Ormilio vs Quelea

Quelea and Ormilio have something in common. Both can put the words of the songs on people's phones, not only on the big screen. But they work in different ways. Here is a simple, fair look at both.

What Quelea is

Quelea is free church presentation software. You install it on a computer running Windows, Mac or Linux, and it shows the words on the big screen.

Quelea has a feature called Mobile Lyrics. It sends the live words to any phone with a web browser, so people in the room can follow along. There is also an Android app, Quelea Mobile Lyrics, with a full-screen view and a QR code to connect. A separate app, Quelea Mobile Remote, lets someone control it from an iPad.

Mobile Lyrics works without the internet. The phones need to be on the same network as the computer running Quelea, which usually means the church Wi-Fi.

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, live with a tap, or with a timer set to a 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 network. With Quelea, phones join through the local network of the church computer. That is great when there is no internet, but everyone has to be on that Wi-Fi. Ormilio works over the internet. People can join on mobile data or any Wi-Fi, even with an older phone or a slow connection. The other side of this is that Ormilio does need a connection.

The computer. Quelea runs on a computer that you install and set up. Ormilio needs no computer and nothing to install. The leader leads from a phone.

Joining. With Quelea, people open the words in a browser or use the Android app. With Ormilio, people scan a QR code, tap a WhatsApp link or type a join number, and the words open in the browser they already have.

Cost. Quelea is free. Ormilio is free for up to 10 songs and 20 people at once. Bigger groups pay $10 a month for Ormilio Plus.

Can you use both?

You can. If your church already runs Quelea on the big screen, you might add Ormilio for people who are not on the church Wi-Fi, or for gatherings away from the church building, like a home group or an outdoor service.

The two do not connect to each other, so each one is moved forward on its own.

Which one fits your group?

Quelea is the better choice if you already have a church computer and a projector, you want free software, or your building has no internet. Its Mobile Lyrics then lets phones on the church Wi-Fi follow along.

Ormilio fits when you want everyone to follow from their own phone wherever they are, with no computer and no Wi-Fi setup: home groups, prayer meetings, choirs, youth nights and rooms with no projector. It also helps when people want bigger letters, dark mode, or a quick way to join from a WhatsApp message.