# ESV Bible vs Scripture Before Scroll

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scripture Before Scroll at none against ESV Bible's 2. Scripture Before Scroll also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 weeks). ESV Bible's advantage is ratings volume (9.9K vs 32) and chart position (#96 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. Scripture Before Scroll 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 Scripture Before Scroll. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ESV Bible has 9.9K ratings behind it against 32, 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 Scripture Before Scroll's.

ESV Bible ships an update every 4 weeks, Scripture Before Scroll every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ESV Bible | Scripture Before Scroll |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esv-bible/id361797273/reviews) | [4.7 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scripture-before-scroll/id6771953135/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.9K** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | 70.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#96** | — |
| Size | 34 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Crossway](https://appshunter.io/developer/361797276) | [James Liberty](https://appshunter.io/developer/6771953137) |

## What reviewers say

### ESV Bible

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

**Currently charting:** #96 Top Grossing · Reference, #106 Top Free · Reference (US App Store)

Engage with scripture through reading, listening, and in-depth study. This app offers customizable reading plans, audio Bibles with background music, and tools for reflection and annotation. Unlock premium study resources for a deeper understanding of God's Word.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reader's mode, Search by reference, keyword, or phrase, Audio Bibles with instrumental music, Over 50 Bible reading plans, Free ESV Global Study Bible access, Notes, highlighting, and bookmarking, Sync content with ESV.org

**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


### Scripture Before Scroll

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scripture-before-scroll/id6771953135)

This app restricts access to social media until you complete your daily Bible reading. Choose your reading style, track your progress, and test your knowledge with trivia. It prioritizes privacy with no ads or data selling.

**Highlights:** Social media blocking, Daily scripture reading, Reading habit tracking, Bible trivia, Family Game mode, Private journaling

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ESV Bible free?

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

### Is Scripture Before Scroll free?

Scripture Before Scroll is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ESV Bible or Scripture Before Scroll?

ESV Bible and Scripture Before Scroll are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9.9K and 32 ratings respectively.

### Do ESV Bible or Scripture Before Scroll have ads?

Neither ESV Bible nor Scripture Before Scroll shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ESV Bible or Scripture Before Scroll?

ESV Bible ships an update every 4 weeks, and Scripture Before Scroll every 4 days. Most recently, ESV Bible was updated on October 14, 2026 and Scripture Before Scroll on October 1, 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.*