FreeShow vs OpenLP
OpenLP
Free, open-source worship presentation software for songs, Bibles, media and slides.
- Open Source
- Free
Summary
- FreeShow is free, while OpenLP is free.
- Both are open source.
- Both run on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · Songs & lyrics: Import from other presentation software · Songs & lyrics: Paste or import plain-text lyrics · Songs & lyrics: Chord charts for musicians · Songs & lyrics: Motion backgrounds behind lyrics · Slides & presentations: PowerPoint · Slides & presentations: PDF · Media: Video playback · Media: Audio playback · Media: Images · Inputs & other sources: Live camera / capture card · Inputs & other sources: On-screen messages & alerts · Multilingual: Interface in multiple languages · Multilingual: Bible translations side by side · Software integrations: Planning Center · Hardware control: Stream Deck / Companion · Automation & extensibility: Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) · Screens & outputs: Stage display / confidence monitor · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline · Connectivity & collaboration: Remote control from phone or tablet.
Only in FreeShow
- Bible: Free translations included (partial in OpenLP)
- Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens
- Screens & outputs: Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) (partial in OpenLP)
Only in OpenLP
- Songs & lyrics: Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) (partial in FreeShow)
- Slides & presentations: Keynote (partial in FreeShow)
Based on confirmed data only. Unknown values are not counted.
Side by side
- Supported Supported
- Partial Partial
- Paid add-on or tier Paid add-on / tier
- Not supported Not supported
- Unknown Unknown
- * Hover or tap for note
| Product |
FreeShow
|
OpenLP
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | Free / Donation-supported | Free / Donation-supported |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0-only) | Yes (GPL-3.0-or-later) |
| Deployment | Desktop app | Desktop app |
| Status | active | active |
| Platforms | ||
| Windows | Supported | Supported |
| macOS | Supported | Supported |
| Linux | Supported | Supported |
| Web browser | Not supported | Not supported |
| iOS / iPadOS | Not supported | Not supported |
| Android | Not supported | Not supported |
| ChromeOS | Not supported | Not supported |
| Content | ||
| Songs & lyrics | Supported | Supported |
| Song library | Supported | Supported |
| Import from other presentation software | Supported: Imports from ProPresenter, EasyWorship, VideoPsalm, OpenLP/OpenLyrics, OpenSong, MediaShout, Quelea, SoftProjector, SongBeamer, EasySlides and VerseVIEW, plus ChordPro, CSV and Word. | Supported: Imports songs from over 25 formats including EasyWorship, ProPresenter, MediaShout, SongShow Plus, SongBeamer, OpenSong, ZionWorx and VideoPsalm. |
| Paste or import plain-text lyrics | Supported: Lyrics can be pasted into the Quick lyrics box when creating a show. | Supported |
| Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) | Partial: No SongSelect integration because CCLI discontinued its API; song lyrics can be pulled from Planning Center plans. | Supported: Songs can be imported from CCLI SongSelect from within OpenLP; this importer has occasionally broken when CCLI changed its website. |
| Chord charts for musicians | Supported: Chords can be added to song text and shown on the stage display. | Supported: Songs can store chords (ChordPro-style), shown in the browser Chord View with transposition and printable via export. |
| Motion backgrounds behind lyrics | Supported | Supported: Themes can use a looping video or a live stream as the background. |
| CCLI usage reporting | Partial: Song usage can be logged to a file and exported; reports are not submitted to CCLI automatically. | Partial: The Song Usage Tracking plugin records song usage and produces reports; submission to CCLI is manual. |
| Bible | Supported | Partial |
| Free translations included | Supported: Over 200 versions can be downloaded through API.Bible (online), or Zefania, OSIS, Beblia and OpenSong files imported. | Partial: No Bibles are bundled; free translations are imported from OSIS, Zefania, OpenSong, CSV, SWORD or WordProject files. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Partial: Some copyrighted versions are available through API.Bible; the docs do not list NIV or ESV. | Partial: Copyrighted versions can be downloaded on demand from BibleGateway, Bibleserver or Crosswalk; there is no licensed in-app catalogue. |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Supported: PowerPoint and PDF files are imported as slides; a deprecated controller mode drives an installed PowerPoint or Keynote. | Supported: Drives an installed PowerPoint or LibreOffice Impress to show the presentation. |
| Keynote | Partial: Keynote is only supported through the deprecated controller mode, which needs Keynote installed on macOS. | Supported: Keynote presentations are controlled through AppleScript on macOS with Keynote installed. |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Unknown |
| Canva | Supported: A Canva connection (OAuth) lets designs be browsed and used from FreeShow's content library. | Unknown |
| Supported | Supported | |
| Plays slide animations & transitions | Partial: Original slide animations only play in the deprecated PowerPoint/Keynote controller mode; FreeShow has its own transitions and item animations. | Partial: Animations play because OpenLP drives PowerPoint, Impress or Keynote itself; PDFs are shown as static images. |
| Media | Supported | Supported |
| Video playback | Supported | Supported: In the 3.x series audio and video playback uses VLC; OpenLP 4.0 alphas switch to Qt Multimedia. |
| Audio playback | Supported | Supported |
| Images | Supported | Supported |
| YouTube / online video | Supported: YouTube and Vimeo videos can be played by pasting a link. | Unknown |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Supported: Cameras, screens and windows can be shown from the media drawer. | Supported: Capture devices can be shown as a Device Stream media item, and network streams are also supported. |
| Screen sharing | Supported | Unknown |
| Web pages | Supported | Unknown |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Supported | Unknown |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Supported: Any number of overlays can be layered over slides for announcements and messages. | Supported: The Alerts plugin overlays a scrolling message on the live display. |
| Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) | Supported: Interaction slides (join, question, chart, leaderboard) let the audience take part from their phones. | Unknown |
| Languages | ||
| Multilingual | Supported | Supported |
| Interface in multiple languages | Supported: The interface is translated into about 30 languages. | Supported: The interface is translated into about 30 languages. |
| Songs in other languages | Supported | Unknown |
| Bibles in other languages | Supported | Unknown |
| Bilingual lyrics on screen | Supported: Songs can carry translations that are shown together with the original lyrics. | Unknown |
| Bible translations side by side | Supported: Scripture collections show several versions at the same time. | Supported: A second Bible version can be selected to show the same passage alongside the first. |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Supported: Text items have a right-to-left option, and the interface has an Arabic translation. | Unknown |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Supported | Supported |
| Planning Center | Supported: Downloads upcoming Planning Center service plans; ChurchApps (B1.church) and OnStage are also supported. | Supported: The PlanningCenter plugin imports service plans from the Planning Center Online v2 API. |
| ChurchSuite | Unknown | Unknown |
| WorshipTools Planning | Unknown | Unknown |
| Hardware control | Supported | Supported |
| MIDI | Supported: Can receive MIDI to trigger actions and slides and send MIDI on slide changes. | Unknown |
| DMX lighting | Unknown | Unknown |
| Stream Deck / Companion | Supported: Bitfocus Companion is supported for Stream Deck control. | Supported: Bitfocus Companion has an OpenLP module that uses the OpenLP HTTP API. |
| Automation & extensibility | Supported | Supported |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Supported: WebSocket and REST API, enabled in Connections settings. | Supported: HTTP REST (v2) and WebSocket API, used by the web remote and mobile apps. |
| Plugins / extensions | Unknown | Partial: Features are organised as built-in plugins that can be switched on or off; there is no third-party plugin store. |
| Built-in scripting / macros | Unknown | Unknown |
| Webhooks / triggers to other systems | Supported: Emitter templates send HTTP, OSC or MIDI messages from slides and actions. | Unknown |
| MCP server for AI assistants | Unknown | Unknown |
| AI features (e.g. verse detection, lyric formatting) | Supported: Optional AI features include speech-to-text transcription with automatic scripture detection and an LLM assistant (local or cloud models). | Unknown |
| Presenting & control | ||
| Screens & outputs | Supported | Supported |
| Multiple audience screens | Supported | Not supported: OpenLP projects to a single display screen; the source notes multi-monitor output is not yet supported (a custom geometry can span screens). |
| Stage display / confidence monitor | Supported | Supported |
| Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming | Supported: Outputs can have their own styles and an alpha key output for keying lyrics over video. | Unknown |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Supported: OutputShow serves an output as a web page on the local network. | Partial: The browser Main View mirrors the projector using screenshots, without audio or video. |
| Broadcast video | Supported | Unknown |
| NDI | Supported | Unknown |
| SDI | Supported: Blackmagic DeckLink and UltraStudio outputs are supported. | Unknown |
| Built-in streaming & recording | Supported | Unknown |
| Stream to any RTMP destination | Supported: Outputs can be streamed over RTMP (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Live) or WebRTC/WHIP. | Unknown |
| YouTube Live | Supported | Unknown |
| Facebook Live | Supported | Unknown |
| Record the output to a file | Supported: Outputs and captured screens can be recorded to a file. | Unknown |
| TV output | Unknown | Unknown |
| Apple TV app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Android / Google TV app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fire TV app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roku app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Chromecast / AirPlay | Unknown | Unknown |
| Connectivity & collaboration | Supported | Supported |
| Cloud sync of library | Supported: The library can be synced across computers through cloud sync (e.g. Google Drive or ChurchApps). | Unknown |
| Works fully offline | Supported | Supported |
| Remote control from phone or tablet | Supported | Supported: Built-in web remote plus Android and iOS remote apps. |
| Multiple operators at once | Unknown | Unknown |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Unknown | Unknown |
Other comparisons
- FreeShow vs BibleShow
- OpenLP vs BibleShow
- FreeShow vs Big Screen
- OpenLP vs Big Screen
- FreeShow vs Cantara
- OpenLP vs Cantara
- FreeShow vs ChurchPresenter
- OpenLP vs ChurchPresenter
- FreeShow vs Cloud of Worship
- OpenLP vs Cloud of Worship
- FreeShow vs EasiSlides
- OpenLP vs EasiSlides
- FreeShow vs EasyWorship
- OpenLP vs EasyWorship
- FreeShow vs Holyrics
- OpenLP vs Holyrics
- FreeShow vs KerkBeamer
- OpenLP vs KerkBeamer
- FreeShow vs LyricDisplay
- OpenLP vs LyricDisplay
- FreeShow vs MediaShout
- OpenLP vs MediaShout
- FreeShow vs OpenSong
- OpenLP vs OpenSong