Crater is worship projection software made for the church and given back to it. It’s free to download and use on as many computers as you like, and the source code is open under the GPL. There are no accounts and no tracking. Your songs, schedules and settings stay on your own computer.
What it does#
- Scripture. Fourteen English translations, including the KJV, NIV, ESV, NKJV and NLT. Find a verse by reference or by the words you remember.
- Songs. A searchable song library with verse and chorus labels, formatting and collections. EasyWorship 6 and 7 libraries import directly.
- Media. Pictures, videos and PDF pages, with fit, crop, loop and mute for each item.
- Presentations. Sermon slides with speaker notes for the preacher.
- Schedules. Plan the order of service during the week. Crater saves as you go.
- Several screens. The main projector, a stage monitor and extra mirror screens, each on its own display.
- Live streaming. On Windows, send the projection to OBS or vMix over NDI with no capture card.
Built for volunteers#
Most church projection is run by volunteers who learn on the job. Crater keeps the live controls simple. Pick something in the library, check it in Preview, send it Live. Clear hides the words during prayer, and Logo covers the screen between parts of the service. Everything has a keyboard shortcut, and the console is available in 21 languages.
New operators can practise on the projection practice page in any browser, with timed drills taken from a real service.
What you need#
| Computer | Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), macOS 14 Sonoma or later, or 64-bit Linux (Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora 36 and later) |
| Memory | 4 GB |
| Disk | About 1 GB free, plus room for your media |
| Screens | One works. A projector or TV as a second screen is the usual setup |
Getting started#
- Download Crater for your computer.
- Follow First Launch to put the projection on the right screen.
- Read Running a Service or watch the tutorials.