MosesTab vs Aplos
Aplos is a cloud-based fund accounting platform built for nonprofits and churches. Founded in 2009 in Fresno, California by Dan Kelly and Tim Goetz, Aplos is used by 40,000+ organizations and focuses on accounting, donor management, and reporting rather than full church management.
Overview: MosesTab vs Aplos
Aplos is the strongest fund-accounting tool aimed at churches and nonprofits. If your treasurer runs formal nonprofit books — restricted/unrestricted funds, board-ready statements, IRS Form 990 prep — Aplos is genuinely good at that, and the 2024 AI-guided Data Visualizer is a useful addition for board reports.
But Aplos is not a full church management system. It doesn't do events, child check-in, volunteer scheduling, group management, or worship planning. Most churches that adopt Aplos still run a separate ChMS — Planning Center, Breeze, or similar — for the people side, plus a separate giving platform for digital donations.
MosesTab takes the opposite approach: one unified platform for members, groups, events, check-in, giving, communications, and reporting. The accounting layer is simpler than Aplos' fund accounting — most growing churches don't need formal nonprofit accounting yet — but every part of running the church lives in one place. For churches that already pay $179/month for Aplos plus $99/month for a ChMS plus card-processing fees on a separate giving tool, consolidating onto MosesTab is usually a net cost reduction.
Key Differences
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
See how MosesTab's 16 features compare to Aplos. MosesTab provides all features in one integrated platform.
| Feature | MosesTab | Aplos |
|---|---|---|
| Member Management | Partial: Donor CRM, not full member directory | |
| Groups & Ministries | ||
| Church Events | ||
| Church Forms | Partial: Donation and registration forms tied to accounting | |
| Attendance Tracking | ||
| Child Check-In | ||
| Online Giving & Text-to-Give | ||
| Text-to-Give | ||
| Facilities Booking | ||
| Church Accounting & Finance Reports | ||
| AI Media Studio | ||
| Stage Timer | ||
| Worship Planning | ||
| Live Polling | ||
| Social Media Scheduler | ||
| Communications | Partial: Email outreach to donors | |
| Mass Texting & 2-Way SMS | ||
| Workflow Automation | Partial: Accounting and donor workflow rules | |
| Virtual Meetings | ||
| Volunteer Management | ||
| Visitor Management | ||
| Church CRM | ||
| Church Website Builder | ||
| Church Accounting & Budgeting |
Pricing Comparison
Compare the cost of MosesTab vs Aplos at different plan levels.
| Plan Level | MosesTab | Aplos |
|---|---|---|
| Entry tier | Free | $79/month (Lite)Aplos Lite — fund accounting + basic donor tools |
| Mid tier | $39/month | $179/month (Core)Aplos Core — accounting + CRM + giving |
| Top tier | $99/month | $229/month (Advanced)Aplos Advanced — adds budgeting, custom reports, more users |
Which Platform Is Right for You?
Aplos is best for:
- Nonprofits and churches that primarily need fund accounting
- Treasurers and bookkeepers who run formal nonprofit accounting workflows
- Organizations needing IRS Form 990 and board-ready financial reports
- Churches that already have a separate ChMS and only need accounting
MosesTab is best for:
- Churches that want one platform for people, giving, events, and reporting
- Churches that don't run formal fund accounting but want clear giving + finance reports
- Churches needing AI media, communications, and operational tools alongside finance
- Churches that don't want to pay for accounting software and a ChMS separately
Honest Assessment of Aplos
What Aplos Does Well
- True fund accounting for restricted vs unrestricted funds
- Board-ready financial statements out of the box
- Strong donor management and giving tracking
- IRS Form 990 preparation tools
- Real-time budget vs actual reporting
- AI-guided Data Visualizer (added 2024) for financial insights
Aplos Limitations
- Not a full church management system — no events, check-in, or volunteer scheduling
- No worship planning or service management
- Pricing starts at $79/month with no free tier for very small churches
- Most churches still need a separate ChMS alongside Aplos
- Steeper learning curve than ChMS-first tools
- No AI media generation or social-media tooling
Switching from Aplos?
Migrating to MosesTab is straightforward. Here's what the process looks like:
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use MosesTab instead of Aplos, or alongside it?
If your treasurer runs formal nonprofit fund accounting and prepares board-level financial statements, you'll likely want to keep Aplos for accounting and use MosesTab for everything else (people, groups, events, check-in, giving, communications). If your finance needs are simpler — track giving, generate giving statements, basic reporting — MosesTab can fully replace Aplos.
Is MosesTab cheaper than Aplos?
MosesTab's plans run $0/$39/$99 per month. Aplos starts at $79/month and goes up to $229. For churches that would otherwise pay Aplos + a separate ChMS, switching to MosesTab is typically a meaningful cost reduction.
Does MosesTab have fund accounting like Aplos?
MosesTab handles giving categories, designated giving, and finance reporting. It does not replicate Aplos' formal fund accounting (restricted/unrestricted fund balances, full general ledger). Churches that need formal nonprofit accounting typically pair MosesTab with a generic accounting tool, while Aplos churches with simpler needs often consolidate onto MosesTab alone.
Can I migrate donor and giving history from Aplos?
Yes. Aplos supports CSV exports of donors, giving history, and fund balances. MosesTab's import tool maps those into your new donor records so giving statements and donor histories carry over.