EasyWorship and Cloud of Worship are both designed to simplify church presentations, handling on-screen displays and streaming media. If you’ve served in this role for a while, you’ve likely encountered EasyWorship or used it to manage presentations during services.
Cloud of Worship is a new, innovative tool designed specifically for churches, bringing a fresh, cost-effective alternative to established software like EasyWorship.In this article, we’ll explore how Cloud of Worship and EasyWorship differ, helping churches decide which solution best suits their needs.
1. Pricing and Accessibility
Cloud of Worship is entirely free to get started, with no watermarks, a strategic decision we made to ensure that every church, regardless of budget, has access to quality presentation software.
This model is particularly beneficial for smaller congregations or organizations looking to minimize expenses while enhancing their services.
In contrast, EasyWorship starts at around $15 per month, providing additional resources and features but requiring a financial commitment that may not be feasible for all churches.
EasyWorship’s paid model supports its extensive development and maintenance, but Cloud of Worship’s free model democratizes access to essential worship tools, making it ideal for budget-conscious churches.
2. Platform Compatibility
One of the standout features of Cloud of Worship is its browser-based platform compatibility. Designed to run on any device with internet access, including Windows, Mac, and Linux system.
Cloud of Worship provides flexibility for teams to collaborate seamlessly, whether they’re in the church or preparing remotely.
EasyWorship, however, is exclusively available on Windows, limiting accessibility for those using Mac or Linux systems. This may not be an issue for Windows-based churches, but Cloud of Worship’s cross-platform design enhances inclusivity and ease of use.
3. Globally Shared Songs Library
Imagine an ever-growing collection of hymns and worship songs, along with their lyrics, contributed by churches worldwide—you can have it with Cloud of Worship.
This unique, community-driven library allows congregations to both access and contribute songs, creating a shared resource that enriches worship experiences across diverse traditions and languages.
Churches can upload songs that are unique to their culture or language, making it possible for other churches to discover and incorporate these songs into their services. This collaborative approach helps the church see ourselves as one, like we really are, regardless of cultural differences.
However, EasyWorship lacks this shared library feature, as they do not offer cloud-based solutions just yet. This might limits churches to building and managing their song collections independently.
4. User Experience and Interface
Churches often look for software that’s straightforward and intuitive, and we’ve tailored Cloud of Worship with this in mind. The platform emphasizes a clean, simple interface, allowing users to create and present worship content with minimal training.
With real-time collaboration and offline functionality, it’s designed for flexibility, even if internet access is limited.
"The design is user-friendly and intuitive, making it enjoyable to use, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy. "
Darlington, Head of Communications, Aviv Shalom Church International, Zimbabwe
EasyWorship, with its more established platform, provides a traditional presentation interface that’s packed with features but may require some initial learning.
It includes extensive media management and scheduling tools, making it suitable for experienced users who need deeper control over their presentation assets.
5. Slide Templates and Themes
Cloud of Worship prioritizes customization and aims to offer churches the creative freedom to design their slides. However, it does not yet come with pre-built slide templates or themes, a feature often desired for quick, polished presentations. We are actively developing this feature to give users a wider variety of design choices.
EasyWorship currently leads in this area, with a collection of themes and templates ready for immediate use. This can save time for churches that need ready-made designs.
However, Cloud of Worship’s roadmap includes the addition of diverse templates, allowing for more aesthetic and creative possibilities in the near future.
6. Media Support and Library Integration
Both tools allow users to integrate videos, images, and audio, scriptures but Cloud of Worship focuses on simplified media integration for a streamlined experience. While it doesn’t yet have an advanced media library, it allows churches to display key media assets without extra setup, ensuring a straightforward workflow.
EasyWorship, on the other hand, offers a robust media library with enhanced organization features, which can be invaluable for larger congregations or tech teams that rely on a high volume of media assets. For churches that need deep media management, EasyWorship’s library tools may be advantageous, but Cloud of Worship’s evolving features aim to close this gap with future updates (we drop new features every week).
7. Key Differentiators of Cloud of Worship
What truly sets Cloud of Worship apart is its cloud benefits like real-time collaboration feature, allowing worship teams to work on presentations simultaneously from different locations.
Additionally, the offline functionality ensures that presentations can be prepared, even without internet, and can be synced later upon network retrieval. This reliability and flexibility address common challenges faced by churches, particularly those with limited resources.
Our development roadmap also includes enhancements such as advanced scheduling, customizable templates, and more media organization tools.
With every update, we’re working toward providing churches with a fully-featured, accessible platform that keeps up with leading tools like EasyWorship.
Quick Table Comparison
| Features | Cloud of Worship | EasyWorship |
|---|---|---|
| Cost / Cheapest Plan | $0 per month | $15 per month |
| Platform | Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows |
| Launch Date | August 2024 | Before 2008 (EW2007) |
| Slide templates and themes | Not yet | Yes |
| Slides | Yes | Yes |
| Media | Yes | Yes |
| Music (Audio Slides) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Songs Library (With lyrics) | Yes | No |
| Bibles | Yes | Yes |
| Slide Groups | - | - |
| Slide Transitions | Yes | Yes |
| Web-based (no installations required) | Yes | No |
| Offline-ready | Yes | Yes |
| Collaborative workflow with Schedules | Yes | No |
| Import Powerpoint Slides | - | - |
| Import PDF | - | - |
| Countdowns & Timers | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple languages | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Support | Yes | Yes |
| Stage Display | No | Yes |
| Mobile Remote Control | No | Yes |
| Multiple Outputs | No | Yes |
| Text Edit | Yes | Yes |
| Schedules | Yes | Yes |
| Realtime update | Yes | |
| NDI Output | No | Yes |
| Play External Videos (Youtube, Vimeo) | No | No |
| Open Source | Yes | No |
Conclusion
Both Cloud of Worship and EasyWorship serve the specific needs of churches, but they are tailored for different priorities. Cloud of Worship is the ideal choice for churches seeking an inexpensive, multi-platform solution with a straightforward interface and collaboration features.
EasyWorship, on the other hand, is a strong choice for those requiring more advanced media control and design tools on a dedicated Windows system.
For churches looking to streamline their services while maximizing their budget, Cloud of Worship presents a unique, accessible alternative to the traditional options on the market.
As we continue developing the software, we aim to make Cloud of Worship not only comparable to established solutions but the preferred choice for churches around the world.