Pray Always † vs Athon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pray Always †
This app provides an Orthodox Christian prayer book to help users maintain their daily prayer life, even with busy schedules. It aims to make prayer accessible for everyone, facilitating a consistent spiritual practice.
- Orthodox Christian prayer book
- Daily prayer guidance
- Accessible for busy schedules
- Facilitates consistent prayer life
- Spiritual practice tool
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Take your prayer book with you with Pray Always † for iOS. Daily prayer is essential to a healthy Orthodox Christian life. With today's busy schedules, not everyone has as much time as they desire for their prayer life. The goal for this app is to allow even the busiest to take time to pray.
Athon
This app integrates Orthodox Christian practices into daily life, offering scripture readings, fasting calendars, audio Bible studies, and lives of saints. It provides a structured and devotional experience for those seeking to deepen their faith, learn about Orthodoxy, or maintain spiritual connection.
- Daily Orthodox Scripture readings
- Feast and fasting calendars
- Audio Bible studies
- Lives of over 900 saints
- Offline Orthodox Bible
- Complete prayer book with audio
- AI-powered Orthodox Q&A
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Athon App brings the timeless beauty of Orthodox Christianity into your daily rhythm, right in your pocket. Whether you are discovering the faith, deepening your prayer life, or renewing your spiritual journey, Athon helps you live Orthodoxy with peace, structure, and devotion. Athon is developed with the episcopal blessing of the Romanian Orthodox Church, through His Eminence Andrei, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Cluj. The project is developed under the spiritual guidance of Father Iustin Miron, abbot of Nicula Monastery in Transylvania, and its content is reviewed by the theological committee of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology in Cluj. From daily Scripture readings and fasting calendars to audio Bible studies, Commentaries from the Holy Church Fathers, prayers, and lives of the saints, every element is designed to guide you closer to Christ, at home, on the road, or before rest. For catechumens, Athon becomes a gentle teacher and daily companion, helping you learn the rhythm of Orthodox life through readings, prayers, and reflections. For the faithful, it is a source of depth and stillness, uniting tradition with modern simplicity. And for those returning or newly baptized, Athon offers clarity, guidance, and the tools to grow into the fullness of the faith. Athon App includes: • Daily Orthodox Scripture readings and feast and fasting calendars • Audio Bible studies and faith-based explanations • Lives of over 900 saints • A full offline Orthodox Bible • A complete prayer book with audio • AI-powered Orthodox Q&A • A clean, reverent, and modern interface All designed to bring prayer, presence, and understanding into your hands every day. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Athon at every 6 days against Pray Always †'s monthly. Athon also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and ratings volume (558 vs 69). Pray Always †'s advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Pray Always † sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Athon sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Athon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Athon has 558 ratings behind it against 69, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Pray Always †'s written reviews are positive against 90% of Athon's.
Pray Always † ships an update monthly, Athon every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pray Always † | Athon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (69 ratings) | 4.9 (558 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews | 90.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 69 | 558 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 208 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Negnet Solutions | Product Tech SRL |
Customer experience
Pray Always †
Athon
User reviews
Pray Always †
From 69 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🙏 Essential for daily prayer
- 🌟 Great selection of prayers
- 📖 Includes full Psalter
- ✨ Helpful for inquirers and new converts
Room to improve
- 💸 Unexpected subscription charges
- ❓ Confusing upgrade pricing
- 🖼️ Images not loading
- 🤔 Awkward translations
- 📱 App freezing/unresponsive
Athon
From 558 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🙏 Helpful and inspiring daily tips
- 📖 Useful resources for spiritual growth
- 📆 Reminders for prayers, fasts, and feast days
- 🌟 Beautifully designed with inspiring artwork
- 🧭 Excellent guidance for new Orthodox Christians
Room to improve
- 💰 Premium features locked behind paywall
- 🤖 Concerns about AI-generated content
Bugs and requests
Pray Always †
Reported bugs
7 issues- Inserted images will not load
- App is frozen and won't scroll
- App freezes up after update
- App is frozen
- Cannot use the app at all, it is frozen
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- Subscription doesn't show in Apple account but charged monthly
- Cannot cancel subscription in app or Apple account
Requested features
27 requests- Add prayers for before and after meals
- Ability to select text
- Include Paschal hours
- Hymns from Triodion and Pentecostarion
- Section on Confession
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- Ability to add more prayers to sections
- Add own prayer rule
- Include Fifth prayer of St Macarius
- Include ninth prayer of Peter the Studite
- Adjust dark/night mode with system settings
- Include hymns from Lenten Triodion and Holy Week
- Include basic Kontakia for Pre-Lent and Great Lent
- Include Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian
- Add The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
- Add Vespers & Matins
- Add more Akathists, Canons, and Troparion/Kontakion
- Personalize and add own prayers
- Include Orthodox prayer for pets
- Include more icons
- Copy of the Divine Liturgy text
- Update Jesus Prayer page with an icon of Christ
- Include an icon gallery
- Include St. Brigid of Kildare
- Make modern English translation available
- Add more prayers like Jordanville Prayer Book
- Add customization for Patron saint, Hierarchs, Spiritual Father, Living & Departed names
- Backup customizations to iCloud
Athon
Reported bugs
1 issue- None reported
Requested features
2 requests- Ability to add personal prayer rule to daily routine
- Offline mode for prayers and scripture reading
In-app purchases
Pray Always †
- Full Version$2.99
Athon
- Athon Weekly$2.997 Days
- 3-Day Free Trial3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Unlock Full Access7 Days trial$4.991 Month
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- Athon Monthly – Premium Access$5.991 Month
- Athon Yearly - Premium 50% OFF$19.991 Year
- Athon Yearly - Premium 25 OFF$29.991 Year
- Athon Yearly – Premium Access$39.991 Year
- Athon Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Full Access – Yearly Plan7 Days trial$39.991 Year
