Comparison

Shantideva vs Mandala

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

Head to head
About

Shantideva

Access daily verses from a classic Buddhist text, "Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior." Explore the entire work by a renowned 8th-century Indian Buddhist master. This app offers a practical and inspiring guide to the Buddhist path.

Highlights
  • Daily verse display
  • Full text access
  • Buddhist teachings
  • Practical guide
  • Inspiring content
Features
Read full description

This App displays one verse a day from Shantideva's text "Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior" (Bodhisattvacharyavatara) and allows to read through the entire text. "Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior" is an outstandingly practical and inspiring Buddhist text that covers all the aspects of the Buddhist path. Shantideva was a great Indian Buddhist master who lived during the 8th century CE. Two of his texts survive - the Bodhicharyavatara (the text that is displayed in this app) and the Shikshasamuccaya ("Compendium of Trainings"). Both texts are still used to the present day by and especially the Bodhicharyavatara is one of the most cherished and most frequently taught texts in the Tibetan tradition. Please report bugs to shantideva@christian-steinert.de

About

Mandala

Features
Read full description

Provides mantras and thanks to help beginner to practice visualizing and chanting mantras.

Screenshots

Shantideva4 screens
Mandala4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mandala at every 3 weeks against Shantideva's every 20 months. Shantideva's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shantideva ships an update every 20 months, Mandala every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and February 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Shantideva versus Mandala: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShantidevaMandala
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBerzin Archives e.V.Chen-Hai Teng

In-app purchases

None

Shantideva

No in-app purchases

None

Mandala

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shantideva free?
Shantideva is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mandala free?
Mandala is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Shantideva or Mandala have ads?
Neither Shantideva nor Mandala shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shantideva or Mandala?
Shantideva ships an update every 20 months, and Mandala every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shantideva was updated on September 16, 2026 and Mandala on February 27, 2026.

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