Choosing an app
Hallow Alternatives for Protestants and Evangelicals
If you like the idea of Hallow but want something that starts from a Protestant or evangelical church, a few apps are worth a look. Here is what Hallow does well, what else is out there, and how to choose.
The Short Answer
If what drew you to Hallow is guided audio prayer, Abide is the closest match. If you want a free daily prayer rhythm, try Lectio 365. Several apps cover parts of what people use Hallow for. Glorify gives a short daily devotional. Echo Prayer keeps your prayer list. YouVersion is built for Bible reading. Bearing Fruit is a free app that tracks prayer, Scripture, Sabbath, and other practices in one place.
What Hallow Does Well
Hallow is a Catholic prayer and meditation app with an audio library of more than 10,000 sessions covering contemplative prayer, meditation, Bible readings and music. Hallow calls itself a Catholic app, and its listing says it is meant as a resource for people of all faiths. Hallow’s US App Store listing says its content is “developed by experienced Catholic theology and spirituality guides” and “reviewed by senior leaders within the Church”.
Some of what is inside will feel familiar to a Protestant reader. Lectio Divina took shape in early monastic life and was built into the Rule of St. Benedict, and the Examen comes from Ignatius of Loyola, so both are Catholic in origin, and both are now widely used by Protestants too. Night Prayer, also called Compline, is shared with Anglican and Lutheran churches, so that part of Hallow isn’t unique to Catholic practice either.
The clearer differences show up in two places. Catholic Bibles include books such as Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees that Protestant churches don’t count as Scripture (Anglicans and Lutherans read some of them for instruction), and Hallow’s daily readings follow the Catholic lectionary. The Rosary walks through scenes from the life of Christ, and it repeats the Hail Mary, which asks Mary to pray for us. Catholics see this as asking a fellow believer for prayer. Most Protestants don’t practice it, since they pray to God alone through Christ, the one mediator (1 Timothy 2:5).
Hallow also offers Catholic Bible stories read by voices like Fr. Mike Schmitz and Jonathan Roumie, seasonal challenges for Lent and Advent, offline downloads, and a Hallow Family option for sharing prayer intentions.
Many Protestants use Hallow’s Scripture-based sessions and skip the rest. Others prefer an app that comes out of their own tradition from the start.
Where a Protestant Reader May Want to Look Elsewhere
A reader who wants prayers written from within their own Protestant tradition, or Scripture readings from a Protestant Bible, may find one of the apps below a closer fit.
Cost: Hallow’s free tier includes daily prayers, including the Rosary, and the 9-day Intro Prayer Challenge. Full access runs $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year on the US App Store, and Hallow’s help center lists a Friends & Family annual plan covering up to 6 people.
Sources: hallow.com; App Store listing; help center article
What to Check Before You Pick an App
- 1
What it says it believes
Look on the About or FAQ page for an actual statement of belief. A mission slogan tells you little. Abide points to the Nicene Creed, Glorify calls its approach non-denominational, and Hallow describes itself as a Catholic app.
- 2
Which Bible translation it uses
Some apps name a translation and some don’t. Abide’s Bible audio is the NIV, Glorify lists the KJV among its options, YouVersion offers thousands of versions, and Hallow’s help center says its Bible tab “offers several Bible translations,” with Catholic readings in its daily content.
- 3
Who writes the prayers and devotionals
Check who is behind the words you will be praying. Lectio 365 is written by 24-7 Prayer leaders, Abide’s writers and narrators come from several Christian traditions, and Hallow’s content is developed by Catholic theology guides.
- 4
Whether Christ stays central in a sample
Open a sample devotional or prayer before you commit to anything. A short reading will usually tell you fast whether Jesus is the center of what you’re about to pray through.
- 5
Cost and how it fits with your church
Check the live App Store or Google Play listing for current prices, since subscription tiers change. Also notice whether the app presents itself as a companion to a local church or as a stand-in for it.
Apps to Look At Alongside Hallow
Listed in no particular order. Details come from each app’s own website and store listings, checked on October 23, 2026. Features and prices change, so confirm before you subscribe.
Abide
Made by Guideposts
Built for: Audio meditations and sleep content, with NIV Bible audio.
Abide is a Christian meditation and prayer app, a division of Guideposts, with writers and narrators from different Christian traditions. Its about page states the team professes the Nicene Creed as its statement of faith. The library includes more than 2,000 meditations, hundreds of bedtime stories, and audio from every chapter of the NIV Bible, with sessions from two to fifteen minutes long.
Cost: Abide is free to download, with a limited free tier. Abide’s help center lists a US rate of $39.99 a year (checked 2026-10-23), and notes prices vary by region and store.
Sources: abide.com; App Store listing; help center article
Glorify
Made by Tupoe LTD
Built for: A short daily devotional of quote, passage and reflection
Glorify is published by Tupoe LTD and describes its approach as non-denominational, with a team of theologians and advisors behind its content. Each day walks through a quote, a Bible passage, and a devotional, and the app offers several Bible translations, including the King James Version. It also includes sleep meditations, worship music, and courses on the Bible and faith.
Cost: Glorify’s free tier includes the core daily devotional of quote, passage and reflection. A paid Glorify Plus tier adds more of the library. No single figure is confirmed across its listings, so check the current App Store or Google Play page for the exact price.
Sources: glorify.global; App Store listing; help center article
Lectio 365
Made by 24-7 Prayer
Built for: Free morning, midday and night prayer, inspired by Lectio Divina
Lectio 365 is produced by 24-7 Prayer, which describes itself as an international, interdenominational movement of prayer, mission and justice. The whole app is inspired by the ancient practice of Lectio Divina. Morning prayer follows the P.R.A.Y. pattern (Pause, Rejoice and Reflect, Ask, Yield). Midday centers on the Lord’s Prayer with a short reflection, and night prayer looks back over the day. Devotionals can be read or listened to, downloaded a week ahead, and kept for 30 days.
Cost: Lectio 365 is free, with no subscription or in-app purchase listed on its App Store or Google Play pages.
Sources: lectio365.com; App Store listing; Google Play listing
Echo Prayer
Made by The Parable Group
Built for: Keeping a prayer list, setting reminders and sharing requests
Echo Prayer is made by The Parable Group. The app helps you keep a running list of prayers, tag them, mark them answered, set reminders, and share requests privately or with a group. A paid ECHO+ tier adds groups, feeds, stats, streaks, and a desktop version.
Cost: Free to download and use. ECHO+ is listed at about $15 a year on echoprayer.com. Check the store listing for the current price.
Sources: echoprayer.com; App Store listing; help center article
YouVersion
Made by Life.Church
Built for: Reading and listening to the Bible, with audio Bibles, reading plans, and many Bible versions.
YouVersion is made by Life.Church, a multisite church based in Edmond, Oklahoma, that belongs to the Evangelical Covenant Church, an evangelical denomination. Life.Church’s stated mission is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. The app offers more than 3,500 Bible versions in over 2,300 languages, audio Bibles, thousands of reading plans, and guided prayer. Reading plans and videos come from partners including BibleProject and The Chosen.
Cost: YouVersion is free, with no ads or in-app purchases listed on its official pages.
Sources: bible.com; App Store listing; Google Play listing; Evangelical Covenant Church
Where Bearing Fruit Fits
Bearing Fruit is a free Christian habit app for prayer, Scripture, rest, and more, made by one independent developer. Start with one practice. Missing a day never erases your progress. Its roots are evangelical and Protestant, and it is broadly ecumenical and meant to sit alongside your church. The habits are ways of staying near Jesus and don’t earn anything from God. Our theology page explains the beliefs behind it.
- 12 holy habits in one app: prayer, Bible reading, Sabbath, fasting, worship, service, fellowship, generosity, evangelism, silence and solitude, Scripture memorization, and celebration and lament.
- Guided tools, including ACTS Prayer, Breath Prayer, Lectio Divina, the Daily Examen, and fasting guidance.
- Bible Reading Plans, a built-in Bible Reader with audio support, and devotionals organized around the habits.
- Scripture memorization with flashcards, and Battle Verses for anxiety, discouragement, temptation, and grief.
- A garden where each habit grows a tree. It records practice and doesn’t measure spiritual maturity.
Bearing Fruit is broad by design. If you mostly want a large library of audio meditations, or Bible reading with thousands of versions, one of the apps above will serve you better, and some people use Bearing Fruit alongside one of them.
Quick Matches
- If you want audio-guided Catholic prayer and meditation, look at Hallow.
- If you want audio meditations and sleep content with NIV Bible audio, look at Abide.
- If you want a short daily devotional with a quote, a passage, and a reflection, look at Glorify.
- If you want free morning, midday, and night prayer, look at Lectio 365.
- If you want to keep and share a prayer list, look at Echo Prayer.
- If you want to read the Bible with many versions and reading plans, look at YouVersion.
- If you want to build several habits like prayer, Scripture, and Sabbath in one place without streaks, look at Bearing Fruit.
For a longer guide with more apps and a checklist, read How to Choose a Christian Habit or Prayer App.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Protestant version of Hallow?
Several apps cover similar ground to Hallow, including Abide, Glorify, Lectio 365, Echo Prayer, YouVersion, and Bearing Fruit. Each is built for something a little different, so the entries above say what.
Is Hallow only for Catholics?
Hallow calls itself a Catholic app, and its listing says it is meant as a resource for people of all faiths. Practices like Lectio Divina, the Examen, and daily Scripture reading overlap with what many Protestants already do. The clearer differences are its Catholic Bible content, which includes books Protestant churches don’t count as Scripture, and the Rosary, which asks Mary to pray for us, a practice most Protestants don’t follow since they pray to God alone through Christ.
Which of these apps are free?
Lectio 365 and YouVersion are free with no subscription listed on their official pages. Hallow, Abide, Glorify and Echo Prayer are free to download with paid tiers, and Bearing Fruit is free for everyone, supported by optional giving.
Can I use more than one app at a time?
Yes. A Bible app like YouVersion and a prayer app like Lectio 365 or Bearing Fruit serve different purposes and can sit side by side in the same week.
What Bible translation does each app use?
It varies. Abide’s Bible audio is the NIV. Glorify lists several translations, including the KJV. YouVersion carries more than 3,500 Bible versions. Hallow’s help center says its Bible tab offers several translations, and its daily readings follow the Catholic lectionary. Lectio 365 and Echo Prayer don’t name a translation on the official pages we checked.
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