# Catholic Encyclopedia vs Formed

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Formed at 98% against Catholic Encyclopedia's 64%. Formed also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (14K vs 51). Catholic Encyclopedia's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Catholic Encyclopedia sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.49 per 7 days and Formed sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Formed holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Formed has 14K ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Catholic Encyclopedia's written reviews are positive against 98% of Formed's.

Catholic Encyclopedia ships an update every 3 months, Formed every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Catholic Encyclopedia | Formed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catholic-encyclopedia/id553791477/reviews) | **[4.9 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formed/id1212963367/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 51 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | 63.6% of reviews | **98.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#167** |
| Size | 220 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Martin Vcelak](https://appshunter.io/developer/407576879) | [Augustine Institute, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/660120993) |

## What reviewers say

### Catholic Encyclopedia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catholic-encyclopedia/id553791477)

Access a comprehensive Catholic Encyclopedia with over 16,000 articles optimized for mobile. Enjoy offline access, intuitive navigation, and powerful search capabilities to explore religious, historical, and geographical topics.

**Highlights:** Offline access to 16,000+ articles, Intuitive user interface, Enhanced search functionality, Alphabetical article listing, Bookmarks for favorite articles, Adjustable font size, Interlinking for cross-referencing

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Encyclopedia Subscription | $0.49 | per 7 days |


### Formed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/formed/id1212963367)

**Currently charting:** #167 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This app offers faith-informed content to guide Catholics and those they evangelize toward a fully Catholic life. It provides a comprehensive and customizable platform for spiritual formation and education, accessible anywhere. Empower your curiosity and grow in your faith journey with engaging resources.

**Highlights:** Faith-informed Catholic content, Spiritual formation and growth resources, High-quality videos and movies, Comprehensive and diverse content, Customizable learning experience, On-the-go learning

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FORMED Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| FORMED Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Formed - 099 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Formed - 1499 | $14.99 | one-time |
| Formed - 1599 | $15.99 | one-time |
| Formed - 1699 | $16.99 | one-time |
| Formed - 1799 | $17.99 | one-time |
| Formed - 1899 | $18.99 | one-time |
| Formed - 1999 | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent Catholic content
- 🙏 Helps with spiritual formation and growth
- 🎥 High-quality videos and movies
- 🌟 Comprehensive and diverse resources
- 🧑‍🏫 Knowledgeable and inspiring presenters

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find specific content
- 🔋 Drains battery when used for audio
- 🔑 Requires email login, which can be inconvenient
- 🌍 Limited content available in languages other than English

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional app crashes or freezes
- Playback issues when switching between audio and video

**Requested features**

- Improved search and browsing functionality
- Ability to save progress and resume content
- More content in languages other than English
- Integration with smart TVs and other devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Catholic Encyclopedia free?

Catholic Encyclopedia is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Formed free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Catholic Encyclopedia or Formed?

Formed is rated higher. Catholic Encyclopedia averages 4.5 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Formed averages 4.9 from 14K ratings.

### Do Catholic Encyclopedia or Formed have ads?

Neither Catholic Encyclopedia nor Formed shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Catholic Encyclopedia or Formed?

Catholic Encyclopedia ships an update every 3 months, and Formed every 2 months. Most recently, Catholic Encyclopedia was updated on September 23, 2026 and Formed on September 26, 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.*