ChurchPresenter vs Presentation Manager
ChurchPresenter
Free, open-source desktop presenter for songs, scripture, slides, media and broadcast graphics.
- Open Source
- Free
Presentation Manager
Long-running Windows worship projection software with a built-in song database and Bibles.
- One-time
- Free Trial
Summary
- ChurchPresenter is free, while Presentation Manager is paid (US$200 one-time (Standard)).
- ChurchPresenter is open source (GPL-3.0); Presentation Manager is proprietary.
- Both run on Windows.
- Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · Songs & lyrics: Motion backgrounds behind lyrics · Bible: Free translations included · Media: Video playback · Media: Images · Inputs & other sources: Live camera / capture card · Inputs & other sources: Countdown timers & clocks · Inputs & other sources: On-screen messages & alerts · Multilingual: Bibles in other languages · Multilingual: Bible translations side by side · Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline.
Only in ChurchPresenter
- Runs on macOS
- Runs on Linux
- Slides & presentations: PowerPoint (partial in Presentation Manager)
- Multilingual: Interface in multiple languages (partial in Presentation Manager)
Only in Presentation Manager
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
|
Presentation Manager
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | Free | US$200 one-time (Standard)Free trial |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0) | No |
| Deployment | Desktop app | Desktop app |
| Status | active | active |
| Platforms | ||
| Windows | Supported | Supported |
| macOS | Supported | Not 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 | Supported |
| Song library | Supported | Supported: The Professional package includes over 500 songs, and songs can be added without limit; a built-in editor handles formatting. |
| 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. | Supported: The Professional package includes over 100 video backgrounds, and text can be shown over movies. |
| 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: Public-domain Bibles are included and more are available from pmBible.com. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Unknown | Supported: The Professional package includes KJV, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NASB, ESV and Amplified; the Standard package has less data. |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Partial |
| PowerPoint | Supported: Presents .pptx, .ppt, .key and PDF files without Microsoft or Apple software installed. | Partial: PowerPoint files can be played on the Windows version only with PowerPoint installed; the pricing page says PM7 itself does not play PowerPoint and runs alongside it. |
| 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 | Supported |
| Video playback | Supported: Audio and video playback uses VLC, including network streams. | Supported: Movies and DVDs play on one or both screens, with movie-in-movie and picture-in-picture; some formats need codecs. |
| Audio playback | Supported | Unknown |
| Images | Supported | Supported |
| YouTube / online video | Unknown | Not supported: The FAQ advises downloading and converting online videos, so they are not played directly. |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Supported: Webcams, capture cards, NDI and OMT sources can be placed on the canvas compositor. | Supported: Text can be overlaid on live video from webcams or capture cards. |
| Screen sharing | Supported: Screen capture can be added as a layer on the canvas compositor. | Unknown |
| Web pages | Supported | Unknown |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Supported | Supported: Countdown timer added in release 7.319. |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Supported: Announcements can be shown anywhere on screen with scroll and slide animations. | Supported: A Nursery Alert box displays numbers or messages during worship. |
| 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 | Supported |
| Interface in multiple languages | Supported: The interface is translated into 34 languages, laid out right-to-left for Arabic and Persian. | Partial: The changelog mentions multi-language selection with not all translations complete. |
| Songs in other languages | Supported | Unknown |
| Bibles in other languages | Supported | Supported |
| 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. | Supported: Two Bible translations, including different languages, can be shown at once and switched on the fly. |
| 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 | Unknown |
| 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. | Unknown |
| 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: Different presentations can be shown on two projectors at once (triple monitor support). |
| 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. | Unknown |
| 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 | 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 | Unknown |
| Works fully offline | Supported | Supported: An internet connection is only needed for optional RSS feeds and remote data or playlist access. |
| Remote control from phone or tablet | Supported | Unknown |
| Multiple operators at once | Unknown | Unknown |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Unknown | Not supported |
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