Comparison

Lectionary vs Prayer Journal & Diary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lectionary

Access daily Bible readings and liturgical resources from the Church of England. Features include full lectionary texts with Bible links, collects, and saint biographies. Plan services with annotation tools and view weekly readings at a glance.

Highlights
  • Daily Bible readings with dynamic links
  • Full Common Worship lectionary texts
  • Collects and Post-Communions
  • Service planning with annotations
  • Weekly lectionary view
  • Saint biographies
Features
Read full description

Integrate the Church of England's pattern of daily Bible readings seamlessly into your life with the official Common Worship Lectionary app for iPad. For each day of the church year, it presents the Common Worship lectionary readings in full, complete with dynamic links to the Bible passages themselves (NRSV translation). All approved variations are clearly presented, including the Additional Weekday Lectionary. The app also allows you to: - Access the Collect and Post-Communions for the day at the touch of a button. - Mark and annotate records – ideal for service planning. - View the week's lectionary in a single page. - Start your annual lectionary whenever you like: no need to wait for the new church year. - Read biographies from 'Saints on Earth' of individuals commemorated in the Common Worship calendar on that day. The app is free to download and includes a free 14-day subscription with access to offline Bible readings. After this has expired you can take out a subscription to access either online only or offline. • In-app subscriptions are purchased using your iTunes account and automatically renew. 12 month or 3 month subscription options are available • If you already have a web subscription you can use these account details in the app to view available content. • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase Privacy Policy - https://www.chpublishing.co.uk/privacy-policy The Common Worship Lectionary app includes the official Calendar, Bible Readings (NRSV) and Collects from the Church of England.

About

Prayer Journal & Diary

Organize your prayer life, track answered prayers, and share requests with others. Features include a prayer builder, daily reminders, and a built-in journal with Bible translations. Syncs across all Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Organize and categorize prayers
  • Track answered prayers
  • Share prayer requests and answers
  • Prayer builder for inspiration
  • Daily prayer reminders
  • Built-in journal and Bible translations
  • Automatic sync across Apple devices
Features
Read full description

God loves to hear us pray to Him! And when we pray, He always listens and answers. This app is designed to help you focus your prayer life, remember the good things God has done, and easily share with family and friends. STAY ORGANIZED Easily sort and categorize prayers. Once a prayer is answered, archive it in the Answered section. Nothing is more encouraging than looking back and seeing what God has done in your life, and the lives of your family and friends over the years. Looking back helps us look forward in faith, knowing God is good. REMINDERS AND SHARING Create a daily list of prayers, or place prayers directly into your Apple calendar. Share requests and answers with others through e-mail, text, or Airdrop. This makes it convenient to use at prayer meetings in person or virtually. The app also provides password, FaceID, or TouchID for privacy. PRAYER BUILDER Sometimes it's hard to find the words. Prayer Builder helps you get started when you're not sure where to begin — share a few words about what's on your heart, and it suggests a prayer you can pray, edit, or save. It stays focused on prayer, and it's never meant to replace praying or your own relationship with God. PRAYER FOCUS It's easy to get distracted. Prayer Focus helps you give God your full attention by gently pausing distracting apps while you pray. Choose which apps to set aside, then start a focus session right from your prayer list — on its own, or automatically with the prayer timer. A simple banner reminds you that focus is on, and ending it is always one tap away. Powered by Apple's Screen Time, your choices stay completely private on your device, and you're always in control. (iPhone & iPad, iOS 16 or later.) AUTO SYNC ALL YOUR DEVICES This app is built for all Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac Desktop. All devices automatically sync requests, journal entries, and photos over iCloud. JOURNAL In addition to prayer requests, this app has a built-in journal to record your thoughts and devotionals. There is also access to several free Bible translations, built right into the app. Sort entries by category, date, or by book of the Bible. INSPIRATION Gain prayer inspiration through carefully selected Bible verses. Inspirational prayers from the Bible are broken into categories for easy reference. BIBLE TRANSLATIONS Access the Bible directly from the app. Translations include: ASV (American Standard Version), BBE (Bible In Basic English), DARBY (Darby Bible), KJV (King James Version), & WEB (World English Bible) ADDITIONAL FEATURES • Pause Distracting Apps with Prayer Focus • Automatic Light/Dark Mode • Easy Prayer Search • Detailed User Guide • Easy Migration From Prayer Notes • Prayer Statistics • And Much More Auto Renewable Subscriptions: Monthly Pass subscriptions allow for unlimited Journal and Prayer entries. You will be charged through your App Store account. A Yearly Pass is also available at a discounted rate as compared to the monthly rate. Subscriptions help support the app team, and allow us to continue to provide updates and new features. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless cancelled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime within your iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial (if applicable) will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription. Terms and Conditions (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.chuchutrain.com/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

Lectionary4 screens
Prayer Journal & Diary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Prayer Journal & Diary at 86% against Lectionary's 31%. Prayer Journal & Diary also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (858 vs 18). Lectionary's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lectionary sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 3 months and Prayer Journal & Diary sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Prayer Journal & Diary holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Prayer Journal & Diary has 858 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Lectionary's written reviews are positive against 86% of Prayer Journal & Diary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lectionary ships an update every 2 months, Prayer Journal & Diary every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Lectionary versus Prayer Journal & Diary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLectionaryPrayer Journal & Diary
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (18 ratings)4.8 (858 ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.3% of reviews86.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18858 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size205 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHymns Ancient and Modern LtdChuChu Train Productions

Customer experience

Lectionary

All ratings17 ratings
Positive64.7%
Neutral17.6%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive31.3%
Neutral23.9%
Negative44.8%

Prayer Journal & Diary

All ratings858 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive86.1%
Neutral5.2%
Negative8.7%

Bugs and requests

Lectionary

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Prayer Journal & Diary

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Bright white ad at the bottom is too blinding to use the app
  • Inability to rearrange prayer requests
  • Check mark deletes the entire prayer request
  • Sync function is unreliable and unpredictable
  • Reordering through the GUI is unreliable

Requested features

6 requests
  • Other Bible translations like NIV, NKJV, etc.
  • Ability to rearrange prayer categories
  • Ability to set prayers to repeat monthly or every x days
  • Font customization options (size, bold, italic, highlight, colors, etc.)
  • Option to include multiple scripture references
Show 1 more
  • Sync button for easier syncing between devices

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Lectionary

Subscriptions4
  • Basic: on-line 3 months$2.993 Months
  • Full: off-line$5.993 Months
  • Basic: on-line$6.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Full: off-line$10.991 Year
4 purchases

Prayer Journal & Diary

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Pass$2.997 Days
  • Monthly Pass$5.991 Month
  • Yearly Pass$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Life Time Pass$99.99

Questions

Is Lectionary free?
Lectionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Prayer Journal & Diary free?
Prayer Journal & Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lectionary or Prayer Journal & Diary?
Prayer Journal & Diary is rated higher. Lectionary averages 3.9 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Prayer Journal & Diary averages 4.8 from 858 ratings.
Do Lectionary or Prayer Journal & Diary have ads?
Prayer Journal & Diary shows ads; Lectionary does not.
Which is updated more often, Lectionary or Prayer Journal & Diary?
Lectionary ships an update every 2 months, and Prayer Journal & Diary every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lectionary was updated on October 29, 2026 and Prayer Journal & Diary on October 30, 2026.

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