Realm alternative
BackPR vs Realm
Realm, from ACS Technologies, is church management software with event registration, online payments through Vanco, check-in and optional accounting. Its staff-only Inform plan is $49 a month; other plans and processing rates aren't published. BackPR is free for nonprofits, with free onboarding and data import.
At a glance
BackPR and Realm, side by side
| Term | BackPR | Realm |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Youth and community programs: camps, after-school, childcare, classes, sports, schools and churches. | Churches, Catholic dioceses and parishes, and denominational offices. Realm covers people, giving, events and registration, check-in, groups and communication, with optional accounting and payroll. |
| Cost for nonprofits | $0 to BackPR: no subscription and no BackPR fees. Stripe's processing fees still apply. | No published nonprofit pricing. |
| Pricing | Nonprofits: $0. Other organizations: custom quote. | Inform (staff only): $49 a month after a 30-day free trial. Connect, which adds congregation features, has a monthly price based on typical weekly attendance (not published). Multiply, for multi-site churches, isn't published. Accounting is an add-on. |
| Fees added to what families pay | None from BackPR. | No Realm fee for families is published. Realm lets donors help offset processing costs (1% to 4%) on online gifts; its registration help doesn't describe this for event payments. |
| Payment fees | Stripe's standard processing rates. For nonprofits, BackPR adds nothing on top. | Not published. Online gifts and registration payments by card or ACH run through a Vanco merchant account, and Vanco drafts its fees from the church's bank account each month. |
| Contract | No long-term contract. Cancel anytime with no exit fees. | Monthly subscription; no long-term commitment is published. After you cancel, service runs to the end of the billing period. Inform can be canceled by email; ACS's Realm agreement asks for a phone call and a brief exit interview. |
| Onboarding and data import | Free, including data import. | Data conversion, setup training and launch help are offered; prices not published. ACS's agreement says purchases may include one-time fees or data conversion costs. One-day on-site training costs $2,500. |
| Spanish for families | Yes. | Not published. |
Realm details are from Realm's public website and terms, checked October 19, 2026. Products and prices change, so check Realm events and registration, Realm plans, Realm Inform in the ACS store, Realm Software Services Agreement, Realm help: merchant accounts, Realm help: paid registration event settings, Realm help: processing costs and Realm personalized training for current details.
The difference
Where BackPR is different
Free for nonprofits
Nonprofits pay nothing to BackPR. Realm publishes no nonprofit pricing; its staff-only Inform plan is $49 a month, and Connect is priced by weekly attendance.
Card rates you can look up
For nonprofits, BackPR payments run at Stripe's standard, published rates with nothing added, and you choose whether to absorb them or pass them on. Realm's registration payments run through a Vanco merchant account; the rates aren't published, and Vanco drafts its fees from your bank account each month.
Free onboarding and data import
Setup and data import are free at BackPR. ACS's Realm agreement says purchases may include one-time fees or data conversion costs, and ACS charges $2,500 for one-day on-site training.
Registration in English and Spanish
Families can register in English or Spanish. Realm's website and help center don't describe a Spanish option for registration.
In fairness
What Realm does well
Realm's registration events support registration types with different prices, deposits and partial payments, discounts, extra items like supplies or meals, custom questions and guests. It also has check-in kiosks with name badges and room balancing, background checks through Verified First, optional integrated accounting with payroll, and the free Realm Connect app. Support includes a 24/7 help center and email or toll-free phone support.
Switching
Moving from Realm is free
Send us an export of your families, participants and programs and we'll set up your BackPR account with them. There's no setup fee and no long-term contract.
How switching worksFAQ
Questions, answered
Can BackPR import our data from Realm?
Yes, for free. Send us an export from Realm or any spreadsheet, and we'll set up your families, participants and programs in BackPR.
Does BackPR have waitlists for full events?
Yes. Set a capacity for each session. When a spot opens, the next family on the waitlist is offered it automatically.
Other comparisons
Realm is a trademark of its owner. BackPR is not affiliated with or endorsed by Realm.
Open registration
with BackPR
Free for nonprofits. No long-term contract. We set you up and import your data at no cost.