# First Principles vs The Listener's Commentary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Listener's Commentary at none against First Principles's 7. The Listener's Commentary also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (95% vs 86%). First Principles's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. First Principles sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. The Listener's Commentary asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Listener's Commentary holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 49 and 31 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of First Principles's written reviews are positive against 95% of The Listener's Commentary's.

First Principles ships an update every 3 days, The Listener's Commentary every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Principles | The Listener's Commentary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-principles/id510482419/reviews) | **[4.7 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-listeners-commentary/id6502316084/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **49** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | 85.9% of reviews | **95.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 12 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CheapBrain](https://appshunter.io/developer/510482422) | [Bible in Life, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1745008082) |

## What reviewers say

### First Principles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-principles/id510482419)

Access your favorite scripture study series offline and share verses easily. Expand references with a tap, copy text for sharing, and adjust text size for comfortable reading. Report errors or suggest improvements directly through the app.

**Highlights:** Offline scripture access, Expand scripture references, Copy and paste scripture text, Adjustable text size, In-app feedback

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knowing God Study Series | $0.99 | one-time |
| First Principles, 1993 Version | $0.99 | one-time |
| Boston Church of Christ Study Series | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hampton Roads Bible Study Series | $0.99 | one-time |
| Foundations of the Faith | $0.99 | one-time |
| Foundations of Faith | $0.99 | one-time |
| Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ Bible Studies Quick Reference Guide | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great resource for bible studies
- 👍 Convenient access to studies
- 👍 Helpful for personal study and teaching
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 👍 Scriptures inline with studies

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App has only one study (1993)
- 🐛 Font is wonky
- 🐛 Unable to see studies in list view
- 🐛 App not maintained (4 years since last update)
- 🐛 iOS versions may not be compatible

**Reported bugs**

- Studies not visible in list view
- Latest update broke study visibility
- Blank screen when opening studies
- App crashes frequently
- Font is wonky

**Requested features**

- Print options for studies
- Ability to see additional books
- More studies available
- Dark mode
- Advanced analytics dashboard


### The Listener's Commentary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-listeners-commentary/id6502316084)

Access clear and accessible audio commentaries on New Testament Bible books. Study scripture with down-to-earth teaching designed to help you live a life inspired by Jesus. Download episodes for offline listening and organize your study with playlists and favorites.

**Highlights:** Audio commentaries on New Testament, Browse by Bible book, Download episodes for offline listening, Search content, Filter episodes, Add to favorites, Create playlists

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Principles free?

First Principles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Listener's Commentary free?

The Listener's Commentary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, First Principles or The Listener's Commentary?

The Listener's Commentary is rated higher. First Principles averages 4.3 out of 5 from 49 ratings, while The Listener's Commentary averages 4.7 from 31 ratings.

### Do First Principles or The Listener's Commentary have ads?

Neither First Principles nor The Listener's Commentary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Principles or The Listener's Commentary?

First Principles ships an update every 3 days, and The Listener's Commentary every 5 weeks. Most recently, First Principles was updated on October 29, 2026 and The Listener's Commentary on October 21, 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.*