Comparison

Bible Gateway vs Sunday Lectionary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Bible Gateway

Access over 200 Bible translations and audio Bibles in multiple languages for free. Enhance your reading with features like highlighting, note-taking, and verse syncing. An optional upgrade offers an ad-free experience and access to extensive study tools.

Highlights
  • 200+ Bible translations
  • Audio Bibles
  • Search by keyword, verse, or topic
  • Highlighting and note-taking
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Reading plans
  • Verse of the Day
Features
Read full description

Completely rebuilt for Spring 2026 with an all-new design, focused on getting you into Scripture without friction. This is Bible Gateway at its best. Read, listen, and study the Bible anywhere with the Bible Gateway App. Trusted by millions for over 30 years, Bible Gateway helps you read and understand God’s Word with 200+ Bible translations and audio Bibles in 15+ languages—all free to use. Create a free account to highlight verses, write notes, react with emojis, and sync automatically across devices. Want to go deeper? Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus and get an ad-free experience with access to 60+ trusted study tools, including commentaries, study Bibles, and more—aligned with every verse. Top Features: • 200+ Bible translations, including NIV, KJV, ESV, NKJV, NASB, AMP, and MSG • 30+ Audio Bibles in English, Spanish, Chinese, and more • Search the Bible by keyword, verse, or topic instantly • Highlight, take notes, respond to your favorite verses with emojis and sync across devices with your free account • Follow reading plans and track your progress • View two Bible versions side by side on iPad • Switch to dark mode for comfortable reading at night • Read the Verse of the Day in your preferred translation • Share verses easily with friends and family Want to go deeper? Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus. Go ad-free and access insights from over 60 trusted Bible study resources—aligned with every verse you read. • 30+ study Bibles such as The NIV Application Bible, The NIV Study Bible, NKJV MacArthur Study Bible, and CSB Tony Evans Study Bible • Commentaries including Believer’s Bible Commentary, Abridged Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Thru the Bible (J. Vernon McGee), and select volumes from the NIV Application Commentary • Dictionaries and word studies like Mounce’s Expository Dictionary, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, and The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary Whether you’re beginning your Bible study journey or exploring Scripture in depth, Bible Gateway Plus gives you powerful tools to grow—wherever you are. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Sunday Lectionary

Access complete Sunday Lectionary scriptures from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer and Revised Common Lectionary. This app provides a perpetual calendar of readings, eliminating the need to manually look up passages in a Bible or prayer book.

Highlights
  • Complete Year A, B, C Sunday Lectionary scriptures
  • Based on 1979 Book of Common Prayer (Episcopal Church)
  • Supports Revised Common Lectionary (RCL)
  • Perpetual yearly calendar for all Sunday readings
  • Readings integrated into the app database
Features
Read full description

This App is based upon the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP - Episcopal Church) and the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The purpose of the App is to provide the complete Year A, B, and C Sunday Lectionary scriptures that are normally only listed by their passages. In the past, the reader would look up the passages in the Book of Common Prayer for the applicable Year and date. Next they would individually open their Bible to the passage to obtain the reading. By having the readings in the app database saves the reader from having to look these scriptures up. The database and supporting algorithms also provide a perpetual yearly calendar for all Sunday readings (forever). To select the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), click the settings button in the bottom tab bar, then select RCL in the top right corner of the Settings display then click Save. You will need to close and reopen to app after changing the Lectionary setting. I hope you and your family enjoy this App as much as I have enjoyed creating it and using it for my own family.

Screenshots

Bible Gateway4 screens
Sunday Lectionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bible Gateway at Free against Sunday Lectionary's $0.99. Bible Gateway also leads on ratings volume (10K vs 28) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). Sunday Lectionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On rating and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Bible Gateway is free to download; Sunday Lectionary costs $0.99 up front. Bible Gateway sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Sunday Lectionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sunday Lectionary holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bible Gateway has 10K ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Bible Gateway's written reviews are positive against 52% of Sunday Lectionary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bible Gateway ships an update monthly, Sunday Lectionary every 4 months. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Bible Gateway versus Sunday Lectionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBible GatewaySunday Lectionary
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating3.7 (10K ratings)3.9 (28 ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.1% of reviews51.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10K — better28
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.6
Further details — not scored
Size100 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.Jim Coates Computer Programming

Customer experience

Bible Gateway

All ratings10,098 ratings
Positive61.7%
Neutral8.5%
Negative29.8%
Written reviews822 reviews
Positive18.1%
Neutral12.5%
Negative69.3%

Sunday Lectionary

All ratings28 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral3.6%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews77 reviews
Positive51.9%
Neutral6.5%
Negative41.6%

Bugs and requests

Bible Gateway

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Verses not displaying correctly
  • Inability to navigate to specific chapters/verses
  • Saved notes and highlights not persisting
  • Audio playback issues and resets

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline Bible downloads
  • More translation options (e.g., NRSV, Good News)
  • Improved note-taking and highlighting capabilities
  • Customizable font and layout options
  • Seamless syncing across devices

Sunday Lectionary

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Bible Gateway

Subscriptions5
  • Bible Gateway Plus Monthly7 Days trial3 variants$6.991 Month
  • Bible Gateway Plus Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Bible Gateway Plus Yearly$58.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Bible Gateway Plus Yearly7 Days trial3 variants$69.991 Year
  • Bible Gateway Plus Yearly$69.991 Year
None

Sunday Lectionary

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bible Gateway free?
Bible Gateway is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sunday Lectionary free?
Sunday Lectionary costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bible Gateway or Sunday Lectionary?
Sunday Lectionary is rated higher. Bible Gateway averages 3.7 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Sunday Lectionary averages 3.9 from 28 ratings.
Do Bible Gateway or Sunday Lectionary have ads?
Bible Gateway shows ads; Sunday Lectionary does not.
Which is updated more often, Bible Gateway or Sunday Lectionary?
Bible Gateway ships an update monthly, and Sunday Lectionary every 4 months. Most recently, Bible Gateway was updated on September 26, 2026 and Sunday Lectionary on September 26, 2026.

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