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Software · head to head

OpenLP vs Planning Center

OpenLP logo

OpenLP

Software

Free, open-source presentation software for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Planning Center logo

Planning Center

Software

Complete church management platform for services, volunteers, and giving

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: OpenLP there is no standalone mobile app; the Android and iOS apps are remote controls for a desktop running OpenLP; Planning Center free tier limited to 5 team members and 10 daily check-ins per product
  • They diverge on capability: OpenLP covers Presentation, Planning Center covers Service Planning.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenLP and Planning Center actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenLP and Planning Center differ
AttributeOpenLPPlanning Center
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxWeb, Mobile (Church Center app)
Founded20042003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 OpenLP

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

Only in Planning Center

  • Service Planning
  • Volunteer Management
  • Check-in System
  • Accounting Software
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • Pushpay
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

OpenLP

  • Member managementnot Planning Center
  • Donation trackingnot Planning Center
  • Event planningnot Planning Center
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Planning Center
  • Communicationnot Planning Center

Planning Center

  • Integrated church management and schedulingnot OpenLP
  • Volunteer coordination and event managementnot OpenLP
  • Worship service planning and schedulingnot OpenLP
  • Online giving and donation trackingnot OpenLP

Where each one falls short

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

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

Planning Center

  • Free tier limited to 5 team members and 10 daily check-ins per product
  • Pricing model requires customers to pay per product used; total cost scales with adoption
  • No monthly minimums but multiple product subscriptions can accumulate

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenLP

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

Planning Center

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Planning Center review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Planning Center if

  • You need service planning.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (Church Center app).
  • You also want volunteer management.
Planning Center review

Questions people ask

Is OpenLP or Planning Center better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenLP starts at Free and Planning Center at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenLP or Planning Center?
OpenLP starts at Free and Planning Center at Free.
Does OpenLP or Planning Center run on more platforms?
OpenLP runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Planning Center runs on Web, Mobile (Church Center app).
Can I use OpenLP for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OpenLP best used for?
OpenLP is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling. Of those, member management and donation tracking are not what Planning Center is typically brought in for.
What can OpenLP do that Planning Center cannot?
OpenLP covers Presentation, Lyric Display, Media Playback, Bible Display. Planning Center covers Service Planning, Volunteer Management, Check-in System, Accounting Software.
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