CareNote vs. NotebirdChoose the Right Tool for Your Ministry
Compare two leading pastoral care solutions and discover how CareNote's innovative features make you a better pastor while saving your ministry money.
| Feature | CareNote | Notebird |
|---|---|---|
| Core Features (Available in Both) | ||
While both CareNote and Notebird offer essential pastoral care tracking features, CareNote transforms these basics into powerful tools for meaningful ministry impact. Where Notebird focuses on documentation, only CareNote empowers you to turn compassion into action.See detailed feature comparison → Activity FeedProfilesUpdatesTasksGroupsMilestonesSearchReportingMobile AccessChMS Integration The CareNote DifferenceWhile these core features are present in both platforms, CareNote transforms them into powerful ministry tools through smart automation and pastoral insights. Your care team gains the wisdom of experienced ministry leaders, automated follow-ups, and intelligent care coordination—helping you spend less time on administration and more time pastoring and caring for your community. | ||
| Advanced Features Comparison | ||
| Congregant Database Size | Included in CareNote Unlimited congregant database size. Easily handle over 30,000 congregants with no artificial restrictions. Suitable for churches of any size, from small ministries to mega-churches. | Not Available in Notebird Database size limits may apply |
| Care Request Management | Included in CareNote Complete care journey tracking from intake to follow-up. Includes delivery date scheduling, care type categorization, flexible assignments (users/volunteers/groups), comprehensive delivery reporting, and full lifecycle documentation | Not Available in Notebird Basic task assignment and follow-up system. No comprehensive care request tracking or lifecycle management |
| Volunteer Management System | Included in CareNote Unique email-based volunteer system allows care coordination without logins. Includes secure token-based actions, customizable email templates, and comprehensive reporting. Each paid user ($9/month) includes 3 free volunteers | Not Available in Notebird All care providers must have full system access with paid logins |
| Intelligent Care Assignments | Included in CareNote Smart routing of care requests based on provider expertise, availability, and workload balance | Not Available in Notebird Manual assignment of care requests only |
| Smart Automation Workflows | Included in CareNote Care requests are automatically routed based on custom conditions, triggers, and rules you define | Not Available in Notebird No automation capabilities available |
| On-Call Schedule Integration | Included in CareNote Automated routing of care intake to on-call care providers without manual intervention | Not Available in Notebird No on-call scheduling or automated routing available |
| PCO Forms Integration | Included in CareNote Create forms in PCO, link to CareNote, and attach automations and conditions for routing and activity | Not Available in Notebird Basic PCO integration only, no form automation capabilities |
| Pastoral Care Workflows | Included in CareNote Pre-built workflows for Journey through Grief, Dedications, Baptism, and more. Includes shared template library | Not Available in Notebird No workflow templates or shared library available |
| Care Analytics & Reports | Included in CareNote Comprehensive Care Pulse Report and 7 other detailed reports for data-informed ministry insights. Monitor trends across different timeframes with historical tracking | Included Basic reporting with daily summaries. Limited trend analysis capabilities |
| Multi-Channel Communication | Included in CareNote Email, SMS, and Web Push notifications (coming soon) | Not Available in Notebird Email notifications only |
| Personal Support | Included in CareNote CareNote is made and maintained by a real pastor who uses it with his own care team. Call or text (734) 418-8434 to connect directly, ask questions, and get help making the most of CareNote for your ministry. | Not Available in Notebird Standard support channels only |
Pricing That Makes Sense for Every Church
Small Church Example (Solo Pastor with 8 Volunteers)
1 pastor ($12/month) + 3 free volunteers ($0/month)
5 additional volunteers ($5/month)
Total: $17/month
Contact for team pricing
All users require full licenses
Total: $76/month
Built by a Pastor Who Understands
CareNote was created by a pastor who knows every dollar counts in ministry. That's why we built a unique volunteer system that lets you include your entire care team at a fraction of the cost. Our volunteer-friendly pricing means your ministry budget can focus on serving people, not software costs.
A Solo Pastor's Story
"As a solo pastor with an 8-member volunteer team, I found CareNote to be the perfect solution. With my $12/month account, I get 3 free volunteers included, and for just $5 more per month, I can enable my entire care team. This incredible value makes comprehensive pastoral care management accessible for smaller churches like mine."
"My advice to you, don't overlook CareNote just because you're a small church or solo pastor. CareNote is not just for large churches - it's designed to make pastoral care management accessible and affordable for ministry teams of all sizes."
— Pastor Bill Williams, Scio Church
Why Our Pricing Works for Everyone
- Small Churches & Solo Pastors: Get started with just $12/month and equip your volunteer team affordably. Each paid account includes 3 free volunteers.
- Growing Churches: Add volunteers in bundles of 5 for just $5/month ($1/volunteer). Scale your care ministry without breaking the budget.
- Larger Churches: Benefit from enterprise features while maintaining cost-effective volunteer coordination.
Did You Know?
Most churches save significantly on their pastoral care software costs by switching to CareNote's volunteer-friendly pricing model. Our unique email-based volunteer system means you only need paid accounts for your core team members.
Why Choose CareNote Over Notebird?
While Notebird is a popular pastoral care documentation tool, CareNote goes far beyond documentation to help you actually deliver care. Here's why churches choose CareNote:
Volunteer-Friendly Pricing
Unlike Notebird's one-size-fits-all $9/month per user pricing, CareNote offers affordable volunteer accounts at just $1/month. This means volunteers like Mary, who only delivers meals once a week, can participate in your care ministry without breaking your budget.
Notebird
$9/mo
per volunteer
CareNote
$1/mo
per volunteer
Beyond Documentation
While Notebird excels at documenting care, CareNote transforms documentation into action. We help you coordinate volunteers, automate follow-ups, and ensure no one falls through the cracks in your care ministry.
- Replace scattered tools (notes, emails, spreadsheets) with one unified system
- Empower your entire church to participate in care ministry
- Extract insights from your care network to improve ministry impact
The Power of Purpose-Built Care
While Notebird may be the leading product for pastoral care documentation, CareNote is the only platform purpose-built to help you deliver care effectively. We offer dozens of features you won't find in Notebird because we understand that true pastoral care goes beyond documentation—it's about transforming compassion into action and empowering your entire church to participate in care ministry.