SongShow Plus vs TheOpenPresenter
SongShow Plus
Windows worship presentation software with edition-based licences and optional subscriptions.
- Subscription
- One-time
- Free Trial
TheOpenPresenter
Open-source, browser-based presenter you can run and control from any device.
- Open Source
- Free
Summary
- SongShow Plus is paid ($249 one-time (Ultra edition, special price)), while TheOpenPresenter is free.
- TheOpenPresenter is open source (AGPL-3.0-only); 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 · Media: YouTube / online video · Inputs & other sources: Web pages · Inputs & other sources: Countdown timers & clocks · Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens · Screens & outputs: Stage display / confidence monitor · Screens & outputs: Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline.
Only in SongShow Plus
No confirmed features where TheOpenPresenter falls short.
Only in TheOpenPresenter
- Runs on Web browser
- Runs on macOS
- Runs on Linux
- Songs & lyrics: Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) (paid add-on in SongShow Plus)
- 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: Cloud sync of library (paid add-on in SongShow Plus)
- Connectivity & collaboration: Remote control from phone or tablet (paid add-on in SongShow Plus)
- Connectivity & collaboration: Multiple operators at once (paid add-on in SongShow Plus)
- 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 |
SongShow Plus
|
TheOpenPresenter
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | $249 one-time (Ultra edition, special price)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 | Not 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 | Unknown | Supported |
| Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) | Paid add-on or tier: Requires the Bronze (or higher) subscription plus a separate SongSelect subscription. | Supported: Songs can be pulled from MyWorshipList. |
| Chord charts for musicians | Unknown | Supported |
| Motion backgrounds behind lyrics | Supported: Motion backgrounds with real-time effects and rendered visualizations; Shift Worship media can be imported with a separate subscription. | Supported |
| CCLI usage reporting | Supported: CCLI auto-reporting added in version 9.3. | Unknown |
| Bible | Supported | Supported |
| Free translations included | Supported: ASV, KJV and WEB are included. | 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: Translations such as NIV, ESV, NKJV and NLT are $25 plug-ins per machine. | Partial: Licensed translations can be used, but the church has to upload them. |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Supported: PowerPoint presentations can be imported step by step, as images or as video files. | Supported |
| Keynote | Unknown | Unknown |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Supported |
| Canva | Unknown | Supported |
| Unknown | Supported | |
| Plays slide animations & transitions | Partial: Importing PowerPoint as video can keep animations; SongShow's own slides have transitions and animations. | 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 | Supported: Web pages, including YouTube videos, can be presented. | Supported |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Supported: Live video (IMAG) with text and graphic overlays. | Unknown |
| Screen sharing | Unknown | Supported |
| Web pages | Supported | Supported: Web pages can be shown, but interacting with them isn't supported yet; use screen share instead. |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Supported: Customizable countdown timers (Pro edition and above). | Supported |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Supported: Instant Message shows nursery alerts and other messages (Pro edition and above). | 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 | Unknown | 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 | Unknown | Supported |
| Bilingual lyrics on screen | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bible translations side by side | Unknown | Unknown |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Unknown | Unknown |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Paid add-on or tier | Supported |
| Planning Center | Paid add-on or tier: Requires the Bronze (or higher) subscription plus a 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 | Unknown | Unknown |
| MIDI | Unknown | Unknown |
| DMX lighting | Unknown | Unknown |
| Stream Deck / Companion | Unknown | Unknown |
| Automation & extensibility | Paid add-on or tier | Supported |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Plugins / extensions | Unknown | 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) | Paid add-on or tier: Optional image indexing with Microsoft/Azure Computer Vision requires the Silver subscription. | Supported: AI formats pasted lyrics into sections and slides. |
| Presenting & control | ||
| Screens & outputs | Supported | Supported |
| Multiple audience screens | Supported: Multi-display support (up to six display windows since 9.1) is part of the Ultra edition. | Supported |
| Stage display / confidence monitor | Supported: One or more customizable stage outputs are part of the Ultra edition. | Supported |
| Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming | Supported: Output windows can be configured as synchronized lower-third layouts. | Supported |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Unknown | Supported |
| Broadcast video | Supported | Unknown |
| NDI | Supported: NDI streaming (added in 9.1) is part of the Ultra edition. | Unknown |
| SDI | Supported: Blackmagic DeckLink output can be assigned to any display window. | 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 | Paid add-on or tier: SongShow Sync requires the Silver subscription. | 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 | Paid add-on or tier: Mobile Control (a progressive web app) requires the Silver subscription. | Supported |
| Multiple operators at once | Paid add-on or tier: SongShow Drive media sharing and the web-based SongShow Builder require the Silver subscription. | Supported |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Not supported | Supported |
Other comparisons
- SongShow Plus vs BibleShow
- TheOpenPresenter vs BibleShow
- SongShow Plus vs Big Screen
- TheOpenPresenter vs Big Screen
- SongShow Plus vs Cantara
- TheOpenPresenter vs Cantara
- SongShow Plus vs ChurchPresenter
- TheOpenPresenter vs ChurchPresenter
- SongShow Plus vs Cloud of Worship
- TheOpenPresenter vs Cloud of Worship
- SongShow Plus vs EasiSlides
- TheOpenPresenter vs EasiSlides
- SongShow Plus vs EasyWorship
- TheOpenPresenter vs EasyWorship
- SongShow Plus vs FreeShow
- TheOpenPresenter vs FreeShow
- SongShow Plus vs Holyrics
- TheOpenPresenter vs Holyrics
- SongShow Plus vs KerkBeamer
- TheOpenPresenter vs KerkBeamer
- SongShow Plus vs LyricDisplay
- TheOpenPresenter vs LyricDisplay
- SongShow Plus vs MediaShout
- TheOpenPresenter vs MediaShout