ChurchPresenter vs Pewbeam
ChurchPresenter
Free, open-source desktop presenter for songs, scripture, slides, media and broadcast graphics.
- Open Source
- Free
Pewbeam
AI presentation app that listens to the sermon and puts detected Bible verses on screen.
- Freemium
- Subscription
Summary
- ChurchPresenter is free, while Pewbeam is paid (From $12/month billed annually ($14 monthly)).
- ChurchPresenter is open source (GPL-3.0); Pewbeam is proprietary.
- Both run on Windows and macOS.
- Both support: Bible: Free translations included · Inputs & other sources: On-screen messages & alerts · Automation & extensibility: AI features (e.g. verse detection, lyric formatting) · Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens · Screens & outputs: Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming · Broadcast video: NDI.
Only in ChurchPresenter
- Runs on Linux
- Songs & lyrics: Motion backgrounds behind lyrics (paid add-on in Pewbeam)
- Slides & presentations: PowerPoint (partial in Pewbeam)
- Multilingual: Bibles in other languages (paid add-on in Pewbeam)
- Automation & extensibility: Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) (partial in Pewbeam)
- Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline (partial in Pewbeam)
Only in Pewbeam
No confirmed features where ChurchPresenter 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 |
ChurchPresenter
|
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 | Unknown |
| 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. | Paid add-on or tier: Video and GIF motion backgrounds for themes and slides need the Plus or Core plan. |
| CCLI usage reporting | Partial: Exports date-filtered CSV/Excel song usage reports for CCLI reporting; it does not submit reports to CCLI automatically. | Unknown |
| 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: 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 | Supported | Partial |
| PowerPoint | Supported: Presents .pptx, .ppt, .key and PDF files without Microsoft or Apple software installed. | 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 | Supported | Unknown |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Unknown |
| Canva | Unknown | Unknown |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Video playback | Supported: Audio and video playback uses VLC, including network streams. | Unknown |
| Audio playback | Supported | Unknown |
| Images | Supported | Unknown |
| YouTube / online video | Unknown | Unknown |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Supported: Webcams, capture cards, NDI and OMT sources can be placed on the canvas compositor. | Unknown |
| 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. | Supported: Alert banners, including scrolling and looping alerts, can be sent to every screen. |
| 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. | Unknown |
| Languages | ||
| Multilingual | Supported | Paid add-on or tier |
| Interface in multiple languages | Supported: The interface is translated into 34 languages, laid out right-to-left for Arabic and Persian. | Unknown |
| Songs in other languages | Supported | Unknown |
| Bibles in other languages | Supported | 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: 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 | Supported |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Supported: Built-in Ktor REST and WebSocket server used by mobile remotes, with optional API-key protection. | 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) | 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. | 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: One window per connected display plus Blackmagic DeckLink/SDI, NDI, OMT and browser-source outputs. | Supported: Up to 2, 4 or 6 display outputs depending on plan, each with its own theme. |
| 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. | 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) | Supported: A transparent browser-source output can be used in OBS or opened on tablets. | Unknown |
| Broadcast video | Supported | Supported |
| NDI | Supported: NDI input and output require the free NDI Runtime, installed separately. | Supported: NDI output at 720p, 1080p or 4K with alpha transparency. |
| 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 | 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 | Supported | Unknown |
| Multiple operators at once | Unknown | Unknown |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Unknown | Unknown |
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