Comparison

MasterLectures vs Polishing the Pulpit 365

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MasterLectures

Access thousands of professionally filmed video lectures on the Bible and theology. Stream content on demand from trusted Christian scholars covering topics from biblical context to church history and ministry. Grow your faith and understanding with expert guidance.

Highlights
  • Thousands of video lectures
  • Bible and theology topics
  • Apologetics and Christian history
  • Ministry guidance
  • Original language studies
  • Expert Christian scholars
Features
Read full description

Get unlimited access to an expanding library of thousands of professionally-filmed video lectures on the Bible and theology. This app lets you stream thousands of videos on demand—any time, anywhere—and comes with your membership to MasterLectures by Zondervan Academic. All videos are presented by Christian scholars you trust. Explore videos on the Bible, theology, apologetics, Christian history, and so much more. • LEARN ABOUT THE BIBLE. Explore the historical and cultural context of the ancient texts, learn the interpretive issues, and discover practical application for today. Start with an introductory survey, or dig deep into an individual book. • EXPLORE THEOLOGY. From introductory videos on the nature of God, to in-depth discussions of the most challenging and mysterious topics in theology, you’ll get expert guidance from today’s leading theologians. Choose from survey-level videos on systemic, historical, evangelical, and contemporary theology, or explore specific topics in theology, like the doctrine of the Trinity the doctrine of creation, and the creeds and councils. • GROW IN YOUR FAITH. Learn how to articulate and clarify your own beliefs, and get equipped to defend your faith to others. Choose from videos from today’s leading apologists, or explore topics on Islam, science, ethics, philosophy, and more. • DISCOVER CHRISTIAN HISTORY. Gain a richer understanding of your Christian heritage. Choose from videos on every period of church history, including the key people, events, ideas, and controversies that have shaped Christian thought. • DO BETTER MINISTRY. Whether you serve as a pastor or as a volunteer, you’ll get expert guidance from seasoned ministry leaders who have faced the same challenges. Choose from videos on leadership, evangelism, small groups, missions, preaching, counseling, and more. • READ THE BIBLE IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES. From introductory videos on the Greek and Hebrew alphabets, all the way up to graduate-level lectures on syntax and discourse analysis, we’ve got you covered. Choose from beginner-level videos on Greek and Hebrew, or go further by learning Aramaic, Syriac, or Ugaritic. To access all features and content you can subscribe to MasterLectures on a monthly or yearly basis with an auto-renewing subscription right inside the app.* Pricing can vary by region and will be confirmed before purchase in the app. In app subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of their cycle. * All payments will be paid through your iTunes Account and may be managed under Account Settings after the initial payment. Subscription payments will automatically renew unless deactivated at least 24-hours before the end of the current cycle. Your account will be charged for renewal at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current cycle. Any unused portion of your free trial will be forfeited upon payment. Cancellations are incurred by disabling auto-renewal. Terms of Service: https://masterlectures.zondervanacademic.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://masterlectures.zondervanacademic.com/privacy

About

Polishing the Pulpit 365

Access a vast library of sermons, Bible classes, and training sessions covering diverse theological topics. Study the Bible anytime, anywhere, with content updated regularly. Download or stream audio and video resources for spiritual growth.

Highlights
  • Extensive sermon archive
  • Bible classes and training
  • Search by speaker and topic
  • Downloadable audio sermons
  • Streamable video content
  • Regularly updated library
Features
Read full description

1st Century Teaching. 21st Century Delivery. PTP365 is a church library you will actually use. Let's study the Bible. Wherever. Whenever. The Polishing the Pulpit archive goes back for years and contains thousands of high-quality sermons, Bible classes, and training sessions covering a multitude of topics that like Doctrine, Preaching, Church Leadership, History, Apologetics, Marriage, Parenting, Teen, Women, Textual Study of the Old and New Testaments, and more. PTP365 gives you unlimited access to our entire library 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for spiritual growth and enrichment. New content is added throughout the year from Polishing the Pulpit, PTP Sparks, The Great Smoky Mountain Marriage Retreat, and exclusive PTP365 studio content. Search by speaker, topic, Bible book, and more. Download sermons to listen on the go or stream video sermons for Bible classes or sermons. To access all features and content you can subscribe to Polishing the Pulpit 365 on a monthly or yearly basis with an auto-renewing subscription right inside the app.* Pricing can vary by region and will be confirmed before purchase in the app. In app subscriptions will automatically renew at the end of their cycle. All payments will be paid through your iTunes Account and may be managed under Account Settings after the initial payment. Subscription payments will automatically renew unless deactivated at least 24-hours before the end of the current cycle. Your account will be charged for renewal at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current cycle.Any unused portion of your free trial will be forfeited upon payment.Cancellations are incurred by disabling auto-renewal. 
Terms of Service: https://watch.polishingthepulpit.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://watch.polishingthepulpit.com/privacy

Screenshots

MasterLectures4 screens
Polishing the Pulpit 3654 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Polishing the Pulpit 365 at 5.0 against MasterLectures's 4.7. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MasterLectures sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Polishing the Pulpit 365 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Polishing the Pulpit 365 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 93 and 107 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of MasterLectures's written reviews are positive against 100% of Polishing the Pulpit 365's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MasterLectures versus Polishing the Pulpit 365: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMasterLecturesPolishing the Pulpit 365
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (93 ratings)5.0 (107 ratings) — better
Positive reviews92.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings93107 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS16.616.6
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB84 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.House To House, Inc.

Customer experience

MasterLectures

All ratings88 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive92.5%
Neutral3.0%
Negative4.5%

Polishing the Pulpit 365

All ratings101 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

User reviews

MasterLectures

From 93 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 High-quality content
  • 👍 Great teaching from scholars
  • 👍 Affordable alternative
  • 👍 Valuable for self-study
  • 👍 Good complement to books

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive for some
  • 💰 Prohibitive monthly pricing
  • 💰 Too expensive for the layman
  • 💰 Conservative biases (Zondervan/Grand Rapids)
  • 💰 Heavy Calvinist leanings in Paul-focused content

Polishing the Pulpit 365

From 107 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great lessons and content
  • 👍 Easy to navigate app
  • 👍 Helps grow spiritually
  • 👍 Inspiring speakers
  • 👍 God's truth shared

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buffers too much sometimes
  • 🐛 Did not accept 5 stars sometimes

Bugs and requests

MasterLectures

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Cannot find series started
  • App doesn't remember which videos completed

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add a study guide for videos
  • App should remember last watched video
  • Add a rewind button (e.g., 15 seconds)
  • Add a playback speed function
  • Ability to mark videos as watched
Show 1 more
  • Include class notes

Polishing the Pulpit 365

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Buffering issues
  • Five-star rating not always accepted

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MasterLectures

Subscriptions2
  • MasterLecture Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • MasterLectures Subscription7 Days trial$179.991 Year
2 purchases

Polishing the Pulpit 365

Subscriptions2
  • PolishingthePulpit 365 Monthly7 Days trial$10.001 Month
  • PolishingthePulpit 365 Yearly7 Days trial$100.001 Year

Questions

Is MasterLectures free?
MasterLectures is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Polishing the Pulpit 365 free?
Polishing the Pulpit 365 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MasterLectures or Polishing the Pulpit 365?
Polishing the Pulpit 365 is rated higher. MasterLectures averages 4.7 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while Polishing the Pulpit 365 averages 5.0 from 107 ratings.
Do MasterLectures or Polishing the Pulpit 365 have ads?
Neither MasterLectures nor Polishing the Pulpit 365 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MasterLectures or Polishing the Pulpit 365?
MasterLectures ships an update every 3 months, and Polishing the Pulpit 365 every 3 months. Most recently, MasterLectures was updated on November 3, 2026 and Polishing the Pulpit 365 on November 3, 2026.

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