Accordance Bible Software vs The MacArthur Study Bible
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Accordance Bible Software
This app offers a powerful and fast way to study the Bible. It allows users to read, search, and explore scripture with features like side-by-side translation comparison, in-depth word lookups, and note-taking. Expand your library with a vast collection of Bibles and study tools available for purchase.
- Read Bible with commentaries
- Compare Bible translations side-by-side
- Search Bible for words or verses
- Instant word definitions and parsing
- Take notes, highlights, and bookmarks
- Search Greek and Hebrew Bibles
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Accordance® is a fast and powerful Bible study app that lets you read, search, and explore the Bible. Read • Read the Bible and follow along with a commentary or your own study notes • Compare two Bible translations side by side that will scroll in sync with one another • Follow a Bible reading plan • Take notes, create highlights, and add bookmarks that will sync with the desktop version of Accordance Search • Search the Bible for words or verses • Search the Bible using powerful tags and commands • Search Greek and Hebrew Bibles (samples included) by lemma, inflected form, or root Explore • Press and hold when reading to bring up the magnifying glass, then select a word to view Instant Details (definition and/or parsing if available) • Look up unfamiliar words in Bible dictionaries and lexicons • Tap on hyperlinked verse references to view the full passage in the Instant Details popover The following resources are included in your initial download of Accordance: • ESV Bible with Strong’s numbers (ESVi) • World English Bible (WEB) • Samples of the Greek New Testament and Hebrew Bible • Easton’s Bible Dictionary • Outlines of each book of the Bible • Margin notes and cross-references • Bible Lands PhotoGuide Sampler • Kohlenberger/Mounce Concise Hebrew–Aramaic Dictionary • Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary • BiblicalTraining.org If you register an Accordance account, you will also be able to download a iOS Starter collection including: • The 1901 American Standard Version (ASV) • French: Louis Segond Bible • German Elberfelder 1905 • German Lutherbibel 1912 • Greek and Hebrew Strong's Dictionaries • Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names • Nave's Topical Bible • Portuguese Bible: João Ferreira De Almeida Atualizada (ALMEIDA) • Spanish 1909 Reina Valera with Strong's numbers • Dr. J's Bible Study Methods • Maps Sampler • Timeline Sampler • Chronological Readings • Devotional Readings • Classic Passages • Parables & Miracles If you would like to add more resources to your library, Accordance has an extensive collection of Bibles and study tools available for purchase. These materials range from Christian classics to Jewish publications to high-end reference works to the Dead Sea Scrolls in Hebrew. Whatever your Bible study needs may be, Accordance has you covered. Questions or comments? Come join the discussion in our support forums at https://accordance.bible/forums/
The MacArthur Study Bible
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.
- 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
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For over half a century, Pastor John MacArthur devoted himself to helping you know and love God by helping you understand His Word. Now, imagine a Bible that gives you instant access to all of John’s insights on the passage you’re reading—one you can carry in your pocket. The MacArthur Study Bible app makes that a reality. - Read or listen to Scripture in trusted translations like the NAS, LSB, ESV, or KJV - Go deeper with John’s study guides, articles, related sermons, and daily devotionals - Highlight Bible passages, add your own notes, and bookmark verses - Customize your reading experience with font and display options - Synchronize your progress and data on multiple devices And now, with your free Grace to You account, you’ll also have access to John’s Notes from The MacArthur Study Bible, including nearly 25,000 detailed comments that help explain virtually every passage in the Bible. Along with the notes are dozens of articles, charts, maps, and helpful introductions to each book of the Bible—all designed to help you understand God’s Word more clearly. For more information about Grace to You, the Bible-teaching ministry of John MacArthur, please visit gty.org.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: The MacArthur Study Bible at monthly against Accordance Bible Software's every 2 months. Accordance Bible Software's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 66%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Accordance Bible Software sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and The MacArthur Study Bible sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Accordance Bible Software against 4.9 for The MacArthur Study Bible. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13K and 18K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Accordance Bible Software's written reviews are positive against 66% of The MacArthur Study Bible's.
Accordance Bible Software ships an update every 2 months, The MacArthur Study Bible monthly. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.
| Parameter | Accordance Bible Software | The MacArthur Study Bible |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (13K ratings) | 4.9 (18K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.4% of reviews — better | 65.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13K | 18K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 237 MB | 112 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | OakTree Software, Inc. | Grace to You |
Customer experience
Accordance Bible Software
The MacArthur Study Bible
User reviews
Accordance Bible Software
From 13K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Powerful Bible study tools
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Customizable interface
- 💡 Syncs across devices
- 👍 Excellent resources and translations
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🐛 Buggy note-taking and highlighting
- 🐛 Inconsistent sync between mobile and desktop
- 🐛 Difficult navigation and unintuitive UI
- 🐛 Slow or failed module downloads
The MacArthur Study Bible
From 18K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🙏 Excellent study resource
- 📚 Helpful commentary and notes
- 🔍 Useful cross-references
- 🎧 Convenient audio Bible
- 🕰️ Daily devotionals and sermons
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Bugs and requests
Accordance Bible Software
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes on startup
- Purchases not showing up
- Scrolling issues and loss of place
- Incompatibility with latest iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Add more translation options
- Improve note-taking and annotation capabilities
- Implement better sync between mobile and desktop
- Enhance search and browsing functionality
- Add support for Apple Pencil and handwriting
The MacArthur Study Bible
Reported bugs
4 issues- Unable to create account
- Inability to access saved notes and highlights
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Devotionals not updating regularly
Requested features
5 requests- 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
In-app purchases
Accordance Bible Software
- Geneva Bible$9.99
- Amplified Bible$14.99
- The Message$14.99
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- New Living Translation-Second Edition$14.99
- Tanakh (The Jewish Bible) with Strong's numbers$19.99
- NKJV tagged with Strong's numbers$19.99
- NRSV with Strong's numbers$19.99
- The Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament and Dictionary$29.99
- New International Version 2011 with G/K numbers$39.99
- Greek New Testament (tagged, based on NA28)$59.99
The MacArthur Study Bible
- John MacArthur’s Study Bible NotesFree
Questions
Is Accordance Bible Software free?
Is The MacArthur Study Bible free?
Which has better reviews, Accordance Bible Software or The MacArthur Study Bible?
Do Accordance Bible Software or The MacArthur Study Bible have ads?
Which is updated more often, Accordance Bible Software or The MacArthur Study Bible?
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