# Highlands vs Madison Academy

The clearest difference is update cadence: Highlands at every 3 weeks against Madison Academy's every 6 months. Highlands also leads on ratings volume (466 vs 3). Madison Academy's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Madison Academy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Highlands has 466 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Highlands ships an update every 3 weeks, Madison Academy every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Highlands | Madison Academy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (466 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlands/id467173106/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/madison-academy/id1628426480/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **466** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 85.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 57 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Church of the Highlands](https://appshunter.io/developer/467173109) | [Madison Academy Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628426482) |

## What reviewers say

### Highlands

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlands/id467173106)

This app connects users with a church community, offering on-demand messages, live service streaming, and a Bible reading plan. Users can also find information on church events, locations, and more.

**Highlights:** On-demand messages, One Year Bible reading plan, Live service streaming, Church event information, Church location details

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to navigate and find content
- 📖 Excellent One Year Bible reading plan feature
- 🎬 Comprehensive sermon library with live streaming
- ✨ Improved graphics and modern design
- 🙏 Spiritual growth and connection to church

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app freezing and glitching
- 🐛 Audio playback issues and stuttering
- 📱 Poor landscape mode support on iPad
- 🔊 Bluetooth connectivity problems in vehicles
- ♿ Limited accessibility features for low vision users

**Reported bugs**

- Cafe order online shows church addresses instead of menu
- Cannot skip forward/backward in audio without freezing
- App freezes at half screen on iPad
- Sermon playback doesn't resume from saved position
- Screen locks cause audio to stop playing

**Requested features**

- Highlight and underline text in One Year Bible
- Calendar feature to track completed Bible readings
- Ability to save and access notes within app
- Blank note pages for services without outlines
- Copy and paste functionality for devotionals


### Madison Academy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/madison-academy/id1628426480)

This app provides a central hub for families of Madison Academy, offering easy access to school announcements, calendars, student grades, homework, and financial information. Stay connected and engaged with all the tools and content needed for school community involvement.

**Highlights:** Announcements, School Calendar, Student Grades, Homework Tracking, Family Accounting, Giving Options

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Highlands free?

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

### Is Madison Academy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Highlands or Madison Academy?

Madison Academy is rated higher. Highlands averages 4.8 out of 5 from 466 ratings, while Madison Academy averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Highlands or Madison Academy have ads?

Neither Highlands nor Madison Academy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Highlands or Madison Academy?

Highlands ships an update every 3 weeks, and Madison Academy every 6 months. Most recently, Highlands was updated on November 1, 2026 and Madison Academy on October 19, 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.*