LyricDisplay vs OpenLP
LyricDisplay
Open-source lyric control app with outputs for projectors, stage displays, OBS and vMix.
- Open Source
- Free
OpenLP
Free, open-source worship presentation software for songs, Bibles, media and slides.
- Open Source
- Free
Summary
- LyricDisplay 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: Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) · Songs & lyrics: Motion backgrounds behind lyrics · 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 LyricDisplay
- Screens & outputs: Multiple audience screens
- Screens & outputs: Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) (partial in OpenLP)
Only in OpenLP
- Slides & presentations: PowerPoint (partial in LyricDisplay)
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 |
LyricDisplay
|
OpenLP
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | Free / Donation-supported | Free / Donation-supported |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0-or-later) | 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: EasyWorship song databases can be imported, keeping title, writers, copyright and CCLI number. | 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: Imports text, LRC, Markdown, RTF and DOCX files, and lyrics can be pasted from websites. | Supported |
| Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) | Supported: Built-in online lyric search via LRCLIB, Lyrics.ovh and OpenHymnal. | 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 | Unknown | Supported: Songs can store chords (ChordPro-style), shown in the browser Chord View with transposition and printable via export. |
| Motion backgrounds behind lyrics | Supported: Each output can have its own image or video background. | Supported: Themes can use a looping video or a live stream as the background. |
| CCLI usage reporting | Unknown | Partial: The Song Usage Tracking plugin records song usage and produces reports; submission to CCLI is manual. |
| Bible | Unknown | Partial |
| Free translations included | Unknown | Partial: No Bibles are bundled; free translations are imported from OSIS, Zefania, OpenSong, CSV, SWORD or WordProject files. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Unknown | Partial: Copyrighted versions can be downloaded on demand from BibleGateway, Bibleserver or Crosswalk; there is no licensed in-app catalogue. |
| Slides & presentations | Partial | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Partial: PowerPoint files are imported as lyric slides (one text slide per PowerPoint slide); it is not a general slide player. | Supported: Drives an installed PowerPoint or LibreOffice Impress to show the presentation. |
| Keynote | Unknown | Supported: Keynote presentations are controlled through AppleScript on macOS with Keynote installed. |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Unknown |
| Canva | Unknown | Unknown |
| Unknown | Supported | |
| Plays slide animations & transitions | Unknown | Partial: Animations play because OpenLP drives PowerPoint, Impress or Keynote itself; PDFs are shown as static images. |
| Media | Unknown | Supported |
| Video playback | Unknown | Supported: In the 3.x series audio and video playback uses VLC; OpenLP 4.0 alphas switch to Qt Multimedia. |
| Audio playback | Unknown | Supported |
| Images | Unknown | Supported |
| YouTube / online video | Unknown | Unknown |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Unknown | Supported: Capture devices can be shown as a Device Stream media item, and network streams are also supported. |
| Screen sharing | Unknown | Unknown |
| Web pages | Unknown | Unknown |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Supported: A separate timer display driven by a schedule/agenda. | Unknown |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Unknown | Supported: The Alerts plugin overlays a scrolling message on the live display. |
| Audience interaction (polls, Q&A, Slido, follow along) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Languages | ||
| Multilingual | Supported | Supported |
| Interface in multiple languages | Unknown | Supported: The interface is translated into about 30 languages. |
| Songs in other languages | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bibles in other languages | Unknown | Unknown |
| Bilingual lyrics on screen | Supported: Translation lines can be grouped with each lyric line and shown together. | Unknown |
| Bible translations side by side | Unknown | Supported: A second Bible version can be selected to show the same passage alongside the first. |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Unknown | Unknown |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Unknown | Supported |
| Planning Center | Unknown | 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: MIDI and OSC control. | Unknown |
| DMX lighting | Unknown | Unknown |
| Stream Deck / Companion | Unknown | Supported: Bitfocus Companion has an OpenLP module that uses the OpenLP HTTP API. |
| Automation & extensibility | Supported | Supported |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Supported: Documented HTTP (OpenAPI) and Socket.IO realtime APIs. | 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 | Unknown | Unknown |
| MCP server for AI assistants | Unknown | Unknown |
| AI features (e.g. verse detection, lyric formatting) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Presenting & control | ||
| Screens & outputs | Supported | Supported |
| Multiple audience screens | Supported: Two default lyric outputs plus up to four custom outputs, a stage display and a timer display. | 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 be added as transparent browser sources in OBS, vMix and Wirecast. | Unknown |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Supported: Every output is a browser URL that can be opened on other devices on the LAN or in streaming software. | Partial: The browser Main View mirrors the projector using screenshots, without audio or video. |
| Broadcast video | Paid add-on or tier | Unknown |
| NDI | Paid add-on or tier: NDI output requires the separately downloaded (free) LyricDisplay NDI companion. | Unknown |
| SDI | Unknown | Unknown |
| Built-in streaming & recording | Unknown | Unknown |
| Stream to any RTMP destination | Unknown | Unknown |
| YouTube Live | Unknown | Unknown |
| Facebook Live | Unknown | Unknown |
| Record the output to a file | Unknown | 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 | Unknown | Unknown |
| Works fully offline | Supported | Supported |
| Remote control from phone or tablet | Supported: Join-code-protected mobile/web controllers. | 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
- LyricDisplay vs BibleShow
- OpenLP vs BibleShow
- LyricDisplay vs Big Screen
- OpenLP vs Big Screen
- LyricDisplay vs Cantara
- OpenLP vs Cantara
- LyricDisplay vs ChurchPresenter
- OpenLP vs ChurchPresenter
- LyricDisplay vs Cloud of Worship
- OpenLP vs Cloud of Worship
- LyricDisplay vs EasiSlides
- OpenLP vs EasiSlides
- LyricDisplay vs EasyWorship
- OpenLP vs EasyWorship
- LyricDisplay vs FreeShow
- OpenLP vs FreeShow
- LyricDisplay vs Holyrics
- OpenLP vs Holyrics
- LyricDisplay vs KerkBeamer
- OpenLP vs KerkBeamer
- LyricDisplay vs MediaShout
- OpenLP vs MediaShout
- LyricDisplay vs OpenSong
- OpenLP vs OpenSong