Comparison

Layman Bible vs Study by A1

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

Study by A1

Features
Read full description

Study by A1:8 is a free Bible study app for people who want to go deeper than a verse of the day. Read in five translations side by side. Pull up nineteen classic commentaries — Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Scofield and more — on the passage in front of you, without leaving it. Look up a word in any of twenty-five dictionaries. Follow a reading plan. Keep what you find. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Read five Bible translations, with parallel view • Study nineteen commentaries, verse by verse • Search twenty-five-plus Bible dictionaries and word studies • Take notes on any verse, and keep them • Highlight in multiple colours, and organise highlights into collections • Write longer thoughts and full messages in a proper editor • Bookmark passages and build collections • Follow reading plans and track your progress • Search across everything you have written WORKS OFFLINE Download translations, commentaries and dictionaries to your device and use them with no connection at all — on a plane, in a basement, anywhere. Notes, highlights and messages you write offline are saved on the device and sync the moment you are back. Nothing waits on a signal. EVERYTHING SYNCS Sign in once and your notes, highlights, bookmarks and messages follow you between your phone, your tablet and the web. Start a thought on your phone and finish it on a laptop. FREE, WITH NO PAYWALL The app is free. There is no subscription, no trial, no locked chapters and no ads. Everything described above is included. Study is part of the A1:8 family of tools for churches and the people in them. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses... to the end of the earth." — Acts 1:8

Screenshots

Layman Bible4 screens
Study by A14 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Study by A1 at none against Layman Bible's 2. Study by A1 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks). On price 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. Study by A1 asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Layman Bible ships an update every 5 weeks, Study by A1 daily. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Layman Bible versus Study by A1: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLayman BibleStudy by A1
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael McGill apps llcAlex Sanders

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Layman Bible

Subscriptions2
  • Layman Bible Pro (Monthly)$0.991 Month
  • Layman Bible Pro (Annual)$9.991 Year
None

Study by A1

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Layman Bible free?
Layman Bible is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Study by A1 free?
Study by A1 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Layman Bible or Study by A1 have ads?
Layman Bible shows ads; Study by A1 does not.
Which is updated more often, Layman Bible or Study by A1?
Layman Bible ships an update every 5 weeks, and Study by A1 daily. Most recently, Layman Bible was updated on October 12, 2026 and Study by A1 on October 3, 2026.

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