- Slide and lyric editing: Edit text, layouts and worship lyrics.
- Media playback: Use images, video and audio in presentations.
- Automation: Run timers, autoplay and service transitions.
- Multiple outputs: Send different views to audience and stage displays.
- Open-source downloads: The official site provides downloadable builds and documentation.
FreeShow
Free and open-source church presentation software for worship and live events
Updated August 11, 2026
FreeShow Overview
FreeShow is a free, open-source presentation app made for churches and live events. It lets operators prepare slides and song lyrics, then combine them with images, video and audio during a service or production.
Automation tools handle timers, playback and transitions, while multiple outputs can send different views to the audience and stage. Desktop builds and documentation are available for teams that want to run and adapt the software themselves.
Key Features
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Featured |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Open Source) | $0 | FreeShow states that it is and will remain free; the official site provides downloads, editing, lyrics, media and presentation outputs |
FreeShow states that the desktop presenter is free and open source. There is no paid subscription tier to convert into a monthly card price.
Pricing source: FreeShow official site
Pros
| Compared with | Why this product may fit better |
|---|---|
| ProPresenter | Unlike ProPresenter, FreeShow charges no subscription or seat fee while still handling lyrics, media, multiple outputs and live editing. A church with limited budget can build a capable presentation setup before considering commercial production software. |
| EasyWorship | When choosing between EasyWorship and this product, the open-source license gives communities more freedom to inspect, extend and keep using the application without a recurring contract. Core worship presentation work is available without tying volunteers to a paid account. |
| OpenLP | Where OpenLP is the other option, FreeShow offers a broad visual editor, automation and output process for teams wanting more control over the live production. Its modern interface may feel more approachable to volunteers coming from general media tools. |
Cons
| Compared with | Where this product may fall short |
|---|---|
| ProPresenter | Here, ProPresenter has the clearer case. A free community project cannot match the same commercial support, training catalog and mature production support network. Venues running complex paid events may value a vendor relationship more than avoiding the license cost. |
| EasyWorship | This is where EasyWorship has the edge. FreeShow’s flexibility gives operators more choices to learn and configure. A small church seeking a tightly guided worship process may prefer a commercial package with established onboarding and support. |
| OpenLP | The OpenLP trade-off is simple. The larger feature surface can be unnecessary when the requirement is only basic lyrics and scripture projection. Teams should test whether FreeShow simplifies Sunday preparation or merely introduces more controls. |
| PowerPoint | Where PowerPoint is the other option, FreeShow is built for live presentation output rather than ordinary office slide exchange. Staff who collaborate mainly through PPTX files will still need a separate editor and a clear handoff into the show computer. |
Reviews
- Software Advice reviews: Software Advice showed 4.7/5 from 90 ratings. Reviewers value the approachable editor, media handling and unusual breadth for a free, open-source product; comments about slowdowns with large files suggest testing the actual service library and hardware before a live event.
- Reddit discussion: A commenter in r/churchtech wrote, “I have had some issues with stability on Windows. I was hoping to use it for an event this summer, but when it crashes, it’s very intensive to get it in working order again.” That first-hand warning is especially relevant for volunteer teams without a backup presentation machine.
