Rakefet Online review (2026)
Cloud-hosted synagogue database, billing and full accounting system from Rakefet Unlimited, with an on-premises Rakefet for Windows option.
Quick facts
- Published price
- RakefetOnline-CRM Annual - NEW USERS (year 1) $149/mo; RakefetOnline-CRM Annual - EXISTING USERS $90/mo
- Est. annual, 150 hh (billing tier)
- $1,080
- Est. annual, 400 hh (billing tier)
- $1,080
- Setup / onboarding
- Homepage says sign-up involves a 'one-time setup fee & subscription' but no amount is published; the pricing page lists none. Basic data migration is included in the new-user plan.
- Payment processing
- Credit card and ACH processing with recurring payments via Member Portal; integrations named: Stripe, PayPal, PayQuiq, Venmo (two versions of the page list different ones). Processor fees not stated.
- Target size
- not stated (UJA 2018: ~600 customers worldwide, self-reported)
- Region
- US and Canada primarily; UJA 2018 cited customers in UK, EU, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong (historical)
- Company
- unknown (US; vendor cites a US/Canada toll-free line and 'customer service in the USA'; no address published) · since unknown (Rakefet Online launched ~2014 by Rakefet Unlimited, an independent company formed by a former employee of the original Rakefet for Windows vendor, per UJA/Idealware 2014 guide; vendor cites '30 years of experience in Jewish nonprofits')
Score: 78.0/100
Computed by the published rubric from the feature evidence below. 90% of feature fields verified.
Documented strengths
- Built-in full double-entry accounting (AR/AP/GL, restricted funds, bank rec) rather than relying on QuickBooks
- Integrated Jewish calendar with Torah portions and Google Calendar sync
- API plus import/export; unlimited users
- Published pricing; basic data migration included for new customers
- Live US-based phone support with published hours
Documented limitations
- Year-1 price ($149/mo) is substantially above the renewal price ($90/mo); both billed annually
- No website CMS; no dedicated mobile app
- Cemetery, QuickBooks integration and dedicated seating module not evidenced on current pages
- No independent review-site presence found
- Company location and ownership details not published
Our take
Rakefet is the accounting-first choice. Where most synagogue platforms are membership systems with billing attached and a hand-off to QuickBooks, Rakefet Online includes full double-entry books: receivables, payables, general ledger, restricted funds and bank reconciliation, alongside membership, yahrzeits, a Jewish calendar with Torah portions, school, events, a member portal with recurring card and ACH payments, email and SMS, an API and import and export. For a treasurer who wants one system of record, that is the distinguishing feature in this market.
Pricing is published and annual: $149 a month ($1,788 a year) for new users in year one, with basic data migration included, and $90 a month ($1,080 a year) for existing users. The memo's $96 figure was taken from a competitor's 2025 blog post and is stale. The homepage mentions a one-time setup fee that is not quantified, and processor fees are not stated.
Rakefet has no website builder and no mobile app, so it pairs with an external site. A cemetery module, QuickBooks integration and a dedicated seating module are not evidenced on current pages. The company publishes little about itself beyond a US toll-free line and published support hours, and there is no review-site presence; the product's long history in the 2013, 2014 and 2018 UJA-Federation guides is the main external record.
Rakefet Online pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annualized | Limit | Includes | Excludes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RakefetOnline-CRM Annual - NEW USERS (year 1) | $149 | $1,788 | not stated ('Unlimited seats for members, donors, admins and office') | Basic data migration (import/classify members, family relationships, donors, events, yahrzeits, journal entries, chart of accounts and opening balances); billed annually; 'On Year 2 Upgraded to an Existing User' | not stated |
| RakefetOnline-CRM Annual - EXISTING USERS | $90 | $1,080 | not stated | Current RakefetOnline user plan; billed annually; 'Existing User Deal Options Available' | not stated |
Pricing model: flat monthly. Terms: 1-year term, billed annually (both plans). Cancellation terms not stated.. The $96/mo figure in the memo is STALE: it matches a March 25, 2025 Shulware blog post ($96/mo annual, $80/mo two-year, data migration from $1,500). On 2026-10-12 the vendor pricing page shows $149/mo (new users, year 1) and $90/mo (existing users), both billed annually, with basic migration included. Historical: UJA/Idealware 2018 listed Rakefet for Windows at $995 (basic) / $1,080 (networked) plus $300-$375/yr support; the 2014 guide reported planned RakefetOnline pricing of $1,080 year 1 / $480 thereafter. Source: https://www.rakefetunlimited.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-12 (vendor-page). Prices exclude payment-processing fees unless stated.
Feature coverage, with evidence
"Yes" means we found the capability described on a vendor page (linked). "Partial" means limited, add-on or third-party. "Not verified" means we could not find it documented; it may exist. Ask the vendor.
| Capability | Status | Notes and evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Membership & household records | Yes | Members, children, family relationships, committees, notes, attachments, profile pictures, new member/renewal forms. source |
| Yahrzeit tracking & reminders | Yes | Yahrzeits, mourners, memorial plaques, yizkor book reports, printed/emailed notices mixing Jewish and Gregorian dates. source |
| Hebrew calendar integration | Yes | Automatic Hebrew date conversion, weekly Torah portions and Haftarot, Google Calendar integration. source |
| Dues, billing & receivables | Yes | Member/donor billing, global billing, recurring payments, member ledgers, receivables reports, printed or emailed statements. source |
| Online payments | Yes | Credit card and ACH, recurring payments via Member Portal; Stripe/PayPal/PayQuiq/Venmo named. source |
| Donations, pledges & campaigns | Partial | Donation payment forms and donor giving tracking; 'School and Fundraising' listed on rakefetonline.com. Pledges not explicitly mentioned. source |
| General ledger / fund accounting | Yes | Full AR/AP, general ledger with restricted funds, check writing, journal entries, bank reconciliation, budgeting, P&L/balance sheet/trial balance/audit reports. source |
| QuickBooks integration | Not verified | Not mentioned on current vendor pages; UJA 2018 guide noted some customers pair Rakefet with QuickBooks or Sage. source |
| Religious school management | Yes | 'School Management' listed; religious school classes tracked in the database. source |
| Events & registration | Yes | Form builder for events and registrations; special event tracking. source |
| High Holiday seating | Partial | rakefetonline.com lists 'seating' among tracked data and 'High Holy Day planning' is cited; no dedicated seating-chart module described. source |
| Honors, aliyot & gabbai tools | Partial | 'Aliyot' tracked in the database per rakefetonline.com; no gabbai workflow described. source |
| Cemetery management | Not verified | Not mentioned on vendor pages checked. source |
| Website / CMS | No | No website builder; donation/payment forms embed in an existing website and API access is offered for external sites. source |
| Email & newsletters | Yes | Email templates, quick messages, scheduled emails, contact lists. source |
| SMS / texting | Yes | SMS templates and quick messages via Twilio integration. source |
| Member self-service portal | Yes | Members/donors view commitments, set up recurring payments, download receipts. source |
| Mobile app | No | Described as 'mobile friendly'; no dedicated app mentioned. source |
| API / data export | Yes | Import/export and API access for external processes or websites. source |
| Automation & workflows | Partial | Scheduled emails and recurring billing; no general workflow engine described. source |
Migration
Assistance: Onboarding = live demo, data migration 'assisted by Rakefet's expert hand-holders', and training (rakefetunlimited.com homepage).
Fees: Basic data migration included in the new-user annual plan (vendor pricing page). The March 2025 Shulware blog quoted 'starts at $1,500' - now superseded.
source
Support & security
Channels: phone (+1-855-725-7874, toll-free US/Canada), email (rush@rakefetunlimited.com), contact form. Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 AM-4:00 PM PST (rakefetonline.com). Training: Included in onboarding; testimonials describe 'unlimited training for office staff' (customer claims, not a published policy).. source
Security: Permission controls over who can view/modify data, full user audit reports, continuous cloud backup, secure multi-user login (vendor claims). No PCI/SOC 2 statements found. UJA 2018 guide said RakefetOnline was hosted on Microsoft Azure (historical). source
What independent sources say
Individual experiences, not survey data. Review platforms are sparse in this niche; treat counts under 20 as anecdotes.
- Capterra / G2 / Software Advice. No listing for Rakefet found on Capterra, G2 or Software Advice as of 2026-10-12. source
- UJA-Federation NY / Idealware, 'A Guide to Synagogue Management Systems' (Oct 2018). Profiles Rakefet; prices are HISTORICAL (Aug 2018): Windows $995/$1,080 + $300-$375/yr support; ~600 customers self-reported. source
- Shulware blog (competitor, Mar 25 2025). Third-party, competitor-authored: quoted $96/mo annual, $80/mo two-year, migration from $1,500 - superseded by vendor pricing page. source
- WifiTalents editorial ranking (affiliate site): 9.0/5. Editorial score, not user reviews; page discloses affiliate commissions. source
Questions to ask Rakefet Online before you sign
- Amount of the 'one-time setup fee' referenced on the homepage
- Payment processor fee schedule
- Whether a cemetery module exists
- Current customer count
Alternatives to Rakefet Online
| Product | Published price | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easyshul | Standard (congregations with more than 150 families) $349/mo | 80.5/100 | compare |
| ShulCloud | Standard ('ShulCloud without Financials') $161.99/mo; Premium ('ShulCloud with Financials') $313.99/mo; Enterprise ('The Complete ShulCloud') $464.99/mo; Small-shul Premium rate (signup checkbox) $97.99/mo | 78.5/100 | compare |
| MyShul | Standard $179/mo; Premium $310/mo; Enterprise ('most popular') $460/mo | 75.0/100 | compare |
| Temple Tools | Full CRM $370/mo | 66.0/100 | compare |
Frequently asked questions
How much does Rakefet Online cost?
$149 a month for new users in the first year and $90 a month for existing users, both billed annually ($1,788 and $1,080), verified on the vendor pricing page 2026-10-12. Basic data migration is included for new users. A setup fee is mentioned but not priced.
Does Rakefet include accounting?
Yes. Rakefet includes a full general ledger with receivables, payables, restricted funds and bank reconciliation, rather than relying on QuickBooks.
Is Rakefet for Windows still sold?
The vendor still offers Rakefet for Windows with hybrid online access alongside the cloud product. Congregations on older desktop installations should ask about the migration path and whether the included migration covers them.
Sources
- https://www.rakefetonline.com/
- https://www.rakefetunlimited.com/
- https://www.rakefetunlimited.com/pricing
- https://www.rakefetunlimited.com/synagogue-management-solutions
- https://www.rakefetunlimited.com/about-rakefet
- https://www.rakefetunlimited.com/rakefet-for-windows-on-premises-solution
- https://shulware.com/blog/synagogue-management-software
- https://www.ujafedny.org/api/v2/assets/790731
- https://www.ujafedny.org/api/v2/assets/787024
Spotted an error? Vendors and users can request a correction; we re-verify and note the change.