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ChurchPresenter vs SongShow Plus

ChurchPresenter logo
ChurchPresenter

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

  • Open Source
  • Free
SongShow Plus logo
SongShow Plus

Windows worship presentation software with edition-based licences and optional subscriptions.

  • Subscription
  • One-time
  • Free Trial

Summary

  • ChurchPresenter is free, while SongShow Plus is paid ($249 one-time (Ultra edition, special price)).
  • ChurchPresenter is open source (GPL-3.0); SongShow Plus is proprietary.
  • Both run on Windows.
  • Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · 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: Web pages · Inputs & other sources: Countdown timers & clocks · Inputs & other sources: On-screen messages & alerts · 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.

Only in ChurchPresenter

  • Runs on macOS
  • Runs on Linux
  • Slides & presentations: Plays slide animations & transitions (partial in SongShow Plus)
  • Software integrations: Planning Center (paid add-on in SongShow Plus)
  • Automation & extensibility: AI features (e.g. verse detection, lyric formatting) (paid add-on in SongShow Plus)
  • Connectivity & collaboration: Remote control from phone or tablet (paid add-on in SongShow Plus)

Only in SongShow Plus

  • 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 logo ChurchPresenter SongShow Plus logo SongShow Plus
Overview
Price Free$249 one-time (Ultra edition, special price)Free trial
Open source Yes (GPL-3.0)No
Deployment Desktop appDesktop app
Status activeactive
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
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 Paid add-on or tier: Requires the Bronze (or higher) subscription plus a separate SongSelect subscription.
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: Motion backgrounds with real-time effects and rendered visualizations; Shift Worship media can be imported with a separate subscription.
CCLI usage reporting Partial: Exports date-filtered CSV/Excel song usage reports for CCLI reporting; it does not submit reports to CCLI automatically. Supported: CCLI auto-reporting added in version 9.3.
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: ASV, KJV and WEB are included.
Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) Unknown Paid add-on or tier: Translations such as NIV, ESV, NKJV and NLT are $25 plug-ins per machine.
Slides & presentations Supported Supported
PowerPoint Supported: Presents .pptx, .ppt, .key and PDF files without Microsoft or Apple software installed. Supported: PowerPoint presentations can be imported step by step, as images or as video files.
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. Partial: Importing PowerPoint as video can keep animations; SongShow's own slides have transitions and animations.
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 Supported: Web pages, including YouTube videos, can be presented.
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: Live video (IMAG) with text and graphic overlays.
Screen sharing Supported: Screen capture can be added as a layer on the canvas compositor. Unknown
Web pages Supported Supported
Countdown timers & clocks Supported Supported: Customizable countdown timers (Pro edition and above).
On-screen messages & alerts Supported: Announcements can be shown anywhere on screen with scroll and slide animations. Supported: Instant Message shows nursery alerts and other messages (Pro edition and above).
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 Unknown
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 Unknown
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 Paid add-on or tier
Planning Center Supported: Imports Planning Center Services plans (read-only); each church supplies its own free PCO developer credentials. Paid add-on or tier: Requires the Bronze (or higher) subscription plus a Planning Center subscription.
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 Paid add-on or tier
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. Paid add-on or tier: Optional image indexing with Microsoft/Azure Computer Vision requires the Silver 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: Multi-display support (up to six display windows since 9.1) is part of the Ultra edition.
Stage display / confidence monitor Supported Supported: One or more customizable stage outputs are part of the Ultra edition.
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: Output windows can be configured as synchronized lower-third layouts.
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 streaming (added in 9.1) is part of the Ultra edition.
SDI Supported: SDI fill and key output through Blackmagic DeckLink cards. Supported: Blackmagic DeckLink output can be assigned to any display window.
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 Paid add-on or tier: SongShow Sync requires the Silver subscription.
Works fully offline Supported Supported
Remote control from phone or tablet Supported Paid add-on or tier: Mobile Control (a progressive web app) requires the Silver subscription.
Multiple operators at once Unknown Paid add-on or tier: SongShow Drive media sharing and the web-based SongShow Builder require the Silver subscription.
Web native (runs in a browser) Unknown Not supported

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