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Cantara vs KerkBeamer

Cantara logo
Cantara

Lightweight open-source song presentation tool for churches and small groups.

  • Open Source
  • Free
KerkBeamer logo
KerkBeamer

Dutch online service for building church beamer presentations from a song and Bible database.

  • Subscription
  • Free Trial

Summary

  • Cantara is free, while KerkBeamer is paid (From €17.50/month (excl. VAT)).
  • Cantara is open source (GPL-3.0); KerkBeamer is proprietary.
  • Both run on Windows and macOS.
  • Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens.

Only in Cantara

  • Runs on Linux
  • Multilingual: Interface in multiple languages
  • Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline (partial in KerkBeamer)

Only in KerkBeamer

  • Runs on Web browser
  • Media: Images (partial in Cantara)

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 Cantara logo Cantara KerkBeamer logo KerkBeamer
Overview
Price FreeFrom €17.50/month (excl. VAT)Free trial
Open source Yes (GPL-3.0)No
Deployment Desktop appCloud / hosted, Desktop app
Status activeactive
Platforms
Windows Supported Supported
macOS Supported Supported
Linux Supported Not supported
Web browser Not supported 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: Songs are kept as files in a song repository folder, in Cantara's own .song format or CCLI SongSelect text format. Supported: Song database of 10,000+ songs from Dutch songbooks, shown as text or sheet music; billed €1 per songbook used each month.
Import from other presentation software Unknown Unknown
Paste or import plain-text lyrics Supported: Plain .txt lyric files are recognised as songs. Unknown
Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) Partial: Can read song files in the CCLI SongSelect lyrics file format; there is no direct SongSelect account integration. Unknown
Chord charts for musicians Unknown Unknown
Motion backgrounds behind lyrics Unknown Unknown
CCLI usage reporting Unknown Not supported: CCLI Auto Reporting is not available, so songs must be reported to CCLI manually.
Bible Unknown Supported
Free translations included Unknown Supported: 11 Dutch and regional-language translations, including the public-domain Statenvertaling; each translation used costs €1 per month.
Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) Unknown Supported: Copyrighted translations such as NBV21, Herziene Statenvertaling and Bijbel in Gewone Taal are included, with no separate licence needed.
Slides & presentations Unknown Supported
PowerPoint Unknown Supported: .ppt/.pptx files are uploaded and converted; they cannot be edited in KerkBeamer and can loop with a set time per slide.
Keynote Unknown Unknown
Google Slides Unknown Unknown
Canva Unknown Unknown
PDF Unknown Unknown
Plays slide animations & transitions Unknown Unknown
Media Partial Supported
Video playback Unknown Supported: Uploaded videos are converted to MP4 and can be trimmed.
Audio playback Unknown Supported
Images Partial: Images are used only as presentation backgrounds (with per-song overrides since 2.7); there is no separate media playback. Supported
YouTube / online video Unknown Not supported: The documentation states YouTube videos or URLs cannot be added.
Inputs & other sources Unknown Paid add-on or tier
Live camera / capture card Unknown Paid add-on or tier: The paid TV broadcasts add-on (or the separate CameraRegie product) controls PTZ cameras and a Blackmagic ATEM switcher, so camera images can be put on the projector.
Screen sharing Unknown Unknown
Web pages Unknown Unknown
Countdown timers & clocks Unknown Unknown
On-screen messages & alerts Unknown Unknown
Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) Unknown Paid add-on or tier: The paid LiveBeamer add-on lets people follow the presentation on their own phone, tablet or laptop via a URL.
Languages
Multilingual Supported Supported
Interface in multiple languages Supported: The interface has been translated into a few languages by the community. Not supported: The interface and documentation are Dutch only.
Songs in other languages Unknown Unknown
Bibles in other languages Unknown Supported: Translations include Frisian, Twents and Gronings as well as standard Dutch.
Bilingual lyrics on screen Supported: Songs can be presented and exported in two languages at the same time. Unknown
Bible translations side by side Unknown Unknown
Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts Unknown Unknown
Integrations
Software integrations Unknown Unknown
Planning Center Unknown Unknown
ChurchSuite Unknown Unknown
WorshipTools Planning Unknown Unknown
Hardware control Unknown Unknown
MIDI Unknown Unknown
DMX lighting Unknown Unknown
Stream Deck / Companion Unknown Unknown
Automation & extensibility Unknown Partial
Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) Unknown Unknown
Plugins / extensions Unknown Unknown
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 Partial: Live sermon captions from speech recognition can be shown through an integration with Preekondertiteling.nl, which needs its own subscription.
Presenting & control
Screens & outputs Supported Supported
Multiple audience screens Supported: Multi-screen presentation is supported out of the box. Supported: Extra outputs for a church TV broadcast can be driven alongside the projector output.
Stage display / confidence monitor Unknown Unknown
Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming Unknown Paid add-on or tier: The paid TV broadcasts add-on provides subtitles and text-over-video using a separate alpha (key) output or chroma key.
Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) Unknown Paid add-on or tier: The paid LiveBeamer add-on shows the live presentation as a web page on any device.
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 Unknown Supported
Works fully offline Supported Partial: Presentations are stored online and must be loaded over the internet; once loaded they play without a connection.
Remote control from phone or tablet Unknown Unknown
Multiple operators at once Unknown Supported: Team members can work on presentations and templates at the same time.
Web native (runs in a browser) Unknown Partial: Presentations are prepared in the browser, but playback in church uses the KerkBeamer software for Windows or macOS.

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