Open the Bible vs Unshackled!
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Open the Bible
Access sermons and broadcasts from Open the Bible, and follow a featured Bible reading plan. This free application helps users engage with God's Word.
- Latest broadcasts and sermons
- Featured Bible reading plan
- Access to God's Word
- Free to use
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Experience the transformative power of God's Word with this free app from Open the Bible. Access the latest broadcasts and sermons from Open the Bible, and use a featured Bible reading plan. For more information visit: openthebible.org The Open the Bible App was created with The Church App by Subsplash. Mobile app version: 6.22.1
Unshackled!
Access a wealth of content for personal growth and connection. Listen to podcasts, watch inspiring short films, and stay updated with the latest sermons. Easily share content and receive notifications.
- Listen to current and past episodes
- Watch short films
- Tune in to latest podcast
- Share content via social media or email
- Receive push notifications
- Link to sermons
- Easy donation option
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This app is packed with powerful content and resources to help you grow and stay connected. With this app you can: - Listen to current and past episodes - Watch short films of people "unshackled" - Tune in to latest podcast - Share your favorite episodes, films & podcasts via Twitter, Facebook, or email - Stay up to date with push notifications - Link to sermons on PGMTV - Donate easily
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Open the Bible at 92% against Unshackled!'s 49%. Open the Bible also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3). Unshackled!'s advantage is ratings volume (144 vs 47) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Open the Bible holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 144 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Open the Bible's written reviews are positive against 49% of Unshackled!'s.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and August 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Open the Bible | Unshackled! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (47 ratings) — better | 4.3 (144 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews — better | 49.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 47 | 144 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 35 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Unlocking the Bible | Pacific Garden Mission |
Customer experience
Open the Bible
Unshackled!
Bugs and requests
Open the Bible
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Unshackled!
Reported bugs
19 issues- App will no longer open
- Loading error on opening app
- App won't download content
- Error on getting content
- App crashes randomly
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- App stops after 15 minutes
- Cannot fast forward or rewind without story restarting
- App doesn't play in the background
- New homepage interface keeps clicking on things when scrolling
- Archives for past programs are gone or hard to find
- Website archives only available in foreign languages
- No background play
- Accidentally tap a different program, restarts instead of continuing
- Cannot listen to audio unless phone screen is on
- New update makes it difficult to use
- Cannot get sermons that come on Sunday
- Older content removed from the app
- App crashes randomly, sometimes during the beginning of episodes
- Podcasts won't play after iOS update, only error message
Requested features
12 requests- Autoplay function
- Ability to filter for new episodes
- Episodes more than 1 part displayed back to back
- Option to play all episodes
- Background play functionality
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Ability to listen while using other apps
- Playback speed adjustment
- Bring back older recordings/content
- Bring back ability to go back to any year
- Bring back ability to fast forward/rewind without restart
- Bring back old format
- Apple Watch compatible app
In-app purchases
Open the Bible
No in-app purchases
Unshackled!
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Open the Bible free?
Is Unshackled! free?
Which has better reviews, Open the Bible or Unshackled!?
Do Open the Bible or Unshackled! have ads?
Which is updated more often, Open the Bible or Unshackled!?
Other comparisons
