Comparing the Top 10 Church Live Streaming Services in 2021
Especially in the wake of 2020’s global shutdown, church live streaming became the norm for many ministries around the world. And while it’s a great way to stay connected with members, a cultural shift must take place. Members must learn how to access this new option if they choose to use it, and church leaders must learn how to live stream their services with finesse, which is often easier said than done.
Selecting a platform for church live streaming services is a lot like selecting a new car — there are different styles and features, and everyone has a different opinion on what runs best. With that said, there are some objective factors you need to consider, including the size of your congregation, how to budget, and what specific conveniences you need from a platform.
The following options are some of the most popular church live streaming services available in 2021. We’ll run down the starting prices, some of the features, and what each platform is known for.
ChurchLab
ChurchLab is built on the promise that church live streaming doesn’t have to be complicated or pricey. Their mission is to save church volunteers or media staff time each week with seamless sermon publishing. Their archives are customizable with your church’s colors, graphics, and domain.
Church Live Streaming Features:
– Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo integration
– Sermon and series archives
– Stream recording
– Tech support during the highest church streaming hours
– Video clip creator/convert to mp3
Price: Plans start at $29/month.
Truthcasting
Truthcasting is a platform that emphasizes the freedom to share information without censorship. They are a Christian company that aims to offer simple streaming even for those with minimal tech knowledge. They offer unlimited storage, views, and streaming, which sets them apart from some of the other low-cost platforms.
Church Live Streaming Features:
– Zero streaming restrictions
– Multicasting through YouTube or Facebook
– Tech support by phone or email
– Web integration
– Unlimited bandwidth
Price: $39.95/month with option to add Facebook or YouTube live streaming for + $10/month.
Ustream.tv
Ustream.tv is an IBM company that offers end-to-end streaming to some of the largest companies in the world like Mazda and Salesforce, but their multi-faceted streaming solutions are available to anyone. Users can create AI-driven captions and harness the power of machine learning for sophisticated streaming.
Church Live Streaming Features:
– HD live broadcasting
– Recording of broadcasts
– Mobile compatible player
– Live chat and Q&A
– Multi-CDNs
Price: Plans start at $99/month with custom plans available.
Church Streaming
Church Streaming is a live streaming service that focuses on helping churches expand their outreach and improve church leadership communications. If you are looking for ways to connect more deeply with members in the digital space, Church Streaming is a great option to consider.
Church Live Streaming Features:
– Scalable cloud streaming and storage
– Stream from YouTube, Facebook, Apple TV, or RTMP feeds
– Manage and edit streams with a powerful scheduling tool
– Support 7 days a week
– Helpful analytics
Price: Plans start at $79/month.
Dacast
Dacast is a great lower-priced option for churches that want professional broadcasting features at a fraction of the typical cost. They offer churches a video-on-demand library so your audience can access all past, present, and future content from the same place.
Church Live Streaming Features:
– Secure video hosting with 24/7 support
– The option to monetize videos
– An all-device HTML5 player
– Integration with VODS and APIs
– Unlimited channels
Price: Plans start at $39/month.
Streamspot
Streamspot‘s specialization is automated content distribution. If your goal is to get more eyes on your sermons and live events without the uploading nightmares, Streamspot automates the syndication process. This gives churches visibility on platforms they otherwise might have skipped over.
Church Live Streaming Features:
– 100% automated live streaming
– Stream to your website, Facebook, and YouTube
– Archive broadcasts within minutes
– Content syndication to multiple platforms
– Easy integrations
Price: Plans start at $70/month.
ChristianWorldMedia
ChristianWorldMedia offers the most affordable monthly plan on the list. What’s most interesting about this platform is that they stream church services from around the world on their website. In this sense, your church is given a custom “channel” where you can share sermon themes and increase your weekly audience.
Church Live Streaming Features:
– Unlimited viewing through re-streaming platforms
– Stream to your website plus two channels
– Beautifully hosted pages
– Searchable videos shared on their website
– Email tech support
Price: Plans start at $35/month.
SermonCast
SermonCast offers both online video hosting and a live streaming dashboard designed specifically for churches. They’ve helped hundreds of churches deploy podcasts and even full online campuses for educating audiences via computer, tablet, or smartphone.
Church Live Streaming Features:
– Ad-free video
– Smart HTML4 players for any device
– Online campus with integrated video player
– Easy uploading and encoding
– Powerful analytics to measure video distribution
Price: Plans start at $49/month.
Boxcast
Boxcast emphasizes its accessibility to both inexperienced users and seasoned streamers, large and small congregations alike. Their dashboard is designed to automate as much of the streaming process as possible.
Price: Plans start at $99/month.
Vimeo Live or Facebook Live
Vimeo Live and Facebook Live are other popular options for church leaders who don’t feel a need for church-specific software. If you are brand new to streaming and unsure whether it will be a long-term endeavor, Facebook Live is the perfect (and free) way to try it out.
Vimeo is a more robust platform with several pricing plan options. Their simple three-step live streaming platform lets you customize and brand your content, test your setup, and go live in one click.
Price: Vimeo Live pricing starts at $7/month, while streaming via Facebook is free.
Choosing the Best Church Live Streaming Service
Most of the 10 platforms on this list offer a free trial period so church leaders can do a test run and see what they prefer.
There are many benefits to setting up church live streaming services. It helps congregants keep in touch when they are sick or traveling, and it also increases your audience reach beyond your immediate community. Champions Centre Church even increased their digital donations by an astounding 70% after they began live streaming services.
While not every church will see results like these, getting inspiration from other congregations can help lead your church toward its next big move. How might a live streaming platform change the culture of your congregation? What are the pros and cons of implementing such an option? These are questions many churches are beginning to ask as digitization makes waves in religious communities around the world.
Ready to start using livestreaming? Learn what skills you’ll need to sharpen to make the most of this technology.
