Comparison

Catholic Calendar vs EWTN

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Catholic Calendar

Access daily Catholic Mass readings, saints, and celebrations. Includes the Rosary with scripture and offline access. Offers optional monthly subscriptions for the full Liturgy of the Hours and more detailed Mass texts.

Highlights
  • Daily liturgical calendar
  • Saints and feast days
  • Order of Mass
  • The Rosary with scripture
  • Offline access
  • Liturgy of the Hours (subscription)
  • Customizable display options
Features
Read full description

Universalis is a missal and a breviary, and more besides. It gives you the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) and the Mass for every day; plus valuable additional material. The Catholic Calendar app lets you join in with the tens of thousands of people who use Universalis daily, through a free app plus a small monthly subscription of roughly $0.99 / £0.79 / €0.99 (the App Store will tell you the exact figure). If you prefer a single purchase instead of a monthly subscription, get the Universalis app instead of the Catholic Calendar app. WHAT YOU GET FOR FREE • A complete liturgical calendar listing every saint and feast for your region. • The “About Today” page tells you what saints are being celebrated today, not only in your region but worldwide. It includes reflections and biographies. • The Order of Mass with all the possible alternative texts. • The Rosary with a verse of Scripture for every Hail Mary of every Mystery. Spoken audio is included if you want to listen to it. • No Internet needed: everything you need is already built in. • No cleverness needed: each day, Catholic Calendar works out exactly what you need to see. • View any date: past, present and future. • Use your own local calendar: USA, Canada, Singapore, Ireland, and every diocese in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. • Easy to read and use: a choice of fonts; big or small type; dark or light theme; page-turning or scrolling. • Help and support: tips and instructions are included; or press “Contact Us” to send us a message, and we will reply. And more – Home Screen widgets; liturgical events for your iOS calendar; copy and paste into other apps; reminders and alarms. THE MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION ADDS: (Your first month is free.) LITURGY OF THE HOURS: The complete official Liturgy of the Hours of the Catholic Church, as used worldwide. Morning (Lauds), daytime (Terce, Sext and None), evening (Vespers), night (Compline) and the deeply reflective Office of Readings. Do as many or as few of them as you like. • The psalms and canticles match the official English and American books. Scripture readings are from the Jerusalem Bible or the RSV. • Latin if you want it: by itself or alongside the English. MASS: The exact prayers and readings at Mass for each day. • England, Wales, Scotland: the official ESV version. • United States: the official NAB version. • Elsewhere: Jerusalem Bible readings and Grail psalms. • Latin if you want it: alongside the English. AND ALSO… • Illustrations in the About Today page. • “Mass Today” gives you the Order of Mass and today’s readings and prayers, all in one page. Bishops have been known to use it to say Mass from their iPads! • “Spiritual Reading” gathers the patristic and hagiographic readings for all the saints and feasts of the day. • Daily Books takes selected spiritual classics and presents them in daily instalments to focus and enrich your prayer life. • Commentaries on the day’s Mass readings from a leading biblical scholar. And more – daily email service; Mass readings on your Apple Watch. OPTIONAL ADD-ON AUDIO (in-app purchase required) Just press the button and listen! If you want to see what you are hearing, the text is highlighted to follow the sound. After an initial download, no Internet is required. Works with CarPlay too. • Spoken English Liturgy of the Hours: every Hour of every day of every year. Monthly or annual subscription. • Spoken English Mass Readings: First and Second Reading and the Gospel. Jerusalem Bible translation only. Monthly or annual subscription. (You can listen to a sample before subscribing. Following App Store rules, subscriptions renew automatically but you can cancel auto-renewal at any time.) • Sung Latin Compline (Night Prayer): by the boys of the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School. Single purchase. -- Privacy policy & terms of service: universalis.com/n-ios-privacy.htm.

About

EWTN

Access live and on-demand Catholic television and radio programming. Explore news, program schedules, and a free audio version of the Gospel of Mark. Offers a premium audio New Testament with celebrity voices and synchronized text.

Highlights
  • Live TV and Radio Streams
  • On-demand TV and Radio Programs
  • Catholic News
  • Program Schedule
  • Free Gospel of Mark Audio
  • Premium Audio New Testament
Read full description

EWTN’s TV and Radio: Live and On Demand • TV and Radio Live Streams • Video on demand (Television Programs) • Audio on demand (Radio Programs) • News • Program schedule FREE: RSV-Bible text with entire Gospel of Mark audio (99 minutes) featuring Blair Underwood as Mark - plus full text of the RSV-CE Bible and access to EWTN Live content. At anytime you can purchase the complete New Testament audio. The EWTN Bible is powered by the Truth & Life Audio Bible a celebrity-voiced "radio drama" of the entire RSV-CE New Testament. More than 70 actors help bring the scriptures to life in this 22-hour audio production, complete with movie-quality sound effects and an original music score. This award-winning audio New Testament is endorsed with an Imprimatur from the Vatican and including a foreword by Pope Benedict XVI. Voiced by internationally-renowned actors including: Neal McDonough, Stacy Keach, Kristen Bell, Sean Astin, Michael York, Blair Underwood,Malcolm McDowell, Brian Cox, Julia Ormond, John Rhys-Davies and many more. 70 actors - 20 audio engineers - 10 studios over 3 continents - more than 100 media development experts - and 10,000 production hours were needed to create this world-class audio New Testament. In addition to this amazing audio, the iPhone/iPad app features: • Complete text of RSV-CE synchronized with audio for the New Testament. • Go directly to any verse and hear and see the Bible instantly. • Use the built in playlist to hear the New Testament in 40 days or in Chronological order. • Create your own playlist of verses. • Remembers where you left off. • Sleep timer • Airplay support • Support for headphone pause and play buttons • Easily fit entire 22 hours of audio on your iPhone/iPad. “The Truth & Life Dramatized audio Bible is entirely faithful to the text of the Holy Scriptures. The manner in which the text is performed, beautifully assists the listener in understanding the meaning of the divinely inspired words within their context. The background music and sound effects helps the listener to imagine the setting of each particular text of the Holy Bible. I am happy to give my wholehearted endorsement to the audio New Testament.” --Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, Perfect of the Apostolic Signature of the Holy See “This is the way Scripture is supposed to sound. Revealing and passionate performances from world class actors, a lyrical translation, and sound effects that put you in the middle of the action. Whether you’ve read the Bible a hundred times or are making the first contact, this is an experience you will not forget and one you will want to repeat often.” --Laura Ingraham, Radio Talk Show Host, New York Times Bestselling Author “We learn by hearing as well as reading. Those who desire to become true disciples of Jesus will want to learn from His words in every way. For anyone interested in beginning or continuing their adventure of faith, I highly recommend this faithful and powerful presentation of the Word of God.” --The Most Reverend Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia, PA

Screenshots

Catholic Calendar4 screens
EWTN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Catholic Calendar at none against EWTN's shown. EWTN's advantage is ratings volume (41K vs 978) and review sentiment (91% vs 82%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Catholic Calendar sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and EWTN sells 31 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Catholic Calendar against 4.9 for EWTN. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EWTN has 41K ratings behind it against 978, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Catholic Calendar's written reviews are positive against 91% of EWTN's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Catholic Calendar ships an update every 3 weeks, EWTN every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Catholic Calendar versus EWTN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCatholic CalendarEWTN
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (978 ratings)4.9 (41K ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews90.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings97841K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversalis PublishingEWTN Religious Catalogue

Customer experience

Catholic Calendar

All ratings926 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral1.1%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews170 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral5.9%
Negative12.4%

EWTN

All ratings34,690 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews237 reviews
Positive90.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative7.2%

User reviews

Catholic Calendar

From 978 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Keeps me informed and organized
  • 👍 Best app for daily prayer
  • 👍 Great prayer tool
  • 👍 Wonderful spiritual aid
  • 👍 Faithful companion

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Psalter
  • 🐛 Notification Bells TAKE OVER MY iPhone!!!
  • 🐛 App crashes
  • 🐛 Something is wrong
  • 🐛 Subscription not sharable across apple family members

EWTN

From 41K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🙏 Strengthens Catholic faith
  • 🕍 Provides access to daily Mass and prayers
  • 🎥 Variety of inspiring programs and documentaries
  • 📖 Easy access to Bible and religious content
  • 🤗 Comforting and uplifting during difficult times

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional technical issues with streaming and app crashes
  • 🔍 Confusing navigation and layout changes
  • 🕰️ Slow loading of on-demand content
  • 🔇 Loss of some audio-only programs

Bugs and requests

Catholic Calendar

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when you try to open
  • Crashes on iPhone 6 with IOS 12
  • App refuses to open
  • Update with widget for iOS14 opens and immediately closes

Requested features

8 requests
  • Look up option
  • Memorial Dates
  • Add Eastern Catholic Saints' Feasts, & other Feasts only celebrated by Eastern Catholics, to the Eastern General calendar
  • Add Holy Rosary & Divine Mercy Chaplet
  • Add 1961 General & local liturgical calendars, 1961 Roman Breviary, 1962 Roman Missal
Show 3 more
  • Alerts
  • Spanish daily readings
  • Add dates to calendar

EWTN

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Inability to access certain American channels
  • Inconsistent performance on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved Chromecast support
  • More personalization options
  • Better organization of on-demand content
  • Easier access to program schedules

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Catholic Calendar

Subscriptions6
  • Daily texts7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Daily Mass Readings1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • Daytime Hours1 Month trial$2.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • All Hours1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Daily Mass Readings1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • All Hours1 Month trial$29.991 Year
One-time4
  • July 2011$0.99
  • September 2011$0.99
  • October 2011$0.99
Show 1 more
  • Sung Latin Compline$3.99
31 purchases

EWTN

One-time31
  • CHAPLET OF ST. MICHAEL$0.99
  • Padre Pio: He Bore Christ’S Wo$0.99
  • A Wolf In Sheep’S Clothing$1.99
Show 28 more
  • Called And Chosen$1.99
  • Saint Bridget Of Sweden$1.99
  • Hope - Our Lady Of Knock (rent)$1.99
  • MIRACLES OF PADRE PIO (rent)$1.99
  • GUADALUPE MYSTERIES (rent)$1.99
  • MOTHER CABRINI (rent)$1.99
  • THE HIDDEN SHRINE (rent)$1.99
  • GREGORIAN MUSIC OF ANGELS(rent$1.99
  • Tolkien - An Unexpected Friend$1.99
  • SAINT ROSE OF LIMA (rent)$1.99
  • Saint Martin De Porres$1.99
  • Kateri$1.99
  • Cabrini And The Heart Of Jesus$1.99
  • I AM W/ YOU-CARLO ACUTIS(rent)$1.99
  • The Message Of Fatima$2.99
  • Chaplet Of Divine Mercy$2.99
  • Saints Vs. Scoundrels$2.99
  • The Heresies (rent)$2.99
  • They Might Be Saints (rent)$2.99
  • The Case For Marriage$2.99
  • EXPLORE W MIRACLE HUNTER(rent)$2.99
  • Straubinger New Testament Audio$4.99
  • A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing$9.99
  • THE HOLY ROSARY WITH MOTHER ANGELICA (buy)$9.99
  • Chaplet Of Divine Mercy$14.99
  • The “Reformation” - buy$14.99
  • Liturgy Of The Hours For Lay P$14.99
  • New Testament Audio Package$19.99

Questions

Is Catholic Calendar free?
Catholic Calendar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is EWTN free?
EWTN is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Catholic Calendar or EWTN?
EWTN is rated higher. Catholic Calendar averages 4.8 out of 5 from 978 ratings, while EWTN averages 4.9 from 41K ratings.
Do Catholic Calendar or EWTN have ads?
EWTN shows ads; Catholic Calendar does not.
Which is updated more often, Catholic Calendar or EWTN?
Catholic Calendar ships an update every 3 weeks, and EWTN every 4 weeks. Most recently, Catholic Calendar was updated on October 27, 2026 and EWTN on October 28, 2026.

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