# iPieta vs The Novena App

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iPieta at 88% against The Novena App's 42%. iPieta also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months). The Novena App's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

The Novena App holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 510 and 892 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of iPieta's written reviews are positive against 42% of The Novena App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iPieta ships an update fortnightly, The Novena App every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iPieta | The Novena App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (510 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipieta/id311106959/reviews) | **[4.9 (892 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-novena-app/id6443744076/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 510 | **892** |
| Positive reviews | **88.2% of reviews** | 41.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 12 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iVerbum](https://appshunter.io/developer/311106962) | [Reeba Sebastian](https://appshunter.io/developer/1281813035) |

## What reviewers say

### iPieta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipieta/id311106959)

Access a comprehensive collection of Catholic resources, including Bibles, catechisms, prayers, and spiritual works. Explore liturgical calendars, papal documents, and writings from Church Fathers. Features include search, history, bookmarks, and downloadable audio for select content.

**Highlights:** Catholic Bibles (Douay-Rheims, Clementine Vulgate), Multiple Catechisms (Baltimore, Roman, St. Thomas Aquinas), Ordinary & Extraordinary Liturgical Calendars, Extensive Devotions and Prayers, Spiritual Works from Church Fathers, Papal Encyclicals and Conciliar Documents, Search, History, Bookmarks, Highlights

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Best Catholic Prayer and Devotion App
- 📚 Wonderful resource for prayers, readings, and spiritual content
- 🕰️ Comprehensive coverage of traditional and modern Catholic practices
- 🔍 Extensive library of prayers, Bible translations, and Church documents
- 🌟 Invaluable tool for prayer life and spiritual growth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Difficult to navigate and find desired content
- 🆕 Recent updates have made the app less user-friendly
- 🔇 Audio playback issues and missing features
- 🔄 Inconsistent user experience across updates
- 📱 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Reported bugs**

- Blank screen issues after recent updates
- Disappearing bookmarks and notes
- Stability problems and frequent crashes
- Incorrect calendar and liturgical information

**Requested features**

- More Bible translations and liturgical versions
- Improved search and browsing functionality
- Better organization and categorization of content
- Customizable audio playback controls
- Offline access and download options


### The Novena App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-novena-app/id6443744076)

This app provides a comprehensive collection of traditional Catholic novenas to deepen faith and strengthen connection with God. Users can access a vast array of prayers, create personalized novenas, and track their spiritual journey with a user-friendly interface and helpful features like dark mode and quick search.

**Highlights:** Vast array of traditional Catholic novenas, Create and track personalized prayers, Favorite and easily access beloved novenas, Dark Mode for comfortable reading, Clean, intuitive user interface, Quick search for instant access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iPieta free?

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

### Is The Novena App free?

The Novena App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iPieta or The Novena App?

The Novena App is rated higher. iPieta averages 4.7 out of 5 from 510 ratings, while The Novena App averages 4.9 from 892 ratings.

### Do iPieta or The Novena App have ads?

The Novena App shows ads; iPieta does not.

### Which is updated more often, iPieta or The Novena App?

iPieta ships an update fortnightly, and The Novena App every 6 months. Most recently, iPieta was updated on October 1, 2026 and The Novena App on September 28, 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.*