Choosing an app
How to Choose a Christian Habit or Prayer App
There are good Christian apps for prayer, Bible reading, Scripture memory, and daily devotions, and each one does something different well. Here’s what to look for, what six well-known apps are built for, and where Bearing Fruit fits.
The Short Answer
Pick the app that fits the practice you want to keep. For Bible reading plans in many translations, look at YouVersion. For Catholic audio-guided prayer, Hallow. For a set rhythm of morning, midday, and night prayer, Lectio 365. For praying through lists of people and ministries, PrayerMate or Echo Prayer. For focused Scripture memorization, the Bible Memory App. For several holy habits in one free app, with progress that never resets after a missed day, Bearing Fruit.
What to Look For in a Christian App
- 1
It keeps Christ and His Word at the center
A good Christian app points you to Jesus and keeps Scripture in front of you. Before you settle in, read a few of its prayers or devotionals and ask whether they sound like the Bible.
- 2
It fits the practice you want to grow in
Some apps are built around Bible reading, some around prayer lists, and some around memorization. Start with the one habit you most want to keep, and choose an app made for it.
- 3
It matches your church tradition
Some apps are written from a specific tradition. Hallow, for example, describes itself as a Catholic app. Check that the content fits what your church teaches.
- 4
You know what it costs
Several apps are completely free. Others are free to download and keep some features behind a subscription. Read the store listing so there are no surprises later.
- 5
It leaves room to come back
Every app handles missed days differently. Reminders can help, and so can progress that stays put. God’s mercies are new every morning, so choose a tool that makes it easy to return tomorrow.
- 6
Your prayers stay private
If you’ll write prayers or journal notes, read how the app stores them and who can see them.
- 7
It supports your church life
An app can help with daily practice. It doesn’t replace gathering for worship, sitting under preaching, or life with other believers.
Six Well-Known Christian Apps
Listed in no particular order. Details come from each app’s own website and App Store listing, checked on October 17, 2026. Features and prices change, so confirm before you subscribe.
YouVersion Bible App
Made by Life.Church
Best for: Reading and listening to the Bible, with reading plans in many languages.
YouVersion offers 3,500+ Bible versions in 2,300+ languages, audio Bibles for selected versions, and thousands of reading plans. It also has daily Guided Scripture and Guided Prayer experiences, prayer cards for keeping track of what you’re praying for, and ways to read along with friends.
Cost: Free.
Source: youversion.com, App Store listing, Guided Prayer help article
Hallow
Made by Hallow, Inc.
Best for: Catholics who want audio-guided prayer and meditation.
Hallow describes itself as a Catholic app. It offers audio-guided prayer sessions, including the Rosary, Lectio Divina, the Ignatian Examen, and Catholic Bible readings, along with sleep Bible stories and meditative chant and music.
Cost: Daily prayers, including the Rosary, are free. Full access is a subscription, listed in the US App Store at $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year.
Source: hallow.com, App Store listing
Lectio 365
Made by 24-7 Prayer
Best for: A set rhythm of Scripture-based prayer in the morning, at midday, and at night.
Lectio 365 has a morning devotional that follows the P.R.A.Y. rhythm: pause, rejoice with a Psalm, reflect on Scripture, ask for God’s help, and yield to His will, a midday prayer built on the Lord’s Prayer, and a night prayer based on the Examen. You can read or listen, add background music, follow seasonal series, and download prayers a week ahead for offline use.
Cost: Free.
Source: lectio365.com, App Store listing
PrayerMate
Made by Discipleship Tech
Best for: Praying faithfully through a list of people, churches, and missions.
PrayerMate keeps track of what you’re praying for and reminds you each day. You can add your own prayer subjects and follow 500+ prayer feeds, including Operation World’s country of the day.
Cost: Free.
Source: prayermate.net
Echo Prayer
Made by The Parable Group (App Store seller)
Best for: Keeping a prayer list and remembering to pray for each request.
Echo Prayer lets you keep a list of prayer requests, tag them, and mark them answered. It sends push or email reminders, has a focused Pray Now mode with an optional timer, lets you share requests with friends and family, and includes a library of guided prayers.
Cost: Free to download. Some features need a paid ECHO+ subscription. Check the current price and trial terms in the app.
Source: echoprayer.com, App Store listing
Bible Memory App
Made by Millennial Apps (App Store seller)
Best for: Dedicated Scripture memorization with a review schedule.
The Bible Memory App focuses on Scripture memorization and also offers Bible reading and study tools. It uses a spaced review schedule that tells you when to review, and offers several ways to practice, including first-letter typing, flash cards, audio review, and speech recognition. It runs on the web, iPhone and iPad, Android, and Mac.
Cost: Bible Memory Lite is free. Its website lists Unlimited at $9.99 a month, $49.99 a year, or $149.99 once.
Source: biblememory.com, App Store listing
Where Bearing Fruit Fits
Bearing Fruit is a free Christian habit app for prayer, Scripture, rest, and more. It’s built around 12 holy habits, such as prayer, Bible study, Sabbath, Scripture memorization, and generosity, with a guided tool for each. Each habit grows a tree in your garden as you practice.
- Free, with no features behind a paywall. Giving is optional.
- Grace over guilt. The habits are means of grace for people already loved in Christ, not a way to earn anything.
- No daily streak to lose. Progress is cumulative, so a missed day never erases what you’ve practiced.
- 12 holy habits with guided tools, including ACTS Prayer, Breath Prayer, Lectio Divina, the Daily Examen, and Scripture flashcards.
- Journal notes and prayers stay on your device.
- Available on iPhone, iPad, and Android. The app is in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and lessons and devotionals are in English for now.
Bearing Fruit is broad by design. If you mostly want one thing done in depth, like a large library of reading plans, or first-letter typing and speech recognition for memorizing, one of the apps above may serve you better. Some people use Bearing Fruit alongside a Bible app.
Apps for Daily Devotions
If what you want is a short daily time in Scripture and prayer, these are a good place to look.
- YouVersion: Reading plans on many topics and books of the Bible, plus a daily Guided Scripture.
- Lectio 365: A morning devotional each day, with shorter midday and night prayers.
- Hallow: Daily audio prayers from a Catholic perspective.
- Bearing Fruit: Short devotionals and Bible study lessons, with a reminder at the time you choose, alongside the other holy habits. The free Morning Prayer videos on this site pair well with it.
New to devotions? Read How to Start a Daily Devotional Habit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Christian habit tracker app?
It depends on the habit you want to keep. YouVersion focuses on Bible reading, the Bible Memory App on memorization, and PrayerMate and Echo Prayer on prayer lists. Bearing Fruit is a free app that covers 12 holy habits, such as prayer, Bible study, Sabbath, and Scripture memorization, with progress that never resets after a missed day.
Is there a free Christian prayer app?
Yes. Lectio 365, PrayerMate, and Bearing Fruit are free. YouVersion is free and includes a daily Guided Prayer. Echo Prayer is free to download with a paid ECHO+ subscription for some features, and Hallow offers free daily prayers with a subscription for full access.
Which Christian habit app doesn’t use streaks?
Bearing Fruit doesn’t use daily streaks. Each habit grows a tree in your garden as you practice, and progress is cumulative, so missing a day never erases what you’ve done.
What is a good app for daily devotions?
YouVersion has reading plans and a daily Guided Scripture, Lectio 365 has a morning devotional with midday and night prayers, and Hallow has daily Catholic audio prayers. Bearing Fruit offers short devotionals and Bible study lessons, with a reminder at the time you choose.
Is it OK to use more than one Christian app?
Yes. Many people use a Bible app for reading and a second app for prayer or memorization. Keep it simple enough that the apps help you spend time with God instead of managing tools.
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Bearing Fruit is free on iPhone, iPad, and Android. Missing a day never erases your progress.