Free worship presentation software: an honest comparison
We make one of the tools on this list, so read accordingly. We've still tried to describe the others fairly, because recommending the wrong tool to a church helps nobody.
The single most useful question to settle first is not which software is best. It's what hardware will actually be in the room on Sunday. That one answer eliminates most of this list immediately.
Start here: what will you be running it on?
You have a computer you can dedicate to projection
A laptop or desktop that lives at the church and doesn't get borrowed. In that case the mature free desktop options are open to you — OpenLP and FreeShow in particular are excellent and cost nothing.
You don't have a computer to spare
This is the common case for church plants, youth rooms, midweek meetings and congregations in places where a laptop is a significant purchase. Every traditional option on this list is off the table, because they all require a desktop OS. This is the gap GoSlide was built for.
The options
GoSlide
Runs on: any phone, tablet or computer with a browser.
A browser-based app: the phone is the controller, and the display shows an output page. Nothing to install, though it can be added to a home screen and works offline afterwards. Setlists sync across devices, and scripture search with multiple translations is built in.
Strengths: no hardware requirement beyond a phone, nothing to install, fast to learn, library follows you between devices.
Limits: no multi-screen or stage display, no advanced video or motion media, no broadcast integration. It is deliberately narrow.
Suits: churches without dedicated hardware or a trained media team.
OpenLP
Runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux.
The best-known free and open source option, and deservedly so. Mature, well documented, supports song databases, Bible versions, and importing from several other packages. An active community behind it.
Suits: churches with a dedicated computer and someone comfortable installing and configuring software.
FreeShow
Runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux.
A newer free and open source option with a noticeably more modern interface than most of the field, and stronger media handling. Worth a look if OpenLP feels dated to you.
Suits: churches wanting something free and modern-feeling, with a computer available.
OpenSong
Runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux.
Long-established and free, with good chord and lead-sheet handling alongside projection — genuinely useful if the same tool needs to serve musicians and the screen.
Suits: worship teams who want chord charts and projection from one song library.
Quelea
Runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux (Java).
Free and open source, with solid scheduling and video support. Requires a Java runtime, which is an extra installation step.
VideoPsalm
Runs on: Windows.
Free, lightweight, and includes a substantial built-in Bible and song library. Windows only.
At a glance
| Tool | Platform | Phone-capable | Install needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoSlide | Browser — any device | Yes | No |
| OpenLP | Windows, macOS, Linux | No | Yes |
| FreeShow | Windows, macOS, Linux | No | Yes |
| OpenSong | Windows, macOS, Linux | No | Yes |
| Quelea | Windows, macOS, Linux | No | Yes (plus Java) |
| VideoPsalm | Windows | No | Yes |
What about just using PowerPoint?
Plenty of churches do, and there's no shame in it. The cost shows up in two places: someone has to build every song as slides before the service, and changing the plan mid-service is clumsy. When the worship leader repeats a chorus you weren't expecting, purpose-built software lets you jump; a slide deck does not. If your services are tightly scripted and someone is happy to prepare the deck each week, it's a workable answer.
A practical recommendation
If you have a computer for projection, install OpenLP or FreeShow. They're free, they're mature, and they'll serve you for years.
If you don't — if the honest answer is "we have phones and a TV" — then the desktop options aren't really options, and that's the situation GoSlide exists for. It costs nothing to find out whether it works in your room.