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Religion · head to head

Quelea vs Text In Church

Q

Quelea

Religion

Simple free presentation software for churches and worship

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Text In Church logo

Text In Church

Religion

SMS-based giving and engagement for churches

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Quelea quelea is 100% free open source software with no paid tier or vendor support contract; Text In Church text volume is the binding limit: 500 texts per month on Basic, 1,500 on Pro and 2,500 on Premium
  • They diverge on capability: Quelea covers Lyric Display, Text In Church covers Text Giving.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quelea and Text In Church actually diverge.

Attributes where Quelea and Text In Church differ
AttributeQueleaText In Church
Pricing modelopen-sourcesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Mac, LinuxSMS, Web
Founded20112009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Quelea

  • Lyric Display
  • Bible Verses
  • Theme Support
  • Song Library
  • OpenLyrics Format
  • Web Remote
  • Theme Editor
  • Plugin Support

Only in Text In Church

  • Text Giving
  • SMS Messaging
  • Keyword-based Giving
  • Real-time Alerts
  • Payment Processing
  • Church Management
  • Analytics
  • Reporting

What people use each for

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

Quelea

  • Member managementnot Text In Church
  • Donation trackingnot Text In Church
  • Event planningnot Text In Church
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Text In Church
  • Communicationnot Text In Church

Text In Church

  • Two-way texting with a congregation and automated guest follow-upnot Quelea
  • Digital connect cards and keyword text-in for visitorsnot Quelea
  • Automated reminder and welcome message workflows for church eventsnot 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

Text In Church

  • Text volume is the binding limit: 500 texts per month on Basic, 1,500 on Pro and 2,500 on Premium
  • Local phone numbers are capped at 1, 2 and 3 across the three plans
  • Monthly billing costs $37, $67 and $97 against $31, $56 and $81 when paid annually, so monthly is roughly 19% more
  • The calling features are a separate Calling Plus add-on at $10 per month per seat
  • Concierge onboarding starts at $249 as a one-off charge purchased at checkout
  • Churches needing more than 2,500 texts a month have no published plan and must contact support

Pricing, plan by plan

Quelea

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

Text In Church

Free
  • Basic$31/month
    • 500 texts per month
    • 1 local phone number
    • Unlimited keywords
  • Pro$56/month
    • 1500 texts per month
    • 2 local phone numbers
    • All Basic features
  • Premium$81/month
    • 2500 texts per month
    • 3 local phone numbers
    • All Basic and Pro features

Which should you pick?

Choose Quelea if

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

Choose Text In Church if

  • You need text giving.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on SMS, Web.
  • You also want sms messaging.
Text In Church review

Questions people ask

Is Quelea or Text In Church better?
Neither clearly leads. Quelea starts at Free and Text In Church at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quelea or Text In Church?
Quelea starts at Free and Text In Church at Free.
Does Quelea or Text In Church run on more platforms?
Quelea runs on Windows, Mac, Linux. Text In Church runs on SMS, Web.
Can I use Quelea for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Text In Church is typically brought in for.
What can Quelea do that Text In Church cannot?
Quelea covers Lyric Display, Bible Verses, Theme Support, Song Library. Text In Church covers Text Giving, SMS Messaging, Keyword-based Giving, Real-time Alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Text In Church: How much do you save with annual billing?

Annual billing saves $75 on Basic ($31/month vs $37/month), $136 on Pro ($56/month vs $67/month), and $197 on Premium ($81/month vs $97/month).

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
Text In Church: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Text In Church offers a free 30-day trial for all plans with no credit card required. They also provide a 30-day money-back guarantee if unsatisfied.

Source
Text In Church: What is the Calling Plus add-on?

Calling Plus ($10/month per seat) adds automated text replies, digital receptionist features, automated greetings, direct extensions, call forwarding, and smart voicemail capabilities.

Source
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