Study Gateway vs Lifeway Reader
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
Lifeway Reader
Access and study your Lifeway-purchased eBooks, including Bibles and devotionals. Annotate content with notes, highlights, and bookmarks. Easily fill in workbook blanks and view scripture references in pop-up windows.
- Read Lifeway eBooks and eBibles
- Annotate with notes, highlights, bookmarks
- Fill-in-the-blank workbook support
- Scripture reference pop-ups
- Search within books and library
- Includes free Bible versions
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Use Lifeway Reader to read and interact with any Lifeway-purchased eBook including eBibles. Study the Bible with the included free copies of the Christian Standard Bible, King James Version, and many more. Annotate your eBooks with notes, highlights, and bookmarks. Read and study your Lifeway-purchased devotionals, short-term, and ongoing Bible studies; easily "fill in the blanks" for any workbook questions. Simply tap on any scripture reference and see the verse(s) displayed in a pop-up window. Search within a single book by keyword, phrase, and more; or search all the books in your library by content.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Study Gateway at 75% against Lifeway Reader's 3%. Study Gateway also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.2) and ratings volume (900 vs 24). Lifeway Reader's advantage is monetization model (free vs subscription) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). 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.
Study Gateway holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Study Gateway has 900 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Study Gateway's written reviews are positive against 3% of Lifeway Reader's.
Study Gateway ships an update every 5 months, Lifeway Reader every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Study Gateway | Lifeway Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (900 ratings) — better | 2.2 (24 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.4% of reviews — better | 3.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 900 — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. | Lifeway Christian Resources |
Customer experience
Study Gateway
Lifeway Reader
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
Lifeway Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Study Gateway
No in-app purchases
Lifeway Reader
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Study Gateway free?
Is Lifeway Reader free?
Which has better reviews, Study Gateway or Lifeway Reader?
Do Study Gateway or Lifeway Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Study Gateway or Lifeway Reader?
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