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Religion · head to head

MediaShout vs Quelea

MediaShout logo

MediaShout

Religion

Worship presentation and media management software

From
$198/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Q

Quelea

Religion

Simple free presentation software for churches and worship

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Quelea has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MediaShout the perpetual MediaShout 7 Site licence is a $599 one-time purchase, and phone support is limited to 2 sessions in the first 30 days before dropping to email and live chat; Quelea quelea is 100% free open source software with no paid tier or vendor support contract
  • They diverge on capability: MediaShout covers Video Integration, Quelea covers Bible Verses.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MediaShout and Quelea actually diverge.

Attributes where MediaShout and Quelea differ
AttributeMediaShoutQuelea
Starting price$198/yearFree
Pricing modelone-timeopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Mac, Linux
Founded20002011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Religion).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in MediaShout

  • Video Integration
  • Theme Creation
  • Remote Control
  • Song Databases
  • Planning Center
  • CCLI Integration

Only in Quelea

  • Bible Verses
  • Theme Support
  • Song Library
  • OpenLyrics Format
  • Theme Editor
  • Plugin Support
  • Mac support
  • Linux support

Both cover

  • Lyric Display
  • Web Remote
  • Windows support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

MediaShout

  • Church worship presentation and lyrics displaynot Quelea
  • Multi-screen sermon notes and Bible verse displaynot Quelea
  • CCLI SongSelect integration for compliancenot Quelea
  • 70+ Bible translation displaynot Quelea

Quelea

  • Member managementnot MediaShout
  • Donation trackingnot MediaShout
  • Event planningnot MediaShout
  • Volunteer schedulingnot MediaShout
  • Communicationnot MediaShout

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

MediaShout

  • The perpetual MediaShout 7 Site licence is a $599 one-time purchase, and phone support is limited to 2 sessions in the first 30 days before dropping to email and live chat
  • Ongoing phone and video support with remote desktop control requires the Plus Membership at $199 per year on top of the software
  • The cheapest option, MediaShout LE at $198 per year, licenses one computer only and omits the stage and confidence display
  • Shift Worship media access requires MediaShout 7 Complete at $798 one-time plus $299 per year
  • Upgrading from a previous MediaShout version still costs $399 for the Site licence or $498 for Essentials
  • The published plans are for MediaShout 7 for Windows, listed separately from the Mac product

Quelea

  • Quelea is 100% free open source software with no paid tier or vendor support contract

Pricing, plan by plan

MediaShout

$198/year
  • MediaShout 7 LE (Subscription)$198/year
    • Single computer
    • Limited features
    • Annual subscription
  • MediaShout 7 Essentials (Windows)$698/one-time
    • Perpetual license
    • 1 year Plus Membership ($199 annual renewal)
    • Unlimited computers with Site License upgrade
  • MediaShout 7 Complete (Windows)$798/one-time
    • Perpetual license
    • Plus Membership
    • Shift Worship media library access
  • MediaShout 7 Site License (Windows)$599/one-time
    • Unlimited computers
    • Perpetual license

Quelea

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • All features
    • No cost
    • Community development

Which should you pick?

Choose MediaShout if

  • You need video integration.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want theme creation.
MediaShout review

Choose Quelea if

  • You need bible verses.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
  • You also want theme support.
Quelea review

Questions people ask

Is MediaShout or Quelea better?
Neither clearly leads. MediaShout starts at $198/year and Quelea at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MediaShout or Quelea?
Quelea has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $198/year for MediaShout and Free for Quelea.
Does MediaShout or Quelea run on more platforms?
MediaShout runs on Windows. Quelea runs on Windows, Mac, Linux.
Can I use Quelea for free?
Yes. Quelea has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MediaShout starts at $198/year.
What is MediaShout best used for?
MediaShout is most often used for church worship presentation and lyrics display, multi-screen sermon notes and bible verse display, ccli songselect integration for compliance, 70+ bible translation display. Of those, church worship presentation and lyrics display and multi-screen sermon notes and bible verse display are not what Quelea is typically brought in for.
What can MediaShout do that Quelea cannot?
MediaShout covers Video Integration, Theme Creation, Remote Control, Song Databases. Quelea covers Bible Verses, Theme Support, Song Library, OpenLyrics Format. Both handle Lyric Display, Web Remote, Windows support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MediaShout: What is the cheapest way to use MediaShout for a church?

MediaShout 7 LE subscription at $198/year provides single-computer access. Alternatively, Site License at $599 one-time covers unlimited computers permanently without annual fees.

Source
Quelea: Is Quelea free?

Yes, Quelea is completely free church projection software with no paid tiers or premium features. It is 100% free and open source.

Source
MediaShout: Does the perpetual license include ongoing support after purchase?

No, perpetual licenses (Essentials $698, Complete $798, Site $599) require optional Plus Membership renewal annually ($199-299/year) for priority support and training access.

Source
Quelea: Are there any costs associated with using Quelea?

There are no costs, subscription fees, or feature limitations based on payment. All features including stage view, video backgrounds, mobile lyrics view, multilingual support, and Bible integration are free.

Source
MediaShout: What is the cost difference between Windows and Mac versions?

Mac Essentials costs $598 (vs $698 Windows). Mac Complete costs $698 (vs $798 Windows). Mac Site License costs $499 (vs $599 Windows). All include same perpetual license model with annual membership options.

Source
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