Sunday morning slides shouldn’t take all Saturday to build. Church presentation software displays lyrics, scriptures, announcements, and videos on your screens — and the right one saves your media team hours every week while the wrong one creates Sunday morning panic.
We compared the top church presentation tools on ease of use, lyrics licensing, remote control, and price.
Quick Comparison
| Software | Best For | Starting Price | SongSelect Integration | Remote Control | Free Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProPresenter | Best overall presentation power | $399/yr | Yes | Yes (iOS app) | No (trial) |
| EasyWorship | Best budget desktop option | $99/yr | Yes | Limited | No (trial) |
| MediaShout | Best for volunteers | $299/yr | Yes | Limited | No (trial) |
| OpenLP | Best free option | Free | Yes (manual) | Yes (web) | Yes (open source) |
| Praisenter | Best simple free option | Free | No | No | Yes (open source) |
1. ProPresenter — Best Overall Presentation Power
ProPresenter is the industry standard for church presentation. Used by over 100,000 churches worldwide, it handles lyrics, videos, announcements, stage displays, and multi-screen setups with professional-grade reliability. It’s the most powerful option available — and the most expensive.
Pros:
- Most powerful presentation engine available
- Flawless lyric display with automatic slide advancement
- Stage display (different content for the worship team vs. the congregation)
- Multi-screen support (main screen, confidence monitor, stage display, lobby)
- Video playback with instant transitions
- CCLI/SongSelect integration (import lyrics directly)
- Announcement loops and countdown timers
- iOS remote control app
- Massive community and tutorial library
- Reliability — ProPresenter rarely crashes during a service
Cons:
- Most expensive option ($399/year or $799 perpetual)
- Learning curve — volunteers need training
- Mac-only for full features (Windows version lacks some capabilities)
- Resource-intensive (needs a dedicated machine)
- No built-in cloud sync (requires ProPresenter+ for cloud features)
- Can feel overwhelming for churches with simple needs
Pricing: ProPresenter+ $399/year; Perpetual license $799; Campus pricing available
Best for: Churches with 100+ attendance that need professional, reliable presentation with multiple screens and media-rich services.
2. EasyWorship — Best Budget Desktop Option
EasyWorship gives you 80% of ProPresenter’s features for 25% of the price. It handles lyrics, scriptures, videos, and announcements well. If your church needs reliable presentation software without the ProPresenter price tag, EasyWorship is the smart choice.
Pros:
- Most affordable paid option ($99/year)
- SongSelect integration for easy lyric import
- Built-in scripture database (multiple translations)
- Video and image backgrounds
- Announcement loops
- PowerPoint import (use existing slides)
- Familiar Office-like interface
- Windows-native (works well on most church PCs)
- Lower hardware requirements than ProPresenter
Cons:
- Windows only (no Mac version)
- No stage display feature
- Limited multi-screen support
- Interface feels dated
- Fewer advanced transitions and effects
- No mobile remote app (limited web remote)
- Smaller community = fewer tutorials
- Less reliable with complex video playback
Pricing: $99/year subscription; NIV/NKJV Bibles extra
Best for: Small to mid-size churches on Windows that need reliable presentation without ProPresenter’s price tag.
3. MediaShout — Best for Volunteer Teams
MediaShout is designed with volunteer operators in mind. The interface is straightforward, the workflow is linear, and the learning curve is gentle. If your media team rotates volunteers weekly and nobody can dedicate 20 hours to learning ProPresenter, MediaShout gets your team productive faster.
Pros:
- Easiest learning curve for volunteer operators
- Linear workflow (build the service order → go)
- SongSelect and CCLI integration
- Built-in scripture with multiple translations
- Video playback and image backgrounds
- Announcement loops and countdown timers
- Good for churches with rotating media volunteers
- Windows-native with solid performance
Cons:
- Less powerful than ProPresenter
- No Mac version
- No stage display
- Limited multi-screen support
- $299/year is expensive for what it offers vs. EasyWorship
- Interface is functional but not polished
- Fewer advanced features (no media bins, limited transitions)
- Smaller user community
Pricing: $299/year
Best for: Churches with rotating volunteer media teams that need something easier to learn than ProPresenter.
4. OpenLP — Best Free Option
OpenLP is open-source, completely free, and surprisingly capable. It handles lyrics, scriptures, presentations, and media — all without costing a dime. If your church has zero budget for presentation software, OpenLP is the answer.
Pros:
- Completely free — no subscription, no limits
- Cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- CCLI/SongSelect integration (import lyrics)
- Multiple Bible translations
- Image, video, and presentation support
- Remote control via web browser (any device)
- Custom themes and formatting
- Open-source — no vendor lock-in
- Active community for support
Cons:
- Interface is functional but not polished
- Video playback can be unreliable
- No stage display
- Limited multi-screen support
- Fewer transitions and effects
- Setup requires more technical knowledge
- No official customer support (community only)
- Less polished than any paid option
Pricing: Free (open source)
Best for: Churches with zero budget that need functional presentation software and have a tech-savvy volunteer to set it up.
How to Choose
1. What’s your budget?
Zero → OpenLP. Under $100/year → EasyWorship. Under $300/year → MediaShout. $400+/year → ProPresenter.
2. Who runs the software?
A dedicated, trained media person → ProPresenter. Rotating volunteers → MediaShout or EasyWorship. A tech-savvy volunteer → OpenLP.
3. How many screens do you use?
Just the main screen → Any option works. Main + stage display → ProPresenter (only option with proper stage display). Main + lobby → ProPresenter or EasyWorship with a splitter.
4. Mac or Windows?
Mac → ProPresenter or OpenLP. Windows → Any option. Mixed → OpenLP or ProPresenter.
Our Top Pick
For churches that can afford it, ProPresenter is the standard for a reason — it’s the most reliable and powerful option. For budget-conscious churches, EasyWorship at $99/year is the best value. And if you have zero budget and a tech volunteer, OpenLP gets you through Sunday morning for free.
SoftDecide helps churches, nonprofits, and small organizations find the right software. Our comparisons are independently researched. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — at no extra cost to you.