Comparison

Layman Bible vs Written

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

Written

This app facilitates focused Bible reading and personal reflection. It offers tools for memorization, prayer tracking, and daily gratitude, with widgets for quick access to your study.

Highlights
  • Chapter progress tracking
  • Verse memorization modes
  • Prayer request management
  • Daily gratitude journaling
  • Custom study chains
  • Lock screen and home screen widgets
Features
Read full description

Written: Bible Study is a personal Scripture app built for focused reading and daily reflection. Written requires no account or subscription, includes no ads, keeps every feature available without payment, and offers optional one-time coffee tips to help with ongoing costs. Read the Bible with chapter progress, bookmarks, highlights, notes, cross-references, commentary, original-language study, audio playback, reading plans, curated Scripture chains, and widgets that help you return throughout the day. Capture sermons in a dedicated writing space with formatted text, images, embedded Scripture, related passages, connected verse notes, folders, post-sermon reflection, reminder widgets, and customizable PDF sharing. Notes attached to sermon verses remain available while reading those passages later. Memorize verses with first-letter, fill-in-the-blank, typing, speaking, and listening practice. Save verses in their original translations and organize them into collections. Faithful keeps prayers, praises, daily gratitude, and meaningful images close to your study. Mark prayers answered, favorite important moments, and revisit them from Home and Lock Screen widgets.

Screenshots

Layman Bible4 screens
Written4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Written at none against Layman Bible's 2. Written also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). On price, rating, 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. Layman Bible sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Written asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Layman Bible against 5.0 for Written. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 9 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Layman Bible ships an update monthly, Written every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Layman Bible versus Written: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLayman BibleWritten
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings39 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB131 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMichael McGill apps llcDrew Dudney

Customer experience

Layman Bible

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Written

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Layman Bible

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

Written

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Layman Bible free?
Layman Bible is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Written free?
Written is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Layman Bible or Written?
Layman Bible and Written are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 9 ratings respectively.
Do Layman Bible or Written have ads?
Layman Bible shows ads; Written does not.
Which is updated more often, Layman Bible or Written?
Layman Bible ships an update monthly, and Written every 2 days. Most recently, Layman Bible was updated on September 26, 2026 and Written on September 28, 2026.

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