# Pray First vs Shades Mountain

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pray First at monthly against Shades Mountain's every 29 months. Pray First also leads on ratings volume (389 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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 — 4.9 for Pray First against 5.0 for Shades Mountain. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pray First has 389 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pray First ships an update monthly, Shades Mountain every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pray First | Shades Mountain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (389 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pray-first-prayer-life-plans/id1572344751/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shades-mountain/id1583663973/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **389** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 26 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Church of the Highlands](https://appshunter.io/developer/467173109) | [Shades Mountain Baptist Church](https://appshunter.io/developer/1176681881) |

## What reviewers say

### Pray First

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pray-first-prayer-life-plans/id1572344751)

This app guides users through prayer with structured plans and worship music. It helps foster a deeper connection with God by offering tools to personalize prayer lists and enhance the prayer experience.

**Highlights:** Guided prayer plans, Access to worship songs, Personalized prayer list creation, Enhanced prayer effectiveness, Deeper connection with God

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Guided prayers based on scripture
- 👍 User-friendly and easy navigation
- 🎵 Calming background music feature
- 📋 Prayer list creation and organization
- 💡 Specific, detailed prayer frameworks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Prayer list details not displaying properly
- 📍 Prayer list buried in navigation hierarchy
- ❌ Login/signup functionality broken
- 🌐 Incomplete language localization
- 💬 Character limit on prayer titles

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen shows blank page after email entry
- Cannot sign up - forced to use guest mode
- Prayer details fail to load when tapping topics
- Spanish language menu only, content remains English
- Prayer list details require workaround (share to text)

**Requested features**

- Prayer list sharing capability
- Group prayer creation and management
- Dark mode for nighttime reading
- Prayer list as default home screen
- Full-screen prayer expansion


### Shades Mountain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shades-mountain/id1583663973)

This app enhances your on-campus experience with tools for connection, giving, event discovery, and group management. It also facilitates children's check-ins and helps you engage with the church's mission.

**Highlights:** Online connection card, Giving capabilities, Event discovery, Group management, Children's check-in, Connect with church mission

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pray First free?

Pray First is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shades Mountain free?

Shades Mountain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pray First or Shades Mountain?

Shades Mountain is rated higher. Pray First averages 4.9 out of 5 from 389 ratings, while Shades Mountain averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Pray First or Shades Mountain have ads?

Neither Pray First nor Shades Mountain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pray First or Shades Mountain?

Pray First ships an update monthly, and Shades Mountain every 29 months. Most recently, Pray First was updated on September 16, 2026 and Shades Mountain on September 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*