ChurchPresenter vs ProPresenter
ChurchPresenter
Free, open-source desktop presenter for songs, scripture, slides, media and broadcast graphics.
- Open Source
- Free
ProPresenter
Live presentation and production software for worship services, events and broadcast.
- Subscription
- Free Trial
Summary
- ChurchPresenter is free, while ProPresenter is paid ($289/year (one seat)).
- ChurchPresenter is open source (GPL-3.0); ProPresenter is proprietary.
- Both run on Windows and macOS.
- Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · Songs & lyrics: Paste or import plain-text lyrics · Songs & lyrics: Chord charts for musicians · Songs & lyrics: Motion backgrounds behind lyrics · Bible: Free translations included · Slides & presentations: PowerPoint · Media: Video playback · Media: Audio playback · Media: Images · Inputs & other sources: Live camera / capture card · Inputs & other sources: Screen sharing · Inputs & other sources: Web pages · Inputs & other sources: Countdown timers & clocks · Inputs & other sources: On-screen messages & alerts · Multilingual: Bibles in other languages · Multilingual: Bible translations side by side · Multilingual: Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts · Software integrations: Planning Center · Hardware control: Stream Deck / Companion · Automation & extensibility: Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) · Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens · Screens & outputs: Stage display / confidence monitor · Screens & outputs: Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming · Broadcast video: NDI · Broadcast video: SDI · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline · Connectivity & collaboration: Remote control from phone or tablet.
Only in ChurchPresenter
- Runs on Linux
- Slides & presentations: Keynote (partial in ProPresenter)
- Slides & presentations: Plays slide animations & transitions (partial in ProPresenter)
Only in ProPresenter
- Songs & lyrics: CCLI usage reporting (partial in ChurchPresenter)
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
|
ProPresenter
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | Free | $289/year (one seat)Free trial |
| 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 | Supported |
| Song library | Supported | Supported |
| 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. | Supported |
| Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) | Unknown | Supported: Requires a SongSelect subscription and CCLI licence. |
| Chord charts for musicians | Supported: Songs hold chords that can be transposed, and stage tablets can transpose their own view. | Supported: Chord charts can be shown on stage screens (e.g. from Planning Center or MultiTracks). |
| Motion backgrounds behind lyrics | Supported: A song or section can have its own colour, gradient, picture, looping video or camera background. | Supported |
| CCLI usage reporting | Partial: Exports date-filtered CSV/Excel song usage reports for CCLI reporting; it does not submit reports to CCLI automatically. | Supported: Songs triggered from presentations with a CCLI number can be auto-reported once SongSelect is signed in. |
| 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: 130+ translations in 25+ languages are available in the Bible module. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Unknown | Paid add-on or tier: Some translations are sold separately. |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Supported: Presents .pptx, .ppt, .key and PDF files without Microsoft or Apple software installed. | Supported: Since 21.2, .pptx files can be imported natively as editable presentations without PowerPoint installed. |
| Keynote | Supported | Partial: Keynote files are not converted; on Mac they are triggered from a playlist and Keynote takes over the output. |
| 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. | Partial: The native PowerPoint importer keeps simple builds and transitions; emphasis and some other animations are not supported. |
| Media | Supported | Supported |
| Video playback | Supported: Audio and video playback uses VLC, including network streams. | Supported |
| Audio playback | Supported | Supported |
| Images | Supported | Supported |
| 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. | Supported |
| Screen sharing | Supported: Screen capture can be added as a layer on the canvas compositor. | Supported: AirCast (added in 18) receives AirPlay screens and audio as inputs. |
| Web pages | Supported | Supported: Web pages can be shown as a web fill on slides. |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Supported | Supported |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Supported: Announcements can be shown anywhere on screen with scroll and slide animations. | Supported |
| 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. | Unknown |
| 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: Multiple translations can be shown on one slide using a theme with one text box per translation. |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Supported | Supported |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Supported | Supported |
| Planning Center | Supported: Imports Planning Center Services plans (read-only); each church supplies its own free PCO developer credentials. | Supported: Planning Center Services plans can be added as playlists; requires a separate Planning Center subscription. |
| ChurchSuite | Unknown | Unknown |
| WorshipTools Planning | Unknown | Unknown |
| Hardware control | Supported | Supported |
| MIDI | Unknown | Supported |
| DMX lighting | Unknown | Supported |
| 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. | Supported: Official Elgato Stream Deck plugin since 7.9; Bitfocus Companion also has a ProPresenter module. |
| 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. | Supported: Public network API (OpenAPI spec) introduced in ProPresenter 7.9; older TCP/IP control also exists. |
| Plugins / extensions | Unknown | Unknown |
| Built-in scripting / macros | Unknown | Supported: Macros run multi-step action sequences from a slide, a device or on demand. |
| 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: Up to 8 unique outputs; multiple computers can be linked with Network Link. |
| Stage display / confidence monitor | Supported | Supported |
| 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: Separate key/fill outputs are available for broadcast graphics. |
| 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 |
| SDI | Supported: SDI fill and key output through Blackmagic DeckLink cards. | Supported |
| Built-in streaming & recording | Unknown | Supported |
| Stream to any RTMP destination | Unknown | Supported: The Capture feature streams any output over RTMP, records it to disk, or both; Resi streaming is also supported. |
| YouTube Live | Unknown | Supported |
| Facebook Live | Unknown | Supported |
| Record the output to a file | Unknown | Supported |
| TV output | Unknown | Paid add-on or tier |
| Apple TV app | Unknown | Paid add-on or tier: Via ProDisplay (separate per-screen subscription), which runs on Apple TV and select Google TV devices. |
| Android / Google TV app | Unknown | Paid add-on or tier: Via ProDisplay on select Google TV devices (separate per-screen subscription). |
| Fire TV app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roku app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Chromecast / AirPlay | Unknown | Unknown |
| Connectivity & collaboration | Supported | Supported |
| Cloud sync of library | Unknown | Supported: ProPresenter Cloud syncs playlists, media and settings between machines. |
| Works fully offline | Supported | Supported |
| Remote control from phone or tablet | Supported | Supported: ProPresenter Remote app is included with an active subscription. |
| Multiple operators at once | Unknown | Partial: ProPresenter Cloud (beta in 22) lets others prepare playlists and make mid-service changes while an operator presents. |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Unknown | Not supported |
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- ChurchPresenter vs EasyWorship
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- ChurchPresenter vs FreeShow
- ProPresenter vs FreeShow
- ChurchPresenter vs Holyrics
- ProPresenter vs Holyrics
- ChurchPresenter vs KerkBeamer
- ProPresenter vs KerkBeamer
- ChurchPresenter vs LyricDisplay
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- ChurchPresenter vs MediaShout
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