Know the Word
Find the Right Bible Study App for You
Compare the top apps to help you lead more meaningful small groups, prepare richer lessons, and grow in your understanding of God's Word.
Why Use a Bible Study App?
- Make the most of every free minute with a Bible study app that goes where you do. Pull out your phone and the Word is right there. Jump into a personal Bible study, keep working on a sermon outline, or explore important concepts as you listen to a message.
- Chase meaningful rabbit trails as you study, asking questions like, “What does the word ‘shalom’ mean?” or “What’s the significance of a denarius?” or even “Is the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament?” Uncover new insights from all of your questions.
- Never lose your place in the Bible. Whether you want to jump to a devotional or commentary or search a concept, your Bible stays open on the app to your most recent reference. Finding the right resources shouldn't require scouring bookmarked pages in your office.
So you’re convinced—what do all the best ones have in common? And for that matter, which apps are the most trusted by other Bible studiers? Here’s what you should know.
All the best Bible study platforms offer:
- Multiple Bible translations in one place
- Access to trusted commentaries and study resources
- Tools for original language study (Greek/Hebrew)
- Cross-referencing and search capabilities
- Note-taking and highlighting features
- Offline access for study on the go
- Syncing across devices (desktop, mobile, web)
- Community features or shared resources
6 of the Most Powerful Bible Study Apps
YouVersion: Free Bible reading with community features
YouVersion is the world's most popular Bible app, offering free access to hundreds of Bible translations and reading plans. It excels at encouraging daily Scripture engagement and connecting with friends. YouVersion is great for everyday Bible reading and devotionals.
Bible Gateway: Quick online reference with reading plans
Bible Gateway is one of the most visited Bible websites, offering free access to dozens of translations and basic search functionality. It's ideal for quick verse lookups and includes some reading plans and devotionals.
Olive Tree: Affordable mobile-first Bible study
Olive Tree Bible Software offers a solid selection of resources at budget-friendly prices. It's great for personal devotions and basic study, with good offline functionality. It has a well-designed mobile experience and limited desktop experience.
Blue Letter Bible: Free online study tools with Strong’s Concordance features
Blue Letter Bible provides free web-based access to Bible texts, commentaries, and Strong's Concordance. It's an excellent starting point for those exploring original languages and basic word studies.
Accordance: Powerful desktop software for scholars
Accordance is a Mac-first Bible study platform known for its robust original language tools and extensive library options.
It's particularly popular among academics and seminary students who need advanced research capabilities and are willing to learn how to use a powerful tool well.
Logos: The all-in-one study platform for every student of the Bible
Logos combines a massive, trusted theological library with tools designed to help you experience God as you study Scripture deeply. Unlike single-purpose apps or scattered resources, Logos is built around how you actually study.
Your entire library–from commentaries to original language tools–works together intelligently, surfacing exactly what you need for any passage. Start your study on your desktop at home, continue on your tablet at the coffee shop, and reference notes on your phone at church–all without missing a beat.
Logos Brings Everything Together for Bible Study
Getting to the heart of God’s Word
For those who believe our relationship with God comes through knowing his Word, Logos is the Bible study platform that equips you to go deeper through a fusion of content and powerful technology.
Whether you're a teaching pastor, a small group leader, or someone who wants to go beyond surface-level Bible reading, Logos meets you where you are and helps you go deeper.
Logos Subscription
Try Logos Free
It’s risk free. Cancel, choose a different plan, or switch to the free version anytime.
Premium
$9.99/mo
After 30-day free trial
Pro
$14.99/mo
After 30-day free trial
An extra 200+ books for teaching and serious study
Smart tools for preparing sermons and talks
Translate into 110+ languages, including Chinese and Japanese
Search 300+ counseling topics
Max
$19.99/mo
After 30-day free trial
- BibleHub
- Dwell
- Bible Project
- Bible.com
- ESV Bible
- One Bible
- Tecarta
- eSword
- Bible Arc
- Catena
- Sword Searcher
- Studylight
- MySword Bible
- Hagios Tech Interlinear
- Bible Tracker
- Through the Word
- Parallel Plus
FAQ
A good sermon outline allows the preacher to clearly articulate the revelations they found in a biblical text so that they can guide their congregation to a greater understanding, awe, and love for God.
Sermon outlines, like all powerful speeches, need to be carefully crafted to adequately summarize the author’s thoughts so it holds the listeners’ attention. What makes sermon outlines unique, of course, is their reference material – God’s Word. A well-prepared sermon honors God’s Word and can deeply move listeners through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Keep reading
- Context: consider the historical context at play, as well as the logic in the larger narrative from the biblical author(s).
- Grammar: analyze key words and phrases from reading multiple translations or Bible grammar dictionaries.
- Semantics: uncover the significance of particular words in your passage in its original language.
- Syntax: turn to a concordance to better understand any expressions in the Hebrew or Greek
- Background: review the culturally significant elements that would have informed this passage
- Genre: make note of the type of literature this passage falls into, and how those situate readings
- Textual criticism: inspect the wording in the original language
- Translation: compare the text across translations, either doing so yourself or by using a parallel Bible
- Grammar: review the construction of phrasing and thoughts within the passage
- Argument diagram: choose your method for observing, labeling, and identifying parts to the biblical author’s logic
- Historical-cultural context: note the timeline which this text was expected to have been written and the implications
- Literary context: what’s the larger narrative that precedes this passage and follows it?
- Word study: investigate individual words of interest to your study
Source: 8 Steps to Exegesis