# Mary vs Ancient Faith

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mary at 92% against Ancient Faith's 43%. Mary also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Mary holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 545 and 198 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Mary's written reviews are positive against 43% of Ancient Faith's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mary | Ancient Faith |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (545 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mary/id483256944/reviews)** | [3.9 (198 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ancient-faith/id542980935/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **545** | 198 |
| Positive reviews | **92.2% of reviews** | 43.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 43 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception](https://appshunter.io/developer/410696369) | [Ancient Faith Ministries](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462534249) |

## What reviewers say

### Mary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mary/id483256944)

Explore comprehensive information on the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus. This free app provides resources on her doctrine, devotions like the interactive Rosary, and details on apparitions and pilgrimage sites. Deepen your understanding and devotion to Mary to grow closer to Jesus.

**Highlights:** Interactive Rosary with audio, Marian Dogmas and Titles, Marian Feasts and Prayers, Images and Apparitions of Mary, Pilgrimage Sites information, Information on Marian Fathers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🙏 Helpful for prayer life
- 🌟 Excellent app for learning about Mary
- 🎨 Beautiful design and visuals
- 🔊 Soothing narration voice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio issues (cutting out, repeating)
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating/tracking progress
- 🔌 Compatibility issues with iOS 11 and newer
- 🔇 Lack of customization options (volume, speed)

**Reported bugs**

- Rosary prayers not proceeding correctly after Luminous Mysteries
- App not compatible with latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add Latin audio/text option for rosary
- Include Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Implement vibration patterns to distinguish rosary mysteries
- Add ability to pause/resume rosary without losing progress


### Ancient Faith

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ancient-faith/id542980935)

Access a vast library of Orthodox Christian audio and video content, including live radio, podcasts, and call-in shows. This app provides educational and edifying media to deepen your spiritual life and connect with the Holy Orthodox Church.

**Highlights:** 24-hour Orthodox radio stations, Live call-in programs, Downloadable podcasts, Audio and video programming, Access to Ancient Faith Store

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive library of Orthodox podcasts and content
- 🎵 High-quality sacred music and chants
- ✨ Spiritually enriching and edifying material
- 🎯 Helpful for those discovering Orthodoxy
- 📱 Modern, clean app design and interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🔐 Constant forced logout issues
- ⏱️ Slow app loading and performance
- 🎙️ Radio streaming frequently fails or cuts out
- 📍 Difficult navigation and search functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Login credentials not persisted between sessions
- App crashes on startup or during playback
- Radio streams stop after 20 seconds
- Playback position not saved when closing app
- App freezes when switching between streams

**Requested features**

- Favorites/bookmarking system for podcasts
- Search functionality for podcasts and content
- Ability to download entire podcast series
- Notifications for new episodes from followed creators
- Bulk download management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mary free?

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

### Is Ancient Faith free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mary or Ancient Faith?

Mary is rated higher. Mary averages 4.7 out of 5 from 545 ratings, while Ancient Faith averages 3.9 from 198 ratings.

### Do Mary or Ancient Faith have ads?

Neither Mary nor Ancient Faith shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mary or Ancient Faith?

Mary ships an update every 3 months, and Ancient Faith every 3 months. Most recently, Mary was updated on November 10, 2026 and Ancient Faith on November 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.*