Cardova vs Shul Software (2026)
Two synagogue management options compared on verified pricing, Jewish-specific workflows, billing depth, communications, migration and independent evidence.
Quick answer
- Price: Cardova: Starter plan ('Popular') $80/mo; Pro plan $160/mo. Shul Software: Tiered.
- Jewish-specific workflows: Shul Software leads (7.0 vs 10.0 of 20 points).
- Membership, dues and money: Cardova leads (15.0 vs 9.5 of 20 points).
- School and events: Cardova leads (5.0 vs 2.5 of 10 points).
- Data portability and migration: Cardova leads (5.5 vs 2.5 of 10 points).
- Pricing transparency: Cardova leads (15 vs 5 of 15 points).
- Overall: Cardova 58.5/100 · Shul Software 38.5/100
Pricing side by side
Cardova
- Free plan: · up to 100 community members/contacts; 1 administrator · Essential features, basic reporting/analytics, basic chat and email support
- Starter plan ('Popular'): $80/mo · up to 500 members/contacts; 2 administrators · $80/mo billed monthly or $72/mo billed annually ($864/yr); free data transfer to Cardova, advanced reporting/analytics, priority chat and email support
- Pro plan: $160/mo · unlimited members/contacts; 5 administrators · $160/mo billed monthly or $144/mo billed annually ($1,728/yr); advanced custom fields, audit log and data history, high-priority chat/email support
Setup: None stated; 'free data transfer' on annual paid plans.. Processing: Pricing table shows 'Platform fees 0% to 5%' on all tiers; processor and card fees not stated.. Source: vendor page, 2026-10-12 (vendor-page).
Shul Software
- Community (free): · up to 36 members · 50 outbound emails/day; website add-on CAD $18/mo
- Small Synagogue: · 37-108 members · CAD $50/month; 100 emails/day; website add-on CAD $9/mo
- Medium Synagogue ('Most Popular'): · 109-218 members · CAD $75/month; 200 emails/day; website included
- Large Synagogue: · 219+ members · CAD $100/month; 500 emails/day; website included
Setup: not stated. Processing: not stated (online payments not described). Source: vendor page, 2026-10-12 (vendor-page).
Feature by feature
| Capability | Cardova | Shul Software |
|---|---|---|
| Membership & household records | Yes Individual profiles, households/family units, lifecycle from prospect to alumni, community groups, member self-updates. | Yes Member profiles with family members/relationships, membership status and history, Mi Sheberach lists. |
| Yahrzeit tracking & reminders | Partial Directory page: tracks 'lifecycle events with native support for the Hebrew calendar'; yahrzeit lists/notices not described explicitly. | Yes Hebrew/civil date alignment with sunset-aware conversion, weekly/monthly lists, optional emails to relatives, board exports. |
| Hebrew calendar integration | Yes 'Native support for the Hebrew calendar' for lifecycle events. | Partial Hebrew date conversion for yahrzeits; no general congregational Hebrew calendar described. |
| Dues, billing & receivables | Yes Memberships with automated renewals, reminders, tiered access and reports; invoicing/AR ledger not described. | Partial Membership dues reports, pledge schedules and reminders, exportable statements; no invoicing/AR ledger described. |
| Online payments | Yes Donations, membership and ticket payments online; platform fee 0-5%. | Not verified Not mentioned. |
| Donations, pledges & campaigns | Yes One-time and recurring donations, dedicated funds, giving reports, campaigns; pledges not mentioned. | Yes One-time and recurring donations, pledges, campaigns, funds, CRA/IRS tax receipts, appeals. |
| General ledger / fund accounting | No No accounting module described. | Not verified Not mentioned. |
| QuickBooks integration | Not verified Not mentioned. | Not verified Not mentioned. |
| Religious school management | Not verified Not mentioned. | Not verified Not mentioned. |
| Events & registration | Yes Events & ticketing with attendance and reporting. | Partial Event participation tracking; no registration/ticketing described. |
| High Holiday seating | Not verified Not mentioned. | Not verified Not mentioned. |
| Honors, aliyot & gabbai tools | Not verified Not mentioned. | Partial Aliyot tracked under pledges/events; no gabbai workflow described. |
| Cemetery management | Not verified Not mentioned. | Not verified Not mentioned. |
| Website / CMS | Yes 'Community website' tooling. | Partial A 'website' is an add-on on lower tiers and included on Medium/Large; its scope is not described. |
| Email & newsletters | Yes Communication hub: announcements, event updates, automated occasion messages. | Yes Outbound email with daily quotas per tier (50-500/day). |
| SMS / texting | Partial Pricing table row 'Text individual community members' (plan-dependent); no bulk SMS described. | Not verified Not mentioned. |
| Member self-service portal | Partial Members can update their own profile and household information; full portal scope not described. | Yes Secure members portal. |
| Mobile app | Not verified Not mentioned. | Not verified Not mentioned. |
| API / data export | Partial Pricing comparison table includes 'API' and 'Export' rows; details not published. | Partial CSV/PDF exports of reports and statements; no API described. |
| Automation & workflows | Yes Automatic receipts, renewal reminders, weekly reports; 'Automated workflows' row in plan table. | Partial Pledge reminders and automated yahrzeit emails. |
Evidence links for every cell are on the individual review pages: Cardova, Shul Software.
Rubric scores
| Group | Cardova | Shul Software | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish-specific workflows | 7.0 | 10.0 | 20 |
| Membership, dues and money | 15.0 | 9.5 | 20 |
| Communications and engagement | 10.0 | 9.0 | 15 |
| School and events | 5.0 | 2.5 | 10 |
| Data portability and migration | 5.5 | 2.5 | 10 |
| Pricing transparency | 15 | 5 | 15 |
| Independent customer evidence | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| Total | 58.5 | 38.5 | 100 |
Cardova: strengths / limitations
- Free tier and transparent low pricing
- Modern directory with household and lifecycle modelling, Hebrew-calendar support
- Automation of renewals, receipts and reports
- Free data migration on annual plans
- Very new vendor with no reviews, customer counts or published location
- No accounting, QuickBooks, school, seating, honors or cemetery features evidenced
- Platform fee of up to 5% on top of processor fees
- Boilerplate copy on pricing page suggests an early-stage site
Shul Software: strengths / limitations
- Free tier for congregations up to 36 members
- Low published CAD pricing
- Sunset-aware Hebrew date handling and CRA/IRS receipts
- Role-based access and members portal
- No accounting, QuickBooks, school, seating, cemetery, SMS or online-payment features evidenced
- Daily outbound email caps
- No independent reviews; company details sparse
- Member vs family counting ambiguity in tiers
Full reviews: Cardova · Shul Software · all comparisons