# First 5 vs North Monroe

The clearest difference is ads: North Monroe at none against First 5's shown. North Monroe also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 73%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). First 5's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 33 months) and ratings volume (879 vs 19). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

North Monroe holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: First 5 has 879 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of First 5's written reviews are positive against 100% of North Monroe's.

First 5 ships an update every 3 months, North Monroe every 33 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First 5 | North Monroe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (879 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-5/id997457664/reviews) | **[4.8 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/north-monroe/id1462767014/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **879** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 33 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 40 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Proverbs 31 Ministry, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1217584851) | [North Monroe Baptist Church](https://appshunter.io/developer/520932401) |

## What reviewers say

### First 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-5/id997457664)

This app provides daily biblical teachings to help users establish a consistent spiritual practice. It offers tools for highlighting, saving, and sharing scripture, along with a built-in Bible and community features.

**Highlights:** Daily biblical teachings, Highlight, save, and share scripture, Integrated Bible reader, Customizable reminders, Community groups, Exportable notes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Solid biblical teaching
- 👍 Comprehensive and beautiful app
- 👍 Excellent resource for Bible study
- 👍 Helpful for spiritual growth
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or freezes
- 🐛 Glitchy or buggy functionality
- 🐛 Restricted access requiring sign-up
- 👎 Text is too small, no font size options
- 👎 Lack of dark mode or night theme

**Reported bugs**

- App not loading or showing blank screen
- Inability to access past or current studies
- Login/sign-in issues and account problems
- Repeated log-outs and sign-in requirements

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode or night theme
- Improve font size and zoom options
- Allow offline access to past studies
- Implement text-to-speech feature
- Provide more customization options


### North Monroe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/north-monroe/id1462767014)

Stay connected with your church community through this app. Access resources for spiritual growth, view upcoming events, manage donations, and read the Bible.

**Highlights:** View upcoming events, Online giving, Read the Bible, Community connection, Spiritual growth resources

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First 5 free?

First 5 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is North Monroe free?

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

### Which has better reviews, First 5 or North Monroe?

North Monroe is rated higher. First 5 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 879 ratings, while North Monroe averages 4.8 from 19 ratings.

### Do First 5 or North Monroe have ads?

First 5 shows ads; North Monroe does not.

### Which is updated more often, First 5 or North Monroe?

First 5 ships an update every 3 months, and North Monroe every 33 months. Most recently, First 5 was updated on September 18, 2026 and North Monroe on June 10, 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.*