OpenLP vs TheOpenPresenter
OpenLP
Free, open-source worship presentation software for songs, Bibles, media and slides.
- Open Source
- Free
TheOpenPresenter
Open-source, browser-based presenter you can run and control from any device.
- Open Source
- Free
Summary
- OpenLP is free, while TheOpenPresenter is free.
- Both are open source.
- Both run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- 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 · Slides & presentations: PDF · Media: Video playback · Media: Audio playback · Media: Images · Software integrations: Planning Center · Screens & outputs: Stage display / confidence monitor · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline · Connectivity & collaboration: Remote control from phone or tablet.
Only in OpenLP
No confirmed features where TheOpenPresenter falls short.
Only in TheOpenPresenter
- Runs on Web browser
- Bible: Free translations included (partial in OpenLP)
- Slides & presentations: Plays slide animations & transitions (partial in OpenLP)
- Automation & extensibility: Plugins / extensions (partial in OpenLP)
- Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens
- Screens & outputs: Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) (partial in OpenLP)
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
|
TheOpenPresenter
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | Free / Donation-supported | Free |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0-or-later) | Yes (AGPL-3.0-only) |
| Deployment | Desktop app | Cloud / hosted, Desktop app, Self-hosted |
| Status | active | active |
| Platforms | ||
| Windows | Supported | Supported |
| macOS | Supported | Supported |
| Linux | Supported | Supported |
| Web browser | Not supported | 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: Songs can be pulled from MyWorshipList. |
| Chord charts for musicians | Supported: Songs can store chords (ChordPro-style), shown in the browser Chord View with transposition and printable via export. | Supported |
| 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. | Unknown |
| 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: Over a thousand freely licensed translations are available through the Beblia and Free Use Bible API catalogues. |
| 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. | Partial: Licensed translations can be used, but the church has to upload them. |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Supported: Drives an installed PowerPoint or LibreOffice Impress to show the presentation. | Supported |
| Keynote | Supported: Keynote presentations are controlled through AppleScript on macOS with Keynote installed. | Unknown |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Supported |
| Canva | Unknown | Supported |
| Supported | Supported | |
| Plays slide animations & transitions | Partial: Animations play because OpenLP drives PowerPoint, Impress or Keynote itself; PDFs are shown as static images. | Supported: PowerPoint imports keep their slideshow data so animations play click by click. |
| 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 | Supported |
| 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. | Unknown |
| Screen sharing | Unknown | Supported |
| Web pages | Unknown | Supported: Web pages can be shown, but interacting with them isn't supported yet; use screen share instead. |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Unknown | Supported |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Supported: The Alerts plugin overlays a scrolling message on the live display. | Unknown |
| Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) | Unknown | Supported: Slido polls and Q&A can be shown through the Slido plugin. |
| Languages | ||
| Multilingual | Supported | Supported |
| Interface in multiple languages | Supported: The interface is translated into about 30 languages. | Unknown |
| Songs in other languages | Unknown | Partial: Songs in any language work, but the automatic import sources have few non-English songs so far. |
| 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. | Unknown |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Unknown | Unknown |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Supported | Supported |
| Planning Center | Supported: The PlanningCenter plugin imports service plans from the Planning Center Online v2 API. | Supported: Setlists can be imported from Planning Center. |
| ChurchSuite | Unknown | Supported: Setlists can be imported from ChurchSuite. |
| WorshipTools Planning | Unknown | Unknown |
| Hardware control | Supported | Unknown |
| MIDI | Unknown | Unknown |
| DMX lighting | Unknown | Unknown |
| Stream Deck / Companion | Supported: Bitfocus Companion has an OpenLP module that uses the OpenLP HTTP API. | Unknown |
| Automation & extensibility | Supported | Supported |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Supported: HTTP REST (v2) and WebSocket API, used by the web remote and mobile apps. | Unknown |
| Plugins / extensions | Partial: Features are organised as built-in plugins that can be switched on or off; there is no third-party plugin store. | Supported: Features are built as plugins on a modular architecture. |
| 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) | Unknown | Supported: AI formats pasted lyrics into sections and slides. |
| 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 |
| Stage display / confidence monitor | Supported | Supported |
| Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming | Unknown | Supported |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Partial: The browser Main View mirrors the projector using screenshots, without audio or video. | Supported |
| Broadcast video | Unknown | Unknown |
| NDI | Unknown | Unknown |
| SDI | Unknown | 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 | Supported |
| Apple TV app | Unknown | Not supported |
| Android / Google TV app | Unknown | Supported: TheOpenPresenter TV app for Android TV; a Fire TV (Vega OS) version is also built. |
| Fire TV app | Unknown | Supported |
| Roku app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Chromecast / AirPlay | Unknown | Unknown |
| Connectivity & collaboration | Supported | Supported |
| Cloud sync of library | Unknown | Supported |
| Works fully offline | Supported | Supported: Offline use is provided by the TheOpenPresenter Studio desktop app (stable on Windows, alpha on macOS). |
| Remote control from phone or tablet | Supported: Built-in web remote plus Android and iOS remote apps. | Supported |
| Multiple operators at once | Unknown | Supported |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Unknown | Supported |
Other comparisons
- OpenLP vs BibleShow
- TheOpenPresenter vs BibleShow
- OpenLP vs Big Screen
- TheOpenPresenter vs Big Screen
- OpenLP vs Cantara
- TheOpenPresenter vs Cantara
- OpenLP vs ChurchPresenter
- TheOpenPresenter vs ChurchPresenter
- OpenLP vs Cloud of Worship
- TheOpenPresenter vs Cloud of Worship
- OpenLP vs EasiSlides
- TheOpenPresenter vs EasiSlides
- OpenLP vs EasyWorship
- TheOpenPresenter vs EasyWorship
- OpenLP vs FreeShow
- TheOpenPresenter vs FreeShow
- OpenLP vs Holyrics
- TheOpenPresenter vs Holyrics
- OpenLP vs KerkBeamer
- TheOpenPresenter vs KerkBeamer
- OpenLP vs LyricDisplay
- TheOpenPresenter vs LyricDisplay
- OpenLP vs MediaShout
- TheOpenPresenter vs MediaShout