Overview

Aplos brings fund accounting, donation reporting, online giving, and donor records into a web-based service, with an API that users can enable from settings. Restricted and designated funds, including grants, are central to its accounting approach. That focus makes it a stronger fit for nonprofits and faith-based organizations than for businesses looking for general-purpose accounting.

Its reports include Balance Sheet by Fund and Income Statement by Fund, with customization for financial and donation reporting. The donor database holds giving history, communications, notes, relationships, and custom fields. Aplos also lists integrations such as Keela, Raisely, Ramp, PEX, Gusto, DonorElf, Church Community Builder, and Bloomerang.

Key features

Fund accounting and reporting

Tracking restricted funds and grants, plus a flexible chart of accounts, helps organizations distinguish money that cannot be treated as general operating income. Fund-level statements are useful for boards and grant accountability. Custom reports add flexibility, though dimensional reporting and budgeting are reserved for the Advanced plan.

Giving and donor records

Organizations can build unlimited custom, mobile-friendly giving forms and add a donation widget to their website. The donor database connects giving history with communications and relationships, giving staff context for outreach. Organizations accepting online payments must have a U.S. or Canadian bank account.

Security and support

Aplos says it encrypts data with AES 256, stores it with AWS in the U.S., and backs it up nightly at a secondary secured location. It says it is PCI compliant and that its payment partners encrypt data and monitor for fraud. Every package includes email, phone, or chat support, with access to a live person.

Pricing

Aplos offers a 15-day trial and no free plan. The base subscription covers up to 500 contacts; each additional 1,000 contacts costs $20 per month, and each additional user costs $20 per month. Those charges matter for organizations whose donor records or staff count are growing.

Lite — $79.00 USD per month, billed $79/month. Includes 2 users, Balance Sheet by Fund, Income Statement by Fund, bank reconciliation, custom reports, a board portal, and 1099 management. It is the entry point for organizations needing core fund accounting and reporting, but it lacks budgeting, payables, receivables, and integrations.
Core — $129.00 USD per month, billed $129/month. Includes 2 users and Lite features, plus basic budgeting, accounts payable and receivable, recurring transactions, period close, third-party integrations, and user roles and permissions. It fits organizations that need more of their routine accounting workflow in the same system, while retaining the same included user count as Lite.
Advanced — $229.00 USD per month, billed $229/month. Includes 3 users and Core features, plus budgeting by fund or grant, by department or project, dimensional budgeting, and dimensional reporting. Aplos positions it for organizations with $250K+ in annual revenue. The extra user and deeper planning tools suit more complex operations, but the base price is substantially higher than Core.
Custom — custom pricing. Adds income and expense allocations, fixed assets, bill approval, additional dimensions, and additional users. It is the plan to consider when Advanced does not cover the organization’s requirements.

Platforms

Aplos supports web access and an API. Its integrations include accounting-adjacent and nonprofit tools such as Ramp, Gusto, Keela, and Bloomerang, while the API can be enabled in settings. Teams choosing software around mobile or desktop app availability should note that Aplos is listed for web and API.

Who it's for

Aplos is best suited to nonprofits, churches, and other faith-based organizations that need restricted-fund accounting, grant tracking, donation reporting, and donor records together. Lite is a sensible starting point for small teams with modest contact counts and straightforward reporting needs; Core is better when budgeting and payables or receivables matter. Organizations needing dimensional reports and budgets should weigh Advanced against its higher price and per-user charges. It is less compelling for teams that need a free plan, or that cannot use a U.S. or Canadian bank account for online payments.

Pros and cons

Pros: Fund and grant tracking, fund-level statements, giving forms, and donor histories address common nonprofit accounting and fundraising needs in one service.
Pros: All packages include email, phone, or chat support, and Aplos says customers can reach a live person.
Cons: There is no free plan, the trial lasts 15 days, and the least expensive plan costs $79.00 USD per month.
Cons: The base subscription includes only 500 contacts and 2 users on Lite and Core; additional contacts and users cost extra.
Cons: Online payment acceptance depends on having a U.S. or Canadian bank account.

Alternatives

For church-specific accounting options, compare Church Accounting Software and CDM+. CDM+ has a 25.00 USD per month Essentials plan for one program and one user, and supports Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, web, and API access; choose it if that broader platform coverage or one-program entry plan fits better.

OCM Financial offers annual-priced parish tiers, including $500.00 USD per year for fewer than 500 families and $750.00 USD per year for 500–1,500 families; it may suit a parish comparing pricing by family count. One Church Software has a $36.00 USD per month accounting add-on to a Church Management plan, with a 20% discount eligible when paying yearly, making it worth comparing if an add-on structure suits the organization.

ChurchFinance has a free Starter plan for one team member with transaction tracking and categories and funds management; it is an option for teams prioritizing a no-cost starting point. ChurchSoftware Accounting has a free Your Church Plan and a Church Plan with fund accounting, income and expense tracking, financial reporting, and integrated giving.

For nonprofit accounting comparisons, see Nonprofit Accounting Software and Fund Accounting Software. Grain Ledger offers a free Starter plan capped at $20k in monthly expenses, with one bank connection, three users, unlimited funds, and one active budget; it fits teams whose accounting needs fit those limits. ACS Financials is another web and Windows option.

For giving-focused comparisons, browse Donation Management and Nonprofit Text-to-Give Software. Vestrybooks offers a free plan for recording money in and out, fund tracking, a donor list, and online giving with no platform cut where available, so it is a distinct option for organizations looking for those basics at no cost.

Verdict

Choose Aplos if your nonprofit or church needs fund and grant accounting alongside donation reporting and donor records, and its contact, user, and payment requirements fit your operation. Its clearest advantage is the combination of fund-level books with giving and donor tools. Look elsewhere if a free plan, broader platform availability, or online payment acceptance without a U.S. or Canadian bank account is essential.

	Aplos	Cougar Mountain Denali
Free plan	No	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$79/mo	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Web	api, self-hosted, Web, Windows
Free plan	No	No
Audit trail	Yes	Yes
Restricted fund tracking	—	Yes
Grant management	—	Yes
Deployment	—	hybrid

Aplos vs Cougar Mountain Denali

Aplos

Cougar Mountain Denali