ProPresenter vs TheOpenPresenter
ProPresenter
Live presentation and production software for worship services, events and broadcast.
- Subscription
- Free Trial
TheOpenPresenter
Open-source, browser-based presenter you can run and control from any device.
- Open Source
- Free
Summary
- ProPresenter is paid ($289/year (one seat)), while TheOpenPresenter is free.
- TheOpenPresenter is open source (AGPL-3.0-only); 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 · Bible: Free translations included · Slides & presentations: PowerPoint · Media: Video playback · Media: Audio playback · Media: Images · Inputs & other sources: Screen sharing · Inputs & other sources: Web pages · Inputs & other sources: Countdown timers & clocks · Multilingual: Bibles in other languages · Software integrations: Planning Center · Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens · Screens & outputs: Stage display / confidence monitor · Screens & outputs: Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming · Connectivity & collaboration: Cloud sync of library · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline · Connectivity & collaboration: Remote control from phone or tablet.
Only in ProPresenter
No confirmed features where TheOpenPresenter falls short.
Only in TheOpenPresenter
- Runs on Web browser
- Runs on Linux
- Slides & presentations: Plays slide animations & transitions (partial in ProPresenter)
- TV output: Android / Google TV app (paid add-on in ProPresenter)
- Connectivity & collaboration: Multiple operators at once (partial in ProPresenter)
- Connectivity & collaboration: Web native (runs in a browser)
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 |
ProPresenter
|
TheOpenPresenter
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | $289/year (one seat)Free trial | Free |
| Open source | No | 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 | Not 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 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Paste or import plain-text lyrics | Supported | Supported |
| Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) | Supported: Requires a SongSelect subscription and CCLI licence. | Supported: Songs can be pulled from MyWorshipList. |
| Chord charts for musicians | Supported: Chord charts can be shown on stage screens (e.g. from Planning Center or MultiTracks). | Supported |
| Motion backgrounds behind lyrics | Supported | Supported |
| CCLI usage reporting | Supported: Songs triggered from presentations with a CCLI number can be auto-reported once SongSelect is signed in. | Unknown |
| Bible | Supported | Supported |
| Free translations included | Supported: 130+ translations in 25+ languages are available in the Bible module. | Supported: Over a thousand freely licensed translations are available through the Beblia and Free Use Bible API catalogues. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Paid add-on or tier: Some translations are sold separately. | Partial: Licensed translations can be used, but the church has to upload them. |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Supported: Since 21.2, .pptx files can be imported natively as editable presentations without PowerPoint installed. | Supported |
| Keynote | Partial: Keynote files are not converted; on Mac they are triggered from a playlist and Keynote takes over the output. | Unknown |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Supported |
| Canva | Unknown | Supported |
| Unknown | Supported | |
| Plays slide animations & transitions | Partial: The native PowerPoint importer keeps simple builds and transitions; emphasis and some other animations are not supported. | Supported: PowerPoint imports keep their slideshow data so animations play click by click. |
| Media | Supported | Supported |
| Video playback | Supported | Supported |
| Audio playback | Supported | Supported |
| Images | Supported | Supported |
| YouTube / online video | Unknown | Supported |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Supported | Unknown |
| Screen sharing | Supported: AirCast (added in 18) receives AirPlay screens and audio as inputs. | Supported |
| Web pages | Supported: Web pages can be shown as a web fill on slides. | Supported: Web pages can be shown, but interacting with them isn't supported yet; use screen share instead. |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Supported | Supported |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Supported | 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 | Unknown | 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 | Supported | Supported |
| Bilingual lyrics on screen | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bible translations side by side | Supported: Multiple translations can be shown on one slide using a theme with one text box per translation. | Unknown |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Supported | Unknown |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Supported | Supported |
| Planning Center | Supported: Planning Center Services plans can be added as playlists; requires a separate Planning Center subscription. | 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 | Supported | Unknown |
| DMX lighting | Supported | Unknown |
| Stream Deck / Companion | Supported: Official Elgato Stream Deck plugin since 7.9; Bitfocus Companion also has a ProPresenter module. | Unknown |
| Automation & extensibility | Supported | Supported |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Supported: Public network API (OpenAPI spec) introduced in ProPresenter 7.9; older TCP/IP control also exists. | Unknown |
| Plugins / extensions | Unknown | Supported: Features are built as plugins on a modular architecture. |
| Built-in scripting / macros | Supported: Macros run multi-step action sequences from a slide, a device or on demand. | 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 | Supported: Up to 8 unique outputs; multiple computers can be linked with Network Link. | Supported |
| Stage display / confidence monitor | Supported | Supported |
| Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming | Supported: Separate key/fill outputs are available for broadcast graphics. | Supported |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Unknown | Supported |
| Broadcast video | Supported | Unknown |
| NDI | Supported | Unknown |
| SDI | Supported | Unknown |
| Built-in streaming & recording | Supported | Unknown |
| Stream to any RTMP destination | Supported: The Capture feature streams any output over RTMP, records it to disk, or both; Resi streaming is also supported. | Unknown |
| YouTube Live | Supported | Unknown |
| Facebook Live | Supported | Unknown |
| Record the output to a file | Supported | Unknown |
| TV output | Paid add-on or tier | Supported |
| Apple TV app | Paid add-on or tier: Via ProDisplay (separate per-screen subscription), which runs on Apple TV and select Google TV devices. | Not supported |
| Android / Google TV app | Paid add-on or tier: Via ProDisplay on select Google TV devices (separate per-screen subscription). | 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 | Supported: ProPresenter Cloud syncs playlists, media and settings between machines. | 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: ProPresenter Remote app is included with an active subscription. | Supported |
| Multiple operators at once | Partial: ProPresenter Cloud (beta in 22) lets others prepare playlists and make mid-service changes while an operator presents. | Supported |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Not supported | Supported |
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