Nave vs eCatholic
A modern eCatholic alternative — multilingual and all-in.
Nave covers what eCatholic bundles, plus what it doesn't: co-equal multilingual content, a computed liturgical calendar, and safe-environment certification — in one parish-sized price instead of paid add-ons.
eCatholic. A ~20-year incumbent (founded 2005): a Catholic website builder bundled with online giving, live streaming, and email/SMS — sold largely through diocesan contracts, with capabilities split into paid add-ons. Its church-management side (sacraments, census, accounting) came from acquiring GabrielSoft in 2021.
| Capability | Nave | eCatholic |
|---|---|---|
| Co-equal multilingual content | ✓ EN/ES/TL + more | ✗ manual Spanish |
| All-in price (no add-ons) | ✓ one rate | ✗ +$79–249/mo livestream, texting |
| Always-accurate, computed liturgy | ✓ | ✗ |
| Online giving | ~ offertory live | ✓ +1% platform fee |
| Livestream | ✓ embed ~$0 | ~ $79–249/mo |
| Sacramental records + certificates | ✓ built in | ~ GabrielSoft add-on |
| Safe-environment lifecycle | ✓ | ✗ |
| Built for a volunteer-run office | ✓ roles + audit | ~ |
✓ ships · ~ partial / gated / rolling out · ✗ not offered. Verified against vendor materials and third-party reviews.
Why parishes choose Nave over eCatholic.
Multilingual, co-equal
eCatholic tells parishes to hand-build a Spanish section and retired its Google-Translate integration. Nave ships English, Spanish, and Tagalog co-equal — and adds more.
All-in, not nickel-and-dimed
eCatholic unbundles giving fees, livestream ($79–249/mo), and texting. Nave is one parish-sized rate, with livestream embedded at ~$0 and a 0% giving platform fee.
Always right, never guessing
Mass times come from your live schedule and the liturgical year is computed from the date — not a stale text field.
Safe environment, built in
VIRTUS-style certification with renewal nudges and a serving gate — not a separate spreadsheet audit.
Switching is easy
Moving from eCatholic is part of onboarding, not a separate project — we bring over your content, member lists, and records, and you're live in days.
Questions, answered.
Is Nave a true eCatholic alternative?
Yes. Nave matches what eCatholic bundles — website, communications, giving, sacramental records, forms — and adds what it doesn't: co-equal multilingual content, a computed liturgical calendar, and safe-environment certification, in one all-in price.
Is Nave cheaper than eCatholic?
Usually less than the sum of eCatholic's stack: its website plan plus livestream ($79–249/mo), giving fees, and texting add-ons. Nave is one parish-sized rate with livestream at ~$0 and a 0% giving platform fee.
Can we migrate our eCatholic site and records?
Yes — free migration of content, member lists, and records is part of onboarding, and you keep your domain.
Does Nave have online giving like eCatholic?
Yes — online offertory (both weekend collections), recurring gifts, saved cards, and a Ways-to-Give hub. Full native checkout is rolling out; the offertory is live.
See the full field in our parish software comparison.
Sources
- eCatholic — Our Story (founded 2005)
- eCatholic acquires GabrielSoft ChMS (2021)
- eCatholic — translating a website is manual
- eCatholic Online Giving FAQ (1% platform fee)
- eCatholic — Church Management add-on
eCatholic, Pushpay, ParishStaq, ParishSOFT, Flocknote, LPi (4LPi), and myParish are trademarks of their respective owners, used here for identification and comparison only. Nave is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of them. Capabilities and pricing are drawn from public vendor materials and third-party reviews as of the dates cited and can change; verify current details with each vendor.
See the difference on your own parish.
We'll stand up a live demo on your schedule, ministries, and languages — and migrate what you already have.