Ormilio vs Proclaim
Ormilio vs Proclaim in plain words: what each one does, where each one shines, and how a church can use both on the same Sunday.
Churches often ask how Ormilio compares with Proclaim. The short answer is that they do different jobs. Proclaim runs the whole presentation from the church computer. Ormilio puts the words of the songs on everyone's phone and on the big screen. Here is a fair look at both, so you can choose what fits your group.
What Proclaim is
Proclaim is church presentation software from Faithlife, the makers of Logos Bible Software. It runs on Windows and Mac computers. Your team can plan the service together in the cloud, and then present it from the computer on Sunday. Proclaim says it is used by more than 18,000 churches.
It does a lot. It works with SongSelect, Planning Center, Logos and WorshipPlanning.com. It has features for a confidence monitor, live streaming, sermon transcription and more. Proclaim is a monthly subscription, with a 14-day free trial. Every plan has all the features, and there is no limit on how many people on your team can use it. The plans differ in how much media comes with them, from about a thousand items to tens of thousands. Proclaim also offers phone support every day of the week, Sundays included.
There is a free Proclaim Remote app for iPhone and Android, so the leader can move the slides from a phone. Proclaim also says people in the room can follow along on their own phones.
What Ormilio is
Ormilio is a simple web app for singing together. The leader picks songs from a small free library of public domain hymns, or pastes in their own words. They put today's songs in order and move forward from a phone. They can tap Next line by line, or set a number of seconds per line and let the words move on their own.
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
Where it runs. Proclaim is installed on a computer, and the presentation runs from there. Ormilio runs in the browser. The leader leads from a phone, so you do not need a church computer at all.
What it shows. Proclaim can show much more: media, Bible passages, live streams and full service plans. Ormilio shows plain words only: songs, prayers and readings. There are no chords, no audio, no video and no backgrounds. That is on purpose. It keeps Ormilio light, quick to learn and easy to read.
Who it is for. Proclaim is made for the people who plan and run the service: pastors, worship leaders and the tech team. Ormilio is made for the people in the seats. Proclaim mentions following along on phones as one feature among many. With Ormilio, it is the main thing: anyone can join in a few seconds, on almost any phone, with nothing to install.
Can you use both?
Yes. A church can keep Proclaim on the big screen for the whole service, with its media and Bible slides, and use Ormilio so everyone can follow the songs on their own phone. This helps people at the back, people who need bigger letters, and anyone who likes to scroll back to a verse.
Keep in mind that the two do not talk to each other. Someone moves Proclaim forward and someone moves Ormilio forward. In a small group, one person can do both.
Which one fits your group?
Proclaim is the better choice if your team wants to plan services together in the cloud, show media and Bible slides, stream the service, or link it with Logos and Planning Center. It is a full tool for a church with a projector and a team to run it.
Ormilio fits when you mainly want everyone to sing from the same words: a home group, a prayer meeting, a youth night, a choir, or a church with no projector at all. It also fits when you want to start for free and keep things very simple. And if you already use Proclaim, Ormilio can sit next to it and bring the words to every phone in the room.