Atrium or a spreadsheet: what changes in the church treasury
Almost every church starts its books in a spreadsheet, in Excel or Google Sheets. It works, and for many churches it keeps working. This page compares, point by point, what a spreadsheet does and what Atrium does, so the church can decide calmly. What is said about spreadsheets links to Google's or Microsoft's official help.
Side by side
| Atrium | Spreadsheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €39 a month per church on the Essencial plan, after 3 months free, no card needed. | Anyone with a Google Account can use Google Sheets, and Excel has a free version on the web.Sources: Google, Google Sheets and Microsoft, free Microsoft 365 for the web, checked on 10/11/2026 |
| Getting started | Categories, accounts and income methods ready to go. The church switches off what it doesn't use and adds its own. | A blank sheet or a template. Columns, tabs and formulas are up to whoever builds it. |
| Receipts | Each transaction carries its receipt, and a filter shows what's still missing. | You can put an image in a cell or link to the file. Knowing what's missing depends on how the spreadsheet was built.Source: Google Help, add an image to a spreadsheet, checked on 10/11/2026 |
| History | Every change to a transaction or a Sunday count stays in the history. | Google Sheets keeps earlier versions and shows who changed each cell.Source: Google Help, find what's changed in a file, checked on 10/11/2026 |
| Who sees what | Five roles, each with its own access. How much each person gave is seen only by the administrator and the treasurer. | Access is to the whole file. You can protect parts from editing, but Google itself says this isn't a security measure: anyone who opens it can copy and export it.Source: Google Help, protect, hide and edit sheets, checked on 10/11/2026 |
| Bank statement | Imports the CSV from any bank, with each account's columns, and flags what looks like a duplicate for you to decide. | You can import a CSV. Spotting what has already been entered is up to whoever checks.Source: Google Help, import data sets and spreadsheets, checked on 10/11/2026 |
| Report for the members' meeting | Report in Excel and PDF, the month's slide and a dossier with every receipt in one PDF. | Pivot tables and charts do the job, for someone who knows how to build them.Source: Google Help, create and use pivot tables, checked on 10/11/2026 |
| Members and GDPR | Register with family and consent, plus copy and erasure of each person's data. | Another tab or another file. Consent and access control are up to the church. |
| Without internet | Needs an internet connection. Opens in the browser on a phone or computer. | Google Sheets can be opened and edited offline.Source: Google, Google Sheets, checked on 10/11/2026 |
| Freedom | Follows a ready-made treasury routine, with less room to change the format. | Does whatever the church wants: any column, tab or formula. |
| Leaving | Transactions in Excel, members in CSV, the dossier in PDF and each person's data in its own file. | The file already belongs to the church. |
Official help pages checked on 10/11/2026. Prices and features change: check the links before you decide. Spotted something out of date? Write to support@atrium.church.
Where the spreadsheet wins
- It costs nothing for anyone who already has a Google or Microsoft account.
- Almost everyone already knows how to use one, and it adapts to any way of working.
- Google Sheets also works offline.
- In a small church, with few transactions a month and a careful treasurer, it may be enough.
When it's worth switching
- When more than one person enters figures, each in their own way.
- When the receipts live outside the spreadsheet: in WhatsApp, in e-mail, in a drawer.
- When each person's giving sits in a file that many people can open.
- When the treasurer's report takes a weekend to get ready.
- When only one person understands the formulas.
How to move from the spreadsheet without losing anything
Create the church's account and send the spreadsheet, the bank statements and the receipts to support@atrium.church. We import everything, free of charge, and let you know when it's ready. Meanwhile, the church can already record next Sunday's offerings.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't a well-built spreadsheet enough?
For many churches it is, especially small ones. Software starts to pay off when more people enter figures, there are more receipts to keep and more people asking to see the accounts.
Will we lose the spreadsheet's history if we move to Atrium?
No. We import the spreadsheet and the receipts, free of charge, and the original file stays with the church.
Can we keep using spreadsheets for other things?
Yes. Spreadsheets are still useful for lists and events, and Atrium looks after the treasury and the register.
Sources
- Google, Google Sheets, checked on 10/11/2026
- Microsoft, free Microsoft 365 for the web, checked on 10/11/2026
- Google Help, add an image to a spreadsheet, checked on 10/11/2026
- Google Help, find what's changed in a file, checked on 10/11/2026
- Google Help, protect, hide and edit sheets, checked on 10/11/2026
- Google Help, import data sets and spreadsheets, checked on 10/11/2026
- Google Help, create and use pivot tables, checked on 10/11/2026