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.

Can I use Kairos alongside ProPresenter instead of replacing it?

Yes — that's the most common setup. Churches keep ProPresenter for lyrics, media, and service flow, and add Kairos as a dedicated NDI source for live scripture detection. The two render into the same broadcast switcher (OBS, vMix, etc.) as separate layers.

Does Kairos replace the media operator?

No. Kairos surfaces the verse on a single feed; the operator still approves what goes to broadcast and continues to manage lyrics, media, and visuals in your primary presentation tool.

Can ProPresenter detect Bible verses from live sermon audio?

ProPresenter is a presentation tool — scripture is selected and switched by an operator. Real-time audio-driven verse detection is the specific job Kairos exists to do.

Comparison

Kairos vs ProPresenter

Kairos and ProPresenter solve adjacent problems. ProPresenter is a full presentation suite where an operator selects and switches scripture, lyrics, and media manually. Kairos is a focused scripture-detection tool that listens to sermon audio and surfaces the verse the pastor just spoke. Many churches run both — ProPresenter for service flow, Kairos for the verse layer.

ProPresenter by Renewed Vision is a long-running church and event presentation tool used across thousands of churches and broadcast environments for lyrics, scripture, and media playback.

Side by side

How the two compare.

Dimension	Kairos	ProPresenter
Scripture display workflow	Auto-detects verses from live sermon audio, including paraphrased quotations. Operator approves on a single feed.	Operator searches and selects scripture slides manually during the service.
Primary purpose	Real-time Bible verse detection and broadcast overlay.	All-in-one presentation: lyrics, scripture, media, announcements, stage display.
Pricing model	Free for every church. Optional managed transcription on a prepaid wallet ($10) or annual plan ($200/year).	Paid license tiers (one-time + add-ons). See ProPresenter for current pricing.
Operating systems	macOS, Windows.	macOS, Windows.
Broadcast output	NDI to OBS, vMix, Resolume, and any NDI-capable switcher.	NDI, Syphon (macOS), and SDI hardware outputs.
Privacy / data flow	Audio is not retained after transcription. Local Whisper mode keeps every byte on-device.	No live audio processing required; scripture is selected from local libraries.
Bible translations bundled	Ten translations across four languages: KJV, NIV, ESV, NASB, NKJV, NLT, AMP, SpaRV, FreJND, PorBLivre.	Multiple translations available through Bible modules.

Honest comparison

Where each one shines.

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

ProPresenter is the right call when…

Decade-plus track record across large broadcast environments.
Full presentation stack — lyrics, scripture, media, stage display, announcements — in one app.
Deep ecosystem of templates, integrations, and trained operators.
Strong support for multi-screen and multi-campus production setups.

Kairos is the right call when…

Auto-detects scripture references from sermon audio, including when the pastor paraphrases.
Free for every church — no per-license fee, no subscription.
Runs entirely on-device with local Whisper, or with managed transcription on a flat per-hour rate.
Designed specifically for the moment of scripture in a sermon, not the whole service.
Choice of STT provider — Deepgram, Gladia, local Whisper, Apple Speech on macOS, or Kairos's managed transcription.

Verdict

Which one should your church pick?

Pick Kairos when:

— Your pastor preaches expositorily and references scripture frequently.
— Your operator currently types verses into a slide app mid-sermon and misses references when the pastor riffs.
— You want a free, focused tool that complements your existing presentation software.
— You need verses on broadcast within seconds without enlarging your media team.

Pick ProPresenter when:

— You need a single tool that handles lyrics, scripture, media, and stage display.
— Your team is already trained on ProPresenter and your service flow depends on its template system.
— You aren't running a live sermon audio feed into your media booth.

Download Kairos free

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

FAQ

Questions teams ask before switching.

Can I use Kairos alongside ProPresenter instead of replacing it?: Yes — that's the most common setup. Churches keep ProPresenter for lyrics, media, and service flow, and add Kairos as a dedicated NDI source for live scripture detection. The two render into the same broadcast switcher (OBS, vMix, etc.) as separate layers.
Does Kairos replace the media operator?: No. Kairos surfaces the verse on a single feed; the operator still approves what goes to broadcast and continues to manage lyrics, media, and visuals in your primary presentation tool.
Can ProPresenter detect Bible verses from live sermon audio?: ProPresenter is a presentation tool — scripture is selected and switched by an operator. Real-time audio-driven verse detection is the specific job Kairos exists to do.

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

Free forever · macOS & Windows · No account · Uninstalls clean