SBN NOW vs CalPenTab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SBN NOW
Stream live and on-demand Christian content from the Sonlife Broadcasting Network in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Enjoy original programming, search by speaker or singer, and download content for offline viewing.
- Live streams in multiple languages
- Video on demand library
- Search by speaker or singer
- Closed captioning
- Offline viewing
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Watch the Sonlife Broadcasting Network live and on demand wherever you are! SonLife Broadcasting Network includes 100% original content produced by Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. The new SBN Now app includes the live stream in English, Spanish and Portuguese as well as Video on Demand! You can now enjoy programs like Family Worship Center Live, The Message of the Cross, Frances and Friends, A Study In The Word and The Classic Crusades right in the SBN Now app! Features Include: Live Streams and Video On Demand Search Feature allow you to search by speaker or singer Closed Captioning Offline Viewing within the app to take your favorite programs on the go! Terms of Service: https://watch.sonlifetv.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://watch.sonlifetv.com/privacy
CalPenTab
Connect with your community and stay updated on all events and conversations. Watch videos and engage with content relevant to your interests. This app keeps you informed and involved.
- Join conversations
- Stay updated on events
- Watch videos
- Community engagement
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Stay tuned to everything happening in our community. -Join the conversation. -Stay tuned to events -Watch Videos and more
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SBN NOW at 93% against CalPenTab's 50%. SBN NOW also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 15 months). CalPenTab's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SBN NOW holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SBN NOW has 1.4K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of SBN NOW's written reviews are positive against 50% of CalPenTab's.
SBN NOW ships an update every 6 weeks, CalPenTab every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SBN NOW | CalPenTab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.4K ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 93.1% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.4K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 15 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Jimmy Swaggart Ministries | churchme LLC |
Customer experience
SBN NOW
CalPenTab
Bugs and requests
SBN NOW
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login screen issues
- Inability to change account information
- Donating and purchasing functionality problems
Requested features
5 requests- Sleep timer for overnight listening
- Ability to save password in app
- Separate section for Loren Larson sermons
- Music-only audio option
- Grouping of programs by Bible topic or book
CalPenTab
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SBN NOW
No in-app purchases
CalPenTab
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SBN NOW free?
Is CalPenTab free?
Which has better reviews, SBN NOW or CalPenTab?
Do SBN NOW or CalPenTab have ads?
Which is updated more often, SBN NOW or CalPenTab?
Other comparisons
