You Do Not Need to Pay Hundreds a Year

Church projection software can get expensive. Annual licenses for the big commercial tools add up, especially for smaller congregations watching every line of the budget. The good news is that several solid free tools exist, each with different strengths. Some have been around for years. Others are newer and solve problems the older tools never tried to.

This article compares four options: FreeShow, OpenLP, Quelea, and Vies. We will be honest about what each one does well and where it falls short.

FreeShow

FreeShow is an open-source presentation tool built specifically for churches. It handles worship lyrics, slides, media playback, and stage displays. The interface is modern and actively maintained. If you have used ProPresenter or EasyWorship before, the workflow will feel familiar.

What it does well:

  • Full service management with lyrics, slides, scripture, and media in one place
  • Clean, modern UI that does not feel like software from 2010
  • Stage display support for confidence monitors
  • Active development with regular updates
  • Completely free and open source

Where it falls short:

  • No AI-powered features for automatic verse detection or sermon transcription
  • Smaller community than some of the older tools, so fewer YouTube tutorials and forum threads to search when you get stuck

Best for: Churches that want a full-featured, modern presentation tool without paying for a commercial license.

If you are already using FreeShow and want to add automated verse projection during sermons, read our FreeShow integration guide. Vies and FreeShow work well side by side.

OpenLP

OpenLP has been around since 2004. It is the veteran of open-source church projection. Over two decades of development means the software is stable and well-tested. It handles song lyrics, Bible text display, image and video backgrounds, and even projector control via PJLink.

What it does well:

  • Rock-solid stability from years of production use
  • Built-in song database with import support from many commercial tools
  • Bible text projection with multiple translations
  • Remote control via web browser on phones and tablets
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Where it falls short:

  • The interface looks dated compared to newer tools
  • Development pace has slowed compared to its earlier years
  • No NDI output or streaming-focused features

Best for: Churches that value proven stability and wide platform support over a polished UI. If you use OpenLP and want automated verse projection during sermons, Vies integrates directly with OpenLP’s REST API — select OpenLP as your presentation target in Vies settings and detected verses are sent to OpenLP automatically.

Quelea

Quelea is a Java-based projection tool that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its standout feature is a dedicated mobile remote app for iOS and Android that lets you control the projection from a phone or tablet without needing a web browser. It handles Bible and song projection with multiple translation support, and you can import songs from other tools. The cross-platform consistency is genuine — it works the same way on all three operating systems. On the other hand, the Java dependency makes installation a bit more involved than a native app, the UI is functional rather than polished, and the development team is small with a slower update cycle. If your church wants reliable mobile control of the projection, or runs Linux on the projection computer, Quelea is worth a look.

Vies

Vies takes a different approach. Rather than replacing your existing projection software, it adds capabilities on top of what you already use. All features are available during the current preview period — there is no paywall.

Vies runs AI-powered speech recognition directly on your machine to transcribe the sermon in real time. When the minister references a Bible verse, whether by quoting the text or naming the reference, Vies detects it and sends it to your projection output automatically. No one has to sit at the desk searching for verses.

What it does well:

  • AI-powered verse detection from live sermon audio — the only tool in this list that does this
  • Direct integration with EasyWorship, FreeShow, and OpenLP via their respective APIs
  • NDI output with a visual canvas editor for designing verse overlays
  • Floating overlay window that sits on top of any other projection software
  • Cross-device sharing — one device runs transcription and broadcasts detected verses to other Vies instances on the local network via WebSocket and mDNS
  • Song lyrics editor, countdown timer, and multi-display support
  • Audio processing runs on-device by default with zero cloud dependency

Where it falls short:

  • Windows only — no macOS or Linux support
  • Not a full standalone presentation tool on its own
  • Requires AI model downloads on first launch (466 MB to 1.5 GB)

Best for: Churches where the projection operator struggles to keep up with verse references during sermons, especially when the minister moves quickly between passages.

The speech engine comes in three tiers: Best (1.5 GB, GPU required), Standard (834 MB), and Lite (466 MB, no GPU needed). An optional Cloud AI mode sends transcript text (not audio) to Gemini for improved verse matching. Read how the AI scripture detection works for the technical details.

Feature Comparison

FeatureFreeShowOpenLPQueleaVies
Song lyricsYesYesYesYes
Bible displayYesYesYesOverlay + auto-detect
Media playbackYesYesYesYes
AI verse detectionNoNoNoYes
NDI outputNoNoNoYes
Cross-device sharingNoNoNoYes
Multi-displayYesYesYesYes
Mobile remoteNoYesYesNo
EasyWorship integrationNoNoNoYes
FreeShow integration—NoNoYes
OpenLP integrationNo—NoYes
PriceFreeFreeFreeFree (preview)
WindowsYesYesYesYes
macOSYesYesYesNo
LinuxYesYesYesNo

Our Honest Recommendation

If you need a complete free projection tool to run your entire service, start with FreeShow or OpenLP. FreeShow if you want a modern interface, OpenLP if you want maximum stability and platform support. Both are solid choices that thousands of churches rely on every week.

If your specific pain point is the sermon, the moment when a minister rattles off verse references faster than your projection operator can type, that is where Vies fits in. It is not trying to replace FreeShow or OpenLP. It works alongside them. Your operator runs the main service in their preferred tool. Vies handles the verse detection layer on top.

The combination of FreeShow or OpenLP for your main presentation workflow and Vies for automated verse projection during sermons gives you a capable stack without paying for commercial software licenses. All Vies features are available during the current preview period.

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