A Simple Pause vs IAJS Retreat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
A Simple Pause
Engage in short, guided spiritual practices for about five minutes to connect with God. Explore scripture, imagery, and silence to deepen your faith and relationship with the divine.
- Six guided spiritual practices
- Lectio Divina scripture study
- Imaginative prayer
- Visio Divina image reflection
- Audio Divina with sacred listening
- Simple silence meditation
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Enjoy one of 6 different practices as you pause to spend around 5 minutes with God in the midst of your day. Lectio Divina - Listen for God’s message as you hear a small portion of scripture with room to ponder. Imagine - Enter prayerfully into a scene from the scriptures to broaden your experience and relationship with God. Visio Divina - Enjoy your gift of sight as you invite God to speak to your heart as you gaze at an image. Simply Scripture - Restfully listen to the gentle reading of selections of scripture. Audio Divina - Sacred listening with God using your gift of hearing. Music and other beautiful sounds. Simple Silence - Ahhh…Close your eyes and rest in silence with God for 5 minutes and we’ll keep track of the time.
IAJS Retreat
This app offers a 12-week digital prayer experience based on the Spiritual Exercises. It guides users through reflection and weekly reviews to foster a deeper connection with God. It's suitable for faith communities and individuals seeking spiritual growth.
- 12-week digital prayer experience
- Spiritual Exercises framework
- Reflection questions and prompts
- Weekly prayer review guidelines
- Exploration of Christ's love
- Suitable for groups and individuals
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A digital 12–week prayer experience framed by the Spiritual Exercises, this app is of particular help to faith communities such as Bible study and prayer groups. But individuals can also use it as a means of prayer. The instructions for retreat invite a “conversion of heart from a tight focus on one’s self to a graced focus on God–with–us.” The app includes questions and prompts for reflection, and guidelines for reviewing each week of prayer. These Retreats allows participants to explore Christ's love in everyday life using the revered principles and teachings of Ignatian Spirituality. We also welcome those who have not yet explored Ignatian Spirituality.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: IAJS Retreat at every 9 days against A Simple Pause's monthly. A Simple Pause's advantage is ratings volume (21 vs 4). 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 A Simple Pause against 5.0 for IAJS Retreat. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: A Simple Pause has 21 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
A Simple Pause ships an update monthly, IAJS Retreat every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | A Simple Pause | IAJS Retreat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (21 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 21 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Spiritual Formation Society of Arizona | Boston College |
Customer experience
A Simple Pause
IAJS Retreat
In-app purchases
A Simple Pause
No in-app purchases
IAJS Retreat
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is A Simple Pause free?
Is IAJS Retreat free?
Which has better reviews, A Simple Pause or IAJS Retreat?
Do A Simple Pause or IAJS Retreat have ads?
Which is updated more often, A Simple Pause or IAJS Retreat?
Other comparisons
