And the best Bible app is…

en recently had a website enquiry from a man name Gareth who asked if we could write an article on the best Bible app. This email was forwarded to me; I accepted.

I’ve gone through a few Bible apps in my time and decided I’m not sure there is a perfect one; or at least one that ticks all of my boxes. Maybe I should go on the Christian version of Dragon’s Den (I’m not sure that exists) and pitch it!

In this article, I’m going to give you the top five apps I tested and why. I haven’t included those which are specifically prayer, audio, or meditation Bible apps; only those whose main function is being a Bible. I have also only included apps which allow multiple version options. These are in no particular order and are all Android and Apple.

1. Blue Letter Bible

I am a self-professed BLB fanboy. I love their website and use it often when preparing my Sunday sermons. The look of the app is not modern, yet clear and simple. BLB allows you to compare versions, look at the Greek and Hebrew, and has an advanced search feature. There is a read-along feature which I find helpful. You can add bookmarks, view commentaries, and parallel cross references. There is also a history section which shows you what verses/passages you’ve looked at recently. I find this useful, as I often forget where I have seen or read a particular verse. Tapping a verse opens up a menu that gives options to share, read, underline, highlight, or remove highlighting. This takes away the normal awkwardness of highlighting and tapping and holding to highlight a verse. This app has all the bells and whistles!

2. Bible (YouVersion)

Certainly the most downloaded of the five, the YV app is probably the most accessible as well. The user interface (UI) is clean and modern and has a plethora of options. There is verse of the day, 64 English versions (1,700+ other languages), multiple reading plans, exhortations, and commentaries from pastors and Christian ‘celebrities’ alike. There is a reading plan for nearly everything. Anxiety, stress, financial worries, fertility, masculinity, the list goes on! As with most apps, you can listen to the Bible as you read along. Yet, unlike most other apps, there is a social media/community element. You can share verses and comments to those who are your ‘friends’. If you’re a Bible verse sharer on Instagram or Facebook, you can also create Bible verse images. A good all-rounder.

3. Bible App by Olive Tree

Like a lot of the Bible study and sermon preparation tools, there are hundreds, if not thousands of books and reference materials available on this app to those who take out a paid subscription. However, there are also many Bibles, books, and reference materials available to those who just use the free version of the app. It is modern, simple and easy to use for even the most technologically unskilled. Different to a couple of the others, there are recommended study videos for particular books, passages, or chapters. Olive Tree is very similar to Blue Letter Bible. A combination of the two would be perfect! However, I would say the ease of use and the more modern feel of the app may make it a favourite to some. A slim-line version of the Blue Letter Bible app.

4. Life Bible App

Maybe my favourite in its simplicity. It has the options of Bible plans and devotionals. Yet it has one of my favourite features in any of the apps I looked at. You click a verse (or verses) they are highlighted, and you click a little light bulb that says ‘Explain’. A number of commentary explanations pop up. You can still compare, note, highlight, copy, and save, but it’s all in a simpler interface. There are no Greek or Hebrew lexicons, but not everyone is after that in a Bible app. If you want to have a simple, clean Bible app that can also take you deeper into the word without all the other bells and whistles, this is for you!

5. Bible.is

This is the most interesting app. Again, modern, clean, and easy to use. I recognise that not everyone learns by straight reading. Bible.is takes a unique approach in that it offers read-along Bible versions with untraditional Bible voices. We are used to the old-sounding man reading the Bible with little expression. The Bible.is audio versions make even the Levitical passages sound interesting! There are also videos that you can watch and read along with for those who are more visual learners. The whole Bible is not recorded in this way, but there are plans that cover all the ‘major books’ e.g. the Gospels. You can still highlight and share. You can also share to a specific country. Meaning, I can share a verse to my Polish friend through the app and it will share the passage to him in Polish via WhatsApp or a link to the app itself.

The big reveal…

So, I hear you asking: ‘Which one is the best?’ I know it’s a cop-out, but that really is down to interpretation. But I will say this; you want an app that does everything? Choose Blue Letter. An app that is simple, with endless versions and plans? Choose YouVersion. Prefer to hear the Bible? Choose Bible.is. Just want to read the Bible and gently study and highlight? Choose Life Bible. You want a ‘lite’ bells and whistles version? Choose Olive Tree.