# Study Gateway vs LW Church

The clearest difference is rating: LW Church at 5.0 against Study Gateway's 4.2. LW Church also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). Study Gateway's advantage is ratings volume (960 vs 7). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

LW Church holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Study Gateway has 960 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Study Gateway's written reviews are positive against 100% of LW Church's.

Study Gateway ships an update every 5 months, LW Church every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Study Gateway | LW Church |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (960 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-gateway/id916234406/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lw-church/id1448074774/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **960** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 75.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 68 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/444535393) | [Living Water Community Church (OH)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448074773) |

## What reviewers say

### Study Gateway

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-gateway/id916234406)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏🏻 Blessed by the studies
- 👍 Helpful for personal and group study
- 📚 Extensive Bible study content
- 🤗 Enjoyable and engaging teaching
- ⚓️ Strengthens faith and relationship with God

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with login and access issues
- 🤯 Difficult to navigate and find content
- 🔒 Lack of customer support and account management
- 💰 Frustrating subscription and cancellation process

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- Unable to access purchased content
- Login and password issues
- Compatibility problems on various devices

**Requested features**

- Improve app stability and user experience
- Provide better customer service and account management
- Simplify subscription and cancellation process


### LW Church

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lw-church/id1448074774)

Access sermons, follow a Bible reading plan, and sign up for church events and groups. Stay connected with push notifications and share messages offline.

**Highlights:** Watch/listen to past messages, Follow Bible reading plan, Sign up for events, Connect and sign up for groups, Push notifications, Download messages for offline listening

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Study Gateway free?

Study Gateway is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LW Church free?

LW Church is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Study Gateway or LW Church?

LW Church is rated higher. Study Gateway averages 4.2 out of 5 from 960 ratings, while LW Church averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Study Gateway or LW Church have ads?

Neither Study Gateway nor LW Church shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Study Gateway or LW Church?

Study Gateway ships an update every 5 months, and LW Church every 9 months. Most recently, Study Gateway was updated on October 29, 2026 and LW Church on October 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*