Comparison

Decanon vs Bible First

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

Head to head
About

Decanon

This app offers a scholarly analysis of the Protestant Bible, breaking down each book into sections with academic annotations. It focuses on critical biblical scholarship, addressing historical, ethical, and textual issues rather than devotional reading.

Highlights
  • Scholarly annotations for all 66 Protestant Bible books
  • Analysis of issues like violence, misogyny, and slavery
  • Full-text search across books and annotations
  • Filter by specific issue categories
  • Offline functionality
  • No account or tracking required
Features
Read full description

The canon, deconstructed. Decanon is a critical reading guide to all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. It breaks each book into concise, approachable sections and highlights passages that raise questions about violence, misogyny, slavery, anti-LGBTQ teaching, harm to children, science, history, internal consistency, racism, morality, and logic. EXPLORE THE CANON • Browse all 66 books by testament and category • Search book names, section titles, passage references, summaries, and annotations • Filter the catalog by any of 11 issue types • Expand each flag to read the full critical annotation • Use the passage reference to check the text in any Bible • Share sections or copy references CONTEXT, NOT MOCKERY Decanon is written for people examining or deconstructing claims of biblical inerrancy. Its goal is direct, respectful criticism—not mockery of religious people or the many ways people understand these texts. SOURCES AND SCOPE A general bibliography identifies works that informed the app’s editorial approach, including biblical scholarship and critical reference works. These are not item-level citations for every annotation. Decanon is a guide, not a Bible translation. It contains summaries, annotations, and passage references rather than the complete text of scripture. ACCESS Genesis and Exodus guides are included free. A one-time, non-consumable Full Access purchase unlocks the remaining 64 book guides. There is no subscription. Purchases and restores use Apple’s StoreKit. PRIVACY No account, ads, analytics, or tracking. Reading content is bundled and available offline. App Store purchases, restores, support links, sharing, and review prompts may use Apple or services you choose. Content note: Decanon discusses violence, abuse, discrimination, sexuality, and other mature themes in text.

About

Bible First

Features
Read full description

Bible First is a quiet, beautifully designed place to study God's Word — and keep it at the center of your day. Explore 224 guided studies across sixteen pathways into Scripture, highlight the verses that speak to you, keep private notes, and pray through it all in a built-in prayer journal. 224 STUDIES ACROSS SIXTEEN PATHWAYS • Biblical Topics • Jesus' Parables • Jesus' Teachings • The Ten Commandments • Proof of the Bible • The Psalms • Key Figures • Prayers of the Bible • The Gospels • Letters of Paul • Great Testimonies • Miracles of Jesus • Women of the Bible • The Prophets • Old Testament Stories • Names of God SCRIPTURE FIRST Every study opens with the passage itself, so God's Word comes before commentary. Psalms, parables, and longer passages flow as cohesive, easy-to-read Scripture — followed by clear reflection and context. HIGHLIGHT, NOTE & FAVORITE Highlight the verses that matter, jot personal notes as you read, and bookmark any study with a tap for quick return during devotions or group discussion. A PRAYER JOURNAL Keep your prayers in one private place. Add who and what you're praying for, organize with tags, mark prayers as answered, and watch a simple record of your faithfulness grow over time. SEARCH EVERYTHING — OFFLINE Search across all 224 studies, their Scripture, and your own notes in seconds. Everything works fully offline; no account and no internet connection required. A DAILY BLESSING Pull down on the home screen for a fresh blessing from Scripture — a small, quiet encouragement whenever you open the app. YOUR JOURNEY Reading stats and streaks gently encourage a steady, daily rhythm in the Word. SYNC ACROSS YOUR DEVICES Your favorites, notes, highlights, and prayers stay up to date across your devices through your own iCloud account. Your data is yours. DESIGNED FOR READING An elegant serif reading experience with light and dark themes and refined typography. Full Dynamic Type support and large, legible text options make every session comfortable — set your own size or follow your system setting. COMPLETELY FREE & PRIVATE No subscription. No account. No ads. No tracking. Just Scripture. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

Decanon3 screens
Bible First4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bible First at none against Decanon's 1. Bible First also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). 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. Decanon sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Bible First asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Decanon ships an update every 2 weeks, Bible First daily. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Decanon versus Bible First: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDecanonBible First
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB8 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperOMAR DANIEL GRAZIANOMICHAEL LEVI HOPPER

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Decanon

One-time1
  • Full Access$9.99
None

Bible First

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Decanon free?
Decanon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bible First free?
Bible First is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Decanon or Bible First have ads?
Neither Decanon nor Bible First shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Decanon or Bible First?
Decanon ships an update every 2 weeks, and Bible First daily. Most recently, Decanon was updated on October 13, 2026 and Bible First on October 1, 2026.

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