Sermon.net

Overview

Sermon.net is a streaming and media platform for churches and ministries that need to share sermons live and on demand. It suits ministries building an audio or video archive and distributing it through web players and connected services. Its tiered storage and bandwidth allowances give growing libraries a clear upgrade path, but overages and post-cancellation media access deserve attention.

Key features

Sermon.net combines 1080HD streaming with recording, transcoding, trimming, archiving and uploads. That makes it useful for ministries that want to prepare and retain recordings as well as broadcast live; the plan allowances still determine how much media and bandwidth fit within the subscription.

Website embeds support live and on-demand playback, and the service also includes a ministry website or landing page with custom-domain support. Podcast feeds connect with Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify, while streaming integrations include Facebook and YouTube. Sermon.net also supports multistreaming, sermon archives, service scheduling and mobile streaming. Automated captions are not supported, so ministries needing caption automation should look elsewhere.

Apps are offered for Android, Apple and Amazon Fire, with Internet TV services including Roku, Apple TV, Google TV and Amazon Fire TV. Ministries are included in the Sermon Network app for Apple and Android at no extra charge, and viewers can use that app for free.

Pricing

The plans combine file-type support with storage and bandwidth allowances. Annual commitment lowers each monthly rate, but adds a commitment; overage charges apply when usage exceeds the allowance.

• Audio Only: $10/monthly or $9/annual commitment. Supports audio and PDF files, with up to 10 GB storage plus bandwidth and $1.00/GB overage. It is the entry point for audio ministries, but not for video libraries.
• Starter: $22/monthly or $20/annual commitment. Adds video support and raises the allowance to 25 GB, with $0.60/GB overage. A fit for smaller ministries that need video, though the relatively modest quota can make frequent streaming costly.
• Growing: $42/monthly or $38/annual commitment. Includes audio, video and PDF files, up to 100 GB, and $0.60/GB overage. This is a more practical step for ministries building a regular archive.
• Outreach: $77/monthly or $70/annual commitment. The same file types come with up to 300 GB and $0.60/GB overage, suiting larger libraries and heavier distribution.
• Enterprise: $154/monthly or $140/annual commitment. Offers up to 750 GB and lowers overage to $0.25/GB, making it the strongest fit for high-volume ministries with extensive archives.

The paid offering starts at $9/mo (annual), and a 14-day trial lets a ministry evaluate a paid plan before committing. Inactive accounts lose media access and may eventually be purged. Before shutdown, a downloadable zip backup can be requested for a fee, so keeping an independent archive matters.

Platforms

Sermon.net supports Android, iOS and web. Its listed app and TV options extend playback to Amazon Fire devices, Roku, Apple TV and Google TV.

Who it's for

The range is aimed at small and mid-sized audio ministries as well as larger organizations with high volumes and extensive archives. Audio Only is the focused low-cost choice for audio and PDF; video-capable plans make more sense for ministries streaming and retaining video. Ministries that depend on automated captions, or cannot accept usage-based overages, are a weaker fit.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Recording, editing, transcoding and archiving sit alongside live and on-demand streaming, supporting a sermon workflow from broadcast through reuse.
• Pro: Web embeds, podcast feeds, social streaming and free Apple and Android viewer apps offer several ways to reach audiences.
• Pro: Storage and bandwidth scale from 10 GB to 750 GB, with lower per-GB overage at higher tiers.
• Con: Overage fees can add up, especially on Audio Only at $1.00/GB or on low-capacity plans with frequent viewing.
• Con: Inactive accounts can lose access and eventually be purged, while downloadable backups cost extra.
• Con: Automated captions are absent, and the privacy policy says transmission and electronic storage cannot be guaranteed absolutely secure.

Alternatives

For a wider category comparison, see Church Streaming Software.

• ChurchSpring Live Streaming is worth considering for a church that prefers its Grow plan, which includes 25 GB storage and a live-streaming integration, with annual and monthly billing options.
• ShareFaith Church Streaming may suit an organization already using ShareFaith Suite, since streaming is offered as an add-on.
• Restream is a broader freemium option for teams wanting to broadcast to multiple channels; its free plan allows two channels at once and adds Restream branding.
• SermonCast is another paid sermon-streaming option, with a Starter plan that includes 1 TB data and 200 GB storage.
• BlizCast Radio & TV is a freemium option.
• Church Online Platform is a free option for churches seeking online services and attendee interaction rather than a paid media-storage tier.
• Gotedo Streams is a freemium option.
• Sardius is a paid option with custom pricing by quote.

Verdict

Sermon.net is a strong fit for ministries that need a single service for live and on-demand sermons, media preparation, distribution and a growing archive. Its broad playback routes and graduated storage plans are the main reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if automated captions are essential, or if account inactivity and overage terms make its media-retention model unsuitable.