# Highlands vs First 5

The clearest difference is ads: Highlands at none against First 5's shown. Highlands also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, 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.

Highlands holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 462 and 879 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Highlands's written reviews are positive against 73% of First 5's.

Highlands ships an update every 3 weeks, First 5 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Highlands | First 5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (462 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlands/id467173106/reviews)** | [4.5 (879 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-5/id997457664/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 462 | **879** |
| Positive reviews | **85.3% of reviews** | 72.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 88 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Church of the Highlands](https://appshunter.io/developer/467173109) | [Proverbs 31 Ministry, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1217584851) |

## 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


### First 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-5/id997457664)

This app provides daily biblical teachings to help users establish a consistent spiritual practice. It offers tools for highlighting, saving, and sharing scripture, along with a built-in Bible and community features.

**Highlights:** Daily biblical teachings, Highlight, save, and share scripture, Integrated Bible reader, Customizable reminders, Community groups, Exportable notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Solid biblical teaching
- 👍 Comprehensive and beautiful app
- 👍 Excellent resource for Bible study
- 👍 Helpful for spiritual growth
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or freezes
- 🐛 Glitchy or buggy functionality
- 🐛 Restricted access requiring sign-up
- 👎 Text is too small, no font size options
- 👎 Lack of dark mode or night theme

**Reported bugs**

- App not loading or showing blank screen
- Inability to access past or current studies
- Login/sign-in issues and account problems
- Repeated log-outs and sign-in requirements

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode or night theme
- Improve font size and zoom options
- Allow offline access to past studies
- Implement text-to-speech feature
- Provide more customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Highlands free?

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

### Is First 5 free?

First 5 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Highlands or First 5?

Highlands is rated higher. Highlands averages 4.8 out of 5 from 462 ratings, while First 5 averages 4.5 from 879 ratings.

### Do Highlands or First 5 have ads?

First 5 shows ads; Highlands does not.

### Which is updated more often, Highlands or First 5?

Highlands ships an update every 3 weeks, and First 5 every 3 months. Most recently, Highlands was updated on September 29, 2026 and First 5 on September 28, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*