Ormilio vs ProPresenter

Many churches wonder if they need ProPresenter or something simpler. The honest answer is that the two do different jobs. ProPresenter is made for the team at the computer who runs everything on the screens. Ormilio is made for the people in the room, so everyone can read the words on their own phone.

Here is what each one does, in plain words, so you can choose what fits your group. Or use both.

What ProPresenter is

ProPresenter is presentation software from Renewed Vision. It runs on a Mac or Windows computer. It is built for live production, and churches are one of the places it is used, along with schools, broadcast, sports and business.

In a church, ProPresenter puts lyrics, Bible verses, videos and other visuals on the screens. It has a stage display, so singers and musicians can see what is coming next. A remote app for phones and tablets lets the operator move the slides without sitting at the computer. It works with Planning Center and CCLI SongSelect, and with music tools like MultiTracks, Ableton and MIDI. There is also a large paid library of visuals.

ProPresenter is paid software, priced per computer, with a free trial.

What Ormilio is

Ormilio is a simple web app for showing the words of songs and readings. The leader picks songs from the free library of public domain hymns and royalty-free songs, or pastes in their own words. Each verse becomes a slide. Then the leader puts today's songs in order and moves forward from a phone. They can tap Next line by line, or set the 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 and no account to make. The words open on each phone, on the same line as the big screen. Each person can make the letters bigger, switch to dark mode, scroll back, and tap to catch up. The big screen shows the same words full screen, easy to read from the back.

Ormilio shows plain lyrics and readings only, in any language and alphabet. There are no chords, no audio, no video and no backgrounds. It is free forever for up to 10 songs and 20 people at once. Ormilio Plus costs $10 a month, paid in your own currency.

The main differences

Who it is for. ProPresenter's phone apps are for the team: the remote moves the slides, and the stage display helps the musicians. People in the seats read the big screen. With Ormilio, everyone can also read the words on their own phone. That helps the back row, people who need bigger letters, and rooms with no projector at all.

What you need. ProPresenter needs a computer, and usually someone who knows it well. Ormilio opens in the browser. The leader only needs a phone, and everyone else uses the phone they already have.

How much it does. ProPresenter does a lot: videos, backgrounds, Bible slides, several screens and a full production. That is a real strength, and it takes time to learn. Ormilio does one thing, the words, so there is very little to learn. It is free for small groups, while ProPresenter is paid for every computer.

Can you use both?

Yes. Keep ProPresenter on the big screen for the full service, and add Ormilio so everyone can follow on their phone. This can help the back rows, an overflow room, or anyone who reads better up close.

They are separate tools. Today's songs go into Ormilio too, and someone moves the words forward in Ormilio while the operator runs ProPresenter. Ormilio also works on its own for smaller gatherings, like prayer, youth nights and home groups, where there is no computer or projector.

Which one fits your group?

Choose ProPresenter if you have a production team and want videos, backgrounds, Bible slides, several screens and a polished Sunday production.

Choose Ormilio if you want everyone to read the same words on their own phone, if you have no computer or tech team, or if you lead a choir, a prayer group, a youth group or a home group. Choose both if you love your big screen and want the whole room singing on the same line.