ProPresenter vs Quelea
ProPresenter
Live presentation and production software for worship services, events and broadcast.
- Subscription
- Free Trial
Summary
- ProPresenter is paid ($289/year (one seat)), while Quelea is free.
- Quelea is open source (GPL-3.0-or-later); ProPresenter is proprietary.
- Both run on Windows and macOS.
- Note: Quelea is no longer actively maintained.
- Both support: Songs & lyrics: Song library · Songs & lyrics: Paste or import plain-text lyrics · Songs & lyrics: Chord charts for musicians · Songs & lyrics: Motion backgrounds behind lyrics · Bible: Free translations included · Slides & presentations: PowerPoint · Media: Video playback · Media: Audio playback · Media: Images · Inputs & other sources: Web pages · Inputs & other sources: Countdown timers & clocks · Inputs & other sources: On-screen messages & alerts · Software integrations: Planning Center · Screens & outputs: Stage display / confidence monitor · Connectivity & collaboration: Works fully offline · Connectivity & collaboration: Remote control from phone or tablet.
Only in ProPresenter
- Songs & lyrics: Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) (partial in Quelea)
- Automation & extensibility: Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) (partial in Quelea)
Only in Quelea
- Runs on Linux
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 |
ProPresenter
|
Quelea
|
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Price | $289/year (one seat)Free trial | Free |
| Open source | No | Yes (GPL-3.0-or-later) |
| Deployment | Desktop app | Desktop app |
| Status | active | maintenance |
| Platforms | ||
| Windows | Supported | Supported |
| macOS | Supported | Supported |
| Linux | Not 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 | Unknown | Supported: Imports from EasyWorship, ProPresenter, MediaShout, OpenLP, OpenSong, SongBeamer, VideoPsalm, ZionWorx, SongPro, Sunday Plus, EasySlides and more, plus Elvanto plans. |
| Paste or import plain-text lyrics | Supported | Supported: Plain-text song files (with optional ChordPro chords) can be imported, and lyrics can be typed or pasted into the song editor. |
| Automatic lyrics import (e.g. SongSelect, online sources) | Supported: Requires a SongSelect subscription and CCLI licence. | Partial: Imports downloaded SongSelect USR files; no direct online SongSelect connection. |
| Chord charts for musicians | Supported: Chord charts can be shown on stage screens (e.g. from Planning Center or MultiTracks). | Supported: Songs can hold chord lines, which can be transposed, printed and shown on the stage view. |
| Motion backgrounds behind lyrics | Supported | Supported: Themes can use a video as the background. |
| CCLI usage reporting | Supported: Songs triggered from presentations with a CCLI number can be auto-reported once SongSelect is signed in. | Unknown |
| Bible | Supported | Supported |
| Free translations included | Supported: 130+ translations in 25+ languages are available in the Bible module. | Supported: KJV, ASV, RSV and NET Bibles ship with Quelea; further Bibles use the Zefania XML format. |
| Licensed translations (NIV, ESV, etc.) | Paid add-on or tier: Some translations are sold separately. | Unknown |
| Slides & presentations | Supported | Supported |
| PowerPoint | Supported: Since 21.2, .pptx files can be imported natively as editable presentations without PowerPoint installed. | Supported: Displays PowerPoint and PDF files, optionally driving an installed PowerPoint on Windows. |
| Keynote | Partial: Keynote files are not converted; on Mac they are triggered from a playlist and Keynote takes over the output. | Unknown |
| Google Slides | Unknown | Unknown |
| Canva | Unknown | Unknown |
| Unknown | Supported | |
| Plays slide animations & transitions | Partial: The native PowerPoint importer keeps simple builds and transitions; emphasis and some other animations are not supported. | Partial: Animations only play when Quelea is set to use an installed PowerPoint (Windows). |
| Media | Supported | Supported |
| Video playback | Supported | Supported |
| Audio playback | Supported | Supported |
| Images | Supported | Supported |
| YouTube / online video | Unknown | Supported |
| Inputs & other sources | Supported | Supported |
| Live camera / capture card | Supported | Unknown |
| Screen sharing | Supported: AirCast (added in 18) receives AirPlay screens and audio as inputs. | Unknown |
| Web pages | Supported: Web pages can be shown as a web fill on slides. | Supported: Websites can be displayed, with documented limitations. |
| Countdown timers & clocks | Supported | Supported |
| On-screen messages & alerts | Supported | Supported: Notices scroll across the projected display a set number of times. |
| 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 over 20 languages. |
| Songs in other languages | Unknown | Supported |
| Bibles in other languages | Supported | Unknown |
| Bilingual lyrics on screen | Unknown | Supported: A song translation can be shown together with the default lyrics. |
| Bible translations side by side | Supported: Multiple translations can be shown on one slide using a theme with one text box per translation. | Unknown |
| Non-Latin & right-to-left scripts | Supported | Unknown |
| Integrations | ||
| Software integrations | Supported | Supported |
| Planning Center | Supported: Planning Center Services plans can be added as playlists; requires a separate Planning Center subscription. | Supported: Imports schedules from Planning Center Online. |
| ChurchSuite | Unknown | Unknown |
| WorshipTools Planning | Unknown | Unknown |
| Hardware control | Supported | Unknown |
| MIDI | Supported | Unknown |
| DMX lighting | Supported | Unknown |
| Stream Deck / Companion | Supported: Official Elgato Stream Deck plugin since 7.9; Bitfocus Companion also has a ProPresenter module. | Unknown |
| Automation & extensibility | Supported | Partial |
| Network API (HTTP / WebSocket) | Supported: Public network API (OpenAPI spec) introduced in ProPresenter 7.9; older TCP/IP control also exists. | Partial: The Mobile Remote HTTP server exposes endpoints (next, previous, lyrics, schedule, search) but is not documented as a public API. |
| Plugins / extensions | Unknown | Unknown |
| Built-in scripting / macros | Supported: Macros run multi-step action sequences from a slide, a device or on demand. | 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: Up to 8 unique outputs; multiple computers can be linked with Network Link. | Unknown |
| Stage display / confidence monitor | Supported | Supported |
| Lower thirds / alpha key for streaming | Supported: Separate key/fill outputs are available for broadcast graphics. | Unknown |
| Output as a web page (TVs, OBS / vMix browser source) | Unknown | Partial: Mobile Lyrics shows the current lyrics as a web page on the local network. |
| Broadcast video | Supported | Unknown |
| NDI | Supported | Unknown |
| SDI | Supported | Unknown |
| Built-in streaming & recording | Supported | Unknown |
| Stream to any RTMP destination | Supported: The Capture feature streams any output over RTMP, records it to disk, or both; Resi streaming is also supported. | Unknown |
| YouTube Live | Supported | Unknown |
| Facebook Live | Supported | Unknown |
| Record the output to a file | Supported | Unknown |
| TV output | Paid add-on or tier | Unknown |
| Apple TV app | Paid add-on or tier: Via ProDisplay (separate per-screen subscription), which runs on Apple TV and select Google TV devices. | Unknown |
| Android / Google TV app | Paid add-on or tier: Via ProDisplay on select Google TV devices (separate per-screen subscription). | Unknown |
| Fire TV app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Roku app | Unknown | Unknown |
| Chromecast / AirPlay | Unknown | Unknown |
| Connectivity & collaboration | Supported | Supported |
| Cloud sync of library | Supported: ProPresenter Cloud syncs playlists, media and settings between machines. | Unknown |
| Works fully offline | Supported | Supported |
| Remote control from phone or tablet | Supported: ProPresenter Remote app is included with an active subscription. | Supported: Web-based Mobile Remote and a Quelea Mobile Remote app. |
| Multiple operators at once | Partial: ProPresenter Cloud (beta in 22) lets others prepare playlists and make mid-service changes while an operator presents. | Unknown |
| Web native (runs in a browser) | Not supported | Unknown |
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