Prayer apps for Christians: prices, traditions and who each one suits

This guide compares nine prayer and Bible apps for Christians: Hallow, Abide, Glorify, Pray.com, Dwell, YouVersion, Lectio 365, Pray As You Go and First 5. They differ in three ways that matter: the tradition behind them (Hallow is Catholic; most of the others are general Christian), whether you listen or read, and what they cost (four of the nine are free, the paid ones run from about $40 to about $100 a year). Below is each one in a plain paragraph, a table, how to choose, and how to cancel. We make one of them, Quiet Amen, and we list it last and say so.

Every price and fact here was read off the app's own page or App Store listing on November 6, 2026. Prices change, and the App Store sometimes shows a different offer than a website does, so look at the screen before you pay. Where we couldn't confirm something, we left it out.

How to choose a prayer app

Before you download anything, answer five questions. They narrow nine apps to two or three.

Which tradition do you pray in?

This is the first filter, and the one most lists skip. Hallow describes itself as a Catholic app, built on the Catholic Bible, with the Rosary among its prayers. Pray As You Go is made by the Jesuits, a Catholic order, and uses Ignatian methods. Neither is a problem if that is your home. If you are a Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Anglican or non-denominational believer and want prayers that never reach for the Rosary or saints, check what is in the app before you subscribe.

Do you want to listen or to read?

Some apps read to you (Dwell reads Scripture aloud, Pray As You Go is audio, Abide has an audio Bible and meditations). Others are mostly text (First 5 is a short daily Bible lesson). Many do both. If you pray on a commute, in a car or with your eyes closed, audio matters. If you pray at a desk with a journal, text may serve you better.

Do you want prayer, Bible reading, or a study?

A guided prayer leads you through talking to God. A devotional gives you a verse and a thought. A study teaches you a passage. A Bible app puts Scripture in your ear or hand. They overlap, but each app leans one way. Knowing what you are missing in your own week tells you which kind to try.

What is free, and what does the paid plan add?

Four apps here ask for no money at all. The others have a free part and a paid part, and the paid part is where the price on the table below applies. Use the free part first, for a week or two, before you start any trial.

How hard is it to leave?

If you subscribe through the App Store or Google Play, you cancel in that store's subscription settings, not inside the app. If you subscribe on a website, cancelling is the company's own page or email. Set a reminder for the day before a free trial ends. That one habit prevents most of the regret people feel about subscriptions.

Prayer apps for Christians compared

Prices are US dollars, read on November 6, 2026. "Tradition" is what the app's own page says, or "not named" when the page names no denomination.

The apps, one by one

Hallow

Hallow, from Hallow, Inc., calls itself a Catholic app: its listing says the content is based on the approved Catholic Bible and reviewed by Church leaders, and also that it is meant for people of all faiths. It offers audio-guided prayer and meditation, the Rosary, lectio divina, the Ignatian Examen, Taizé chant, Lent and Advent challenges, and journaling. The App Store lists $9.99 a month and $69.99 a year (it also shows a second monthly line at $10.99 without explaining it). Daily prayers, including the Rosary, and a 9-day intro challenge are free. Suits: Catholics, and anyone who wants an audio app and is comfortable with Catholic devotions.

Abide

Abide is a Christian meditation app from Guideposts, with daily meditations, devotionals, Bible sleep stories and reading plans. Its site offers "7 days free, then only $39.99 per year," with $69.99 shown beside it and $9.99 a month. The audio Bible, daily devotions and daily Bible reading plans are listed as free. Abide doesn't name a denomination on its page. Suits: someone who wants calm, Scripture-based meditation and sleep content, plus a free audio Bible and daily devotions.

Glorify

Glorify (Tupoe LTD) is a free download with in-app purchases. It offers daily devotionals, guided meditation, prayer, sleep stories, Christian courses, worship music, a Bible journal and several Bible translations, the King James among them. The US App Store lists Glorify Plus at several prices, from $6.99 a month to $69.99 a year (one annual line is $41.99), and the listing doesn't say which one you will be offered. That is why we can't give you one number. Its site has a "Try Glorify for Free" button without saying how long the trial lasts. Suits: people who like a mixed devotional app with music and short courses, and who check the paywall carefully.

Pray.com

Pray.com offers daily prayers, Bible readings and stories, podcasts, sermons and teaching, video and a Bible word puzzle, with pastors and teachers. It also has a chat feature called Pray AI. The site shows two plans: "Try 7 days free, cancel anytime then $99.99/year" and the same trial then $14.99 a month. Paid membership removes ads and raises the daily limit on Pray AI messages above the five free ones. The page says it wants to keep every story, prayer and Bible reading free. It names no denomination. Suits: listeners who want sermons, podcasts and video in one place, not a single guided prayer.

Dwell

Dwell is a Bible audio app, built around Scripture read aloud by narrators. Its page lists 18 translations (ESV, NIV, NLT, CSB, KJV and others) and some with several voices. It offers a 7-day free trial, then $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month, with "Cancel anytime"; lifetime, family and church plans also exist. It is not a guided prayer app: it reads the Bible to you. Suits: anyone who wants to hear Scripture in a favorite translation while driving, walking or doing chores.

YouVersion Bible App

YouVersion's page calls the app "100% free. No ads or purchases ever." It has many translations (NIV, KJV, ESV 2025 and NLT are listed), an audio Bible, reading plans (partners include Alpha, BibleProject, Cru, Our Daily Bread and The Chosen), and each day a verse, a short devotional and a Guided Prayer. Suits: almost anyone as a free starting point, especially if you want one app for Bible reading plans plus a short daily prayer.

Lectio 365

Lectio 365 describes itself as "a free daily prayer app with morning, midday and night devotionals." The devotionals are written by leaders and friends of the 24-7 Prayer movement. The morning prayer follows a rhythm it spells P.R.A.Y. (Pause, Rejoice with a Psalm, Reflect on Scripture, Ask for God's help, Yield to his will), the midday prayer centers on the Lord's Prayer, and the night prayer uses the Examen. It is free, with a Give button for donations. Suits: people who want three short moments of prayer across the day and a free app that teaches a method.

Pray As You Go

Pray As You Go is a daily audio prayer from Jesuits in Britain, a registered charity, supported by donations. A new session is produced each day and lasts between ten and thirteen minutes. Its content draws on the Examen and imaginative prayer based on Scripture, which means picturing yourself inside a Gospel scene. It's free on the App Store and Google Play and also as a podcast. Suits: someone who wants a quiet, longer audio prayer without a subscription and is comfortable with Ignatian methods from a Catholic order.

First 5

First 5, from Proverbs 31 Ministries, is free and built around about five minutes a day: Scripture with a short teaching, key verses and reflections, plus multi-week studies and a "My Moments" place to record your own reflections. It is a Bible study app more than a guided prayer app. Suits: a busy morning where five minutes in the Word is the goal,.

Quiet Amen (ours)

We make Quiet Amen, so weigh this section knowing that. It is a daily guided prayer of about ten minutes, read aloud and written out in full: a passage of Scripture, a short reflection, a question to carry, and words to pray. It runs as a 40-day plan that a short quiz builds around what you are carrying and when you pray. The content is Protestant only: the Apostles' Creed, Scripture from the World English Bible, and no side taken where Protestant churches differ. Day 1 is free to pray with no account. After that it is $1 for 7 days, then $59.99 a year or $7.99 a month, and cancelling on the web is one tap from the link we email you.

It does less than the big apps. There is no music, no sermon library, no sleep stories, no community feed, and only one Bible translation. Suits: a Protestant adult who wants one steady ten minutes of prayer a day, and has found larger apps too busy or too Catholic. If that isn't you, one of the free apps above may be the better start.

Free or paid: what you actually get for the money

For prayer, the free options are strong. YouVersion, Lectio 365, Pray As You Go and First 5 cost nothing, and Abide and Hallow have real free parts. So what does a paid app add?

• More guided sessions, not just a few. A large library of meditations and courses (Hallow, Abide, Glorify, Pray.com).
• Extras around prayer. Sleep stories, music, journaling, challenges for Lent and Advent.
• A plan with a start and an end. A fixed number of days you walk through in order, which helps some people keep going.
• No ads. Pray.com says membership removes them.

What money does not buy is a prayer habit. That comes from praying at a set time most days. If you aren't sure you will use an app, start with a free one for two weeks. Our guide on how to have a consistent prayer life has a six-week schedule that works with any app or none.

Audio, text or both?

Audio helps when your hands are busy and when your mind drifts on a page. Text helps when you want to linger on a line, copy a verse, or pray out loud. The best fit is the one you will open at the same time every day. Some people do both: listen on the walk, read the verse again at night.

A guided prayer doesn't need an app at all. If you want to see how one works before choosing, our guided prayer script is a full ten-minute prayer you can read aloud with timed pauses, and our guided Christian prayer meditation walks through Psalm 23 in fifteen minutes. If you like short prayers through the day, breath prayers are a way to pray with no app and no screen.

A two-week test before you pay for anything

1. Pick one app and one time of day. Morning before your phone fills up is easiest.
2. Use only the free part for seven days. Note whether you came back without being reminded.
3. If it helps, start the trial in week two and put the end date in your calendar.
4. On the last day, ask: did I pray more, or did I only use the app? Keep it only if the first is true.

It is fine to quit an app that doesn't fit. Prayer is older than any of them: Jesus taught his disciples in a few lines (Luke 11:2-4). Apps are scaffolding around the real thing.

How to cancel a prayer app subscription

Where you signed up decides how you cancel.

• Through the App Store (iPhone): open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and cancel there. Deleting the app does not cancel it.
• Through Google Play: open the Play Store, then your profile, Payments and subscriptions, Subscriptions.
• Through a website: use the company's account page or email. Ours is the cancel page: type your email, get the link to your plan, and cancel in one tap. Your days stay open until the end of what you paid for.

Whatever you choose, cancel before the trial ends if you don't want to continue, and screenshot the confirmation.

Common questions

Are there good free prayer apps for Christians?

Yes. On their own pages, YouVersion, Lectio 365, Pray As You Go and First 5 are free to use, and Abide and Hallow offer free parts. Lectio 365 and Pray As You Go accept donations.

Which prayer app is for Protestants?

No app page we checked says "Protestant," except ours. Hallow is Catholic and Pray As You Go is Jesuit. The others describe themselves as Christian without naming a denomination, so judge by what you hear in the first week. Ask your pastor or a friend at church if a practice is new to you.

Do prayer apps replace praying in my own words?

No. A guided prayer is a help, like a written prayer in a hymnal. Use it to start, then add your own words in the pauses. Scripture itself includes prayers written for God's people to pray, such as the Psalms.

How long should a daily prayer in an app be?

The apps range widely: First 5 is about five minutes, Pray As You Go runs ten to thirteen, and ours is ten. Choose the length you can keep on a bad day, not the one that sounds most devoted. Our guide on how long to pray each day shows a plan from five to thirty minutes.

Is it worth paying for a prayer app?

Only if the free parts have worked for you and you want more. Start free, then pay for one app, not three. Read the renewal price on the paywall screen, not just the trial offer.

What we make, and where to start

Quiet Amen is one narrow thing: ten minutes of Protestant guided prayer a day, in a 40-day plan. If you'd like to hear how it sounds, pray day 1 free here, written out in full from Psalm 46. If you want a plan built around your own week, answer a few questions to build your 40-day prayer plan. If another app on this page suits you better, use that one. More in our prayer guides.

Sources

All checked November 6, 2026. Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org.

• Hallow: App Store (US) listing, "Hallow: Prayer & Meditation," apps.apple.com/us/app/hallow-prayer-meditation/id1405323394.
• Abide: abide.com (pricing and free parts).
• Glorify: App Store (US) listing, "Glorify: Devotional & Prayer," apps.apple.com/US/app/id1490587079; glorify.global/app.
• Pray.com: pray.com (plans and features).
• Dwell: dwellapp.io (translations, trial and plans).
• YouVersion: bible.com/app.
• Lectio 365: lectio365.com.
• Pray As You Go: prayasyougo.org.
• First 5: first5.org (Proverbs 31 Ministries).
• Quiet Amen: this site's home, cancel and "what we believe" pages.
• Pages read to see what other lists cover: Global Christian Relief, "The Top 5 Best Prayer Apps for Christians"; Aura, "Your Guide to the Best Prayer Apps for Christians"; Christian Today, "Top 5 daily prayer apps to help your devotional life."