Comparison

Layman Bible vs BibleAI Offline

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

Head to head
About

Layman Bible

Understand the Bible with simple, plain-language explanations for every verse. Access cultural context, historical timelines, and word studies. Customize your reading experience and track progress with this offline study tool.

Highlights
  • Plain-language verse explanations
  • Cultural and historical context layers
  • Cross-references and word studies
  • Personal notes and verse tagging
  • Offline access to all content
  • Customizable reading experience
  • Reading plans and progress tracking
Features
Read full description

The Bible is one of the most important books ever written — but let's be honest, it can be really hard to understand. Ancient customs, unfamiliar names, and 2,000+ years of cultural distance make it tough to know what's actually going on. Layman Bible fixes that. Every single verse across all 66 books comes with a plain-language explanation written like a friend is sitting next to you, helping you understand what you're reading. No seminary degree required. TAP ANY VERSE TO UNDERSTAND IT Just tap a verse and get a clear, simple explanation of what it means and why it matters. No more guessing or skipping over confusing passages. LAYERS OF CONTEXT Toggle on and off the layers you want: - Verse Explainers — what each verse means in plain English - Cultural Notes — customs and traditions that shaped the text - Cross-References — related passages elsewhere in the Bible - Then vs Now — how ancient practices connect to modern life - People Profiles — who's who, with bios and background - Word Studies — original Greek and Hebrew meanings - Places — locations with descriptions and modern equivalents - Timelines — key events in historical order READING PLANS — FREE Guided reading plans from 30 days to 5 years: Bible in a Year, Chronological, Gospels in 30 Days, Psalms & Proverbs, Prophets in 90 Days, Bible in 90 Days, and more. Run as many plans at once as you like — each one tracks its own progress, day count, and whether you're ahead or behind. Watch a short ad to unlock a plan free for 7 days. Skip a day or take a rest day anytime; the plan adjusts around you. LISTEN — FREE Have chapters read aloud while you follow along, with the current verse highlighted as it's spoken. - Keeps playing with your screen off or the app in the background - Automatically continues into the next chapter — or the next reading in your plan - Play, pause, and skip from your lock screen or Control Center - Adjustable speed Watch a short ad to unlock audio free for 7 days. BUILT FOR YOUR STUDY - Highlight verses in 5 colors - Bookmark and tag verses (Memorize, Pray, Question, Study) - Add personal notes to any verse - Search across the entire Bible - Export your study notes - Track reading streaks and progress - View stats with a 28-day activity heatmap BIG THEMES Explore the major themes that run through the entire Bible — like Salvation, Love, and more — with overviews tracing each theme from Old Testament to New. COMPLETELY OFFLINE All 31,000+ verse explanations are stored on your device. No internet required. No account needed. No tracking. CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING - Adjust font size - Pick your theme (light, dark, or system) - Set which context layers show by default - Customize colors for each explainer type - Set daily reading reminders FREE — NO PURCHASE REQUIRED The full Bible text and all 31,000+ verse explanations are completely free. Reading plans and audio are free too — just watch a short ad to unlock them for 7 days at a time. Prefer no ads at all? An optional Pro subscription ($0.99/month or $9.99/year, auto-renewing) removes all ads — including rewarded ads — and gives you unlimited access to every reading plan and audio playback with nothing to watch. Uses the World English Bible (WEB), a modern public domain translation. Explanations are AI-generated and reviewed for accuracy. Not a replacement for pastoral guidance. Privacy Policy: https://drmcgill2126.github.io/michaelmcgillapps/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://drmcgill2126.github.io/michaelmcgillapps/terms.html

About

BibleAI Offline

Features
Read full description

BibleAI — read the Bible, ask anything, fully offline. We built BibleAI because no other Bible app gave us what we wanted: a thoughtful study companion that works without internet, doesn't track us, and doesn't lock features behind tiered paywalls. So we made one. WHAT MAKES BIBLEAI DIFFERENT • Offline AI study assistant. Tap any verse, ask any question. Google's Gemma 4 model runs entirely on your iPhone — no cloud, no API calls, no internet needed after setup. Your conversations literally cannot leave your device. • 43 Bible translations across 4 tiers. World English, KJV, Glika, Lutherbibel, Reina-Valera, Louis Segond, Almeida Livre, Synodal, plus 35 more — all public-domain or Creative Commons. • 15 neural voices for offline audio narration. Listen to chapters in a calm, natural voice while you walk, drive, or rest your eyes. No streaming, no buffering — the voice models live on your device. • Same access at every tier. We don't sell premium features. Every paying user gets the identical full app: full AI, full translations, full search, full audio. Pricing is "pay what you can" — $1.99 / $2.99 / $4.99 / $9.99 per month, $29.99 per year, or $59.99 for a one-time 10-year purchase. • Free 30-day trial on first install. Cancel anytime in Apple ID → Subscriptions. • Zero analytics. No Facebook SDK, no Firebase, no Mixpanel, no Amplitude. We don't know what verses you read, what questions you ask, or where you tap. We chose this because a Bible app should be a private space. WHO IT'S FOR • People who want to study scripture seriously and ask hard questions. • People who travel, hike, fly, or live somewhere without reliable internet. • People who don't want yet another app harvesting their data. • People who can't afford premium Bible apps but still want quality tools. WHAT'S INSIDE • 43 Bible translations, one always offline. • Full-text search across the whole Bible (BM25 ranking). • Bookmark any verse with a long-press. • Continuous-scroll reader with chapter auto-load. • Light, sepia, and dark themes designed for AA contrast. • Adjustable font sizes (no ceiling — go big if you need to). • Audio narration with skip-back, skip-forward, speed control. • Manual playback rate (0.75× / 1× / 1.25× / 1.5×). PRICING (no surprises) • Free 30-day trial on first install. • Subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled. Cancel anytime in Apple ID → Subscriptions. • 10-year tier is one-time, doesn't renew, valid until 2036. We don't say "lifetime" because nothing is — phones die, OSes deprecate, companies end. PRIVACY • AI runs offline. Conversations stay on your device. • No accounts, no logins, no profile. • Zero data collected — no email, no analytics, no tracking. Apple StoreKit handles purchases; we never see your card. • Privacy Policy: https://bibelai-promo.yr2t78x5mp.workers.dev/privacy • Terms of Use (EULA): https://bibelai-promo.yr2t78x5mp.workers.dev/terms THE TEAM BibleAI is built by a small team that uses it daily. Bug reports, feature ideas, and theological corrections are welcome at bugs@bibleai.com. We read every email. — — "BibleAI is the name of an app, not a tracking corporation. The team is small, the code is auditable, and this app is honest."

Screenshots

Layman Bible4 screens
BibleAI Offline4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: BibleAI Offline at none against Layman Bible's shown. BibleAI Offline also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Layman Bible sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and BibleAI Offline sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Layman Bible ships an update every 5 weeks, BibleAI Offline every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Layman Bible versus BibleAI Offline: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLayman BibleBibleAI Offline
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB181 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMichael McGill apps llcRolands Zauers

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Layman Bible

Subscriptions2
  • Layman Bible Pro (Monthly)$0.991 Month
  • Layman Bible Pro (Annual)$9.991 Year
6 purchases

BibleAI Offline

Subscriptions5
  • Support$1.991 Month
  • Standard$2.991 Month
  • Fair Share$4.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Sustaining$9.991 Month
  • Annual1 Month trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • 10-Year Access$59.99

Questions

Is Layman Bible free?
Layman Bible is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BibleAI Offline free?
BibleAI Offline is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Layman Bible or BibleAI Offline have ads?
Layman Bible shows ads; BibleAI Offline does not.
Which is updated more often, Layman Bible or BibleAI Offline?
Layman Bible ships an update every 5 weeks, and BibleAI Offline every 2 weeks. Most recently, Layman Bible was updated on October 31, 2026 and BibleAI Offline on November 5, 2026.

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