What happens if Kairos puts the wrong verse on screen during the service?

Two safeguards. Every detection carries a visible confidence score in the operator panel — low-confidence hits never auto-go-live, they sit in a queue for the operator to approve or skip. And the operator always has a one-click "clear overlay" to pull anything off the broadcast instantly. The default posture is "surface, don't override": Kairos suggests, the operator decides.

What if our internet drops mid-sermon?

Kairos ships with a local Whisper model that runs entirely on the booth machine — no internet required for transcription or detection. If you use cloud STT (Deepgram, Gladia, or our managed option) and the connection drops, Kairos falls back to the local model automatically so the broadcast keeps moving.

Will the pastor notice a delay?

Typical end-to-end latency from the spoken word to the verse on the broadcast is 0.6 seconds. The pastor will not feel it; the congregation perceives it as the verse appearing as it's being preached, not after. The hardest case — a paraphrased quote — takes a beat longer because the semantic match runs after the phrase completes.

Who can hear the audio Kairos records? Where is it stored?

Live transcription audio is streamed to the STT provider you choose and is not retained after transcription — that holds for BYOK Deepgram/Gladia, our managed option, and local Whisper (which never leaves your machine). Optional session recordings are saved to your own cloud account on Kairos Cloud, accessible only to operators you invite. You own the audio; we don't train on it.

If our current operator quits, can the next volunteer figure this out?

Yes. Operators control Kairos from a single panel — Prev / Next / Send Live, with keyboard shortcuts and a queue of pending detections. Most teams hand it off to a new volunteer in under fifteen minutes. Setup happens once, on the booth machine, and survives reboots.

Kairos is a free desktop app that detects Bible verses in real time from live sermon audio. It listens to a sermon feed, transcribes speech as it happens, identifies scripture references (including paraphrased quotations), and renders broadcast-ready overlays via NDI for OBS, vMix, and other live production tools. Kairos is built with Tauri v2, a React frontend, and a Rust backend.

What equipment do I need to run Kairos?

A computer running Windows or macOS, an audio feed from your sound system (system audio, NDI, or a USB mic), and a projector or display screen on the output side. Kairos works with your existing audio setup and NDI-compatible switcher. No specialised hardware required.

What Bible translations does Kairos support?

Kairos supports KJV, ESV, NIV, NKJV, NLT, and more. You can switch between translations on-the-fly from the operator panel, and each translation is stored locally in your app database for offline use.

What happens if the pastor paraphrases a verse?

Kairos is trained to recognise paraphrased scripture references, not just exact quotations. A semantic / vector model surfaces the intended passage even when the wording differs from any source translation, and tags the match with a confidence score so the operator can decide whether to go live.

Do we still need a projection or media operator?

Yes, but their role becomes simpler. Instead of typing verse references into a search bar mid-sermon, the operator triages incoming detections — approving high-confidence hits, overriding the few that need correction. The job moves from data entry to judgement.

Does Kairos work with OBS Studio and vMix?

Yes. Kairos outputs broadcast-ready overlays via NDI, which integrates natively with OBS Studio, vMix, Resolume, and other professional live production software. The overlay is a single NDI source you drop onto a layer above your existing scene.

How do I get started?

Download the free desktop app for Windows or macOS, plug in your audio feed, and you're ready to go. Most teams are running in under five minutes. Full setup instructions live in-app and in the online documentation.

Is Kairos difficult to set up or use?

No. Kairos is designed for church teams of all technical skill levels. Setup is straightforward, and once running, it operates with minimal interaction during services.

How much does Kairos cost?

Kairos is free for every church when you bring your own transcription key (Deepgram or Gladia) or run our bundled local Whisper model fully offline. No account required, no usage limits. If you'd rather not manage a transcription account, every new account gets 2 free hours of managed transcription to try it — no card required. After that you can stay on a prepaid wallet ($10 ≈ 20 hours) or move to a Pro annual plan ($200/year with 60 hours included every month). See the pricing page for details.

What is managed transcription and do I need it?

Managed transcription means Kairos handles the speech-to-text connection for you — no key paste, no separate STT account, no surprise bills. We meter usage by the minute and charge a flat per-hour rate via Paystack. You don't need it: the free BYOK and local Whisper options work the same as they always have. Managed is purely for teams that want a single bill and zero setup.

Does Kairos require an internet connection?

Not when running the bundled local Whisper model — Kairos works fully offline. Managed transcription and cloud STT keys (Deepgram, Gladia) require connectivity.

Can I keep using Proclaim for planning and add Kairos?

Yes. Proclaim handles planned slides and service flow; Kairos handles the live scripture layer. They render as separate NDI sources in your broadcast switcher.

Does Kairos sync content to the cloud?

No. The detection model and Bible translations are local. Audio is processed in-flight and not retained after transcription.

Comparison

Kairos vs Proclaim

Proclaim and Kairos approach scripture display from opposite ends. Proclaim is a cloud-collaborative slide tool where the team plans services in advance and an operator clicks through during the service. Kairos is a real-time detection tool that surfaces the verse the pastor is preaching from, including when it isn't on the planned slide order.

Proclaim by Faithlife is a cloud-collaborative church presentation tool tightly integrated with the Logos Bible Software library, used by churches that already build their teaching workflow around Logos.

Side by side

How the two compare.

Dimension	Kairos	Proclaim
Scripture display workflow	Detects verses from sermon audio as the pastor speaks them, even when off-script.	Planned slide order built in advance and advanced manually during the service.
Primary purpose	Real-time scripture detection and NDI broadcast overlay.	Cloud-collaborative service planning and presentation.
Pricing model	Free for every church. Optional managed transcription from $10 prepaid or $200/year.	Subscription. See Proclaim for current pricing.
Operating systems	macOS, Windows.	macOS, Windows.
Broadcast output	NDI to OBS, vMix, Resolume, and any NDI-capable switcher.	Display outputs and broadcast-friendly formats.
Bible library	Ten bundled translations across four languages; all stored locally for offline use.	Tight integration with the Logos Bible Software library.
Privacy / data flow	Audio not retained. Local Whisper mode keeps every byte on-device.	Cloud-based collaboration model — content syncs to Faithlife's servers.

Honest comparison

Where each one shines.

Both tools exist because both jobs are real. Here's where each one lands.

Proclaim is the right call when…

Tight integration with the Logos Bible Software ecosystem.
Cloud collaboration that lets multiple staff members build the service together remotely.
Strong fit for churches whose teaching prep is already in Logos.
Automatic content syncing across multiple campuses.

Kairos is the right call when…

Catches the verses the pastor speaks unplanned — when the slide order doesn't match what's being preached.
Runs on-device; no cloud sync required for the detection layer.
Free for every church with no per-seat subscription.
Designed to complement your planning tool, not replace it.

Verdict

Which one should your church pick?

Pick Kairos when:

— Your pastor regularly references scripture beyond the planned slide order.
— You want a tool that operates offline or on a constrained network.
— You're already invested in another planning tool and just want the live scripture layer.

Pick Proclaim when:

— Your service planning lives in Logos and Faithlife.
— Cloud collaboration across remote staff is core to how you build services.
— You don't run a live sermon audio feed into the media booth.

Download Kairos free

Free for every church. No account required for the desktop app.

FAQ

Questions teams ask before switching.

Does Kairos require an internet connection?: Not when running the bundled local Whisper model — Kairos works fully offline. Managed transcription and cloud STT keys (Deepgram, Gladia) require connectivity.
Can I keep using Proclaim for planning and add Kairos?: Yes. Proclaim handles planned slides and service flow; Kairos handles the live scripture layer. They render as separate NDI sources in your broadcast switcher.
Does Kairos sync content to the cloud?: No. The detection model and Bible translations are local. Audio is processed in-flight and not retained after transcription.

Bring scripture to screen, as it's spoken.

Free for every church. We built Kairos so scripture lands where it belongs — on the screen, the second it's preached. If it serves your church, tell another.

Download Or see it run in a real service

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