如是我聞(Thus have I heard) vs Sutra
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
如是我聞(Thus have I heard)
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Compilation of almost all of the Buddhist Sutras. Chinese text and Pali text Sutras and their translations into many languages are included. Easy to read and make notes.
Sutra
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Sutra — A pocket Tripitaka. An offline, distraction-free reader for the Chinese-Buddhist canon, with text sourced from CBETA (Chinese Buddhist Electronic Texts Association, latest open release), grounded in the Taishō Tripitaka. Translations by Kumārajīva, Xuanzang, Yijing and others — organized for daily reading. ■ 35 scriptures The Dharma-Drum daily-recital selection: Heart Sutra, Diamond Sutra, Amitābha Sutra, Universal Gate of Avalokiteśvara, Samantabhadra's Vows, 42 Sections, Medicine Buddha, Earth Treasury, Śūraṅgama, Perfect Enlightenment … Four major repentance liturgies: Liang Emperor, Threefold Samādhi Water, Great Compassion, Earth Treasury Jeweled, 88 Buddhas, Ten Small Mantras. Oldest-stratum short collections: Dhammapada, Aṭṭhakavagga, Itivuttaka, Saṃyukta-āgama selections (including Pabhassara Sutta, Mahāparinibbāna verse). ■ Four-language parallel reading Four core scriptures carry four reading modes: Chinese — Classical Chinese translation (Xuanzang, Kumārajīva …) Sanskrit — IAST + Devanāgarī, the original sound English — translation, opening the meaning English→Chinese — modern Mandarin transcribed from the English An in-app "Reading Languages" essay explains why each mode exists. ■ Traditional vertical ↔ modern horizontal One tap to switch. Vertical preserves the handwritten-sutra ritual feel; horizontal suits commuting and night reading. Four font sizes (S/M/L/XL); the size stays put when TTS playback is on. ■ Cinnabar-stamp aesthetic, sprinkled-gold paper Visual identity drawn from Song-Yuan sutra manuscripts: cream cotton-paper texture in light mode, royal navy with sprinkled gold in dark mode. Restrained palette designed to be easy on the eyes during long readings. ■ Recitation TTS Built-in Mandarin voices (Tingting / Meijia / Sinji) read along with you — useful when driving or eyes closed. ■ Six reflective essays • Textual Strata — what layer of "the Buddha's word" we are reading • Three Buddhas — the three shapes the Buddha takes in text • Path of Deification — the five stages from man to god • "Are all sentient beings originally Buddha?" — tracing the lineage of a Chan koan • Reading Languages — positioning the four modes • Sources & Attribution — CBETA license + acknowledgements ■ Reminders Daily passage push at 06:00; 16 major Buddhist holidays (Buddha's bath day, Avalokiteśvara's anniversary, Earth-Treasury Bodhisattva's anniversary …) push at 09:00. Optional integration with the system Reminders app. ■ Privacy Zero data collection. No tracking, no analytics, no upload. The sutra database ships with the app; your reading progress and bookmarks stay on your device. No ads, no IAP, no subscription, free forever. — Sutra text © CBETA (Chinese Buddhist Electronic Texts Association), latest open release. Base: Taishō Tripitaka © Daizo Shuppan K.K. (CBETA holds input and publication permissions). License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Taiwan — https://www.cbeta.org/copyright.php This app is non-commercial. Sutra texts are unaltered in substance, with CBETA attribution and version noted.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: 如是我聞(Thus have I heard) at 13.0 against Sutra's 15.0. 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | 如是我聞(Thus have I heard) | Sutra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | — | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ZetaSoft Co.ltd. | 一創系統有限公司 |
In-app purchases
如是我聞(Thus have I heard)
No in-app purchases
Sutra
No in-app purchases









