# Bible Commentaries vs BibleRef

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BibleRef at 87% against Bible Commentaries's 25%. BibleRef also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and ratings volume (180 vs 3). Bible Commentaries's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 15.1). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

BibleRef is free to download; Bible Commentaries costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BibleRef holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BibleRef has 180 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Bible Commentaries's written reviews are positive against 87% of BibleRef's.

Bible Commentaries ships an update every 2 months, BibleRef every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bible Commentaries | BibleRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible-commentaries/id370834158/reviews) | **[4.6 (180 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibleref/id1596177226/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **180** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **87.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 63 MB | 171 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sand Apps Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333188389) | [Got Questions Ministries](https://appshunter.io/developer/366553553) |

## What reviewers say

### Bible Commentaries

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible-commentaries/id370834158)

Access 65 Bible translations with detailed commentaries from respected sources for each chapter. Customize text size and color for a personalized reading experience. All content is included in the download.

**Highlights:** 65 Bible translations, Detailed commentaries, Customizable text size, Customizable text color, Offline access to all content

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### BibleRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibleref/id1596177226)

Access verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter Bible commentary with extensive cross-references and context explanations. Understand scripture with easy-to-read explanations and multiple Bible translations.

**Highlights:** Verse-by-verse commentary, Chapter-by-chapter commentary, Extensive cross-references, Context explanation, Six Bible translations, Regularly updated content

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Comprehensive verse-by-verse commentary and explanations
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface design
- 🆓 Completely free with no paywalls or subscriptions
- 📖 Multiple Bible translations available for comparison
- 🎯 Helpful context and summary sections for each chapter

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Incomplete coverage of Old Testament books
- 🔄 Many sections marked 'Coming Soon' throughout app
- 🐛 App freezes and won't download updates
- ❌ Missing features compared to other Bible apps
- 📊 Inconsistent commentary availability across books

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and won't download updates
- Crashes after iOS updates
- Performance issues with certain devices
- Inconsistent loading of commentary sections

**Requested features**

- Highlighter and font size adjustment options
- Audio/text-to-speech functionality for commentary
- iPad version of the app
- Bookmark or reading progress tracker
- Search function for verses and topics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bible Commentaries free?

Bible Commentaries costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BibleRef free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bible Commentaries or BibleRef?

BibleRef is rated higher. Bible Commentaries averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while BibleRef averages 4.6 from 180 ratings.

### Do Bible Commentaries or BibleRef have ads?

Neither Bible Commentaries nor BibleRef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bible Commentaries or BibleRef?

Bible Commentaries ships an update every 2 months, and BibleRef every 4 months. Most recently, Bible Commentaries was updated on November 1, 2026 and BibleRef on November 3, 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.*