Comparison

The Rationalist vs Baian

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

Head to head
About

The Rationalist

Features
Read full description

The Rationalist is a 365-day guided journey through the Quran. One day at a time, with depth, context, and reflection. Each day delivers a focused study session featuring Quranic verses with translation, historical context, scholarly analysis from 22 referenced scholars, and guided reflection questions to deepen your understanding. **WHAT YOU GET** - 365 days of structured Quran study content - Translations with detailed scholarly analysis - Daily reflection questions and journal prompts - Interactive quizzes to test your understanding - Streaks, XP, levels, and achievement badges - Activity rings to track your daily progress - Beautiful dark mode interface **RUMI AI — YOUR QURAN STUDY COMPANION** Ask questions about any verse, topic, or theme. Rumi AI draws from the insights of 22 scholars across classical, modern, and rationalist traditions to give you thoughtful, grounded answers. **SCHOLARS REFERENCED** Classical: Ibn Kathir, Al-Tabari, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd, Al-Razi, Ibn Arabi, Al-Zamakhshari Modern: Fazlur Rahman, Tariq Ramadan, Khaled Abou El Fadl, Amina Wadud, Jonathan Brown, Hamza Yusuf, Yasir Qadhi, Ingrid Mattson Rationalist: Muhammad Abduh, Rashid Rida, Muhammad Asad, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Scientific: Nidhal Guessoum **SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS** Free: Full 365-day reading journey with daily quizzes Plus ($1.99/mo or $12.99/yr): Ad-free, extra streak freezes and support the mission Pro ($4.99/mo or $34.99/yr): Read ahead, Rumi AI companion, weekly quizzes, XP multiplier, 14 levels, and elite titles Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in your device settings. Privacy Policy: https://therationalistapp.com/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://therationalistapp.com/terms.html

About

Baian

Understand live sermons with real-time captions and translations in your chosen language. This app displays original Arabic text alongside translations and highlights Quranic verses mentioned during the khutbah. Save your notes and transcripts for later review.

Highlights
  • Live khutbah captions
  • Multi-language translation
  • Original source text display
  • Quranic verse highlighting
  • Save and revisit notes
  • Captions-only mode
Features
Read full description

Understand the khutbah live with captions, translation, and Qur'an references. Baian helps you follow the imam at Jumu'ah in real time, even when the sermon is in Arabic. Open the app, start listening, and read the meaning in your chosen language as the khutbah continues. Baian is built for personal use in any masjid. Your phone listens near you, shows clear live captions, and keeps the Arabic source text visible beside the translation. When Qur'an references are detected, Baian highlights them so you can follow the reminder with more context. Features • Follow live khutbah captions as the imam speaks • Translate Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, French, Indonesian and more into one output language per session • Keep the original source text visible beside the translation • Trace Qur'an references when they appear • Save and revisit your Jumu'ah notes and transcripts • Use captions-only mode for focused listening Baian uses AI-assisted speech and translation to make Islamic reminders easier to follow. Transcription and translation can contain mistakes, so Baian should be used as a listening aid, not as a certified religious transcript. Subscription Subscriptions unlock live minutes for listening, translation, saved history, and future premium features. Plans, prices, billing periods, Terms of Use (https://baian.ai/terms/), and Privacy Policy (https://baian.ai/privacy/) are shown in the app before purchase. Privacy We do not sell your personal data. We never use your recordings to train AI models unless you explicitly opt in (off by default). You can delete saved sessions, including their audio, from the app. Read our Privacy Policy for retention and deletion details: https://baian.ai/privacy/. Support Questions or feedback? Reach us at team@baian.ai.

Screenshots

The Rationalist4 screens
Baian4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Baian at none against The Rationalist's shown. The Rationalist's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 8 days). On price, in-app purchases, 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. The Rationalist sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Baian sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Rationalist ships an update daily, Baian every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
The Rationalist versus Baian: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe RationalistBaian
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 8 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB74 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMogamad Saadiq FortuneBaian inc

In-app purchases

4 purchases

The Rationalist

Subscriptions4
  • Plus monthly$1.991 Month
  • pro monthly$4.991 Month
  • Plus Annual$12.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • pro annual$34.991 Year
5 purchases

Baian

Subscriptions4
  • Personal Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Plus Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Personal Annual$129.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Plus Annual$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • 60 Minutes$7.99

Questions

Is The Rationalist free?
The Rationalist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Baian free?
Baian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do The Rationalist or Baian have ads?
The Rationalist shows ads; Baian does not.
Which is updated more often, The Rationalist or Baian?
The Rationalist ships an update daily, and Baian every 8 days. Most recently, The Rationalist was updated on October 31, 2026 and Baian on November 6, 2026.

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