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Religion · head to head

Ministry Brands vs OpenLP

Ministry Brands logo

Ministry Brands

Religion

A church software holding company whose current product is the Amplify module suite

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenLP logo

OpenLP

Religion

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: Ministry Brands the legacy acquired brands and Amplify are different software, so a church buying Shelby or Fellowship One today is buying a product line that is not receiving the development investment.; OpenLP there is no standalone mobile app; the Android and iOS apps are remote controls for a desktop running OpenLP
  • They diverge on capability: Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, OpenLP covers Presentation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ministry Brands and OpenLP actually diverge.

Attributes where Ministry Brands and OpenLP differ
AttributeMinistry BrandsOpenLP
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Mac, Linux
FoundedUnknown2004

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

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 Ministry Brands

  • Amplify People
  • Amplify Giving
  • Amplify Accounting
  • Amplify Websites and Streaming
  • Background screening
  • Amplify Service Planning

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.

Ministry Brands

  • A church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one loginnot OpenLP
  • A congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business softwarenot OpenLP
  • Running volunteer background checks under a child protection policy without a separate screening vendornot OpenLP
  • A denominational office standardising several congregations on one records and giving platformnot OpenLP

OpenLP

  • Member managementnot Ministry Brands
  • Donation trackingnot Ministry Brands
  • Event planningnot Ministry Brands
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Ministry Brands
  • Communicationnot Ministry Brands

Where each one falls short

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

Ministry Brands

  • The legacy acquired brands and Amplify are different software, so a church buying Shelby or Fellowship One today is buying a product line that is not receiving the development investment.
  • Nothing is publicly priced at any level, so churches cannot compare modules against single-purpose competitors without running a full sales process.
  • Ministry Brands processes the giving, so the transaction rate is a large and negotiable part of the cost that is easy to overlook while comparing module subscriptions.
  • Module count creates upsell pressure, and churches often sign for a bundle then use three or four modules while paying for the rest.
  • Moving from a legacy brand onto Amplify is a full data migration with its own cost and risk, which weakens the argument that staying inside the family is the low-effort choice.

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

Ministry Brands

On request
  • Amplify$undefined/year
    • Modules bought individually or bundled
    • Priced by church size and modules selected
    • Giving processed by Ministry Brands at a negotiated transaction rate
  • Legacy products$undefined/year
    • Shelby Systems, Elexio, Fellowship One, easyTithe and others
    • Supported for existing customers
    • Not the go-forward investment line

OpenLP

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Ministry Brands if

  • You need amplify people.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want amplify giving.
Ministry Brands 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 Ministry Brands or OpenLP better?
Neither clearly leads. Ministry Brands 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, Ministry Brands or OpenLP?
OpenLP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Ministry Brands and Free for OpenLP.
Does Ministry Brands or OpenLP run on more platforms?
Ministry Brands runs on Web, iOS, Android. 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. Ministry Brands starts at On request.
What is Ministry Brands best used for?
Ministry Brands is most often used for a church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one login, a congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business software, running volunteer background checks under a child protection policy without a separate screening vendor, a denominational office standardising several congregations on one records and giving platform. Of those, a church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one login and a congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business software are not what OpenLP is typically brought in for.
What can Ministry Brands do that OpenLP cannot?
Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, Amplify Giving, Amplify Accounting, Amplify Websites and Streaming. OpenLP covers Presentation, Lyric Display, Media Playback, Bible Display.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ministry Brands: What do I actually buy from Ministry Brands?

Amplify, sold as modules. The older acquired brands are still supported but are not what new customers are sold.

OpenLP: How much does OpenLP cost?

OpenLP is completely free to download, install, and use. Being open source means OpenLP is free forever with no licensing or subscription fees.

Source
Ministry Brands: Is pricing published?

No. Everything is quoted by church size and module selection, and the giving transaction rate is negotiated separately.

OpenLP: Can I install OpenLP on multiple computers for free?

Yes, OpenLP can be downloaded, installed on multiple computers, and distributed to others at no cost.

Source
Ministry Brands: Are Shelby and Fellowship One discontinued?

They are supported but not the go-forward line. Ask for written end-of-support commitments before renewing.

OpenLP: What platforms does OpenLP support?

OpenLP is free for Windows, Mac, Linux, and FreeBSD platforms with no platform-specific licensing costs.

Source
Ministry Brands: Is Amplify Equip the same as Faithlife Equip?

No. Amplify Equip is an AI sermon preparation module. Faithlife Equip was a separate product that has been discontinued.

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