# Study Gateway vs Encountering Peace

The clearest difference is monetization model: Encountering Peace at free against Study Gateway's subscription. Encountering Peace also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 16.6). Study Gateway's advantage is ratings volume (967 vs 176) and review sentiment (76% vs 67%). 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.

Encountering Peace holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Study Gateway has 967 ratings behind it against 176, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Study Gateway's written reviews are positive against 67% of Encountering Peace's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Study Gateway ships an update every 5 months, Encountering Peace every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Study Gateway | Encountering Peace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (967 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-gateway/id916234406/reviews) | **[4.6 (176 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/encountering-peace-meditation/id1528992184/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **967** | 176 |
| Positive reviews | **75.9% of reviews** | 67.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 68 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/444535393) | [Encountering Peace](https://appshunter.io/developer/1821000618) |

## 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


### Encountering Peace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/encountering-peace-meditation/id1528992184)

Discover God's peace with guided audio meditations rooted in scripture. Search by theme to find meditations for sleep, anxiety, hope, and more. Daily new meditations and a large library are available to help you grow in mindfulness and connect with God's presence.

**Highlights:** Over 300 hours of guided audio meditations, Meditations rooted in Holy Scripture, Search meditations by theme (Sleep, Anxiety, Love, etc.), Daily new biblical meditations, Library of 500+ Christian meditations, Journal prayers and reflections, Connect with a prayerful community

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Scripture-based Christian meditation content
- 🎙️ Soothing narrator voice (Drew) with calming delivery
- 🎵 High-quality background music and sound design
- 💰 Completely free access to all meditations
- 📱 User-friendly interface and intuitive navigation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Major app redesign broke core functionality
- 📉 Bible readings removed in recent update
- 🤖 Some meditations now use AI-generated voices
- 🔋 Severe battery drain issues
- 🔐 Login and account synchronization problems

**Reported bugs**

- Login credentials not recognized after update
- Saved favorites disappearing or inaccessible
- App stuck displaying meditations from June 4th
- Battery drain even with background refresh disabled
- Audio playback stops when screen locks

**Requested features**

- Restore previous app version or features
- Bring back Bible readings functionality
- Sleep timer feature
- Landscape orientation support
- Longer meditation durations with extended silence


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Study Gateway free?

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

### Is Encountering Peace free?

Encountering Peace is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Study Gateway or Encountering Peace?

Encountering Peace is rated higher. Study Gateway averages 4.2 out of 5 from 967 ratings, while Encountering Peace averages 4.6 from 176 ratings.

### Do Study Gateway or Encountering Peace have ads?

Neither Study Gateway nor Encountering Peace shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Study Gateway or Encountering Peace?

Study Gateway ships an update every 5 months, and Encountering Peace every 4 months. Most recently, Study Gateway was updated on November 6, 2026 and Encountering Peace on November 3, 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.*