Software · head to head
Quelea vs MediaShout
Q
Quelea
Software
Simple free presentation software for churches and worship
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
MediaShout
Software
Worship presentation and media management software
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Quelea has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Quelea quelea is 100% free open source software with no paid tier or vendor support contract; 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
- They diverge on capability: Quelea covers Bible Verses, MediaShout covers Video Integration.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Quelea and MediaShout actually diverge.
| Attribute | Quelea | MediaShout |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | open-source | one-time |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux | Windows |
| Founded | 2011 | 2000 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Quelea
- Bible Verses
- Theme Support
- Song Library
- OpenLyrics Format
- Theme Editor
- Plugin Support
- Mac support
- Linux support
Only in MediaShout
- Video Integration
- Theme Creation
- Remote Control
- Song Databases
- Planning Center
- CCLI Integration
Both cover
- Lyric Display
- Web Remote
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Quelea
- Member managementnot MediaShout
- Donation trackingnot MediaShout
- Event planningnot MediaShout
- Volunteer schedulingnot MediaShout
- Communicationnot MediaShout
MediaShout
- Projecting worship lyrics, scripture and sermon slides during church servicesnot Quelea
- Running separate control, main and stage confidence displays in a sanctuarynot Quelea
- CCLI SongSelect integration with automatic reporting of songs usednot Quelea
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Quelea
- Quelea is 100% free open source software with no paid tier or vendor support contract
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Quelea
Free- Community EditionFree
- All features
- No cost
- Community development
MediaShout
On request- Standard$199/month
- Core features
- Basic support
- Annual updates
- Professional$499/month
- All features
- Priority support
- Advanced tools
Which should you pick?
Choose Quelea if
- You need bible verses.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, Mac, Linux.
- You also want theme support.
Choose MediaShout if
- You need video integration.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want theme creation.
Questions people ask
- Is Quelea or MediaShout better?
- Neither clearly leads. Quelea starts at Free and MediaShout at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Quelea or MediaShout?
- Quelea has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Quelea and On request for MediaShout.
- Does Quelea or MediaShout run on more platforms?
- Quelea runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. MediaShout runs on Windows.
- Can I use Quelea for free?
- Yes. Quelea has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MediaShout starts at On request.
- What is Quelea best used for?
- Quelea is most often used for member management, donation tracking, event planning, volunteer scheduling. Of those, member management and donation tracking are not what MediaShout is typically brought in for.
- What can Quelea do that MediaShout cannot?
- Quelea covers Bible Verses, Theme Support, Song Library, OpenLyrics Format. MediaShout covers Video Integration, Theme Creation, Remote Control, Song Databases. Both handle Lyric Display, Web Remote, Windows support.