# Universalis vs Mary

The clearest difference is price: Mary at Free against Universalis's $9.99. Mary also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Universalis's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (9.4K vs 509). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Mary is free to download; Universalis costs $9.99 up front. Universalis sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Mary asks for nothing beyond the download.

Universalis holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universalis has 9.4K ratings behind it against 509, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Universalis's written reviews are positive against 92% of Mary's.

Universalis ships an update every 3 weeks, Mary every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universalis | Mary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (9.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universalis/id284942719/reviews)** | [4.7 (509 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mary/id483256944/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.4K** | 509 |
| Positive reviews | **94.6% of reviews** | 92.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 79 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Universalis Publishing](https://appshunter.io/developer/284942722) | [Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception](https://appshunter.io/developer/410696369) |

## What reviewers say

### Universalis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universalis/id284942719)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Paid · Lifestyle (US App Store)

This app provides the Liturgy of the Hours and Mass readings for every day, along with additional spiritual content. It offers offline access, customizable display options, and optional spoken audio. It's designed for daily prayer and spiritual enrichment.

**Highlights:** Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office), Daily Mass readings and prayers, Offline access, Customizable display (fonts, themes), Spiritual reading and commentaries, Optional spoken audio add-on

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Daily Mass Readings | $1.99 | per month |
| Daytime Hours | $2.99 | per month |
| All Hours | $2.99 | per month |
| Daily Mass Readings | $19.99 | per year |
| Daytime Hours | $29.99 | per year |
| All Hours | $29.99 | per year |
| Add-on translation: RSV Hours | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sung Latin Compline | $3.99 | one-time |
| Revelations of Divine Love | $5.99 | one-time |
| Journey into Light | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Wonderful Catholic app
- 🙌 Great app for Catholic devotions
- 📚 This is a wonderful app for the laity
- 🙏 Excellent resource for Mass and Liturgy of the Hours
- 🌟 Comprehensive and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Hymns selection could be improved
- 🤔 Navigation can be confusing
- 🤔 Kenyan version text does not match book
- 🤔 Difficult to navigate, missing menu buttons

**Reported bugs**

- Gospel readings sometimes incorrect
- App crashes when trying to change hymns or readings

**Requested features**

- Add Salesian saints and young saints
- Include NAB translation for US users
- Add option for 1962 liturgical calendar
- Improve hymn selection, especially for seasons
- Implement more inclusive language in prayers


### Mary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mary/id483256944)

Explore comprehensive information on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus. This free app provides resources on her doctrine, devotions like the interactive Rosary, and details on apparitions and pilgrimage sites. Deepen your understanding and devotion to Mary to grow closer to Jesus.

**Highlights:** Interactive Rosary with audio, Marian Dogmas and Titles, Marian Feasts and Prayers, Images and Apparitions of Mary, Pilgrimage Sites information, Information on Marian Fathers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🙏 Helpful for prayer life
- 🌟 Excellent app for learning about Mary
- 🎨 Beautiful design and visuals
- 🔊 Soothing narration voice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio issues (cutting out, repeating)
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating/tracking progress
- 🔌 Compatibility issues with iOS 11 and newer
- 🔇 Lack of customization options (volume, speed)

**Reported bugs**

- Rosary prayers not proceeding correctly after Luminous Mysteries
- App not compatible with latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add Latin audio/text option for rosary
- Include Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Implement vibration patterns to distinguish rosary mysteries
- Add ability to pause/resume rosary without losing progress


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universalis free?

Universalis costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Mary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Universalis or Mary?

Universalis is rated higher. Universalis averages 4.9 out of 5 from 9.4K ratings, while Mary averages 4.7 from 509 ratings.

### Do Universalis or Mary have ads?

Neither Universalis nor Mary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Universalis or Mary?

Universalis ships an update every 3 weeks, and Mary every 3 months. Most recently, Universalis was updated on September 23, 2026 and Mary on September 8, 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.*