The Sanctuary vs Sanctuary First
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Sanctuary
Experience a real-time 3D faith environment for prayer. Leave short candle prayers or longer wall board intentions that are visible globally. Engage with scripture, light candles for others, and find a personal refuge.
- Real-time 3D faith experience
- Short candle prayers
- Lengthy wall board prayers
- Worldwide prayer intention visibility
- Light candles for friends
- View scripture in multiple languages
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Step into a shared 3D church. Light a candle, write a prayer, or sit in a pew while scripture appears in English, Spanish, French, Italian, or German. Your written prayer stays visible worldwide after you leave. Enter The Sanctuary, a beautiful real-time 3D faith experience! The right half of the sanctuary is dedicated to your short candle prayers, while the left side hosts lengthier wall board prayers. Your prayer intentions persist after you exit and are visible worldwide. You can even kneel in the pew with a tap. Whatever activity you choose, The Sanctuary is your place of refuge. Powerful real-time graphics change the lighting in the church daily, from daytime, to dusk, into nighttime and finally dawn before going back to daytime.
Sanctuary First
Connect with a vibrant online worshipping community. Access live events, daily prayers, Bible readings, podcasts, videos, and blog posts. Engage in discussions and enjoy music to deepen your faith and find a moment of sanctuary.
- Live events (worship, music, book clubs)
- Daily prayers and Bible readings
- Podcasts and videos
- Faith and life blog posts
- Original music and worship songs
- Virtual Coffee Shop for global chat
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Welcome to the official Sanctuary First app. Sanctuary First is a vibrant online worshipping community based in Scotland. We are passionate about exploring new ways for people to connect with God, spirituality, and one another. Download our app and take a moment to find a little sanctuary. Features: • Join live events such as worship services, live music gigs, book clubs and more… • Get daily prayers and Bible readings to encourage you in your walk with God. • Enjoy our newest podcasts and videos featuring lively discussion, peaceful meditations, engaging stories, and other resources to help deepen your faith. • Read our regular blog posts as we puzzle and reflect together on faith and life. • Listen to new music and worship songs by talented artists from our community. • Join The Virtual Coffee Shop and chat directly with other people from all over the world (this feature is via the Zoom meeting software) Sanctuary First is a pioneer ministry of the Church of Scotland. Find out more at: www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sanctuary First at none against The Sanctuary's 4. Sanctuary First also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 73%). The Sanctuary's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. The Sanctuary sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Sanctuary First asks for nothing beyond the download.
The Sanctuary ships an update every 3 weeks, Sanctuary First every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Sanctuary | Sanctuary First |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (34 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 34 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 244 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | RXM Design, LLC | Sanctus Media Ltd |
Customer experience
The Sanctuary
Sanctuary First
In-app purchases
The Sanctuary
- 150 Credits$0.99
- 500 Credits$1.99
- 1,000 Credits$3.99
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- 3,000 Credits$9.99
Sanctuary First
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Sanctuary free?
Is Sanctuary First free?
Do The Sanctuary or Sanctuary First have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Sanctuary or Sanctuary First?
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