Now Presenting: EasyWorship

This final part of the blog series is arriving a little late, but we wanted to finish strong with two more church presentation software options. During our first two weeks, we looked at ProPresenter and Faithlife Proclaim, and last week(ish) , we explored the features of MediaShout. In each week’s post we highlighted their features and pricing structures, and we summed up who we think would benefit most from their services. We’ve also tried to point out the differences between the softwares so far. Today we complete the series by looking at the specifics of Playlister and EasyWorship. 

EASYWORSHIP

INTRODUCTION

EasyWorship bills itself as a software solution to amplify the worship experience. I didn’t see a date when the software was launched, but I can say that it has been around for a while. I was using this back in 2006 when I was a part of a small church plant. 

FEATURES

• Theme Designer

  • EasyWorship’s Theme Designer allows you to design a consistent look and feel for each section of your service. The EasyWorship Presentation Designer, which words in tandem with the Theme Designer, also allows you to design your worship and sermon slides with transparency, bullets, and other text features. 

• Video Clip Editor

  • This helpful feature allows you to select specific clips from a DVD or video file for your sermon or announcements. You can select the clip and quickly drop it into the service schedule. 

• Media Library

  • EasyWorship has an integrated media store that allows you to download the media you need directly into the software. They also have media pieces available from Skit Guys, Centerline New Media, and more. 

• Message Alerts 

  • Message alerts are integrated into the system and allow for easy communication to the stage or your congregation. They can be used to communicate reminders and countdown alerts to those on stage, or they can be used for something like nursery alerts.  

• Alpha Channel Video  

  • This feature allows you to layer text and lower-thirds on a live feed. It’s basically providing this ability without having large Pro Res files. 

• Remote App 

  • Their remote app is available on iOS and Android devices. Through it, you can control your schedule from the stage or even use your tablet as a foldback screen. 

PRICING

EasyWorship does break their main pricing structure into two sections. For the one time purchase option, you can buy a campus license for $499 or a single projector license or $399. Much like Proclaim, though, EasyWorship’s monthly subscription options are based upon the size of your congregation. The main difference between these two options is that the subscription provides updates to the program as they are released and the one time purchase does not. 

The subscription option also comes with unlimited free phone support, the campus license, over 100 pieces of media, and an instructor-led basic training session. So, here are the full pricing structures for the subscription option. 

• 1-99 congregants: $18/month or $180 yearly

• 100-199 congregants: $21/month or $210 yearly

• 200-499 congregants: $24/month or $240 yearly

• 500-999 congregants: $27/month or $270 yearly

• 1000+ congregants: $30/month or $300 yearly

It should also be noted that EasyWorship offers a free demo on its website, but it is only compatible with Windows machines.

TYPICAL AUDIENCE

While I know the software has come a long way, I would still consider it one of the easiest software presentation options to use. It may not have as many features as something like ProPresenter, but I would recommend EasyWorship for a congregation that heavily uses volunteers or one that is just starting to incorporate church software presentation into their services. 

PLAYLISTER

INTRODUCTION

So, admittedly, Playlist is a little different from the rest of the church presentation software we have featured on the blog so far. It’s described as a curriculum cloud, and it is more specifically designed to control all of your TVs and make sending online playlists to families easier. 

FEATURES

• Accessibility 

  • Since everything is done online through Playlister, you don’t have to be at a specific computer to access anything. It is also available on any type of web browser on any type of device, so you don’t have to worry about whether your Windows or Mac machine is compatible. 

• Orange Curriculum Integration 

  • reThink’s Orange Curriculum is a popular choice among children’s ministries, and Playlister has the ability to integrate with your Orange account. All you do is sign in with your Orange account through Playlister, then you have access to all of Orange’s videos. This allows you to be able to create your children’s ministry playlists in a short period of time. 

• Scheduling Capabilities

  • While it might seem like a simple thing, Playlister does have scheduling capabilities. This makes it easy for you to schedule when your selected playlists will play on your classroom/church televisions.  

• Shareability  

  • One of the main features for Playlister is how easy it is to share these playlists you create with families. After building one, you can send a link for families to view it at home. Not only does it save time on the need for downloading and uploading curriculum, but it also saves you from having to rebuild a separate online experience. This particular feature also stands out in light of COVID-19 and these times of digital services.  

PRICING

So, Playlister separates their two pricing structures by classroom use and at home use. So, we’re going to break the pricing down for both systems. 

• Classroom: 

  • Lite is the software you would need if you are playing and managing your media on your own Apple TV. It is accompanied with general support from the Playlister team. When billed annually, it’s $16.99/month per screen, and when billed monthly, it’s $19.99/month per screen.  

  • Pro includes all of the features in the Lite package with the added bonus of a brand new Apple TV with an install kit. It also includes dedicated weekend support and advanced device replacement. When billed annually, it’s $23.99/month per screen, and when billed monthly, it’s $29.99/month per screen. 

  • Business is geared more toward universities or multi-site churches. It includes a 64 GB Apple TV along with a device mount, and it has the same support options as the “Pro” package. When billed annually, it’s $45.99/month per screen, and when billed monthly, it’s $55.99/month per screen. 

• At Home: 

  • While the basic at home solution is free, there are also some package options. 

    • Branding is the version of this where you get to add your church’s branding and custom URL. It is $12.99 per month.  

    • Branding + Analytics is the version of this where you can upload your own logo without the Playlist branding, and you also receive access to the analytics dashboard with this package. It is $49.99 per month.  

    • Video Hub is a customized Netflix-type video hub, which you can manage yourself. In addition to the previous package features, it also has a native iPad app. It is $99.99 per month.  

It should also be noted that they offer a free trial on their website for both options. 

TYPICAL AUDIENCE

Since Playlister is specifically geared toward children’s ministries, it does make it a little different. They have current partners listed on their website, which boasts some recognizable names such as Hillsong Church and CrossPoint Church. I would say that any sized church could benefit from Playlister, but churches who use the Orange Curriculum would probably benefit the most. 

So, have you ever used Playlister or EasyWorship? If so, what did you like about it? What did you not? Comment and let us know.