Study Gateway vs First Southern
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Study Gateway
Access a vast library of on-demand video Bible studies from renowned Christian teachers and authors. Explore topics like discipleship, healing, and Christian living through engaging video content. This service is available as part of a subscription.
- On-demand video Bible studies
- World-renowned Bible teachers
- Thousands of study videos
- Discipleship and Christian living topics
- Overcoming and healing content
- Bible discussion resources
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Study Gateway is the streaming video Bible study service from Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, featuring the world’s most-trusted Bible teachers, authors and pastors, including Max Lucado, Anne Graham Lotz, Louie Giglio, Rick Warren, Derwin Gray, Lysa TerKeurst, Jennie Allen, Andy Stanley, Chrystal Evans Hurst, John Ortberg, Ann Voskamp, Christine Caine, Jada Edwards, Bob Goff, and Jim Cymbala. Watch thousands of Bible study videos on subjects like discipleship, overcoming and healing, Christian living, and Bible discussion. Get the app as a part of your Study Gateway subscription. Terms of Service: https://watch.studygateway.com/tos Privacy Policy: https://watch.studygateway.com/privacy
First Southern
Stay connected with the latest sermons, register for upcoming events, and engage through prayer and giving. This app provides a central hub for church community engagement and spiritual growth.
- Latest sermons
- Event registration
- Prayer requests
- Online giving
- Community connection
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Welcome to the official First Southern Baptist Church app! Our app is a great way to keep up to date with our newest sermons, register for our latest events and place to connect through prayer and giving. For more information about First Southern, please visit: http://www.firstsouthern.tv. Mobile app version: 6.21.3
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: First Southern at 5.0 against Study Gateway's 4.2. First Southern also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription). Study Gateway's advantage is ratings volume (900 vs 6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
First Southern holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Study Gateway has 900 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Study Gateway ships an update every 5 months, First Southern every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Study Gateway | First Southern |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (900 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 900 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. | First Southern Baptist Church |
Customer experience
Study Gateway
First Southern
Bugs and requests
Study Gateway
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes frequently
- Unable to access purchased content
- Login and password issues
- Compatibility problems on various devices
Requested features
3 requests- Improve app stability and user experience
- Provide better customer service and account management
- Simplify subscription and cancellation process
First Southern
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Study Gateway
No in-app purchases
First Southern
No in-app purchases
