Comparison

BibleProject vs BibleRef

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

Head to head
About

BibleProject

Access free Bible videos, podcasts, blogs, and classes designed to make the biblical story accessible. Learn to read scripture, explore themes, and deepen your understanding of Jesus through engaging educational resources.

Highlights
  • Free Bible videos
  • Podcasts on biblical theology
  • Educational Bible classes
  • Continue learning feature
  • Explore scripture at your own pace
  • Short visual explanations of Bible books
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Learn how to read the Bible to see, hear and know Jesus better. Access 100% free Bible videos, podcasts, blogs, classes, and educational Bible resources that help make the biblical story accessible. HOME • Continue learning about the Bible by watching videos, listening to podcasts, and taking classes. • Any content you start will appear on Home so you can jump back in later. EXPLORE • Hundreds of free videos, podcasts and classes allow you to meditate on scripture in your own way and at your own pace. • It’s all free, there’s no paid subscription. VIDEOS • All of our videos are short visual explanations that show how the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. • There’s a video (or two) that explain the structure, major themes and story in each book of the Bible PODCASTS • BibleProject podcast features detailed conversations between Tim and Jon and occasional guests. • Explore the biblical theology behind each book of the Bible and major themes found across the Bible. CLASSES • Discover how to read and use the Bible to deepen your relationship with Jesus with a free class exploring the book of Genesis. • Each lecture will sharpen your Bible study skills and make Scripture come alive. • More classes are scheduled to be added over time. • • • BibleProject is a nonprofit, crowdfunded organization that produces 100% free Bible videos, podcasts, blogs, classes, and educational Bible resources to help make the biblical story accessible to everyone everywhere. From page one to the final word, we believe the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus. This diverse collection of ancient books overflows with wisdom for our modern world. As we let the biblical story speak for itself, we believe the message of Jesus will transform individuals and entire communities. Many people have misunderstood the Bible as a collection of inspirational quotes or a divine instruction manual dropped from Heaven. Most of us gravitate toward sections we enjoy while avoiding parts that are confusing or even disturbing. Our Bible resources help people experience the Bible in a way that is approachable, engaging, and transformative. We do this by showcasing the literary art of the Scriptures and tracing biblical themes from beginning to end. Rather than taking the stance of a specific tradition or denomination, we create materials to elevate the Bible for all people and draw our eyes to its unified message.

About

BibleRef

Access verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter Bible commentary with extensive cross-references and context explanations. Understand scripture with easy-to-read explanations and multiple Bible translations.

Highlights
  • Verse-by-verse commentary
  • Chapter-by-chapter commentary
  • Extensive cross-references
  • Context explanation
  • Six Bible translations
  • Regularly updated content
Features
Read full description

BibleRef - An Online Bible Commentary You Can Understand The BibleRef app contains verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter Bible commentary along with extensive cross references and context explanation all written by the GotQuestions.org team. For each verse in the Bible there are six different Bible translations, easy-to-understand commentary, and brief explanations of how the verse fits within its surrounding context. New content is published regularly and can be downloaded via the settings menu in the app.

Screenshots

BibleProject4 screens
BibleRef4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: BibleProject at every 4 weeks against BibleRef's every 4 months. BibleProject also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (2.8K vs 180). On price, review sentiment, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BibleProject holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BibleProject has 2.8K ratings behind it against 180, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of BibleProject's written reviews are positive against 87% of BibleRef's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BibleProject ships an update every 4 weeks, BibleRef every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
BibleProject versus BibleRef: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBibleProjectBibleRef
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2.8K ratings) — better4.6 (180 ratings)
Positive reviews91.7% of reviews — better87.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2.8K — better180
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#83 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.515.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB171 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBibleProjectGot Questions Ministries

Customer experience

BibleProject

All ratings2,782 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews360 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.8%

BibleRef

All ratings179 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral1.7%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews86 reviews
Positive87.2%
Neutral4.7%
Negative8.1%

User reviews

BibleProject

From 2.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Engaging and intuitive design
  • 👍 Helpful for understanding the Bible
  • 💡 Visually appealing and creative
  • 🚀 Vast library of resources
  • 👍 Organized and easy to navigate

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
  • 🔋 Downloading issues with content
  • 🔒 Lack of certain Bible translations
  • 👎 Navigation can be confusing at times

BibleRef

From 180 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📚 Comprehensive verse-by-verse commentary and explanations
  • 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface design
  • 🆓 Completely free with no paywalls or subscriptions
  • 📖 Multiple Bible translations available for comparison
  • 🎯 Helpful context and summary sections for each chapter

Room to improve

  • ⚠️ Incomplete coverage of Old Testament books
  • 🔄 Many sections marked 'Coming Soon' throughout app
  • 🐛 App freezes and won't download updates
  • ❌ Missing features compared to other Bible apps
  • 📊 Inconsistent commentary availability across books

Bugs and requests

BibleProject

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Podcast playback issues
  • Notifications not working as expected
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between app and external links

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more Bible translations (e.g., KJV, ESV, NRSV)
  • Implement a sleep timer for podcasts
  • Introduce note-taking and bookmarking features
  • Add support for CarPlay and Apple TV
  • Improve offline access and download capabilities

BibleRef

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App freezes and won't download updates
  • Crashes after iOS updates
  • Performance issues with certain devices
  • Inconsistent loading of commentary sections

Requested features

10 requests
  • Highlighter and font size adjustment options
  • Audio/text-to-speech functionality for commentary
  • iPad version of the app
  • Bookmark or reading progress tracker
  • Search function for verses and topics
Show 5 more
  • Spanish language version
  • Clickable verse citations in commentary
  • Additional Bible translations (NKJV)
  • Copy and paste text selection capability
  • Favorite/save verses feature

In-app purchases

None

BibleProject

No in-app purchases

None

BibleRef

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BibleProject free?
BibleProject is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BibleRef free?
BibleRef is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BibleProject or BibleRef?
BibleProject is rated higher. BibleProject averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2.8K ratings, while BibleRef averages 4.6 from 180 ratings.
Do BibleProject or BibleRef have ads?
Neither BibleProject nor BibleRef shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BibleProject or BibleRef?
BibleProject ships an update every 4 weeks, and BibleRef every 4 months. Most recently, BibleProject was updated on October 29, 2026 and BibleRef on October 30, 2026.

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