Planning Center
Planning Center is a comprehensive church management software suite providing modular tools for attendance tracking, donation processing, volunteer scheduling, and worship service coordination to help ministries stay organized.
ProPresenter
ProPresenter is a cross-platform presentation and production application for live events that allows you to display lyrics, images, and videos across multiple screens with professional-grade control.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Planning Center | ProPresenter |
|---|---|---|
| Website | planningcenter.com | propresenter.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $33.25/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 30 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2006 | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Carlsbad, USA | Alpharetta, USA |
Overview
Planning Center
Planning Center is a modular software suite designed to help you manage every aspect of your church's daily operations. Instead of a rigid, all-in-one system, you can choose specific applications for check-ins, giving, registrations, and worship planning. This flexibility allows you to build a custom toolkit that fits your ministry's unique size and specific workflow requirements without paying for features you don't use.
You can track member engagement, coordinate complex volunteer schedules, and process digital donations through a unified interface. The platform simplifies communication with your congregation through automated emails and a dedicated mobile app. Whether you are a small plant or a multi-site campus, you can scale your tools as your community grows while keeping your data synchronized across all departments.
ProPresenter
ProPresenter is a high-performance presentation tool designed to help you manage complex live productions from a single interface. Whether you are running a church service, a corporate seminar, or a live concert, you can seamlessly layer lyrics, background videos, and live camera feeds. The software gives you total control over how your content appears on multiple screens, including stage displays for performers and main screens for your audience.
You can easily import song libraries, create custom slide layouts, and integrate high-quality video transitions without needing a separate video switcher. It solves the problem of clunky, linear slide decks by allowing you to jump to any slide or video clip instantly. The platform is built for stability during live events and supports advanced broadcast standards like NDI and SDI to fit into your existing professional hardware setup.
Overview
Planning Center Features
- Services & Scheduling Plan your worship sets and schedule volunteers with automated requests so your weekend services run without a hitch.
- People Database Organize your member information in one central hub and track engagement levels to ensure no one falls through the cracks.
- Online Giving Accept donations via credit card, ACH, or text-to-give and automatically generate year-end tax statements for your donors.
- Secure Check-Ins Keep your children's ministry safe with fast label printing and secure pickup codes that give parents peace of mind.
- Event Registrations Create custom sign-up forms for camps or conferences and process payments directly through your church website.
- Church Center App Give your congregation a mobile home where they can join groups, register for events, and manage their own profiles.
ProPresenter Features
- Multi-Screen Output. Drive different content to multiple screens simultaneously, including dedicated stage displays for your speakers and main screens for your audience.
- Advanced Layering Engine. Control your background, live video, slides, and props independently with a layered architecture that ensures smooth transitions every time.
- Dynamic Text Reflow. Edit your lyrics or presentation text in a single view and watch as the software automatically formats it across multiple slides.
- Live Video Integration. Bring in multiple live camera feeds and overlay them with lower thirds or lyrics without needing an external hardware switcher.
- Planning Center Integration. Sync your service plans directly from Planning Center Online to automatically populate your presentation headers and sequences.
- Remote Control Apps. Control your entire presentation from anywhere in the room using dedicated remote apps for your iOS or Android devices.
Pricing Comparison
Planning Center Pricing
- Free versions of all apps
- Up to 5 Service members
- Up to 15 Check-ins/month
- Up to 10 Registration signups
- Unlimited People profiles
- Community support access
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Up to 25 Service members
- Unlimited service plans
- File storage for charts
- Volunteer scheduling tools
- Rehearsal pack integration
ProPresenter Pricing
- 1 Active workstation
- Full feature set included
- Advanced multi-screen support
- Bibles and song libraries
- Software updates and support
- Free ProContent access
- Everything in Individual, plus:
- Unlimited workstations at one site
- Shared library access
- Centralized license management
- Ideal for large organizations
- Simplified billing for teams
Pros & Cons
Planning Center
Pros
- Modular approach lets you pay only for needed features
- Highly intuitive interface requires very little staff training
- Excellent mobile app for both staff and congregation
- Seamless data syncing between different ministry modules
- Regular feature updates based on direct user feedback
Cons
- Costs can add up quickly when using multiple modules
- Limited customization for some automated email templates
- Reporting features can be basic for complex data needs
ProPresenter
Pros
- Unmatched flexibility for multi-screen stage layouts
- Reliable performance with high-resolution video files
- Seamless integration with Planning Center and Bibles
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface for quick edits
- Excellent support for professional NDI and SDI protocols
Cons
- Significant learning curve for non-technical volunteers
- Higher price point compared to basic presentation tools
- Requires high-end hardware for optimal performance