# PAR Guide vs Ascension

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PAR Guide at none against Ascension's 11. PAR Guide also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 87%) and iOS requirement (13.2 vs 16.4). Ascension's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (92K vs 5). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ascension sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. PAR Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PAR Guide against 4.9 for Ascension. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ascension has 92K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of PAR Guide's written reviews are positive against 87% of Ascension's.

PAR Guide ships an update every 14 months, Ascension every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PAR Guide | Ascension |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/par-guide/id1086483642/reviews)** | [4.9 (92K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascension-catholic-bible/id1660909501/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **92K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 87.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#14** |
| Size | 1 MB | 230 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.2** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESEARCH COUNCIL OF LOUISIANA, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1507675683) | [Ascension Publishing Group, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1655618341) |

## What reviewers say

### PAR Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/par-guide/id1086483642)

Access comprehensive contact and biographical details for Louisiana legislators. Includes committee rosters, term limits, seating charts, district maps, and recent reports from the Public Affairs Research Council.

**Highlights:** Legislator profiles, Committee rosters, Term limits and staff, Seating charts, District maps, PAR reports and resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Ascension

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascension-catholic-bible/id1660909501)

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Grossing · Reference, #126 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

This app helps Catholics engage with the Bible and Church teachings through guided readings, prayers, and study plans. It offers audio versions, daily reflections, and a unique learning system to deepen understanding of scripture and tradition.

**Highlights:** Bible Timeline learning system, Guided Rosary prayers, Daily Mass readings and reflections, Audio Bible with commentary, 80+ Catholic study plans, Saint of the Day reflections, Catholic prayers and novenas

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Full Access Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Full Access Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Full Access Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Full Access Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Full Access Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Full Access Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Full Access Annual | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Deepening faith and drawing closer to God
- 👍 Convenient and easy to use
- 📚 Comprehensive Bible and Catechism resources
- 🎧 Excellent podcast experience with Fr. Mike
- 🤗 Transformative and life-changing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid subscription model after initial free period
- 🔍 Lack of dictionary/glossary for unfamiliar terms
- 🔙 Removal of 15-second forward/backward buttons

**Reported bugs**

- Sync issues between audio and text
- Inconsistent behavior with continuous reading mode

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to track progress across multiple devices
- Daily Mass readings integration
- Verse of the day widgets
- iPad-optimized version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PAR Guide free?

PAR Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ascension free?

Ascension is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PAR Guide or Ascension?

PAR Guide is rated higher. PAR Guide averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Ascension averages 4.9 from 92K ratings.

### Do PAR Guide or Ascension have ads?

Neither PAR Guide nor Ascension shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PAR Guide or Ascension?

PAR Guide ships an update every 14 months, and Ascension every 3 weeks. Most recently, PAR Guide was updated on October 24, 2026 and Ascension on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*