# The MacArthur Study Bible vs BibleRef

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BibleRef at none against The MacArthur Study Bible's 1. BibleRef also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 66%). The MacArthur Study Bible's advantage is ratings volume (18K vs 180) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The MacArthur Study Bible sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BibleRef asks for nothing beyond the download.

The MacArthur Study Bible holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The MacArthur Study Bible has 18K ratings behind it against 180, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of The MacArthur Study Bible's written reviews are positive against 87% of BibleRef's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The MacArthur Study Bible ships an update monthly, BibleRef every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The MacArthur Study Bible | BibleRef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-macarthur-study-bible/id992237916/reviews)** | [4.6 (180 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibleref/id1596177226/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 180 |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | **87.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 112 MB | 171 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Grace to You](https://appshunter.io/developer/992237915) | [Got Questions Ministries](https://appshunter.io/developer/366553553) |

## What reviewers say

### The MacArthur Study Bible

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-macarthur-study-bible/id992237916)

Access a vast library of biblical resources, including multiple scripture translations and over 3,000 sermons. Enhance your understanding with study notes, articles, and daily devotionals. Synchronize your personal data across devices for a seamless study experience.

**Highlights:** Multiple Bible translations (ESV, NAS, KJV), Extensive sermon archive, Highlighting and note-taking, Daily Bible reading plan, Study guides and articles, Cross-device data synchronization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| John MacArthur’s Study Bible Notes | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Excellent study resource
- 📚 Helpful commentary and notes
- 🔍 Useful cross-references
- 🎧 Convenient audio Bible
- 🕰️ Daily devotionals and sermons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent freezing and crashes
- 🔀 Jumping to wrong chapters/verses
- 💤 Slow performance and unresponsiveness
- 🔍 Highlighting issues (can only highlight one verse at a time)
- 🔗 Broken links and navigation problems

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to create account
- Inability to access saved notes and highlights
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Devotionals not updating regularly

**Requested features**

- Support for more Bible translations (e.g. NIV, NLT)
- Improved highlighting and note-taking capabilities
- Seamless syncing across devices
- Customizable font and theme options
- Better integration with other Bible study tools


### BibleRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bibleref/id1596177226)

Access verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter Bible commentary with extensive cross-references and context explanations. Understand scripture with easy-to-read explanations and multiple Bible translations.

**Highlights:** Verse-by-verse commentary, Chapter-by-chapter commentary, Extensive cross-references, Context explanation, Six Bible translations, Regularly updated content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Comprehensive verse-by-verse commentary and explanations
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface design
- 🆓 Completely free with no paywalls or subscriptions
- 📖 Multiple Bible translations available for comparison
- 🎯 Helpful context and summary sections for each chapter

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Incomplete coverage of Old Testament books
- 🔄 Many sections marked 'Coming Soon' throughout app
- 🐛 App freezes and won't download updates
- ❌ Missing features compared to other Bible apps
- 📊 Inconsistent commentary availability across books

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and won't download updates
- Crashes after iOS updates
- Performance issues with certain devices
- Inconsistent loading of commentary sections

**Requested features**

- Highlighter and font size adjustment options
- Audio/text-to-speech functionality for commentary
- iPad version of the app
- Bookmark or reading progress tracker
- Search function for verses and topics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The MacArthur Study Bible free?

The MacArthur Study Bible is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is BibleRef free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The MacArthur Study Bible or BibleRef?

The MacArthur Study Bible is rated higher. The MacArthur Study Bible averages 4.9 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while BibleRef averages 4.6 from 180 ratings.

### Do The MacArthur Study Bible or BibleRef have ads?

Neither The MacArthur Study Bible nor BibleRef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The MacArthur Study Bible or BibleRef?

The MacArthur Study Bible ships an update monthly, and BibleRef every 4 months. Most recently, The MacArthur Study Bible was updated on November 4, 2026 and BibleRef 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.*