First Ruston vs The Gathering
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
First Ruston
Stay connected with church activities through messages, notifications, and event updates. Access the Bible and view the church calendar directly from your mobile device.
- Watch or listen to messages
- Receive push notifications
- Read the Bible
- View event calendar
- Stay connected with church
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This app will help you stay connected with what is going on in our day-to-day as a church. With this app, you can tune in to watch or listen to messages, stay updated with push notifications, read the Bible, and view our calendar for events. Mobile app version: 6.17.2
The Gathering
Stay connected with your church community through this app. Access past messages, receive important updates via push notifications, and share content with friends. Download messages for offline listening.
- Watch or listen to past messages
- Stay up to date with push notifications
- Share messages via social media or email
- Download messages for offline listening
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This app will help you stay connected with the day-to-day life of our church. With this app you can: watch or listen to past messages; stay up to date with push notifications; share your favorite messages via Twitter, Facebook, or email; and download messages for offline listening.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: The Gathering at every 6 months against First Ruston's every 31 months. The Gathering also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). First Ruston's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for First Ruston against 5.0 for The Gathering. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.
First Ruston ships an update every 31 months, The Gathering every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | First Ruston | The Gathering |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 31 months | Every 6 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The First Baptist Church of Ruston Louisiana | NEW LIFE WESLEYAN CHURCH OF WEST MONROE, LA. |
Customer experience
First Ruston
The Gathering
In-app purchases
First Ruston
No in-app purchases
The Gathering
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is First Ruston free?
Is The Gathering free?
Which has better reviews, First Ruston or The Gathering?
Do First Ruston or The Gathering have ads?
Which is updated more often, First Ruston or The Gathering?
Other comparisons
