Ormilio vs MediaShout

MediaShout and Ormilio both help a church show the words of songs. But they start from different places. MediaShout is made for the screens at the front of the room. Ormilio is made so everyone can follow the words on their own phone, and on the big screen too. Here is how they compare, in plain words.

What MediaShout is

MediaShout is church presentation software for the computer. MediaShout 7 runs on Windows 10 and 11, and there is a separate Mac version. It is made with volunteers in mind, so people without a tech background can run it on Sunday. MediaShout says more than 80,000 churches have used it, from congregations of 25 people to 25,000.

It comes with more than 2,300 song lyrics and 70 Bible translations. It has separate control and main screens, and the higher plans add a stage or confidence display. You can even buy a computer that comes ready with MediaShout on it.

MediaShout is a one-time purchase, not a monthly subscription. The price is in the hundreds of dollars. There is a 14-day free trial with no watermark, and you can use it in real services while you try it.

What Ormilio is

Ormilio is a simple web app. The leader picks songs from a small free library of public domain hymns, or pastes in their own words, and puts today's songs in order. Then they move forward from a phone, live with a tap, or with a timer that moves on after a set number of seconds per line.

Everyone else joins by scanning a QR code, tapping a WhatsApp link or typing a short join number. There is no app to install, no account and no password. The words open on each phone, with bigger letters, dark mode, scroll back and a tap to catch up. The big screen shows the same words full screen, easy to read from the back.

Ormilio is free forever for up to 10 songs and 20 people at once. Ormilio Plus costs $10 a month, paid in your own currency, and removes those limits. It works in any language and any alphabet.

The main differences, in plain words

The computer. MediaShout is installed on a church computer, and that computer runs the screens. Ormilio needs no computer and nothing to install. The leader leads from a phone, and everyone else uses the phone already in their pocket.

The phones. MediaShout's focus is the big screen and the stage display. Ormilio's main job is putting the same line on every phone at the same moment, so the back row and people with weaker eyes can read easily.

What it shows. MediaShout is a full presentation tool, with Bibles and a large song collection built in. Ormilio shows plain words only: songs, prayers and readings. No chords, no audio, no video, no backgrounds. Its free song library is small and has public domain hymns.

How you pay. MediaShout is a one-time purchase. Ormilio starts free and stays free for small groups. Larger groups pay $10 a month for Ormilio Plus.

Can you use both?

Yes. Many churches will want to keep MediaShout on the big screen, with its Bible slides and full service. Ormilio can then put the song words on everyone's phone at the same time. People join with a QR code, so there is nothing for your volunteers to set up on their phones.

The two tools do not connect to each other. One person moves MediaShout forward, and someone moves Ormilio forward. In a smaller room, one person can do both.

Which one fits your group?

MediaShout is the better choice if you want one program on the church computer to run everything on the screens: songs, Bible passages, separate control and main screens, and a stage display. It also suits churches that prefer to pay once instead of every month.

Ormilio fits groups that mainly want everyone singing from the same words, with no computer and no setup: home groups, prayer meetings, choirs, youth nights, or a church with no projector. And if you already have MediaShout, Ormilio can sit beside it and bring the words to every phone in the room.