Ready to reach more people with your online church services?
How to Stream Church Services Online
Your Guide to Streaming Platforms, Pros and Cons of Each, and How to Choose
✅ Streaming Platform Options
✅ Benefits / Downsides of Each
✅ How to Choose a Platform
Popular Free Streaming Platforms
Facebook Live
Many churches stream on Facebook because it’s free, convenient, and set up to help you connect with your congregation where they already are spending time. The comments foster community and notifications can alert people when you go live.
Benefits
- Free
- Easy to Use
- Accessible to Most People
- Built-in Notifications
- Comments for community
Downsides
- Difficult to get support
- Don’t own your content
- Takedowns and Muted Audio
- Unreliable/outages
- Ads on your stream
- Can shut down account
- Not built for discipleship – built to keep people on Facebook
- Livestreams Auto-Delete after 30 days
YouTube
YouTube is known for high-quality video and a massive global audience. It’s a great platform for long-form content, sermon archives, and reaching new people searching for answers. It’s free and easy to embed, so many churches choose this platform.
Benefits
- Free
- Easy to Use
- Accessible to Most People
- Great for long-form content
- Well-organized archive
Downsides
- Difficult to get support
- Takedowns and Muted Audio
- Don’t own your content
- Unreliable/outages
- Ads on your stream
- Hard to stand out
- Difficult Live chat moderation
Facebook Live Update 🔔
As of February 19, 2025: Facebook now automatically deletes Live Videos after 30 days.
This means that, if you choose to use Facebook Live as your streaming platform, you will not have a built-in sermon archive.
You will need to download each video, upload it to another platform, and pay for separate storage. If you choose Facebook Live as your streaming option, keep this in mind – this is affecting many churches!
Twitch
Originally built for gamers, Twitch offers strong live-streaming capabilities, reliable uptime, and real-time chat options.
Benefits
- Great streaming infrastructure
- Real-time chat
- Free and accessible
Downsides
- Mostly gamer audience
- Low discoverability
- Difficult moderation
Instagram Live
Instagram Live is casual and accessible, great for reaching younger audiences. It’s easy to go live quickly and get engagement.
Benefits
- Free and accessible
- Younger audience
- Spontaneous/short-form
Downsides
- Mobile-only live option
- Low video quality
- Not good for full-length
- Minimal archive options
Zoom/Google Meet
Video conferencing tools can double as makeshift live streams, especially for small groups or midweek devotionals.
Benefits
- Easy to schedule
- Easy to control access
- Familiar in a Work From Home culture
Downsides
- Difficult to make public
- Limited reach
- Awkward for large groups
- Manually set all settings
How to Choose a Platform
When choosing a streaming platform for your church, free platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube, Twitch, Instagram Live, Zoom, or Google Meet may feel like the obvious choice.
They’re easy to access, familiar to many people, and free.
However, as your ministry grows, you’ll quickly feel the limitations of these platforms. They have:
- Distracting ads
- Algorithm changes
- Copyright flags
- Lack of tools to connect with viewers
- Difficult support
- Aren’t designed with ministry in mind.
Choosing the right platform is more than just finding a free option – it’s about finding the best fit for your ministry.
The right platform will support your message, not compete with it.
Make sure you weigh the pros and cons when choosing the best option for your church live streaming.
StreamingChurch.TV
Tired of unwanted ads, music muted notifications, inconsistent embed codes, no customization options, and support channels where it’s impossible to get help? StreamingChurch.TV might be the right streaming platform for you. We’ll cover it in more detail in this article. You can try StreamingChurch.TV for free today:
StreamingChurch.TV
Tired of unwanted ads, music muted notifications, inconsistent embed codes, no customization options, and support channels where it’s impossible to get help? StreamingChurch.TV might be the right streaming platform for you. We’ll cover it in more detail in this article. You can try StreamingChurch.TV for free today:
*no credit card required
Which Features Does Your Church Need? 👇
As you choose a streaming platform for your church, it’s important to think beyond just what’s free or familiar. Consider which features actually support your mission.
Do you need a distraction-free environment? Do you want to embed the stream on your website? Is real customer support important to your team?
Not every platform offers the same level of control, customization, or ministry-focused tools. Take time to consider which features matter most to your church, and choose a platform that helps you not just stream a service, but actually engage and disciple your online congregation.
Which Platform is Right for You?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to streaming your church services. The best platform for your church depends on your goals, your audience, and the experience you want to create.
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to grow your digital ministry, it’s worth exploring tools that are built with churches in mind.
If you’re looking for a platform that’s distraction-free, customizable, and designed specifically for ministry, StreamingChurch.TV might be a great fit.
Start your free trial today and see if it’s a good fit for you – no credit card required!
*no credit card required
- NO unwanted ads
- Upload embed stream to website
- No TakeDowns or Muted Audio
- Customization and control
- Real customer support
- Detailed analytics
- Designed for ministry
- Protect against spammers + disruptions
Choose Your Plan - No Credit Card Required
Basic
- Unlimited Audience
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Live Agent Support 7 days a week (especially Sundays)
- No Activation Fee
- Up to 720p HD Streaming
Premium
- Unlimited Audience
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Live Agent Support 7 days a week (especially Sundays)
- No Activation Fee
- Ultra HD Streaming
- Unlimited On-Demand Video
Platinum
- Unlimited Audience
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Live Agent Support 7 days a week (especially Sundays)
- No Activation Fee
- Ultra HD Streaming
- Unlimited On-Demand Video
- Custom Branded Channel or App
- Facebook/Twitter/YouTube Integration
- Custom Roku/Apple TV Channel