SongShow Plus

SongShow Plus is church presentation software for service lyrics, scripture, slides and media. It is best suited to churches that need several outputs and Windows-based preparation tools. Its broad presentation workflow is compelling, but the hardware restrictions and recurring subscription costs narrow its fit.

Overview

SongShow Plus brings song lyrics, scripture, custom slideshows, video, images and audio tracks into a church presentation workflow. Users can create and modify graphics and slideshows, adjust color, apply video filters and change content without rendering or exporting. That makes it useful for teams preparing varied service material, rather than only advancing a sequence of slides.

Ultra Edition supports up to six output windows and can broadcast output video over NDI on a local network. It cannot accept NDI inputs, so it is not suited to a workflow that needs to bring an NDI feed into the presentation system. Six outputs should cover many services, but not installations needing more.

Key features

Service display: Lyrics, scripture, stage display, multi-screen output and media playback cover the core needs of a church service.

Integrations: Bronze includes features for SongSelect, Planning Center Online, Shift Worship and Microsoft Bing. The first three require separate subscriptions, so Bronze does not eliminate those service costs.

Mobile Control: Silver and higher include a Progressive Web App for controlling presentations. The presentation machine and controlling device must be on the same local network, making it a local control option rather than a remote one.

Cloud services: Silver includes 5GB each of SongShow Drive and SongShow Sync for sharing media and synchronizing files and programs between machines. These services, like other online services, require annual renewal.

Pricing

SongShow Plus has no free plan, but offers a 30-day trial and free evaluation downloads. Its plans mix one-time purchases with annual subscriptions, so the right choice depends on whether a church needs projection licenses, ongoing online services or both.

Workstation License: free for non-projection machines used to prepare presentations, programs and other media. It gives preparation machines a no-cost role without serving as the projection license.

Bible Plug-ins: $25, paid once, billed $25 per plug-in per machine. This suits churches that need a listed Bible translation on particular machines; multiple plug-ins or machines increase the cost.

Projection License: $95, paid once for an additional projection license for a local church organization. The first projection license is included with the initial purchase.

Bronze Level Subscription: $180 a year, billed one year. It includes upgrades, weekday support and integration features. Separate subscriptions are still required for SongSelect, Planning Center Online and Shift Worship.

Silver Level Subscription: $240 a year, billed one year. It adds Bronze features, 5GB each of SongShow Drive and SongShow Sync, SongShow Builder, Mobile Control and weekday support. Choose it when cloud synchronization or mobile control matters; those features come with an annual renewal commitment.

SongShow Plus 9.3 Ultra Edition: $249, paid once, discounted from $549. The shown price is effective July 1, 2023 and subject to change, so it should not be treated as a fixed long-term price.

Projection Site License: $399, paid once for unlimited projection licenses for a local church organization. It is the clearer fit for an organization needing more than a single additional projection license.

Platinum Level Subscription: $450 a year, billed one year. It includes Silver features, priority phone support, one live training session, training videos and discounts. It suits churches that value higher-priority support and training enough to pay more each year.

Signage Channel: custom pricing, billed by contacting sales, for one channel of digital content publishing.

Local functions continue after a subscription ends, but online and cloud services require annual renewal. That distinction makes a one-time license more durable for local use, while subscription-dependent services should be budgeted as ongoing costs.

Platforms

SongShow Plus is primarily designed for Windows 10 and is tested on Windows 11. It is a 32-bit application, and mini computers and all-in-one computers are not supported. Those hardware restrictions matter when choosing a projection machine; a church planning around either type should look elsewhere. Android, iOS and web are also listed as platforms, while supported-platform details identify Windows and web.

For setup and learning, the maker provides a user guide, knowledge base and user forums. Live training is available through GoFishMedia, and some training videos are included by subscription level. The privacy policy says the company collects account and contact details, correspondence and user content to operate, maintain and provide service features.

Who it's for

SongShow Plus is a strong candidate for churches that prepare varied service content, need several display windows and can dedicate supported Windows hardware to projection. Silver or higher makes sense when mobile control or cloud synchronization is part of the workflow. Churches that need more than six outputs, NDI input, unsupported hardware or a no-cost projection system should consider other software.

Pros and cons

Pro: Lyrics, scripture, stage display and varied media sit alongside tools for creating and modifying graphics and slideshows, reducing the need to treat service content as static slides alone.

Pro: Ultra Edition provides up to six output windows and local-network NDI output for multi-display setups.

Pro: The Workstation License is free for preparation machines, and the first projection license is included with the initial purchase.

Con: Projection depends on supported Windows hardware; mini and all-in-one computers are excluded.

Con: The six-window ceiling and lack of NDI input limit more demanding multi-screen or NDI workflows.

Con: Bronze's named integrations do not include the separate subscriptions required for SongSelect, Planning Center Online and Shift Worship, while Silver's cloud services need annual renewal.

Alternatives

Church Presentation Software is the broader category to browse when the six-output ceiling, Windows hardware limits or subscription structure rule SongShow Plus out.

Choose MakeChurchEasy if a free plan and broader desktop and mobile platform coverage are more important than SongShow Plus's paid presentation workflow; its free plan allows up to 10 songs, lyrics and media, with five Bible versions and a 30-minute speech-to-scripture trial.

DisplayWord is worth considering for a free plan that includes a hall screen and Bible, song library and editor, PDF chord sheets, offline use, media and backgrounds. Holyrics offers a free plan and paid tiers priced at $5 a month for up to three computers and 30 apps, or $10 a month for up to 10 computers and 100 apps.

VerseVIEW is a free-forever choice across desktop, mobile and web platforms, with no ads. WorshipTools Presenter has a free plan with 500 MB cloud storage, 10 users and 15 items per service, while allowing unlimited services and songs.

Church Presenter offers a free-forever plan under GNU GPL v3, with no subscription or seat limits. OpenLP is a free, open-source option that can be installed on as many copies as needed and supports a wide range of platforms.

VerseCAST is an alternative when a free Bible presentation option or a $3.49 a month plan is preferable; its free demo limits slide count and functionality.

Verdict

Choose SongShow Plus if your church needs a flexible service presentation workflow, several outputs and creative tools, and can run it on supported Windows hardware. Its six-window Ultra output and local functions that continue after subscription expiry are meaningful strengths. Look elsewhere if you need NDI input, more than six outputs, unsupported projection hardware or a free projection solution.