# The Catholic Thing vs TAN Direction

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TAN Direction at 50% against The Catholic Thing's 0%. TAN Direction also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 9 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). The Catholic Thing's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 52) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TAN Direction sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. The Catholic Thing asks for nothing beyond the download.

TAN Direction holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of The Catholic Thing's written reviews are positive against 50% of TAN Direction's.

The Catholic Thing ships an update every 9 months, TAN Direction every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 19, 2026 and September 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Catholic Thing | TAN Direction |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-catholic-thing/id6447444891/reviews) | **[4.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tan-direction/id6670215367/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Slynet Communications, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1403137952) | [SAINT BENDICT PRESS LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1608128568) |

## What reviewers say

### The Catholic Thing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-catholic-thing/id6447444891)

This app provides a platform for thoughtful Catholic commentary and discussion. It serves as a forum for intelligent perspectives on faith and culture. Access insightful articles and engage with a community of Catholic thinkers.

**Highlights:** Intelligent Catholic commentary, Forum for discussion, Faith and culture perspectives, Insightful articles, Community engagement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### TAN Direction

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tan-direction/id6670215367)

Explore spiritual wisdom from saints and Catholic authors to deepen your faith. This app offers resources for those seeking Christian perfection and a transformed spiritual journey.

**Highlights:** Spiritual wisdom of saints, Resources from Catholic authors, Deepen faith, Transform spiritual journey, Pursue Christian perfection

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tan Books | $9.00 | one-time |
| The Sacraments | $10.00 | one-time |
| Doors of Mercy | $10.00 | one-time |
| Kingdom of happiness | $10.00 | one-time |
| Tan Books | $13.00 | one-time |
| Tan Books | $14.00 | one-time |
| Tan Books | $20.00 | one-time |
| Tan Books | $24.00 | one-time |
| Tan Books | $39.00 | one-time |
| The Ancient World | $39.00 | one-time |
| The Medieval World | $39.00 | one-time |
| The Making of the Modern World | $39.00 | one-time |
| History of the United States | $39.00 | one-time |
| Tan Books | $149.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Catholic Thing free?

The Catholic Thing is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is TAN Direction free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Catholic Thing or TAN Direction?

TAN Direction is rated higher. The Catholic Thing averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while TAN Direction averages 4.7 from 9 ratings.

### Do The Catholic Thing or TAN Direction have ads?

Neither The Catholic Thing nor TAN Direction shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Catholic Thing or TAN Direction?

The Catholic Thing ships an update every 9 months, and TAN Direction every 6 weeks. Most recently, The Catholic Thing was updated on July 19, 2026 and TAN Direction on September 1, 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.*