Big Screen vs OpenLP
Big Screen
Browser-based church presentation software with themes, timers and unlimited outputs.
- Subscription
- Free Trial
OpenLP
Free, open-source worship presentation software for songs, Bibles, media and slides.
- Open Source
- Free
Summary
- Big Screen is paid (AUD $15/month), while OpenLP is free.
- OpenLP is open source (GPL-3.0-or-later); Big Screen is proprietary.
- They share no platforms: Big Screen runs on Web browser and OpenLP on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · Songs & lyrics: Import from other presentation software · Songs & lyrics: Motion backgrounds behind lyrics · Slides & presentations: PDF · Media: Video playback · Media: Images · Inputs & other sources: Live camera / capture card · Multilingual: Interface in multiple languages · Screens & outputs: Stage display / confidence monitor · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline.
Only in Big Screen
- Runs on Web browser
- Bible: Free translations included (partial in OpenLP)
- Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens
- Screens & outputs: Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) (partial in OpenLP)
Only in OpenLP
- Runs on Windows
- Runs on macOS
- Runs on Linux
Based on confirmed data only. Unknown values are not counted.
Side by side
- Supported Supported
- Partial Partial
- Paid add-on or tier Paid add-on / tier
- Not supported Not supported
- Unknown Unknown
- * Hover or tap for note
| Product |
Big Screen
|
OpenLP
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | AUD $15/monthFree trial | Free / Donation-supported |
| Open source | No | Yes (GPL-3.0-or-later) |
| Deployment | Cloud / hosted | Desktop app |
| Status | active | active |
| Platforms | ||
| Windows | Not supported | Supported |
| macOS | Not supported | Supported |
| Linux | Not supported | Supported |
| Web browser | Supported | Not supported |
| iOS / iPadOS | Not supported | Not supported |
| Android | Not supported | Not supported |
| ChromeOS | Not supported | Not supported |
| Content | ||
| Songs & lyrics | Supported | Supported |
| Song library | Supported | Supported |
| Import from other presentation software | Supported: Songs can be imported from OpenSong and OpenLyrics files; an Elvanto/Tithe.ly integration also imports songs. | Supported: Imports songs from over 25 formats including EasyWorship, ProPresenter, MediaShout, SongShow Plus, SongBeamer, OpenSong, ZionWorx and VideoPsalm. |
| Paste or import plain-text lyrics | Unknown | Supported |
| Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) | Unknown | Supported: Songs can be imported from CCLI SongSelect from within OpenLP; this importer has occasionally broken when CCLI changed its website. |
| Chord charts for musicians | Unknown | Supported: Songs can store chords (ChordPro-style), shown in the browser Chord View with transposition and printable via export. |
| Motion backgrounds behind lyrics | Supported: Looping background videos, including transparent overlay videos, with adjustable variations. | Supported: Themes can use a looping video or a live stream as the background. |
| CCLI usage reporting | Unknown | Partial: The Song Usage Tracking plugin records song usage and produces reports; submission to CCLI is manual. |
| Bible | Supported | Partial |
| Free translations included | Supported: Public-domain translations such as KJV, ASV, WEB and BSB are included. | Partial: No Bibles are bundled; free translations are imported from OSIS, Zefania, OpenSong, CSV, SWORD or WordProject files. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Paid add-on or tier: Translations such as ESV, NASB, NKJV and NLT require a one-time purchase of AUD $10 each. | Partial: Copyrighted versions can be downloaded on demand from BibleGateway, Bibleserver or Crosswalk; there is no licensed in-app catalogue. |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Unknown | Supported: Drives an installed PowerPoint or LibreOffice Impress to show the presentation. |
| Keynote | Unknown | Supported: Keynote presentations are controlled through AppleScript on macOS with Keynote installed. |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Unknown |
| Canva | Unknown | Unknown |
| Supported: Uploaded PDFs are converted to images. | Supported | |
| Plays slide animations & transitions | Unknown | Partial: Animations play because OpenLP drives PowerPoint, Impress or Keynote itself; PDFs are shown as static images. |
| Media | Supported | Supported |
| Video playback | Supported | Supported: In the 3.x series audio and video playback uses VLC; OpenLP 4.0 alphas switch to Qt Multimedia. |
| Audio playback | Unknown | Supported |
| Images | Supported | Supported |
| YouTube / online video | Supported: YouTube videos can be added to the playlist and controlled like other videos, with optional English captions. | Unknown |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Supported: Phones, tablets, webcams or other network devices can be used as live video sources. | Supported: Capture devices can be shown as a Device Stream media item, and network streams are also supported. |
| Screen sharing | Unknown | Unknown |
| Web pages | Unknown | Unknown |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Supported: Countdown and count-up timers and a clock on the monitor display. | Unknown |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Unknown | Supported: The Alerts plugin overlays a scrolling message on the live display. |
| Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Languages | ||
| Multilingual | Supported | Supported |
| Interface in multiple languages | Supported: The interface language can be chosen per organisation and location. | Supported: The interface is translated into about 30 languages. |
| Songs in other languages | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bibles in other languages | Supported: Includes Spanish, Japanese, Thai, Khmer and Arabic translations. | Unknown |
| Bilingual lyrics on screen | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bible translations side by side | Unknown | Supported: A second Bible version can be selected to show the same passage alongside the first. |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Supported: Lyrics and scriptures support right-to-left languages. | Unknown |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Unknown | Supported |
| Planning Center | Unknown | Supported: The PlanningCenter plugin imports service plans from the Planning Center Online v2 API. |
| ChurchSuite | Unknown | Unknown |
| WorshipTools Planning | Unknown | Unknown |
| Hardware control | Unknown | Supported |
| MIDI | Unknown | Unknown |
| DMX lighting | Unknown | Unknown |
| Stream Deck / Companion | Unknown | Supported: Bitfocus Companion has an OpenLP module that uses the OpenLP HTTP API. |
| Automation & extensibility | Unknown | Supported |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Unknown | Supported: HTTP REST (v2) and WebSocket API, used by the web remote and mobile apps. |
| Plugins / extensions | Unknown | Partial: Features are organised as built-in plugins that can be switched on or off; there is no third-party plugin store. |
| Built-in scripting / macros | Unknown | Unknown |
| Webhooks / triggers to other systems | Unknown | Unknown |
| MCP server for AI assistants | Unknown | Unknown |
| AI features (e.g. verse detection, lyric formatting) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Presenting & control | ||
| Screens & outputs | Supported | Supported |
| Multiple audience screens | Supported: Unlimited Frontend and Monitor outputs plus custom outputs. | Not supported: OpenLP projects to a single display screen; the source notes multi-monitor output is not yet supported (a custom geometry can span screens). |
| Stage display / confidence monitor | Supported | Supported |
| Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming | Supported: Theme backgrounds can be transparent for use as an overlay in streaming software such as OBS. | Unknown |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Supported: Remote Displays let other computers and devices show outputs in a browser, including as an OBS source. | Partial: The browser Main View mirrors the projector using screenshots, without audio or video. |
| Broadcast video | Unknown | Unknown |
| NDI | Unknown | Unknown |
| SDI | Unknown | Unknown |
| Built-in streaming & recording | Unknown | Unknown |
| Stream to any RTMP destination | Unknown | Unknown |
| YouTube Live | Unknown | Unknown |
| Facebook Live | Unknown | Unknown |
| Record the output to a file | Unknown | Unknown |
| TV output | Unknown | Unknown |
| Apple TV app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Android / Google TV app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fire TV app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roku app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Chromecast / AirPlay | Unknown | Unknown |
| Connectivity & collaboration | Supported | Supported |
| Cloud sync of library | Supported: Lyrics, videos and images are stored online and can be shared between locations within one organisation. | Unknown |
| Works fully offline | Supported: Continues working with no internet connection; a Cache Client can serve local media. | Supported |
| Remote control from phone or tablet | Unknown | Supported: Built-in web remote plus Android and iOS remote apps. |
| Multiple operators at once | Partial: Several control surfaces can be open for a location, but only one controls the remote displays at a time. | Unknown |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Supported | Unknown |
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- Big Screen vs KerkBeamer
- OpenLP vs KerkBeamer
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