OpenLP vs ProPresenter
OpenLP
Free, open-source worship presentation software for songs, Bibles, media and slides.
- Open Source
- Free
ProPresenter
Live presentation and production software for worship services, events and broadcast.
- Subscription
- Free Trial
Summary
- OpenLP is free, while ProPresenter is paid ($289/year (one seat)).
- OpenLP is open source (GPL-3.0-or-later); 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: Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) · Songs & lyrics: Chord charts for musicians · Songs & lyrics: Motion backgrounds behind lyrics · Slides & presentations: PowerPoint · Media: Video playback · Media: Audio playback · Media: Images · Inputs & other sources: Live camera / capture card · Inputs & other sources: On-screen messages & alerts · Multilingual: Bible translations side by side · Software integrations: Planning Center · Hardware control: Stream Deck / Companion · Automation & extensibility: Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) · Screens & outputs: Stage display / confidence monitor · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline · Connectivity & collaboration: Remote control from phone or tablet.
Only in OpenLP
- Runs on Linux
- Slides & presentations: Keynote (partial in ProPresenter)
Only in ProPresenter
- Songs & lyrics: CCLI usage reporting (partial in OpenLP)
- Bible: Free translations included (partial in OpenLP)
- Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens
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 |
OpenLP
|
ProPresenter
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | Free / Donation-supported | $289/year (one seat)Free trial |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0-or-later) | 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: Imports songs from over 25 formats including EasyWorship, ProPresenter, MediaShout, SongShow Plus, SongBeamer, OpenSong, ZionWorx and VideoPsalm. | Unknown |
| Paste or import plain-text lyrics | Supported | Supported |
| Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) | Supported: Songs can be imported from CCLI SongSelect from within OpenLP; this importer has occasionally broken when CCLI changed its website. | Supported: Requires a SongSelect subscription and CCLI licence. |
| Chord charts for musicians | Supported: Songs can store chords (ChordPro-style), shown in the browser Chord View with transposition and printable via export. | Supported: Chord charts can be shown on stage screens (e.g. from Planning Center or MultiTracks). |
| Motion backgrounds behind lyrics | Supported: Themes can use a looping video or a live stream as the background. | Supported |
| CCLI usage reporting | Partial: The Song Usage Tracking plugin records song usage and produces reports; submission to CCLI is manual. | Supported: Songs triggered from presentations with a CCLI number can be auto-reported once SongSelect is signed in. |
| Bible | Partial | Supported |
| Free translations included | Partial: No Bibles are bundled; free translations are imported from OSIS, Zefania, OpenSong, CSV, SWORD or WordProject files. | Supported: 130+ translations in 25+ languages are available in the Bible module. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Partial: Copyrighted versions can be downloaded on demand from BibleGateway, Bibleserver or Crosswalk; there is no licensed in-app catalogue. | Paid add-on or tier: Some translations are sold separately. |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Supported: Drives an installed PowerPoint or LibreOffice Impress to show the presentation. | Supported: Since 21.2, .pptx files can be imported natively as editable presentations without PowerPoint installed. |
| Keynote | Supported: Keynote presentations are controlled through AppleScript on macOS with Keynote installed. | 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 | Partial: Animations play because OpenLP drives PowerPoint, Impress or Keynote itself; PDFs are shown as static images. | Partial: The native PowerPoint importer keeps simple builds and transitions; emphasis and some other animations are not supported. |
| Media | Supported | Supported |
| Video playback | Supported: In the 3.x series audio and video playback uses VLC; OpenLP 4.0 alphas switch to Qt Multimedia. | Supported |
| Audio playback | Supported | Supported |
| Images | Supported | Supported |
| YouTube / online video | Unknown | Unknown |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Supported: Capture devices can be shown as a Device Stream media item, and network streams are also supported. | Supported |
| Screen sharing | Unknown | Supported: AirCast (added in 18) receives AirPlay screens and audio as inputs. |
| Web pages | Unknown | Supported: Web pages can be shown as a web fill on slides. |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Unknown | Supported |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Supported: The Alerts plugin overlays a scrolling message on the live display. | Supported |
| Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Languages | ||
| Multilingual | Supported | Supported |
| Interface in multiple languages | Supported: The interface is translated into about 30 languages. | Unknown |
| Songs in other languages | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bibles in other languages | Unknown | Supported |
| Bilingual lyrics on screen | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bible translations side by side | Supported: A second Bible version can be selected to show the same passage alongside the first. | Supported: Multiple translations can be shown on one slide using a theme with one text box per translation. |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Unknown | Supported |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Supported | Supported |
| Planning Center | Supported: The PlanningCenter plugin imports service plans from the Planning Center Online v2 API. | 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 has an OpenLP module that uses the OpenLP HTTP API. | 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: HTTP REST (v2) and WebSocket API, used by the web remote and mobile apps. | Supported: Public network API (OpenAPI spec) introduced in ProPresenter 7.9; older TCP/IP control also exists. |
| Plugins / extensions | Partial: Features are organised as built-in plugins that can be switched on or off; there is no third-party plugin store. | 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) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Presenting & control | ||
| Screens & outputs | Supported | Supported |
| Multiple audience screens | Not supported: OpenLP projects to a single display screen; the source notes multi-monitor output is not yet supported (a custom geometry can span screens). | 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 | Unknown | Supported: Separate key/fill outputs are available for broadcast graphics. |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Partial: The browser Main View mirrors the projector using screenshots, without audio or video. | Unknown |
| Broadcast video | Unknown | Supported |
| NDI | Unknown | Supported |
| SDI | Unknown | 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: Built-in web remote plus Android and iOS remote apps. | 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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- OpenLP vs EasiSlides
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- OpenLP vs EasyWorship
- ProPresenter vs EasyWorship
- OpenLP vs FreeShow
- ProPresenter vs FreeShow
- OpenLP vs Holyrics
- ProPresenter vs Holyrics
- OpenLP vs KerkBeamer
- ProPresenter vs KerkBeamer
- OpenLP vs LyricDisplay
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- OpenLP vs MediaShout
- ProPresenter vs MediaShout