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Cantara vs OpenLP

Cantara logo
Cantara

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

  • Open Source
  • Free
OpenLP logo
OpenLP

Free, open-source worship presentation software for songs, Bibles, media and slides.

  • Open Source
  • Free

Summary

  • Cantara is free, while OpenLP is free.
  • Both are open source.
  • Both run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · Songs & lyrics: Paste or import plain-text lyrics · Multilingual: Interface in multiple languages · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline.

Only in Cantara

  • Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens

Only in OpenLP

  • Songs & lyrics: Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) (partial in Cantara)
  • 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 OpenLP logo OpenLP
Overview
Price FreeFree / Donation-supported
Open source Yes (GPL-3.0)Yes (GPL-3.0-or-later)
Deployment Desktop appDesktop app
Status activeactive
Platforms
Windows Supported Supported
macOS Supported Supported
Linux Supported Supported
Web browser Not 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: Songs are kept as files in a song repository folder, in Cantara's own .song format or CCLI SongSelect text format. Supported
Import from other presentation software Unknown Supported: Imports songs from over 25 formats including EasyWorship, ProPresenter, MediaShout, SongShow Plus, SongBeamer, OpenSong, ZionWorx and VideoPsalm.
Paste or import plain-text lyrics Supported: Plain .txt lyric files are recognised as songs. Supported
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. 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 Unknown 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 Unknown Partial
Free translations included Unknown Partial: No Bibles are bundled; free translations are imported from OSIS, Zefania, OpenSong, CSV, SWORD or WordProject files.
Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) Unknown Partial: Copyrighted versions can be downloaded on demand from BibleGateway, Bibleserver or Crosswalk; there is no licensed in-app catalogue.
Slides & presentations Unknown 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
PDF Unknown Supported
Plays slide animations & transitions Unknown Partial: Animations play because OpenLP drives PowerPoint, Impress or Keynote itself; PDFs are shown as static images.
Media Partial Supported
Video playback Unknown 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 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 Unknown
Inputs & other sources Unknown Supported
Live camera / capture card Unknown 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 Unknown 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 has been translated into a few languages by the community. Supported: The interface is translated into about 30 languages.
Songs in other languages Unknown Unknown
Bibles in other languages Unknown Unknown
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 Supported: A second Bible version can be selected to show the same passage alongside the first.
Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts Unknown 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: Multi-screen presentation is supported out of the box. 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 Unknown Supported
Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming Unknown Unknown
Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) Unknown 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 Unknown Unknown
Works fully offline Supported Supported
Remote control from phone or tablet Unknown Supported: Built-in web remote plus Android and iOS remote apps.
Multiple operators at once Unknown Unknown
Web native (runs in a browser) Unknown Unknown

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