# BibleRef vs Rooted Word

The clearest difference is update cadence: Rooted Word at every 3 weeks against BibleRef's every 4 months. Rooted Word also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 87%). BibleRef's advantage is ratings volume (179 vs 12) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Rooted Word holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BibleRef has 179 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of BibleRef's written reviews are positive against 100% of Rooted Word's.

BibleRef ships an update every 4 months, Rooted Word every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BibleRef | Rooted Word |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (179 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibleref/id1596177226/reviews) | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rooted-word/id6753700591/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **179** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 87.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 171 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Got Questions Ministries](https://appshunter.io/developer/366553553) | [Hope Adebayo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1844508718) |

## What reviewers say

### BibleRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibleref/id1596177226)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Rooted Word

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rooted-word/id6753700591)

This app offers an in-depth Bible study experience with over 60,000 cross-references. It provides a clean interface to explore connections between passages, save notes, and build a consistent study habit. An optional account syncs your progress across devices.

**Highlights:** 60,000+ Cross References, Clean reading experience, Favorites, notes, and highlights, Bookmarks and recent history, Daily streaks for habit building, Cross reference explorer, Optional account sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BibleRef free?

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

### Is Rooted Word free?

Rooted Word is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BibleRef or Rooted Word?

Rooted Word is rated higher. BibleRef averages 4.6 out of 5 from 179 ratings, while Rooted Word averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do BibleRef or Rooted Word have ads?

Neither BibleRef nor Rooted Word shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BibleRef or Rooted Word?

BibleRef ships an update every 4 months, and Rooted Word every 3 weeks. Most recently, BibleRef was updated on October 24, 2026 and Rooted Word on September 23, 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.*