OpenLP vs FreeShow vs OpenMico: Free Church Software Compared

OpenLP, FreeShow and OpenMico are three of the strongest free church presentation tools in 2026, and all three run on Windows, macOS and Linux. OpenLP is the long-standing open-source workhorse, FreeShow is the feature-rich open-source newcomer, and OpenMico is a free core app that adds live sermon listening and spoken verse detection. The right choice comes down to your outputs, your volunteers and how much help you want during the sermon.

What do OpenLP, FreeShow and OpenMico have in common?

All three cover the essentials of a Sunday service at no cost:

• song lyrics on screen, organised into verses and choruses
• Bible verses, searchable and projected on demand
• slides, images and video in a running order
• a separate stage view or stage display for the band and preacher
• installation on Windows, macOS and Linux

None of them requires a paid subscription for those basics. That makes each a genuine option for small churches, church plants and any team that wants to stop paying per seat.

OpenLP vs FreeShow vs OpenMico at a glance

Details as of October 2026, from each project's official materials.

"Not found" and "Not mentioned" mean we found nothing in official materials as of October 2026; check each project for updates.

How do they compare in depth?

Songs and lyrics

OpenLP has strong song handling: it imports songs from several formats, supports verse tagging and lets you set a verse order. FreeShow offers lyric search that creates slides for you. OpenMico's song library stores sectioned lyrics and turns them into clean, readable lyric slides, styled by the theme designer. The worship lyrics projection page explains its approach.

Bibles and scripture

OpenLP imports Bibles from several formats and can download verses from Bible websites. FreeShow offers one-click scripture slides. OpenMico ships with KJV and the World English Bible, offers more historical editions as downloads, and lets you import translations such as NIV or ESV where your church holds the rights. It also lets each output show its own translation, so the room and the stream can differ.

Whichever you use, remember that licensing still applies to modern translations. Even the older texts need care: the World English Bible is public domain, but the KJV is under Crown copyright in the UK, so it is not public domain everywhere. If your church shows several translations, keep a simple list of which ones you use and the permission each relies on, so new volunteers do not add text you are not licensed to show. This is general information, not legal advice; check each publisher's terms and your CCLI licence.

Help during the sermon

This is where the three differ most. OpenLP and FreeShow expect the operator to search for each verse. OpenMico can listen with optional live transcription (on-device transcription is free and unlimited) and detect references spoken aloud, such as "John 3:16" or "Romans chapter eight", queuing them in Preview. On the Pro and Max plans, AI recognises passages that are described rather than cited. Every reference is checked against the installed Bible, and the operator always decides what goes live. Read how automatic Bible verse detection works for the detail.

Outputs and livestreaming

FreeShow has a broad set of outputs, including NDI and separate in-person and online outputs. OpenMico offers full-screen displays, stage displays, an OBS Browser Source over HTTP and NDI output (video only, needing a compatible NDI runtime), each with its own theme, layout and translation. OpenLP's browser-based stage view is handy because it needs no extra monitor: any device with a browser can show it.

Remote control and teams

OpenLP and FreeShow both have mobile remotes, and FreeShow adds MIDI control and cloud sync for people working on different computers. OpenMico's documentation does not list a mobile remote, so check it if remote control matters to your team. It keeps service plans, Bibles and themes on the local computer, and workspaces can be exported as .openmico files to move between machines.

Open source

If open-source code matters to your church, for example so a volunteer developer can inspect or contribute to it, OpenLP and FreeShow are the options in this comparison published under the GPL.

Ease of use for volunteers

All three are designed to be run by volunteers, but each feels different in practice, so the only reliable test is to put your own team in front of them. Watch for three moments in particular: adding a new song the week before, changing the running order at the last minute, and finding a verse the preacher has just announced. The third is the one that most often catches volunteers out, and it is where OpenMico's spoken verse detection is intended to help, because the reference is already waiting in Preview when the operator looks up.

How should you test free church presentation software?

A fair comparison takes one evening per app if you follow the same steps each time.

1. Install it on the computer you will use on Sunday, not a newer laptop at home. Installation guides for OpenMico are in the installation docs.
2. Recreate last Sunday's service: four or five songs, two readings, the notices and a sermon slide or two.
3. Set up your outputs: projector, stage display and, if you stream, the feed to OBS or your streaming computer.
4. Apply your church's look: fonts, colours and a background for lyrics and scripture.
5. Run it with a volunteer who has not seen the app before, and note where they hesitate.
6. Test a surprise: ask someone to call out a verse mid-run and see how quickly it reaches the screen.
7. Score each app on the same short list, then decide together.

Who should choose which?

There is no wrong answer among these three; each runs a Sunday service well. For paid options as well, see the best worship presentation software in 2026.

What about Quelea and other free options?

Quelea is another free, open-source (GPL-3.0) project, with a stage view that can show chords, a mobile lyrics view in any browser, and song import from EasyWorship, OpenLP, OpenSong and others. Its latest release is v2024.0 from February 2024, and its repository was last updated in May 2026, so it is low-activity rather than abandoned. If you are comparing OpenLP vs Quelea, check its current platform support before installing.

Holyrics also has a free core app with Linux builds, and is especially popular in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking churches. Our guide to free church presentation software covers what "free" includes across all of these.

Try them side by side

All three are free to install, so the fairest test is to build the same service in each and let your volunteers choose. Download OpenMico to see how the listening features feel in a real rehearsal.