NIV Bible App + vs The MacArthur Study Bible
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NIV Bible App +
This app provides tools for reading, studying, listening to, and watching biblical content. It offers free Bible translations and resources, with options to purchase additional study materials or subscribe to curated packs. Access to videos and audiobooks enhances the study experience.
- Read Bible translations
- Study resources
- Audio Bibles and books
- Watch biblical videos
- Devotional reading plans
- Subscription study packs
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NIV Bible App equips you with easy-to-use Bible study tools so you can read and study the Bible for yourself. READ Immerse yourself in God’s Word with your favorite Bible translation downloaded to your device. Use 5 of the most popular Bible translations for free along with many other free resources. Trying to get back into the Word? There are tons of devotional reading plans, from one week to a year to get you deep into scripture. STUDY With thousands of titles available to purchase on the Olive Tree store you can be confident in building yourself a solid library of study resources to keep you studying God’s word for years to come! Not sure where to start? Check out one of our study packs in subscription form. They’re hand-picked study tools PLUS guided training to help you get the most out of studying the Bible. LISTEN Audio Bibles and books! Choose from simple reading or dramatized Bibles to thousands of audio book titles for Christian living. WATCH Olive Tree is partnering with BibleProject to give you free access to great videos, including introductions for every book in the Bible and other topical videos relevant to your Bible study. FEATURES Whether you’re here for a daily verse or prepping a sermon, Olive Tree has the tools you need to dive deep into God’s Word. PURCHASE OPTIONS Whether you want buy resources using a one-time purchase or subscribe to a curated list of tiles to jumpstart your Bible study, Olive Tree has multiple (and affordable) purchase options to suit your style. SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENT INFORMATION Olive Tree subscriptions will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase and/or completion of a free trial. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the free trial or current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. End-user license agreement: https://www.olivetree.com/press/privacy.php#eula Terms of use: https://www.olivetree.com/press/privacy.php#terms Privacy policy: https://www.olivetree.com/press/privacy.php
The MacArthur Study Bible
Access a vast library of biblical resources, including multiple scripture translations and over 3,000 sermons. Enhance your understanding with study notes, articles, and daily devotionals. Synchronize your personal data across devices for a seamless study experience.
- Multiple Bible translations (ESV, NAS, KJV)
- Extensive sermon archive
- Highlighting and note-taking
- Daily Bible reading plan
- Study guides and articles
- Cross-device data synchronization
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For over half a century, Pastor John MacArthur devoted himself to helping you know and love God by helping you understand His Word. Now, imagine a Bible that gives you instant access to all of John’s insights on the passage you’re reading—one you can carry in your pocket. The MacArthur Study Bible app makes that a reality. - Read or listen to Scripture in trusted translations like the NAS, LSB, ESV, or KJV - Go deeper with John’s study guides, articles, related sermons, and daily devotionals - Highlight Bible passages, add your own notes, and bookmark verses - Customize your reading experience with font and display options - Synchronize your progress and data on multiple devices And now, with your free Grace to You account, you’ll also have access to John’s Notes from The MacArthur Study Bible, including nearly 25,000 detailed comments that help explain virtually every passage in the Bible. Along with the notes are dozens of articles, charts, maps, and helpful introductions to each book of the Bible—all designed to help you understand God’s Word more clearly. For more information about Grace to You, the Bible-teaching ministry of John MacArthur, please visit gty.org.
Screenshots
Verdict
NIV Bible App + and The MacArthur Study Bible both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of NIV Bible App +'s written reviews are positive against 66% of The MacArthur Study Bible's. NIV Bible App + also leads on ratings volume (159K vs 18K) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). The MacArthur Study Bible's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads 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
Both are free to download. NIV Bible App + sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and The MacArthur Study Bible sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for NIV Bible App + against 4.9 for The MacArthur Study Bible. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NIV Bible App + has 159K ratings behind it against 18K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of NIV Bible App +'s written reviews are positive against 66% of The MacArthur Study Bible's.
NIV Bible App + ships an update fortnightly, The MacArthur Study Bible monthly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | NIV Bible App + | The MacArthur Study Bible |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (159K ratings) | 4.9 (18K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better | 65.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 159K — better | 18K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #177 — better | #210 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 100 MB | 112 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gospel Technologies LLC | Grace to You |
Customer experience
NIV Bible App +
The MacArthur Study Bible
User reviews
NIV Bible App +
From 159K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient to have Bible on phone
- 🚀 Helpful features like notes, highlights, and search
- 🚀 Ability to switch between translations
- 🚀 Offline access to Bible
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🐛 Difficulty with highlighting and note-taking
- 🔒 Concerns about subscription/payment model
- 🔒 Issues with login and account creation
The MacArthur Study Bible
From 18K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🙏 Excellent study resource
- 📚 Helpful commentary and notes
- 🔍 Useful cross-references
- 🎧 Convenient audio Bible
- 🕰️ Daily devotionals and sermons
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent freezing and crashes
- 🔀 Jumping to wrong chapters/verses
- 💤 Slow performance and unresponsiveness
- 🔍 Highlighting issues (can only highlight one verse at a time)
- 🔗 Broken links and navigation problems
Bugs and requests
NIV Bible App +
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes or freezes when trying to access certain features
- Inability to update or change Bible version
- Verse references not displaying correctly
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved highlighting and note-taking functionality
- More customization options
- Ability to select specific Bible versions
- Better integration with other Bible study tools
The MacArthur Study Bible
Reported bugs
4 issues- Unable to create account
- Inability to access saved notes and highlights
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Devotionals not updating regularly
Requested features
5 requests- Support for more Bible translations (e.g. NIV, NLT)
- Improved highlighting and note-taking capabilities
- Seamless syncing across devices
- Customizable font and theme options
- Better integration with other Bible study tools
In-app purchases
NIV Bible App +
- Starter Pack Monthly14 Days trial$2.991 Month
- ESV Study Pack Monthly14 Days trial$5.991 Month
- NIV Study Pack Monthly14 Days trial$5.991 Month
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- NKJV Study Pack Monthly14 Days trial$5.991 Month
- NLT Bible Study Pack Monthly14 Days trial$5.991 Month
- NIV Study Pack Annual14 Days trial$59.991 Year
- NIV BibleFree
- New Living Translation - NLT$9.99
- The Message - MSG$11.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- NIV Study Bible Notes$29.99
The MacArthur Study Bible
- John MacArthur’s Study Bible NotesFree
Questions
Is NIV Bible App + free?
Is The MacArthur Study Bible free?
Which has better reviews, NIV Bible App + or The MacArthur Study Bible?
Do NIV Bible App + or The MacArthur Study Bible have ads?
Which is updated more often, NIV Bible App + or The MacArthur Study Bible?
Which is more popular, NIV Bible App + or The MacArthur Study Bible?
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