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Software · head to head

ChurchTrac vs OpenLP

ChurchTrac logo

ChurchTrac

Software

Church management and member tracking software

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenLP logo

OpenLP

Software

Free, open-source presentation software for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenLP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ChurchTrac priced by how many people are tracked, in bands of 75, 125, 250, 500, 1,000 and unlimited names, so growth pushes a church up a tier; OpenLP there is no standalone mobile app; the Android and iOS apps are remote controls for a desktop running OpenLP
  • They diverge on capability: ChurchTrac covers Member Management, OpenLP covers Presentation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChurchTrac and OpenLP actually diverge.

Attributes where ChurchTrac and OpenLP differ
AttributeChurchTracOpenLP
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWindows, Mac, Linux
Founded20092004

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ChurchTrac

  • Member Management
  • Attendance Tracking
  • Visitor Tracking
  • Payroll Systems
  • Payment Processors
  • Data Import/Export
  • Web support
  • Mobile-responsive support

Only in OpenLP

  • Presentation
  • Lyric Display
  • Media Playback
  • Bible Display
  • Theme Support
  • Plugin System
  • Custom Layouts
  • Scripture Integration

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ChurchTrac

  • Church membership, giving and event management in one systemnot OpenLP
  • Fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregationnot OpenLP

OpenLP

  • Member managementnot ChurchTrac
  • Donation trackingnot ChurchTrac
  • Event planningnot ChurchTrac
  • Volunteer schedulingnot ChurchTrac
  • Communicationnot ChurchTrac

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ChurchTrac

  • Priced by how many people are tracked, in bands of 75, 125, 250, 500, 1,000 and unlimited names, so growth pushes a church up a tier
  • The published figure is a starting price of $29 a month, with per band prices shown only in an on page calculator
  • Enhanced messaging is a $7 a month add on and includes 250 credits
  • Website and app setup starts at $477 and accounting setup at $399, both one off

OpenLP

  • There is no standalone mobile app; the Android and iOS apps are remote controls for a desktop running OpenLP
  • Only the most recent Fedora release and Debian unstable are supported on those distributions
  • The Flatpak build is experimental and the OpenLP team states it does not support its use
  • Requires macOS 10.15 or higher and Windows 10 or higher

Pricing, plan by plan

ChurchTrac

On request
  • Basic$29/month
    • Basic tracking
    • Up to 200 members
  • Professional$99/month
    • Full features
    • Unlimited members
    • Mobile app

OpenLP

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Full features
    • No restrictions
    • Community support

Which should you pick?

Choose ChurchTrac if

  • You need member management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want attendance tracking.
ChurchTrac review

Choose OpenLP if

  • You need presentation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
  • You also want lyric display.
OpenLP review

Questions people ask

Is ChurchTrac or OpenLP better?
Neither clearly leads. ChurchTrac starts at On request and OpenLP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChurchTrac or OpenLP?
OpenLP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ChurchTrac and Free for OpenLP.
Does ChurchTrac or OpenLP run on more platforms?
ChurchTrac runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. OpenLP runs on Windows, Mac, Linux.
Can I use OpenLP for free?
Yes. OpenLP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ChurchTrac starts at On request.
What is ChurchTrac best used for?
ChurchTrac is most often used for church membership, giving and event management in one system, fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregation. Of those, church membership, giving and event management in one system and fund accounting and contribution tracking for a congregation are not what OpenLP is typically brought in for.
What can ChurchTrac do that OpenLP cannot?
ChurchTrac covers Member Management, Attendance Tracking, Visitor Tracking, Payroll Systems. OpenLP covers Presentation, Lyric Display, Media Playback, Bible Display.
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