ChurchSpring Live Streaming

ChurchSpring Live Streaming adds service scheduling and event pages to a church website, with integrations for streaming to common destinations. It suits churches that want those tools alongside their website; churches seeking built-in native streaming should look elsewhere for now.

Overview

The service is designed to help churches reach members and visitors watching at home or on the go. Grow and Flourish both include live-streaming integration, but native streaming is still forthcoming; for now, the approach depends on third-party platforms and embed codes.

Key features

ChurchSpring lets churches schedule streams on their website and set up recurring events. Each event can have a landing page and an automatic countdown slider, useful for giving viewers a clear place to find an upcoming service. Websites can accept most third-party livestream embed codes, and destinations include a church website, YouTube, Facebook, and custom RTMP services.

Analytics can include viewer counts and event length, offering a basic picture of reach and duration. Native streaming is planned for Flourish alongside third-party integrations, but is not available yet. The platform also includes sermon publishing, an event calendar, and staff pages, making it more compelling for churches looking to combine streaming with website features than for those shopping for a standalone broadcast tool.

ChurchSpring provides a free SSL certificate once a domain is pointed to the website. Its privacy policy cautions that it cannot guarantee the security of information provided or used with its website, so churches should weigh that caveat when deciding what information to collect. Support is offered by phone, email, chat, and video; the streaming page gives weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time.

Pricing

ChurchSpring has no free plan and offers a 7-day trial. Its pricing note says plans start at $29/mo, but the listed Grow and Flourish prices are higher:

Grow is the lower-cost fit for churches that can work within 25 GB. Flourish removes that storage cap and is the plan associated with planned native streaming, though native streaming is not yet available. In either tier, annual billing is substantially less than paying month to month. The 7-day trial gives a short window to assess the website and integration workflow; no seat limits are stated.

Platforms

ChurchSpring supports Android, iOS, and web. Its SSL certificate attaches after a church points its domain to the website.

Who it's for

ChurchSpring is a reasonable fit for churches that want scheduled and recurring online services, event landing pages, and website features such as sermon publishing and an event calendar in one offering. Its stated audience spans different levels of technical experience, and multiple support channels may help churches that need assistance. It is less suited to churches that require native streaming immediately, a free tier, or more storage than Grow provides without upgrading.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Scheduling, recurring events, countdowns, and event pages help churches organize a service experience around their website.
• Pro: YouTube, Facebook, custom RTMP, and third-party embed support offer several ways to connect existing streaming setups.
• Pro: Flourish includes unlimited storage, while both plans include streaming integration.
• Con: Native streaming is not available yet, so churches need a third-party service or embed workflow.
• Con: Grow's 25 GB storage limit may constrain churches with larger media libraries.
• Con: There is no free plan, and the trial lasts only seven days.
• Con: The privacy policy says ChurchSpring cannot guarantee the security of information provided or used with its website.

Alternatives

Choose Sermon.net if audio and PDF publishing with a free plan matters more than ChurchSpring's website-centered event tools: its Audio Only plan is $10 a month, with up to 10 GB storage and bandwidth and a $1.00/GB overage. ShareFaith Church Streaming is an add-on to ShareFaith Suite for churches already considering that suite; upgrade information requires contacting ShareFaith.

Restream is a freemium alternative for churches that want a broader platform footprint; its free plan supports two channels at once and adds Restream branding, with six hours recorded per stream. SermonCast may suit churches seeking live or on-demand video with specified data and storage allowances: its Starter plan is $59 a month, billed annually, with 1 TB data and 200 GB storage. BlizCast Radio & TV offers a free Grace plan for up to 50 members with the pastor as sole admin, making it an option for a small group willing to accept that limit.

Church Online Platform is worth considering when a free service built around online attendance, chat, and prayer is the priority. Gotedo Streams is a freemium web alternative. Sardius is another paid option, with custom pricing by quote. For broader comparisons, browse Church Streaming Software and Church Website Builders.

Verdict

ChurchSpring is best for churches that want streaming integrations, event scheduling, and church website features together, and can accept a third-party streaming workflow. Grow keeps costs lower if 25 GB is enough; Flourish makes sense when unlimited storage is needed. Look elsewhere if native streaming is a current requirement or a free plan is essential.