Subsplash: what is it and should my church join?
The Church has left the building.
The story is not a new one. Churches, like most other institutions, increasingly find themselves in need of an improved online presence. With COVID-19 only adding fuel to the technological fire, many churches decided “yes, let’s get better online!” only to promptly follow up with a “wait, how?”
Fear not, gone (hopefully) are the days of the cringe-inducing church html webpages. Well, maybe not gone, but at least there’s no longer an excuse. It’s time to ditch the cringe and say hello to a new way to bring your church into the digital age: Subsplash.
Now, before we begin, a word about this sector as a whole. Subsplash is far from the only provider in the bring-your-church-online space, and there are plenty of other great companies filling this niche. In fact, Triumph was invited to attend a conference session presented by InPeace in which they rolled out some of their new Church-oriented tech programs—very cool stuff. As Triumph’s relationship with InPeace grows we may do a follow up article outlining their product offering as well. However, for now—since some of our clients currently use Subsplash and we’re familiar with it—they win the article of the day. Life’s not fair, kids. But we are—and would like to attest that we received no financial kick-back from Subsplash for this article. Zero. Nada. Not even a bag of chips.
What is a Subsplash and where do I find one?
Starting way back in 2008, Subsplash is one of the original players in the church technology space. The company offers two main service packages: a giving-only option (free, woo!) an all-in-one suit (paid, ugh). In addition to the services themselves, Subsplash also offers a library of online troubleshooting resources and live client support staff. In our experience, their live support members can be a valuable asset in getting the most out of your church’s Subsplash subscription. Particularly if you aren’t the most tech-savvy congregation.
In addition to being aptly named, the giving-only version of Subsplash is also affordable. For $0 a month (our favorite subscription price point), this service package will equip your church with intuitive mobile, web, and text-to-give options. While this feature may not come with a monthly price tag, Subsplash will keep a flat percentage of all proceeds. In our experience, Subsplash’s rates are generally lower than most competitors. Just how high that percentage is, however, fluctuates, and your church will have to speak with a Subsplash service representative for an exact figure. Some of our past clients inked a service fee right around 5.4% (but that won’t necessarily hold true for every member every time).
Premium Subbing and Splashing.
Now for the big guns, Subsplash’s premium service offering: Subsplash One (half a point for name originality). Subsplash One runs the gamut of church tech products with everything from custom apps and mobile tv options, to a webpage design platform, multiple giving options, and full live stream functionality. Additionally, this premium package also offers church management applications such as advanced in-app messaging and group chats. By running communication and scheduling directly through the Subsplash app, churches can easily organize multiple ministry teams or departments. While we aren’t experts on every logistical consideration that goes into running a church, we can’t imagine too many that fall outside of Subsplash’s offering.
In our experience, one of the most useful features of Subsplash One is it’s app-to-website integration. By hosting both your Church app and webpage with Subsplash, you can seamlessly sync content—such as archived messages or livestreams—as well as upcoming church events—like everyone’s favorite church picnic—across all platforms simultaneously. If you put it into the website, Subsplash can auto-populate it into the app, and vice versa. While this may sound trivial on the surface, we’ve seen this feature save our clients immense amounts of time, frustration, and general consternation.
Let’s talk Money.
Similar to the free giving option outlined above, Subsplash hides their pricing options for Subsplash One. Every church is different, and the size and scope of the applications needed will likely impact the total cost of the software. To help get a more exact figure on price, interested churches can book a demo appointment with Subsplash on their website.
Speaking from the heart.
Now, as some of our team here at Triumph have actually been roped in on Subsplash design projects, we wanted to share some honest, hard-won insights about the product. Subsplash offers a fantastic system with plenty of great features, but, patience is a required virtue with their webpage designer. Speaking bluntly, their design interface is pretty finicky—even while in Google Chrome (the recommended browser). However, your fortitude will be well rewarded with an affordable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing final product (assuming you don’t throw your computer through a stained glass window in the meantime).
If your church has extra room in the margins, perhaps consider pairing a Subsplash One platform with a more expensive (and intuitive) website design option. If that last sentence piqued your interest, you can find out more information on some of the internet’s best web design platforms in our article here.
Food for thought.
We have to be honest, we still don’t understand their name, but we certainly believe in their value proposition. Subsplash offers churches an effective all-in-one tech solution with a reasonable price tag. And it sure as heck beats whatever your pastor’s nephew tried to code from scratch (can we get an amen?).
As always, feel free to Ask Triumph with any additional questions and consider Supporting the Team.
All views expressed in the article are opinions of the author and should not be misconstrued as professional consulting or legal advice. Users are responsible for verifying all information before taking action, and Triumph Group LLC is not responsible for any outcomes. Pursue subjects at your own risk. Seriously, man. It’s your life.
