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ChurchPresenter vs KerkBeamer

ChurchPresenter logo
ChurchPresenter

Free, open-source desktop presenter for songs, scripture, slides, media and broadcast graphics.

  • Open Source
  • Free
KerkBeamer logo
KerkBeamer

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

  • Subscription
  • Free Trial

Summary

  • ChurchPresenter is free, while KerkBeamer is paid (From €17.50/month (excl. VAT)).
  • ChurchPresenter is open source (GPL-3.0); KerkBeamer is proprietary.
  • Both run on Windows and macOS.
  • Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · Bible: Free translations included · Slides & presentations: PowerPoint · Media: Video playback · Media: Audio playback · Media: Images · Multilingual: Bibles in other languages · Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens.

Only in ChurchPresenter

  • Runs on Linux
  • Inputs & other sources: Live camera / capture card (paid add-on in KerkBeamer)
  • Inputs & other sources: Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) (paid add-on in KerkBeamer)
  • Multilingual: Interface in multiple languages
  • Automation & extensibility: AI features (e.g. verse detection, lyric formatting) (partial in KerkBeamer)
  • Screens & outputs: Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming (paid add-on in KerkBeamer)
  • Screens & outputs: Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) (paid add-on in KerkBeamer)
  • Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline (partial in KerkBeamer)

Only in KerkBeamer

  • Runs on Web browser

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 ChurchPresenter logo ChurchPresenter 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 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 Supported: The bundled converter reads SongBeamer, OpenLP, OpenSong, FreeShow, Free Worship, EasySlides, Quelea, VideoPsalm and SoftProjector libraries. Unknown
Paste or import plain-text lyrics Supported: Songs are entered in the built-in editor, and lyrics can be extracted from PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Keynote files. Unknown
Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) Unknown Unknown
Chord charts for musicians Supported: Songs hold chords that can be transposed, and stage tablets can transpose their own view. Unknown
Motion backgrounds behind lyrics Supported: A song or section can have its own colour, gradient, picture, looping video or camera background. Unknown
CCLI usage reporting Partial: Exports date-filtered CSV/Excel song usage reports for CCLI reporting; it does not submit reports to CCLI automatically. Not supported: CCLI Auto Reporting is not available, so songs must be reported to CCLI manually.
Bible Supported Supported
Free translations included Supported: Over 1,500 free translations in more than 1,000 languages can be downloaded in-app from eBible.org and the Zefania archive. 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 Supported Supported
PowerPoint Supported: Presents .pptx, .ppt, .key and PDF files without Microsoft or Apple software installed. Supported: .ppt/.pptx files are uploaded and converted; they cannot be edited in KerkBeamer and can loop with a set time per slide.
Keynote Supported Unknown
Google Slides Unknown Unknown
Canva Unknown Unknown
PDF Supported Unknown
Plays slide animations & transitions Supported: PowerPoint and Keynote entrance, emphasis and exit effects, builds, motion paths and transitions play back in the app. Unknown
Media Supported Supported
Video playback Supported: Audio and video playback uses VLC, including network streams. Supported: Uploaded videos are converted to MP4 and can be trimmed.
Audio playback Supported Supported
Images Supported Supported
YouTube / online video Unknown Not supported: The documentation states YouTube videos or URLs cannot be added.
Inputs & other sources Supported Paid add-on or tier
Live camera / capture card Supported: Webcams, capture cards, NDI and OMT sources can be placed on the canvas compositor. 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 Supported: Screen capture can be added as a layer on the canvas compositor. Unknown
Web pages Supported Unknown
Countdown timers & clocks Supported Unknown
On-screen messages & alerts Supported: Announcements can be shown anywhere on screen with scroll and slide animations. Unknown
Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) Supported: Audience Q&A lets people submit questions from their phones via a QR code, with moderation and voting. 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 is translated into 34 languages, laid out right-to-left for Arabic and Persian. Not supported: The interface and documentation are Dutch only.
Songs in other languages Supported Unknown
Bibles in other languages Supported Supported: Translations include Frisian, Twents and Gronings as well as standard Dutch.
Bilingual lyrics on screen Supported: Two song languages can be shown at once, side by side or stacked. Unknown
Bible translations side by side Supported: Bible mode can show a primary and secondary translation or an ordered stack of any number of translations. Unknown
Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts Supported Unknown
Integrations
Software integrations Supported Unknown
Planning Center Supported: Imports Planning Center Services plans (read-only); each church supplies its own free PCO developer credentials. Unknown
ChurchSuite Unknown Unknown
WorshipTools Planning Unknown Unknown
Hardware control Supported Unknown
MIDI Unknown Unknown
DMX lighting Unknown Unknown
Stream Deck / Companion Supported: Bitfocus Companion is supported through HTTP buttons or a native Companion Satellite connection; MIDI and OSC control are on the roadmap. Unknown
Automation & extensibility Supported Partial
Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) Supported: Built-in Ktor REST and WebSocket server used by mobile remotes, with optional API-key protection. 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) Supported: Can listen to a speech-to-text feed and automatically stage spoken Bible references; live captions and translation need a separate speech-to-text server. 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: One window per connected display plus Blackmagic DeckLink/SDI, NDI, OMT and browser-source outputs. Supported: Extra outputs for a church TV broadcast can be driven alongside the projector output.
Stage display / confidence monitor Supported Unknown
Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming Supported: Animated Lottie lower thirds and a lower-third mode per content type, with fill + key and alpha output. 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) Supported: A transparent browser-source output can be used in OBS or opened on tablets. Paid add-on or tier: The paid LiveBeamer add-on shows the live presentation as a web page on any device.
Broadcast video Supported Unknown
NDI Supported: NDI input and output require the free NDI Runtime, installed separately. Unknown
SDI Supported: SDI fill and key output through Blackmagic DeckLink cards. 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 Supported 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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