product on this page comes from its own public site, checked on November 9, 2026.
- FlockConnect homepage
- FlockConnect pricing
- FlockConnect pastoral care tools
- FlockConnect about
- CareNote pricing
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