# Bible Commentaries vs The MacArthur Study Bible

The clearest difference is price: The MacArthur Study Bible at Free against Bible Commentaries's $2.99. The MacArthur Study Bible also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 25%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.3). Bible Commentaries's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 15.1). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

The MacArthur Study Bible is free to download; Bible Commentaries costs $2.99 up front. The MacArthur Study Bible sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bible Commentaries asks for nothing beyond the download.

The MacArthur Study Bible holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The MacArthur Study Bible has 18K 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 66% of The MacArthur Study Bible's.

Bible Commentaries ships an update every 2 months, The MacArthur Study Bible monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bible Commentaries | The MacArthur Study Bible |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible-commentaries/id370834158/reviews) | **[4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-macarthur-study-bible/id992237916/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **18K** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **65.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 63 MB | 112 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) | [Grace to You](https://appshunter.io/developer/992237915) |

## 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


### The MacArthur Study Bible

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-macarthur-study-bible/id992237916)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| John MacArthur’s Study Bible Notes | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Excellent study resource
- 📚 Helpful commentary and notes
- 🔍 Useful cross-references
- 🎧 Convenient audio Bible
- 🕰️ Daily devotionals and sermons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to create account
- Inability to access saved notes and highlights
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Devotionals not updating regularly

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bible Commentaries free?

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

### Is The MacArthur Study Bible free?

The MacArthur Study Bible is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bible Commentaries or The MacArthur Study Bible?

The MacArthur Study Bible is rated higher. Bible Commentaries averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while The MacArthur Study Bible averages 4.9 from 18K ratings.

### Do Bible Commentaries or The MacArthur Study Bible have ads?

Neither Bible Commentaries nor The MacArthur Study Bible shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bible Commentaries or The MacArthur Study Bible?

Bible Commentaries ships an update every 2 months, and The MacArthur Study Bible monthly. Most recently, Bible Commentaries was updated on October 23, 2026 and The MacArthur Study Bible on October 29, 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.*