Cantara vs Pewbeam
Cantara
Lightweight open-source song presentation tool for churches and small groups.
- Open Source
- Free
Pewbeam
AI presentation app that listens to the sermon and puts detected Bible verses on screen.
- Freemium
- Subscription
Summary
- Cantara is free, while Pewbeam is paid (From $12/month billed annually ($14 monthly)).
- Cantara is open source (GPL-3.0); Pewbeam is proprietary.
- Both run on Windows and macOS.
- Both support: Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens.
Only in Cantara
- Runs on Linux
- Songs & lyrics (paid add-on in Pewbeam)
- Multilingual (paid add-on in Pewbeam)
- Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline (partial in Pewbeam)
Only in Pewbeam
No confirmed features where Cantara falls short.
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
|
Pewbeam
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | Free | From $12/month billed annually ($14 monthly) |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0) | No |
| Deployment | Desktop app | Desktop app |
| Status | active | active |
| Platforms | ||
| Windows | Supported | Supported |
| macOS | Supported | Supported |
| Linux | Supported | Not 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 | Paid add-on or tier |
| Song library | Supported: Songs are kept as files in a song repository folder, in Cantara's own .song format or CCLI SongSelect text format. | Unknown |
| 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 | Paid add-on or tier: Video and GIF motion backgrounds for themes and slides need the Plus or Core plan. |
| CCLI usage reporting | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bible | Unknown | Supported |
| Free translations included | Unknown | Supported: Verses are detected automatically from live speech; 4 Bible translations on the free tier, 20 on paid plans. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Unknown | Supported: KJV, NKJV, NIV, NLT, ESV and NASB are bundled. |
| Slides & presentations | Unknown | Partial |
| PowerPoint | Unknown | Partial: Text from PowerPoint and Word files can be imported into the built-in slide editor, and decks can be exported as PPTX or PDF. |
| Keynote | Unknown | Unknown |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Unknown |
| Canva | Unknown | Unknown |
| Unknown | Unknown | |
| Plays slide animations & transitions | Unknown | Unknown |
| Media | Partial | Unknown |
| Video playback | Unknown | Unknown |
| Audio playback | Unknown | Unknown |
| Images | Partial: Images are used only as presentation backgrounds (with per-song overrides since 2.7); there is no separate media playback. | Unknown |
| YouTube / online video | Unknown | Unknown |
| Inputs & other sources | Unknown | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Unknown | Unknown |
| Screen sharing | Unknown | Unknown |
| Web pages | Unknown | Unknown |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Unknown | Unknown |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Unknown | Supported: Alert banners, including scrolling and looping alerts, can be sent to every screen. |
| Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Languages | ||
| Multilingual | Supported | Paid add-on or tier |
| Interface in multiple languages | Supported: The interface has been translated into a few languages by the community. | Unknown |
| Songs in other languages | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bibles in other languages | Unknown | Paid add-on or tier: Paid plans can install downloadable translations such as Spanish, French, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, plus language packs for non-English sermon detection. |
| 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 | Supported |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Unknown | Partial: Local OSC and HTTP endpoints for broadcast integration; the docs say slide navigation commands are still being wired through. |
| 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 | Supported: Listens to the sermon and detects Bible references, including paraphrases; also generates slides, sermon excerpts and sermon notes. |
| Presenting & control | ||
| Screens & outputs | Supported | Supported |
| Multiple audience screens | Supported: Multi-screen presentation is supported out of the box. | Supported: Up to 2, 4 or 6 display outputs depending on plan, each with its own theme. |
| Stage display / confidence monitor | Unknown | Unknown |
| Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming | Unknown | Supported: Lower-third themes and NDI output with alpha transparency; creating new transparent themes needs the Core plan. |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Broadcast video | Unknown | Supported |
| NDI | Unknown | Supported: NDI output at 720p, 1080p or 4K with alpha transparency. |
| 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 | Partial |
| Cloud sync of library | Unknown | Unknown |
| Works fully offline | Supported | Partial: Bible search and display work offline; offline transcription is available on Apple Silicon Macs on paid plans, otherwise transcription needs a connection. |
| Remote control from phone or tablet | Unknown | Unknown |
| Multiple operators at once | Unknown | Unknown |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Unknown | Unknown |
Other comparisons
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- Pewbeam vs ChurchPresenter
- Cantara vs Cloud of Worship
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- Cantara vs EasiSlides
- Pewbeam vs EasiSlides
- Cantara vs EasyWorship
- Pewbeam vs EasyWorship
- Cantara vs FreeShow
- Pewbeam vs FreeShow
- Cantara vs Holyrics
- Pewbeam vs Holyrics
- Cantara vs KerkBeamer
- Pewbeam vs KerkBeamer
- Cantara vs LyricDisplay
- Pewbeam vs LyricDisplay
- Cantara vs MediaShout
- Pewbeam vs MediaShout
- Cantara vs OpenLP
- Pewbeam vs OpenLP