Comparison

REF vs Christian Reader

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

Head to head
About

REF

Access a vast and growing library of curated Christian audiobooks. Enjoy unlimited listening across all genres with a monthly membership, including offline playback and new titles added regularly. Get your first month free and cancel anytime.

Highlights
  • Curated Christian audiobooks
  • New titles added monthly
  • Unlimited listening access
  • Offline playback
  • All titles available to all members
  • Family plan option
Features
Read full description

Your ultimate library of thoughtful Christian audiobooks awaits! REF-UL is the only app that gives you access to a large, continually growing, and thoughtfully curated list of Christian audiobooks. - Enjoy selections from every genre - See new titles added every month - Listen to any book you can find, any time you want - Curators that will guide you in your search for theologically sound, thoughtful, and inspirational Christian audiobooks With your membership, you will gain unlimited access to our entire catalog of Christian audiobooks. Unlike many membership services, ALL of our titles will be available to all members for listening. - Get access to dozens of new titles each month - Stream books from our user-friendly mobile apps - Queue up an unlimited number of titles for listening - No time limit to finish each title - Listen anywhere, including offline (airports, planes, remote locations) A typical audiobook can cost from $15 to $25. For $9.99 per month ($19.99 per month for a Family Plan), you can stream multiple audiobooks each month. - Get your first month free - Cancel at any time - All titles available for listening all the time (no premium or exclusive tiers) - 6+ books per month* for less than the price of 1 (*based on an average of 5 hours per audiobook)

About

Christian Reader

Access a vast collection of classic Christian writings, including works from the Early Church Fathers and Puritans. Enjoy these texts as both readable content and audiobooks, with features like real-time highlighting and background music for an immersive experience.

Highlights
  • Text and audiobook formats
  • Ambient background music
  • Real-time highlighting
  • Original and modern English translations
  • Library from Early Church to Puritans
Features
Read full description

Christian Reader brings the treasured writings of the Christian faith to your fingertips. Explore works from the Early Church Fathers through the Puritans - available as both text and audiobook, all in one app. Whether you're studying theology, deepening your devotional life, or discovering these classics for the first time, Christian Reader makes it easy to engage with the writings that have shaped the Church for centuries. KEY FEATURES • Text & Audiobook - Read or listen to classic Christian works at your own pace. • Background Music - Immerse yourself in the listening experience with ambient background music that accompanies the narration. • Real-Time Highlighting - Follow along as sentences are highlighted in sync with the audiobook narration. • Original & Modern English - Toggle between the original archaic English translations and a clear, modern English rendering. • A Growing Library - Access works spanning from the early centuries of the Church through the Puritan era. Christian Reader is for anyone who wants to sit at the feet of the great teachers of the faith. Download today and let the voices of the past speak into your present. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://goodsoilapps.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

REF4 screens
Christian Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Christian Reader at 100% against REF's 0%. Christian Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). REF's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Christian Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. REF asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Christian Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Christian Reader has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of REF's written reviews are positive against 100% of Christian Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

REF ships an update every 2 months, Christian Reader every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
REF versus Christian Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterREFChristian Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings16 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB123 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperRefuel Media LLCGood Soil Apps LLC

Customer experience

REF

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Christian Reader

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

REF

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Christian Reader

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium$39.991 Year

Questions

Is REF free?
REF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Christian Reader free?
Christian Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, REF or Christian Reader?
Christian Reader is rated higher. REF averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Christian Reader averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do REF or Christian Reader have ads?
Neither REF nor Christian Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, REF or Christian Reader?
REF ships an update every 2 months, and Christian Reader every 9 days. Most recently, REF was updated on October 7, 2026 and Christian Reader on October 9, 2026.

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