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Church & Religious · head to head

OpenLP vs Realm

OpenLP logo

OpenLP

Church & Religious

Free, open-source presentation software for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Realm logo

Realm

Church & Religious

Church management and engagement platform by Community

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only OpenLP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Realm the Internet Archive's capture of ACS Technologies' Realm church management page on 16 January 2021 named three distinct plan tiers, Inform, Connect and Multiply, sold via demo request with no price figure published.
  • They diverge on capability: OpenLP covers Presentation, Realm covers Member Directory.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenLP and Realm actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenLP and Realm differ
AttributeOpenLPRealm
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxWeb, IOS, Android
Founded20042012

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Church & Religious).

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 Realm

  • Member Directory
  • Group Management
  • Online Giving
  • Communications
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Integration
  • Event Management
  • Mobile App

What people use each for

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

OpenLP

  • Member management
  • Donation tracking
  • Event planning
  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Communication

Realm

  • Member management
  • Donation tracking
  • Event planning
  • Volunteer scheduling
  • Communication

Both are used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling, communication, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Realm

  • The Internet Archive's capture of ACS Technologies' Realm church management page on 16 January 2021 named three distinct plan tiers, Inform, Connect and Multiply, sold via demo request with no price figure published.

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenLP

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

Realm

On request
  • Essential$99/month
    • Basic features
    • Up to 500 members
  • Complete$299/month
    • All features
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced analytics

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 Realm if

  • You need member directory.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want group management.
Realm review

Questions people ask

Is OpenLP or Realm better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenLP starts at Free and Realm at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenLP or Realm?
OpenLP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenLP and On request for Realm.
Does OpenLP or Realm run on more platforms?
OpenLP runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Realm runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use OpenLP for free?
Yes. OpenLP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Realm starts at On request.
What is OpenLP best used for?
OpenLP is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling.
What can OpenLP do that Realm cannot?
OpenLP covers Presentation, Lyric Display, Media Playback, Bible Display. Realm covers Member Directory, Group Management, Online Giving, Communications.
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