# The Encounter vs Upper

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Upper at none against The Encounter's 3. Upper also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Encounter sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Upper asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Encounter ships an update every 2 weeks, Upper every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Encounter | Upper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-encounter/id1596789782/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **55** | — |
| Positive reviews | 58.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 82 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Faithtree Resources](https://appshunter.io/developer/1596789784) | [Jomon P j](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778937268) |

## What reviewers say

### The Encounter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-encounter/id1596789782)

This app provides daily Orthodox prayers, scripture readings, saint stories, and hymns to help users establish a consistent prayer rhythm. It offers guided prayers, a library for various occasions, and sacred music to foster a deeper connection with faith.

**Highlights:** Daily Morning, Noonday, and Evening Prayers, Guided prayers with text and audio, Daily Gospel and Epistle scripture readings, Prayer library for various occasions, Saint of the Day profiles, Orthodox chant and hymns, Book of Psalms

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Content | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium yearly subscription | $39.99 | per year |


### Upper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upper-room/id6778937266)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Encounter free?

The Encounter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Upper free?

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

### Do The Encounter or Upper have ads?

Neither The Encounter nor Upper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Encounter or Upper?

The Encounter ships an update every 2 weeks, and Upper every 5 days. Most recently, The Encounter was updated on October 20, 2026 and Upper on September 19, 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.*