ACS

Vorteile

I love that this software has been refined and is extremely reliable and fast. Efficient data entry and keyboard functionality. Powerful reporting. Covers the basics of what a ChMS should offer with ease, speed and power.

Nachteile

This software is dated. It's "cloud" based, but lacks lots of modern communication tools such as text communication, easy email distribution and remote web-based functions like small group attendance, and volunteer management. In all honesty, ACS is so big and has so many add-on features, it can probably do all of these things, but it's hard to know all of the functionality because it's not easily explained anywhere (and I've been a user for 12 years).

Also, it's reporting process is not difficult for someone with some background in reports, but it's far too complex for an average pastor or lay-leader to use - which requires a database person to run reports.

Also, no customizable dashboards, etc.

So, it will probably do most everything you want, but you'll need a ChMS expert to figure it all out and run the reports...

Vorteile

The best aspect of ACS is that it can hold and track a massive amount of diverse data. You can track all of the things you would expect in a database like names, contact info, birthdates, etc. As a church, you can track the first time someone attended, when they got baptized, and other random bits of info you may want to keep.

Nachteile

The traditional ACS system is incredibly difficult and cumbersome to use. Its computer app interface looks like it was made 20 years ago; it is not aesthetically pleasing. It requires hours and hours of training to learn how to use (they hold training sessions at different locations throughout the year and have various online helps). Running what you would think would be simple reports is not easy (I have had to pull together updated reports that have members names and addresses to do mailings. I have had to call ACS to have them walk me through how to do such reports as doing so is in no way intuitive. Also, using the computer app program to login to ACS takes several minutes to log into, which can be frustrating if all you are trying to do is look up a phone number (they do have a webbased platform where you can log in, but its function is not as robust in what it can do as the computer-based app, which as I said is slow and cumbersome).

Vorteile

ACS Realm is a simpler version of ACS People Suite, and much more intuitive. The implementation was smooth and the transition fully backed by their wonderful customer service. I also love getting a live, knowledgeable person on the phone within a few seconds of calling.
Payroll is also very easy in ACS Financial Suite.

Nachteile

The Financial Suite is not intuitive, but mistakes have gotten easier to fix due to upgrades. The church is still waiting to switch to ACS Realm Financials, as payroll cannot be done there, despite well over a year of promises that it is happening soon. It would be helpful for Realm input of donations to flow to the Financial Suite.
Also, ACS People Suite gave options for certain reports that cannot be run in ACS Realm.

Vorteile

Reports, tracking a stewardship campaign over several years, customer service is tops.

Nachteile

Uses a software that doesn't convert excel spreadsheets into a functional spreadsheet. The columns do not keep the formulas. Therefore you have to make the formulas in a new column. Multiply steps for reports. Should have more reports that are already set up in the software.

Vorteile

If you spent a lot of time setting things up and were using it daily, ACS seems to have the capability to have good functionality. I've been in two different organizations where that wasn't the case, and heard similar things from other users, which meant ACS was something that I used only when I really couldn't get someone else to do the thing I needed, or I really needed to find a piece of information. It seems to be a great place to store all kinds of information.

Nachteile

The user interface was difficult, making learning it (and teaching it to church staff who are often technically slower) very difficult. Because people never learned it, it was used poorly and data was sometimes out of date, making the whole database only really functional for the financial side of things and we never managed to get the use out of it that we often hoped and tried for. Overall it was a frustrating piece of software when we had to engage with it and people would create their own systems and spreadsheets as work arounds.

Vorteile

There are several desirable features with this software. A primary one is the high amount of customization. However, this customization is only available to administrators and people with understanding of coding.

Nachteile

Immensely outdated and not functional. While using this software, I felt I put more work into using the software than actual results it gave. I would steer clear of this software if you're looking for a simple, user-friendly and intuitive experience.

Vorteile

Robust, lots of functions, built with churches in mind

Nachteile

Clunky, slow, old interface, can't adapt to ongoing demands of changing churches

Vorteile

As a small nonprofit, we have used ACS General Ledger, People, and Contributions for over 15 years. What I like best is that it is an affordable, integrated, double-entry accounting system designed specifically for churches and small non-profit organizations. The People and Contributions modules allow us to easily monitor pledges, acknowledge donations, summarize gifts by fund, and report on subsets of our donor base using criteria we choose. The General Ledger offers the custom budget-actual reports and statement of financial position (non-profit balance sheet), as well as the summary of restricted accounts that is not found in typical for-profit packages. ACS also allows your administrator to set specific user permissions customization, so you can limit each user to only the functions that he or she needs.

Vendor support is key, and we have found the vendor support behind ACS to be very solid. The software does not do everything, but what it does it does well. When we have had problems or questions, ACS technical support has pro-actively worked them out. In most support sessions, the ACS rep is temporarily granted remote control of our local computers and works directly with our data and reports. Support reps are readily available when we call, and they are very knowledgeable of the product.

Nachteile

Overall, we like ACS. I don't have a lot of criticism. The addition of a functional expense statement would be very helpful, since this is the format used by the IRS on Form 990 (required of most 403(b) organizations but not for most churches). Direct delivery of GL reports by email would also be helpful, but printing to pdf and emailing is not terribly difficult. As our number of donor records and years of data have grown, I have found the software to slow down somewhat, particularly when running custom extracts of donor data.

Vorteile

We have been ACS clients since the beginning!! Currently we are using Realm for membership tracking, but still use ACS Financials for our book-keeping needs. It does everything we need, and our books are not as simple as one might think.

Nachteile

The only con I can think of is that I wish ACS Financials could integrate with Realm. We have ACS Financials down pat, and I wish we could port it over!!

Vorteile

Performs general ledger and accounts payable functions well. Headmaster is used for Preschool/Kindergarten classes.

Nachteile

Headmaster is a little cumbersome to use, but you get used to it. Heavy on data entry to set up students. We looked into using Event Scheduler, but determined it was too cumbersome for our use.

Vorteile

Love the customer service! They are great about working with you on issues. It's rare that they cannot solve a problem.

Nachteile

Not as intuitive as I'd like, but still fairly easy to use once you get used to it.

Vorteile

- Easy to use
- Great customer service
- Great customizability

Nachteile

Could look more modern, but certainly gets the job done

Vorteile

Organizes a lot of information for you church members and also can keep track of the contribution side of your ministry.

Nachteile

The look and some functions are a bit outdated. They are constantly doing updates and the cost is a bit expensive.

Vorteile

The best part about this software is the search ability to locate information. While it takes some time to become familiar with how the searches work, you can pretty much find what you are looking for as long as the data has been imputed correctly. For example, you can locate a certain phone number. However, you still need to know how the phone number was classified when it was entered into the software.

Nachteile

The part I like least about this software is the difficulty of merging documents for mass mail out. There are many steps and takes some time to master this process. It would be great to simply this process.

Vorteile

The ability to sort individuals and groups within the larger congregation. We have set up numerous subgroups in our congregation and use ACS to generate our directories.

Nachteile

Some categories could not be customized as we would have liked. In the people arm, some fields were mandatory even if unnecessary for our purposes.

Vorteile

ACS has a lot of features, and customizable fields, etc. Great customer service for problems (for additional fee per month).

Nachteile

Updates come out very slowly, and the product feels at least 5-10 years out of date. Reports are not very customizable unless you purchase additional module. Not very responsive to requested features. Not Mac-compatible (unless you use cloud version which is more expensive). Have trouble getting staff to use the software - they tend to just want to access it on their phone app. Online Giving is not easy for first-time users. Lots of small group leaders have had trouble using the online attendance tracking.

Vorteile

It does interface with our financial system and they have good accounting people to solve accounting problems

Nachteile

Set-up for reports is too complicated and graphs are difficult to arrange and filters are confusing.

Vorteile

Great accounting software package with robust reporting options.

Nachteile

Not able to easily import bills. Wish it could link better with our bank and online billing.

Vorteile

Wonderful and quick Support when needed.

Nachteile

Learning to use from scratch. Report creation sometimes complicated

Vorteile

ACS had fantastic software until they created Realm Giving and Realm Accounting and decided to care more about form than function, and "dumbed" down the flexibility of the accounting module. Their outstanding reputation is based on the old versions I believe. I am currently looking to overhaul our entire system at tremendous expense because the new accounting interface does not work the way I need it - we are locked out of any contra-accounting interface due to the product management team's decision to "appeal to non-accounting people" - If you are serious about your job then that should say it all.

Nachteile

There are absolutely no drill-downs in the new system - no calculation features and it is over-engineered so that nearly every entry field has a drop down box - really, really, really slows you down if you have a large JE to process - and if you just fill in the box and don't go through all the steps, half the time it loses that entry. I also can no longer run event and other income smoothly and directly to a contra-expense. The product management people have decided that they understand accounting better than professional users.

Vorteile

Lots of functions from directory, group management, event registration, online payment for events. Every module I've used has been fairly user-friendly. Always upgrading and improving.

Nachteile

Some days we notice it's "sluggish" (may be an internet issue). We use it every day in our office, but people using it from home often have problems. Doesn't work as well on mobile devices as on computer.

Vorteile

The transition from Servant Keeper to ACS was smooth. The onboarding team and the customer service reps are easy to work with and try to be as helpful as possible. The Church Life app is great, and has been a blessing to our church members.

Nachteile

Working through a separate "portal" is a total pain. The software seems like it's not advancing with the times, and I would much prefer a true "cloud" based system. We are often "kicked off" the portal and have to log in again. We also have difficulty with AccessACS, because it can only be accessed by a Windows based browser (and we all use Mac computers). It's a bit of a hassle to access AccessACS through a separate browser to do the needed uploading tasks and helping our folks with their passwords and such. Finally, they really haven't updated much in the software. It's stagnant, and I see some areas where we may want to explore more modern technology.

Vorteile

This software was the solution we needed. When ACS Realm is fully launched, we will find that our questions will be answered with the product provided.

Nachteile

Sometimes the software can be clunky and not able to fully customize the solution we need but then the question is asked, "What do I really need to do?"

Vorteile

ACS offers excellent customer support. I have heard that the newer version is more advanced.

Nachteile

We use an older version of ACS Financials and need to upgrade. The older version is rigid and reporting can be burdenson.

Vorteile

I love that once you understand the logic behind the software it's very user friendly.

Nachteile

If you don't take a training class on the logic behind the software it's difficult to understand the more detailed inner workings of the software.

Vorteile

The attendance module has allowed us to automate a process that used to take many man hours. It has also improved our ability to keep in touch with our members.

Nachteile

The reporting feature of the software is highly customizable which is great for it's ability to enable you pull information exactly how you need it, but it makes it's user friendliness a bit lacking.

Vorteile

ACS is a software that just has worked for us. I have been here for 7 years now and the finance department has loved it the entire time I've been here.

Nachteile

We just switched from on-prem to on-demand and while we love the ability to use windows or Mac machines, we had to downgrade the number of people who could access it to stay within budget. The 5 usernames is a nice starting point but it was not deemed cost effective to add more users.

Vorteile

ACS does everything we need in church management software! Aside from service planning it does EVERYTHING needed!

Nachteile

I would love to see ACS step into the service planning side of things too and truly become an "all in one" stop shop! Interaction with CCLI, ect...
The software does take a bit to get used to, it could be more user friendly.

Vorteile

ACS Technologies accounting software for churches has many capabilities that are necessary in the accurate accounting of all the funds coming into and going out from the church. We are able to print detailed reports for our Finance Team to review each month, follow a clear auditing trail, and have up-to-date information on the funds remaining for each ministry team.

Nachteile

ACS is not at all user-friendly and requires a great deal of specialized training in order to be up and running within a reasonable amount of time. It is not intuitive and while the customer service phone line is very helpful and readily available, it is extremely difficult for someone to come in as a new employee and take over the reigns in regards to accounting. There are training sessions available, but they are typically only offered in South Carolina where the ACS corporate offices are located. That makes it difficult for a smaller church to afford to send one or two employees for training in a timely manner. There are manuals available for print, but again, weeding through the many pages of the manual is not an easy task for a person who is unfamiliar with the software. The tools needed for church accounting are there, however, they are difficult to master in practice.

Vorteile

ACS does everything I need a ChMS to do--keeps track of members, church finances, volunteers, communications, etc. ACTS is a trusted name in this space, and their products are solid and reliable.

Nachteile

ACS may do everything I want a ChMS to do...but not without a lot of frustration. Sorting out workflow and finding the relevant settings takes far too long and is not at all intuitive. While all the modules technically work together, in practice their integration is flimsy and difficult to understand.

Vorteile

ACS was powerful and stable. It's accounting software was also a huge perk.

Nachteile

The company started focusing on other products and this one got left in the dust. New features were non-existant. The user interface was clunky and reminiscent of Windos 95. Most of our staff were too intimidated to use it, so they made up their own solutions. This led to so many problems.

Vorteile

ACS does everything and more than what we need. Customer support is excellent. Cloud based for remote access is very helpful to work from home or office.

Nachteile

ACS is not intuitive at all. It has been around for decades and often feels like it is old software with a lot of patches to make it work with new ideas. Customer support is great, but you shouldn't need it frequently. We spent a full week training our staff on ACS and the modules we have added. It seems like we frequently get "kicked off" and have to log back in to keep using the software.

Vorteile

What I liked most about ACS is that it can be simple to just grab someone's contact info or address from a list.

Nachteile

What I like least about ACS is that it seems very large and clunky. Could use updating.

Vorteile

Love the support team and their vast knowledge of the product. It is easy to use.

Nachteile

Needs more reporting/queerying options for accounting.

Vorteile

Although we no longer use ACS, it was a great church software for us. It held all the information we needed, such as financial, contributions, and church member information. Great customer service and mostly user friendly.

Nachteile

At the time we used ACS, I found it difficult to correct errors in accounting software.

Vorteile

ACS was one of the earlier full-featured church database management systems. Its original iteration was groundbreaking.

Nachteile

ACS struggled to keep up with the changing digital landscape and was too slow to implement online features, cross-platform compatibility, and the like. As a result, the software is clunky and not particularly user-friendly.

Vorteile

Great at the general ledger and a ton of flexible reporting

Nachteile

Ugly U.I. which sounds silly but makes it a lot harder to get the average user to engauge with
Steep learning curve

Vorteile

The ease of use was great. First-time users were able to learn it quickly. Also, there are good instruction videos as well as customer call center. Able to meet our needs without stress

Nachteile

For a small church, the price could be a little cheaper per month or offer a multi-month discount

Vorteile

ACS has a new version of their software that is called REALM. It is all online and extremely user friendly. They have online help for every aspect of the program.

Nachteile

The only con is the small learning curve to begin using.

Vorteile

ACS has just about everything you could ask for, and then some. Their pricing is more competitive than other major companies.

Nachteile

Although there is an online arm of this product, all the information must be kept locally (although some would think this a pro). The controls are non-intuitive and clunky. Even the online version of this has the look and feel of something just above MS Dos.

Vorteile

It was a strong tool for us for quite some time.

Nachteile

The software hasn’t aged well. In an age of cloud and apps this software looks stuck in the 90’s

Vorteile

We are able to keep a complete database of members, associates, visitors and children. We are also able to keep track of tithes and offerings

Nachteile

Wish there was the ability to print pictures of people and then there name, so that if you don't know the person's name.

Vorteile

I like the way this software allows you to access other church members along with photographs to recognize individuals within the church. I currently am assigned the process of checking roll in our Sunday School class which I do on this software and submit without the need for paperwork.

Nachteile

I really haven't discovered anything negative with this software yet. However, having only used it for a about a year, I am still learning it.

Vorteile

I love how flexible/customizable it is, to fit nearly any faith community. It also can be integrated with other programs (giving, background checks, etc.).

Nachteile

TOTALLY not intuitive. Also, I was assured that the ACS Finance training I was going to was completely for non-finance people and I couldn't follow it at ALL due to the heavy, HEAVY reliance upon accounting jargon.

Vorteile

For our needs, it does take our general weekly attendance and keep track of it, which is what we need.

Nachteile

This program is NOT user-friendly. It seems to take two different attempts to log in and then you have to follow a series of confusing links to get where you need to go.

Vorteile

Pretty easy to use

Nachteile

No easy way to input contributions

Vorteile

ACS is very user friendly and easy to set up. I set up the general ledger and contributions modules and found this a very intuitive process. ACS is flexible and has adaptive reporting that makes it easy to gain access to your data.

Nachteile

ACS needs to "grow" it's ChMS application so that it can compete with the older players in this market. We would like to see more functionality that would make it more viable for a multi-site application.

Vorteile

Responsive, professional, high quality, the integration of the various modules

Nachteile

Has a cloud-based product but still transitioning to the cloud environment

Vorteile

Serves as a decent database for keeping track of members.

Nachteile

The learning curve was massive and the user interface was not as easy as it could have been. We saved over $4,000.00 a year by switching to Breeze ChMS

Vorteile

It provides a database to keep the members and accounting. It also provided the financial accounting required.

Nachteile

There is no way for the congregation to interface to the database to maintain their own information. this package puts a huge burden on the administratoe to keep it all up to date.