# Bible Study Tools vs BibleRef

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BibleRef at 87% against Bible Study Tools's 26%. BibleRef also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.8) and ads (none vs shown). Bible Study Tools's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (867 vs 179). On price, 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.

BibleRef holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 867 and 179 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Bible Study Tools's written reviews are positive against 87% of BibleRef's.

Bible Study Tools ships an update monthly, BibleRef every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bible Study Tools | BibleRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (867 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible-study-tools/id396906089/reviews) | **[4.6 (179 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibleref/id1596177226/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **867** | 179 |
| Positive reviews | 26.4% of reviews | **87.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 68 MB | 171 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Salem Communications](https://appshunter.io/developer/349087409) | [Got Questions Ministries](https://appshunter.io/developer/366553553) |

## What reviewers say

### Bible Study Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible-study-tools/id396906089)

Access a vast library of Bible translations, commentaries, and study tools. Personalize your reading experience with notes, highlights, and customizable themes. Engage with daily reading plans and explore verses by topic.

**Highlights:** Multiple Bible translations, Personalized notes and highlights, Daily Bible reading plans, Commentaries and concordances, Verses by topic, Customizable themes and font sizes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Variety of Bible versions
- 🚀 Helpful reading plans
- 👍 Great study tool
- 🚀 Excellent resource

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate
- 💸 Too many ads
- 🔍 Buggy interface
- 🔍 Unreliable app

**Reported bugs**

- Reading plans not loading properly
- Verses not displaying correctly
- Constant crashing on launch
- Login issues and account problems
- Incompatibility with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to save notes and highlights
- Improved reading plan tracking
- Smoother integration with website
- Paid ad-free version


### 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 Study Tools free?

Bible Study Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BibleRef free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bible Study Tools or BibleRef?

BibleRef is rated higher. Bible Study Tools averages 2.8 out of 5 from 867 ratings, while BibleRef averages 4.6 from 179 ratings.

### Do Bible Study Tools or BibleRef have ads?

Bible Study Tools shows ads; BibleRef does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bible Study Tools or BibleRef?

Bible Study Tools ships an update monthly, and BibleRef every 4 months. Most recently, Bible Study Tools was updated on September 29, 2026 and BibleRef 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.*