Best Hosting for Churches (2025): Live Streaming, Donations, and Events

Over 60% of congregations now stream services each week, and many see a clear lift in outreach when their site can take donations and list events easily.

You’re here to find a practical way to launch a modern website that handles livestreams, donations, and events without draining your time or budget.

In 2025, you can pick an all-in-one builder to move fast or a flexible plan that scales as your visitors grow.

This guide rounds up real providers used by ministries so you can choose based on features and pricing, not hype.

Expect clear picks for design-first needs, ecommerce and fundraising, budget options, and fast web hosting that keeps your site online when it matters.

• Choose a path that matches your team’s skills — builders for speed, managed platforms for scale.
• Look for built-in donations, livestream tools, and calendar features to save setup time.
• Compare actual plan names and annual prices before you commit.
• Prioritize backups, security, and uptime so new people have a smooth visit.
• Find a balance between templates that match your mission and flexibility to grow later.

Your site’s platform decides how smoothly video, donations, and event signups work when traffic spikes. That matters because busy Sundays and holiday services bring peaks in visitors and stress on servers.

Reliable website uptime (think 99.9%+), SSL, and daily backups protect sermons, registrations, and giving data. Strong security and backup routines mean fewer emergencies and faster recoveries.

Good support shortens the time you spend troubleshooting. A responsive team reduces volunteer hours and keeps your marketing and service pages live when people need them.

• Tool consolidation: donations, events, email, and media under one roof saves logins and time.
• Scale: pick website hosting that grows with your team and tech without slowing ministry momentum.

In short, choose a stack that protects trust, cuts work for your team, and gives a clear guarantee your church website will be there when people look for you.

Start by checking how a platform streams services, collects gifts, and manages event RSVPs when traffic spikes. We run tests that mimic Sunday peaks so you see real limits, not marketing claims.

We measure uptime, upload limits, and whether video is embedded or hosted off-site. For example, Wix limits free streams to ~10 minutes and premium plans extend sessions, so you need to match session length to your service schedule.

Native forms get top marks for simplicity. We also review app ecosystems like Shopify’s Easy Donation, fee transparency, and how quick it is to add a Give button that donors recognize.

Built-in bookings, calendars, and RSVP flows reduce no-shows and save your team hours. Squarespace’s Acuity shows how an add-on can handle classes and small groups starting around $16/month (annual).

Ease of use covers onboarding, AI page tools, and email setup so volunteers publish fast. Performance checks look for SSL by default, daily backups (WP Engine does this well), and caching tech like SiteGround’s SuperCacher.

Finally, we weigh response times and real-world reputation. Quick support is your practical guarantee when sermons or events must load without fail.

• Functionality: does the platform include the features and tools you need?
• Collaboration: how many users can edit, and is email integration simple?
• Pricing: plan tiers, trials, and add-on costs compared to functionality you actually use.

This snapshot helps you narrow options fast so you can choose a practical website path that handles livestreams, donations, and events without extra setup time.

Why it works: an all-in-one website builder with native giving and video tools plus AI-assisted templates to get you live quickly.

Squarespace pairs refined pages with scheduling for classes and groups. The 14-day trial helps you test layouts and booking flows.

Shopify powers stores and donations at scale, with plugins for giving, ticketing, and payments.

Hostinger gives a budget-friendly way to launch a small site without sacrificing basic website hosting features.

SiteGround brings fast WordPress performance and responsive support. WP Engine offers managed WordPress with quick restores and strong security.

GoDaddy is the quickest route from zero to live when people need a simple web presence and basic marketing tools.

Wix packs the most useful tools into a single dashboard so your website can run livestreams, accept donations, and manage events without stitching together several services.

You can get started fast with 17+ religious templates or let Wix’s AI generate page content and layout. Add a Members Area to share sermon notes and gated content with regular users.

Wix Video supports uploads and livestreams; free plans limit streams to short sessions while paid tiers extend sessions up to about three hours. Donations are native on paid plans so your Give CTA, recurring gifts, and thank-you flows live on the site.

The design options speed setup, but note a major caveat: once you publish, you cannot switch templates without rebuilding pages. Choose your theme early or expect a rebuild if you pivot later.

The Core plan at $29/month (billed annually) is the common sweet spot for small ministries. It unlocks ecommerce if you sell merch or tickets and removes free-plan limits on video and donations.

• Strengths: built-in tools for sermons, events, email marketing, and bookings that help volunteers publish content faster.
• Limits: template switching is rigid; some advanced functionality may require apps or workarounds.

If you want a single website builder where features just work together, Wix is a solid choice that balances functionality, design, and support. For a wider comparison of church website builders, see church website builders.

C For teams that care about layout and image-first pages, Squarespace helps you launch a modern site with little fuss.

Beautiful templates and flexible sections make it easy to assemble pages that highlight sermons, staff, and upcoming events. Drag-and-drop blocks let you add contact forms, media, and people profiles in just a few clicks.

Acuity Scheduling integrates for classes, small groups, and event RSVPs. Plans start at $16/month (billed annually), so you can manage sign-ups without juggling calendars.

Squarespace pricing runs $16–$99/month with a 14-day free trial. The trial gives you time to build pages, test email sign-ups, and preview how sermons and event pages appear to users.

There aren’t church-specific templates, but you can adapt community or non-profit designs and swap imagery to match your ministry. For multilingual needs, use extensions like Weglot to translate sermons and announcements.

• Quick wins: clean design, simple content tools, and easy email sign-ups.
• Note: advanced features may need paid add-ons, so review pricing before you launch.

When your site needs real ecommerce plus donation options, Shopify gives you a single dashboard to manage sales and gifts.

Easy Donation plugs into checkout to accept one-off and recurring gifts (plans start around $6.99/month). Use a booking app like Cowlendar for pastoral meetings and classes; a free tier covers basic RSVPs.

Shopify plans run $29–$299/month (billed annually). Expect add-on fees for donations, scheduling, and advanced chat. Map your needs first and set a clear price cap before you add apps.

There are only a dozen free themes, so pick a clean layout and strong product naming to avoid extra design work. Use built-in marketing and email tools to promote campaigns without extra tech.

• Who this fits: a church that runs merch, ticketing, or a store alongside donations.
• Tip: keep functionality lean to control monthly price and maintain a smooth experience for visitors.

If your team needs a low-cost, no-friction route to a tidy church website, Hostinger is an option to consider. It pairs affordable plans with a simple builder so you can publish sermons, schedules, and giving links fast.

Price promotions can start near $2.69/month with coupons, which keeps your operating cost low. The included site builder and SSL get your pages secure and live without extra steps.

Hostinger enforces content policies that block illegal, adult, and gambling material. That alignment helps ministries avoid shared-server content that conflicts with their values.

Pick this if you want more control than a closed builder but still want a friendly path to publish. You get basic security, email setup, and support when you need help.

If your ministry runs WordPress, pick a host that boosts performance, automates safety, and lets your team move quickly.

SiteGround speeds up WordPress with built-in caching (SuperCacher), daily backups, and responsive support volunteers appreciate.

Promo pricing can start low, but the real win is consistent uptime and practical documentation that helps your team publish sermons and events without delays.

WP Engine simplifies complex work with one-click backups and restores, staging sites, and hardened security for content-heavy websites.

If an update breaks a page, quick rollbacks get you back online before the weekend service. That reliability fits growing ministries with heavier traffic.

Managed plans shine when your site needs advanced performance or business processes that builders struggle to support.

Daily backups protect your content library. Email-friendly guides and strong support help your team ship updates with confidence.

Choose SiteGround for value and hands-on help; choose WP Engine when your church website demands enterprise-grade resilience.

If you need a crisp, no-friction website in a day, GoDaddy’s builder speeds the whole process. The platform focuses on fast delivery so volunteers can publish service times and announcements without a long learning curve.

AI-assisted site creation helps you pick a layout and fill core pages quickly. Built-in online payments let you add a giving link or ticket checkout the same day.

Email marketing tools are part of the package, so you can send devotionals, event reminders, and follow-ups to new guests without extra apps.

Plans run about $9.99–$20.99/month billed annually, which keeps costs predictable while you get a working site fast.

• Easy theme switching means you can test different looks without rebuilding.
• Customization depth is lighter than design-first builders, so complex layouts may feel limited.
• Built-in tools cover essentials, leaving you free to spend time with people rather than on site edits.

In short: choose GoDaddy when speed, simple payments, and strong email tools matter most. It’s a practical way to get an online presence live now and refine the design over time.

Deciding between an all-in-one website builder and a traditional WordPress platform comes down to speed versus control. Your timeline and volunteer skill set shape which path fits your ministry.

Website builders bundle donations, livestream tools, and event pages so you can launch fast. They remove many setup steps and cut maintenance work for volunteers.

Managed WordPress gives deeper functionality through plugins, advanced forms, and custom workflows. You also get configurable backups and stronger security options as traffic grows.

Pick a builder when you need a site live this week and the team prefers low-tech upkeep. Choose WordPress hosting if you plan a multi-year digital strategy with custom integrations and tighter performance needs.

• Quick launch: builder — fast, integrated features.
• Long term: web hosting + WordPress — control, plugins, and scale.

Either route supports strong church website hosting; the real choice is the one your people can maintain week after week.

Focus on what each plan actually gives you in year one, not just the promo rate. Below is a compact way to weigh cost against real features so you can get started without surprises.

• Wix: $17–$159/month (billed annually). Donations unlocked on paid plans; Core (around $29/month) is a common sweet spot.
• Squarespace: $16–$99/month with a 14-day free trial — good balance of price and design polish.
• Shopify: $29–$299/month; expect app fees for donations and booking on top of the base price.
• Hostinger: very low entry promos (~$2.69/month) to move from a basic site into fuller website hosting.
• SiteGround: competitive WordPress plans (promos often near $2.99/month) with performance perks.
• WP Engine: premium managed plans (~$22.50/month with coupon); includes enterprise features and easy restores.
• GoDaddy: $9.99–$20.99/month with solid email and marketing tools included.

Practical tips: compare renewal price and email limits, tally app fees, and pick a plan with a clear trial or guarantee so you can test the website before long-term commitments.

Match your church’s goals to a platform so your team spends time on people, not tech.

This short guide helps you pick the right option based on scale, skills, and goals. Use the snapshot below to decide where to get started and who will update pages weekly.

Why: fast setup, low cost, easy email and basic website tools your volunteers can run.

Why: polished templates and simple editing so your pages look modern with little tech lift.

Why: built-in giving, members areas, and video tools keep donations and media under one roof.

Why: ecommerce-ready checkout and apps make sales and ticketing smooth. Budget for apps.

Why: scalable web hosting, daily backups, and workflows that support many editors and large content libraries.

Tip: consider who will publish sermons, manage email, and update events. The best church website is the one your team will actually use.

Focus on a setup that saves volunteer time and gives visitors a smooth, secure experience.

Pick the platform that matches your team’s skills and timeline. Wix shines when you want donations and livestreams in one place. Squarespace wins if design matters most. Shopify fits selling, merch, and fundraising via apps.

Hostinger keeps costs low while you get started. SiteGround and WP Engine add managed WordPress power, backups, and speed as your content grows. GoDaddy is the fastest route to a working site with email and simple marketing tools.

Whatever you choose, prioritize security, daily backups, and a support path that saves your people time. Pick a plan with a trial or clear guarantee so you can get started without risk and invite visitors confidently this weekend.