# ESV Bible vs Theophilus

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Theophilus at none against ESV Bible's 2. Theophilus also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly). ESV Bible's advantage is ratings volume (11K vs 3) and chart position (#109 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ESV Bible sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Theophilus asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for ESV Bible against 4.7 for Theophilus. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ESV Bible has 11K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of ESV Bible's written reviews are positive against 100% of Theophilus's.

ESV Bible ships an update monthly, Theophilus every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ESV Bible | Theophilus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esv-bible/id361797273/reviews)** | [4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theophilus/id6761641333/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 70.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#109** | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Crossway](https://appshunter.io/developer/361797276) | [Brandon Brown](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868861497) |

## What reviewers say

### ESV Bible

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esv-bible/id361797273)

**Currently charting:** #109 Top Grossing · Reference, #132 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Easily read, study, and engage with scripture on your mobile device. Features audio Bibles, customizable reading plans, and in-depth study resources. Sync your notes and highlights across devices.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reader mode, Search by reference, keyword, or phrase, Listen to audio Bibles with background music, Over 50 Bible reading plans, Access to study Bibles and commentaries, Personal notes and highlighting, Cross-device syncing

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ESV Bible App Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| ESV Bible App Subscription | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth functionality
- 👍 Elegant, minimal design
- 👍 Uncluttered reading experience
- 👍 Variety of narrators and audio options
- 👍 Useful study resources and commentary

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy highlighting and note-taking
- 🐛 Inconsistent reading plan tracking
- 🐛 Audio playback issues
- 🔒 Concerns about data collection
- 💰 Subscription model for full access

**Reported bugs**

- Crashing and freezing issues
- Verses missing from the text
- Incorrect chapter/verse navigation
- Disappearing highlights and notes

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize font size and style
- Offline audio download option
- Improved navigation between books and chapters
- Verse-level highlighting and note-taking
- Syncing of bookmarks and notes across devices


### Theophilus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theophilus/id6761641333)

This app offers a deep dive into scripture with multiple translations, historical context, and ancient writings. It includes commentaries, biblical dictionaries, and tools for journaling, memorization, and prayer. Users can also connect with others for community study and encouragement.

**Highlights:** Multiple Bible translations (BSB, KJV, WEB), Instant verse context and historical information, Access to 30 public domain commentaries, Writings from 1st-century church fathers, In-depth study of people, places, and archaeology, Journaling with verse detection and prayer tracking, Community features for sharing and group study

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ESV Bible free?

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

### Is Theophilus free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ESV Bible or Theophilus?

ESV Bible is rated higher. ESV Bible averages 4.7 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Theophilus averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do ESV Bible or Theophilus have ads?

Neither ESV Bible nor Theophilus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ESV Bible or Theophilus?

ESV Bible ships an update monthly, and Theophilus every 11 days. Most recently, ESV Bible was updated on November 4, 2026 and Theophilus on October 31, 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.*