# Universalis vs Philothea

The clearest difference is price: Philothea at Free against Universalis's $9.99. Universalis's advantage is ratings volume (9.6K vs 1) and chart position (#4 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Philothea is free to download; Universalis costs $9.99 up front. Universalis sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Philothea sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Universalis against 5.0 for Philothea. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universalis has 9.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universalis | Philothea |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.9 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universalis/id284942719/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philothea/id6772639935/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 78 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Universalis Publishing](https://appshunter.io/developer/284942722) | [QUINTILIAN LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881696799) |

## What reviewers say

### Universalis

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

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Paid · Lifestyle, #115 Top Paid (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


### Philothea

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/philothea/id6772639935)

This app offers a guided 30-day devotional walk based on a classic Catholic handbook for living a devout life in ordinary circumstances. It provides daily readings, prayers, and a structured meditation flow, with optional premium features for journaling and progress tracking.

**Highlights:** 30-day guided devotional walk, Daily prayer and meditation flow, Bilingual (French/English) content, Journaling and progress tracking (premium), Prayer library with traditional prayers, Daily readings and spiritual guidance

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Philothea Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Philothea Yearly | $6.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universalis free?

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

### Is Philothea free?

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

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

Philothea is rated higher. Universalis averages 4.9 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while Philothea averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Universalis or Philothea have ads?

Neither Universalis nor Philothea shows ads.

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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.*