The MacArthur Study Bible vs Colophon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The MacArthur Study Bible
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.
- 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
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For over half a century, Pastor John MacArthur devoted himself to helping you know and love God by helping you understand His Word. Now, imagine a Bible that gives you instant access to all of John’s insights on the passage you’re reading—one you can carry in your pocket. The MacArthur Study Bible app makes that a reality. - Read or listen to Scripture in trusted translations like the NAS, LSB, ESV, or KJV - Go deeper with John’s study guides, articles, related sermons, and daily devotionals - Highlight Bible passages, add your own notes, and bookmark verses - Customize your reading experience with font and display options - Synchronize your progress and data on multiple devices And now, with your free Grace to You account, you’ll also have access to John’s Notes from The MacArthur Study Bible, including nearly 25,000 detailed comments that help explain virtually every passage in the Bible. Along with the notes are dozens of articles, charts, maps, and helpful introductions to each book of the Bible—all designed to help you understand God’s Word more clearly. For more information about Grace to You, the Bible-teaching ministry of John MacArthur, please visit gty.org.
Colophon
Explore the original Greek and Hebrew words behind English Bible translations offline. Study word meanings, cross-references, and save your notes and highlights locally. Enhance your understanding with advanced tools available through a one-time purchase.
- Offline Bible translations (KJV, BSB, WEB)
- Interlinear word study (Greek/Hebrew)
- Scripture search and notes
- Cross-references
- Lexicon search
- Offline audio narration
- Study Desk for verse comparison
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Colophon is an offline study Bible built on one idea: there are older words under your English. Read the King James Version (KJV), Berean Standard Bible (BSB) and World English Bible (WEB) offline. No account, no feed, no ads. Keep your notes and highlights on your device. INCLUDED WITHOUT A PURCHASE • All three Bible translations, fully offline • Scripture search, notes, highlights, bookmarks, tags and Markdown note export • The plain reading page, with your device's text size • Word of the Day widget: an English headword and verse reference COLOPHON PRO — ONE-TIME IN-APP PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION The following featured tools require Colophon Pro: • Word Study: tap tagged words in KJV or BSB for the Greek or Hebrew behind them — Strong's entries, Abbott-Smith (Greek) and Brown–Driver–Briggs (Hebrew) entries where available, roots and word families, translation renderings and occurrences. Resize the study sheet while keeping the text above it. WEB has no word tagging; open the same verse in KJV or BSB to study its words. • Lexicon search: English, Strong's number, transliteration, Greek or Hebrew • Cross references: ranked connections between Bible passages • Your Words: a local history of the words you have studied • Listen: BSB narration by Barry Hays, downloaded per book from GitHub and kept for offline playback. KJV and WEB use your device's speech voice. The page follows the reading. • Word of the Day widget: Greek or Hebrew, transliteration and a link into Word Study; verse text on supported larger widgets • Study Desk: compare two translations, verse by verse; side by side on wider screens • Notebooks and backlinks, print-ready PDF Study Sheets, and note import from Markdown or CSV • Backup & Restore: your study in a portable file you control • Additional reading backgrounds and the in-app text-size control. Previously retained background and text-size choices remain available to eligible existing readers; word study has no such exception. YOUR STUDY, ON YOUR DEVICE Notes, highlights and word history stay on your device unless you export them. Colophon runs no servers and includes no analytics or advertising SDK. Optional BSB audio downloads contact GitHub, which can see your IP address and requested files. During continuous listening, the next book can download automatically. Installed speech voices work on your device. Purchases are handled by the App Store. The texts and study sources are public-domain or openly licensed, with credits in the app. The words under the words.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: The MacArthur Study Bible at 18K against Colophon's 1. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. The MacArthur Study Bible sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Colophon sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for The MacArthur Study Bible against 5.0 for Colophon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The MacArthur Study Bible has 18K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 66% and 67% positive.
The MacArthur Study Bible ships an update monthly, Colophon every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The MacArthur Study Bible | Colophon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (18K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 18K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 112 MB | 204 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Grace to You | Mustafa Salim Erek |
Customer experience
The MacArthur Study Bible
Colophon
Bugs and requests
The MacArthur Study Bible
Reported bugs
4 issues- Unable to create account
- Inability to access saved notes and highlights
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Devotionals not updating regularly
Requested features
5 requests- 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
Colophon
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The MacArthur Study Bible
- John MacArthur’s Study Bible NotesFree
Colophon
- Tip: Ink$1.99
- Tip: Quill$4.99
- Colophon Pro$9.99
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- Tip: Patron$9.99
Questions
Is The MacArthur Study Bible free?
Is Colophon free?
Which has better reviews, The MacArthur Study Bible or Colophon?
Do The MacArthur Study Bible or Colophon have ads?
Which is updated more often, The MacArthur Study Bible or Colophon?
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