# The Upper Room vs Local River Flows

The Upper Room and Local River Flows both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Local River Flows's written reviews are positive against 38% of The Upper Room's. Local River Flows also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 12). The Upper Room's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and ratings volume (2.5K vs 4). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

The Upper Room is free to download; Local River Flows costs $1.99 up front. The Upper Room sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Local River Flows asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for The Upper Room against 4.8 for Local River Flows. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Upper Room has 2.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 38% of The Upper Room's written reviews are positive against 100% of Local River Flows's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Upper Room | Local River Flows |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-upper-room/id513950325/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/local-river-flows/id6744541183/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#168** | — |
| Size | 61 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Upper Room Ministries](https://appshunter.io/developer/476180518) | [Edward Mitchell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807838167) |

## What reviewers say

### The Upper Room

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-upper-room/id513950325)

**Currently charting:** #168 Top Free · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

This app provides daily Christian devotions and scripture readings to foster prayer and reflection. It offers two distinct devotional experiences, allowing users to connect with a global community of believers through shared meditations and lectionary-based studies.

**Highlights:** Daily meditations and prayers, Scripture readings, Audio recordings of devotions, Lectionary-based readings, Global community connection, Author insights and bonus content

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upper Room Daily Devotional | $1.99 | per month |
| Upper Room Daily Devotional | $14.99 | per year |
| The Upper Room - July/August 2012 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room - July/August 2013 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room - September/October 2014 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room: 20151130111351 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room: 20151130111352 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room: 20151130111353 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room: 20151130111355 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room: 20151130111356 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room - March/April 2013 | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Upper Room: 20151130111354 | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Daily inspiration and encouragement
- 👍 Convenient mobile access
- 👍 Joy of shared scripture and wisdom
- 👍 Inspiring real-life stories
- 👍 Great content for faith

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Login issues after updates
- 🐛 Subscription problems
- 🐛 Unreliable access
- 🐛 Difficult to use interface

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Login issues after updates
- Subscription not recognized
- App does not open
- Incorrect date display

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Schedule notification for daily devotion
- Ability to like or agree with comments
- Select preferred Bible translation
- Ability to read in landscape view


### Local River Flows

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/local-river-flows/id6744541183)

Access real-time river flow and depth data from USGS stream gauges across the US. View 7-day trends to understand recent river behavior, conditions, and upstream releases. Always prioritize personal safety and environmental awareness.

**Highlights:** USGS stream gauge data, Current flow and depth, 7-day trend view, River behavior analysis, Upstream release information

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Upper Room free?

The Upper Room is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Local River Flows free?

Local River Flows costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Upper Room or Local River Flows?

Local River Flows is rated higher. The Upper Room averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Local River Flows averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do The Upper Room or Local River Flows have ads?

Neither The Upper Room nor Local River Flows shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Upper Room or Local River Flows?

The Upper Room ships an update every 2 months, and Local River Flows every 2 months. Most recently, The Upper Room was updated on October 26, 2026 and Local River Flows on October 24, 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.*