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Religion · head to head

OpenLP vs Vanco

OpenLP logo

OpenLP

Religion

Free, open-source presentation software for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vanco logo

Vanco

Religion

Electronic giving and ACH payment solutions for churches

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; Vanco gROW tier charges 2.90% plus $0.45 per debit or credit card transaction, and American Express is charged separately at 3.99% on both tiers
  • They diverge on capability: OpenLP covers Presentation, Vanco covers ACH Giving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenLP and Vanco actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenLP and Vanco differ
AttributeOpenLPVanco
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcetransaction
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxWeb, Mobile app
Founded20041990

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 OpenLP

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

Only in Vanco

  • ACH Giving
  • Credit Card Processing
  • Text-to-Give
  • Church Management Systems
  • Accounting Software
  • Fund Accounting
  • Web support
  • Mobile app support

What people use each for

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

OpenLP

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

Vanco

  • Online and mobile giving processing for churches and nonprofitsnot 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

Vanco

  • GROW tier charges 2.90% plus $0.45 per debit or credit card transaction, and American Express is charged separately at 3.99% on both tiers
  • PCI non-compliance fee of $23.95 per month applies if a merchant does not maintain compliance, and Giving Insights costs an additional $75 per month on top of the base plan

Pricing, plan by plan

OpenLP

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

Vanco

On request
  • StandardFree
    • Payment processing
    • ACH payments (1.0% + $0.25)
  • Premium$149/month
    • Advanced tools
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom reporting

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 Vanco if

  • You need ach giving.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app.
  • You also want credit card processing.
Vanco review

Questions people ask

Is OpenLP or Vanco better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenLP starts at Free and Vanco at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, OpenLP or Vanco?
OpenLP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for OpenLP and On request for Vanco.
Does OpenLP or Vanco run on more platforms?
OpenLP runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Vanco runs on Web, Mobile app.
Can I use OpenLP for free?
Yes. OpenLP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Vanco starts at On request.
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 Vanco is typically brought in for.
What can OpenLP do that Vanco cannot?
OpenLP covers Presentation, Lyric Display, Media Playback, Bible Display. Vanco covers ACH Giving, Credit Card Processing, Text-to-Give, Church Management Systems.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Vanco: Is there a monthly fee to use Vanco's online giving platform?

No monthly fee is required for the GROW plan, which is free. The THRIVE plan costs $54/month and includes lower transaction fees and additional features.

Source
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
Vanco: What are the processing fees on Vanco's THRIVE plan?

THRIVE plan charges 2.65% plus $0.39 per transaction for debit/credit cards, and 0.90% plus $0.39 per transaction for ACH transfers.

Source
OpenLP: What platforms does OpenLP support?

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

Source
Vanco: Are there any contracts or cancellation fees with Vanco?

No contracts or cancellation fees apply to either the GROW or THRIVE plans.

Source
Vanco: What happens if a church on the GROW plan doesn't go live within 30 days?

A $10 monthly fee is charged if the organization does not go live within 30 days on the GROW plan.

Source
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