PlanHero vs. POINT

Compare volunteer signups, scheduling, and management

PlanHero and POINT both help nonprofits schedule volunteers, fill shifts, and send reminders. PlanHero starts with flexible Event signups and adds ongoing Member management on higher plans. POINT starts with a volunteer database, scheduling, and hours tracking on Free, then adds tools for managing more complex programs.

Quick answer

Choose PlanHero if you want ad-free signup pages, guest signup for public Events, unlimited custom questions, and downloadable signup QR codes on Free. Choose POINT Free if you need ongoing volunteer records, unlimited events and shifts, or hours tracking at no cost. Both free plans allow unlimited volunteers. PlanHero Free allows one active Event, three total Events, and up to 30 days per Event. It keeps Event signup records without creating persistent Member profiles. PlanHero pricing · POINT pricing · POINT feature comparison

Disclosure — PlanHero publishes this comparison and offers one of the products covered. We reviewed publicly available pricing and feature documentation on November 10, 2026. Plans and features may change.

PlanHero vs. POINT at a glance

Plan details are based on each provider’s public documentation. PlanHero pricing · POINT pricing · POINT feature comparison

Free plans and the volunteer signup experience

PlanHero Free works well when a team needs a signup for one active Event (signup) at a time. A food drive can put collection shifts and a list of supplies on one Event page, then share the link with as many volunteers as needed. People can sign up for public Events in a browser without creating an account or downloading an app. All PlanHero plans keep third-party ads out of signup pages, participant emails, and the organizer dashboard. Essentials and higher remove the Event count and duration limits. PlanHero signup features · PlanHero participant FAQ · PlanHero pricing

POINT Free gives coordinators a volunteer and contact database, unlimited events and shifts, a Volunteer Hub, and a website widget for publishing opportunities. Volunteers can register through the web or the optional mobile app. In the standard self-registration flow, including through a website widget, the volunteer signs in or creates a POINT account. Pro and Teams add recurring and ongoing opportunities and can let registered volunteers bring guests when the organizer enables that option. POINT feature comparison · POINT registration guide · POINT guest registration guide

Custom questions, signup links, and QR codes

PlanHero lets organizers add unlimited required or optional questions to a signup on every plan. For example, a coat drive can ask for a preferred job and shirt size on the same form. Each Event includes a downloadable signup QR code for flyers or posters or to display on a digital screen. Paid plans also include public Group Pages and their own QR codes, so a team can share one link for multiple Events. QR codes can be used for check-in/out on the Impact Plan. PlanHero pricing

POINT includes event custom questions and custom contact fields on Pro and Teams. Free includes shareable event listings through the Volunteer Hub and website widgets. POINT’s Pro and Teams check-in QR codes serve a separate purpose from a flyer that sends people to a signup page. Volunteers can scan the station code on site and sign in through a browser or the POINT app to check in to a shift they’ve already registered for. POINT pricing · POINT feature comparison · POINT QR check-in guide

Reminders, email, and text messages

PlanHero lets organizers customize the confirmation email and up to two automatic email reminders on Free. They can also schedule a separate Event message, such as parking instructions, for a specific send time. Essentials and higher add scheduled Group messages, and Impact adds scheduled account-wide messages (e.g. a year-end thank-you message to all volunteers). Volunteers with US mobile numbers can opt in to free text reminders. Organizers buy credits separately for their own text updates. PlanHero reminders · PlanHero scheduled messaging · PlanHero texting

POINT Free includes automatic confirmations, email reminders, and organizer email to contacts, groups, or event volunteers. POINT also supports app push notifications and opt-in automatic text updates. Its Pro plan includes texting credits for organizer messages and offers extra bundles. Teams adds program-specific branding for communications. POINT automatic emails · POINT organizer email · POINT automatic texts · POINT texting credits · POINT feature comparison

Volunteer hours, approvals, and attendance

Reporting and manual hours

PlanHero Free includes Event signup PDF and CSV exports. Pro and Impact add volunteer-hours reports by Event, by individual, and across the account. On Impact, admins can log time worked outside scheduled Events, such as two hours spent sorting donations from home. Admins can also let Members log their own time. PlanHero’s guide describes entries saved to the Member record and does not document a separate pending-hours approval queue. PlanHero pricing · PlanHero manual hours guide

POINT Free includes time tracking, reporting, and volunteer self-submission with verification. Admins can enter hours for volunteers directly. For volunteer-submitted hours, POINT documents a pending review queue where admins can approve, edit, or decline entries. Organizations can enable auto-approval in their settings. POINT Pro and Teams also let organizations associate hours with a program. POINT feature comparison · POINT admin hours entry · POINT volunteer hours submission · POINT hours review · POINT approval settings

Checking volunteers in and out

PlanHero Impact lets organizers record arrival and departure or give volunteers an attendance QR code to check themselves in and out. Organizers can correct timestamps afterward. That helps when a volunteer stays past the scheduled end of a shift and the team wants to record the extra time. PlanHero attendance guide

POINT Free supports admin check-in. Pro and Teams add self-service QR check-in and kiosks. The kiosk can use the scheduled end time or ask volunteers to check out manually, with a scheduled-end fallback if they forget. POINT’s mobile app QR guide describes crediting the scheduled shift without requiring a manual check-out in that flow. A kiosk can also record time for work outside a scheduled event. POINT feature comparison · POINT station setup · POINT QR check-in guide

Onboarding, waivers, and Checkr background checks

PlanHero Pro includes basic Member rosters. Impact adds a customizable Member onboarding form, optional admin approval for new Members, and profiles with documents and Checklists for requirements such as training or certifications. Organizations can also restrict selected Events to Members on both Pro and Impact. POINT Free already keeps volunteer contact records. POINT Pro and Teams add applications for an organization or program, with stages for forms, waivers, training materials, and optional admin review. PlanHero pricing · PlanHero Member management guide · POINT application builder

PlanHero Impact allows for uploaded or pasted waivers and agreements for Event signup and Member onboarding. Teams already using Smartwaiver can connect their separate Smartwaiver account, reuse existing templates, and track completion in PlanHero. An Event can require a signed waiver before check-in. POINT Pro and Teams offer uploaded or pasted electronic waiver acceptance for event signup and applications. POINT’s published integration directory does not list Smartwaiver. PlanHero Smartwaiver guide · POINT event waivers · POINT application waivers · POINT integration directory

Both platforms integrate with Checkr. PlanHero includes the integration on Impact, where organizers can require clearance for selected Events. POINT includes it on Pro and Teams, where admins can request checks from contact profiles or require them for an event or shift. Checkr runs the screenings. Screening fees depend on the package selected. PlanHero Impact · POINT pricing · POINT Checkr workflow · POINT screening packages

Admin permissions and integrations

PlanHero lets a team delegate by Event or Group. Free includes one Co-Organizer per Event. Essentials, Pro, and Impact include two, three, and five Co-Organizers per Event, respectively, and one, three, and five Co-Group Admins per Group. POINT offers unlimited admins on all plans. Standard admins on Free and Pro have organization-wide day-to-day access. Teams beta adds roles that can be scoped to specific programs, events, or groups. PlanHero pricing · POINT pricing · POINT team roles

PlanHero supports Google Calendar Event sync on Essentials and higher, plus Canva for Event banners and Double the Donation for volunteer grant look-ups on Pro and higher. Impact can send contacts, published Events, and eligible signup payments from PlanHero to Givebutter. POINT offers website widgets and lists integrations such as DonorPerfect for syncing volunteer contacts, hours, and activity. It also supports Givebutter and Donorbox donation buttons on an organization’s POINT page. PlanHero pricing · PlanHero Givebutter guide · POINT integration directory

How much do PlanHero and POINT cost?

PlanHero offers Free at $0. Essentials is $14 per month or $140.00 per year ($11.67 per month equivalent). Pro is $26 per month or $260.00 per year ($21.67 per month equivalent). Impact is $49 per month or $489 per year ($40.75 per month equivalent). Enterprise pricing is custom. PlanHero pricing

POINT offers Free at $0. Its nonprofit pricing page lists Pro at $99 per month billed annually ($1,188 per year) and Teams beta at $199 per month billed annually ($2,388 per year). POINT also offers a separate Network option for multi-organization programs. These are published US subscription prices. Optional texting credits and third-party services can add costs. POINT pricing

When PlanHero Impact makes sense

Strengths and considerations

PlanHero

• Strengths — Ad-free public signups with no account creation for participants, unlimited custom questions, Event QR codes, and scheduled Event messages on Free. Impact adds ongoing Member management and optional Smartwaiver integration.
• Considerations — Free has Event limits and does not create Member profiles. Basic rosters and hours reports start at Pro. Check-in/out and manual hours logging require Impact.

POINT

• Strengths — Free includes unlimited events, shifts, volunteers, and admins, plus volunteer records and hours verification. Pro adds staged applications, check-in stations, and custom reporting.
• Considerations — Volunteers use a POINT account for standard self-registration. Custom signup questions and recurring opportunities start at Pro. Scoped admin roles require Teams beta.

Frequently asked questions

Is PlanHero an alternative to POINT for nonprofits?

Yes. Both handle volunteer signups, scheduling, reminders, and hours on applicable plans. PlanHero is a fit for organizations that want guest signup and flexible and sophisticated Event forms, with the option to add Member management. POINT is a fit for organizations that want volunteer records and hours tracking on a free plan.

Do PlanHero Free and POINT Free both allow unlimited volunteers?

Yes. Both free plans allow unlimited volunteers to sign up. PlanHero Free allows one active Event, three total Events, and a maximum of 30 days per Event. It does not create persistent Member profiles. POINT Free includes unlimited events and shifts, volunteer contact records, and hours tracking. PlanHero pricing · POINT feature comparison

Do volunteers need to download an app or create an account?

Both platforms let volunteers sign up in a browser without downloading an app. PlanHero supports guest signup for Events open to non-Members. On POINT, volunteers must sign in or create a POINT account to sign themselves up, whether they use the web portal, a nonprofit’s website widget, or the mobile app. PlanHero participant FAQ · POINT registration guide

Which free plan includes custom signup questions?

PlanHero Free includes unlimited custom signup questions, with required and optional responses. POINT includes custom event questions and custom contact fields on Pro and Teams. PlanHero pricing · POINT pricing

Can volunteers submit hours for approval?

POINT Free lets volunteers submit hours and gives admins a review queue, with an option to auto-approve. PlanHero Impact lets admins log manual hours and lets Members log their own when enabled. Its public guide describes saving hours to the Member record and does not describe a separate approval queue. POINT hours review · PlanHero manual hours guide

Do both platforms offer waivers, Checkr, and check-in tools?

Yes. PlanHero Impact and POINT Pro and Teams offer waivers, a Checkr integration, and self-service attendance tools. PlanHero Impact also integrates with Smartwaiver through a separate Smartwaiver account. POINT Free includes admin check-in. POINT’s kiosk and QR self-check-in tools start at Pro. PlanHero Smartwaiver guide · PlanHero pricing · POINT feature comparison

Ready to try an ad-free volunteer signup?

Create a free PlanHero Event (Signup), add the questions and the shifts or things you need, and share the link or QR code with your volunteers. If you’re building an ongoing volunteer program, explore what you can manage with Impact. PlanHero Impact

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