Free Bible Gateway alternatives: 7 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

7 of the 7 Bible Gateway alternatives we track can be used for free (free, open source, or with a free plan). YouVersion Bible App, Xiphos and BibleTime rank highest, with facts last verified Nov 8, 2026.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Verified price	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	YouVersion Bible App	Free	—	No	iOS, Android, Web	4 of 4	68.8
2	Xiphos	Open source	—	Yes	Linux, Windows	4 of 4	64.8
3	BibleTime	Open source	—	Yes	Linux, Windows, macOS	4 of 4	61.8
4	Ezra Bible App	Open source	—	Yes	Windows, macOS, Linux +2	4 of 4	59.4
5	OlOlive Tree Bible App	Free plan + paid	—	No	iOS, Android, macOS +1	5 of 5	42.3
6	Bible Hub	Free	—	No	Web, iOS, Android	5 of 5	42.3
7	STEP Bible	Free	—	Yes	Web, Windows, macOS +1	4 of 4	42.3

1. YouVersion Bible AppTop pick
Best for: Everyday readers and church groups who want a free Bible with plans, audio and offline reading
FreeiOS, Android, Web
68.8
score / 100
Why switch from Bible Gateway
Fully free and ad-free, with more languages, reading plans and offline reading.
Pros
Completely free with no ads or paid tier
Very wide choice of translations and languages
Reading plans, prayers and shared plans with friends
Offline reading and audio Bibles
Cons
Few in-depth study tools such as commentaries or Greek and Hebrew lookups
Requires an account for syncing notes and social features
Plans and content lean toward a devotional, evangelical style
Visit YouVersion Bible App Compare with Bible Gateway Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is YouVersion Bible App a good Bible Gateway alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Price
Free
Checked Nov 8, 2026youversion.com(opens source in a new tab)
Bible versions
3,500 versions in 2,300 languages
Checked Nov 8, 2026youversion.com(opens source in a new tab)
Offline mode
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026youversion.com(opens source in a new tab)
Installs
700 million+
Checked Nov 8, 2026youversion.com(opens source in a new tab)
2. Xiphos
Best for: Linux and Windows users who want a free SWORD-based Bible study program with a GTK interface
Open sourceLinux, Windows
64.8
score / 100
Why switch from Bible Gateway
Free desktop study app with downloadable commentaries and lexicons, no subscription.
Pros
Free and open source, developed since 2000
Module manager gives access to the CrossWire library
Official Windows installer as well as Linux packages
Cons
No macOS or mobile version
Dated interface compared with newer Bible apps
Few recent copyrighted translations in the free library
Visit Xiphos Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Xiphos a good Bible Gateway alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
License
GPL-2.0
Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Latest release
4.5.0 (31 Aug 2026)
Checked Nov 8, 2026xiphos.org(opens source in a new tab)
Platforms
Linux, UNIX, Windows
Checked Nov 8, 2026xiphos.org(opens source in a new tab)
Price
Free
Checked Nov 8, 2026xiphos.org(opens source in a new tab)
3. BibleTime
Best for: Linux users who want a free desktop Bible study tool with many free translations and commentaries
Open sourceLinux, Windows, macOS
61.8
score / 100
Why switch from Bible Gateway
Open-source desktop study tool with offline modules and parallel translations.
Pros
Free and open source, with over 200 free works via SWORD
Side-by-side texts and Strong's lookups
Packaged by most Linux distributions
Cons
No mobile app
Library limited to free and CrossWire-hosted works
Personal notes need a separate commentary module
Visit BibleTime Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is BibleTime a good Bible Gateway alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
License
GPL-2.0
Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Free works
Over 200 texts
Checked Nov 8, 2026bibletime.info(opens source in a new tab)
Built with
C++ and Qt
Checked Nov 8, 2026bibletime.info(opens source in a new tab)
Preinstalled Bibles
None
Checked Nov 8, 2026bibletime.info(opens source in a new tab)
4. Ezra Bible App
Best for: People who study the Bible by topic and want tags and notes synced across computer and phone
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
59.4
score / 100
Why switch from Bible Gateway
Open-source desktop app for tagging and topical study, with no ads or accounts.
Pros
Verse tagging and notes built into the reading view
Runs on desktop, Android and iOS with Dropbox sync
Exports notes and verse lists to Word
Cons
Sync relies on Dropbox
Mostly a one-developer project
Fewer advanced original-language tools than paid suites
Visit Ezra Bible App Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.369
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Ezra Bible App a good Bible Gateway alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
License
GPL-2.0
Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Checked Nov 8, 2026ezrabibleapp.net(opens source in a new tab)
Sync
Dropbox
Checked Nov 8, 2026ezrabibleapp.net(opens source in a new tab)
Export
Word documents
Checked Nov 8, 2026ezrabibleapp.net(opens source in a new tab)
Ol
5. Olive Tree Bible App
Best for: Pastors, teachers and serious readers who want commentaries and word study offline on every device
Free plan + paidiOS, Android, macOS, Windows
42.3
score / 100
Why switch from Bible Gateway
Installable study library with offline commentaries and synced notes.
Pros
Resource Guide shows related commentary for the passage you are reading
Full offline use once books are downloaded
Strong's, interlinear and parsed Greek and Hebrew texts
Purchased books stay in your account across devices
Cons
Most commentaries and study Bibles are paid add-ons
Store-centric layout can feel busy for casual readers
No web app; you need to install it
Visit Olive Tree Bible App Compare with Bible Gateway Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.312
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Olive Tree Bible App a good Bible Gateway alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Platforms
iOS, Android, Mac, Windows
Checked Nov 8, 2026olivetree.com(opens source in a new tab)
Offline mode
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026olivetree.com(opens source in a new tab)
Library size
35,000+ books
Checked Nov 8, 2026olivetree.com(opens source in a new tab)
Bible translations
100+
Checked Nov 8, 2026olivetree.com(opens source in a new tab)
In business since
1998
Checked Nov 8, 2026olivetree.com(opens source in a new tab)
6. Bible Hub
Best for: Students, pastors and serious readers who want free Greek and Hebrew study tools for every verse
FreeWeb, iOS, Android
42.3
score / 100
Why switch from Bible Gateway
Free interlinears, Strong's and lexicons on every verse without a paid study tier.
Pros
Free interlinears, Strong's numbers and lexicons
Dozens of translations with side-by-side parallel view
Large library of classic commentaries and cross references
No account or subscription needed
Cons
Dense, ad-supported pages can feel cluttered
Commentaries are mostly older public-domain works
No personal notes or highlights synced across devices
Visit Bible Hub Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.312
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Bible Hub a good Bible Gateway alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Founded
2004 (as Bible.cc)
Checked Nov 8, 2026biblehub.com(opens source in a new tab)
Owner
Online Parallel Bible Project
Checked Nov 8, 2026biblehub.com(opens source in a new tab)
Parallel translations
30+, up to 5 side by side
Checked Nov 8, 2026biblehub.com(opens source in a new tab)
Original-language tools
Interlinear, Strong's, lexicons
Checked Nov 8, 2026biblehub.com(opens source in a new tab)
Price
Free
Checked Nov 8, 2026biblehub.com(opens source in a new tab)
7. STEP Bible
Best for: Students and pastors who want free Greek and Hebrew word study
FreeOpen sourceWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux
42.3
score / 100
Why switch from Bible Gateway
Free Greek and Hebrew word study alongside the translations you read.
Pros
Free original-language word study
Hundreds of translations to compare side by side
Offline desktop version for Windows, Mac and Linux
Open source
Cons
Busy interface with a learning curve
No native mobile apps
Fewer commentaries and reference books than paid suites
Visit STEP Bible Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.312
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is STEP Bible a good Bible Gateway alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Price
Free
Checked Nov 8, 2026stepbible.org(opens source in a new tab)
Bibles online
700+
Checked Nov 8, 2026stepbible.org(opens source in a new tab)
Included offline
ESV, NIV, Greek and Hebrew
Checked Nov 8, 2026stepbible.org(opens source in a new tab)
License
BSD-3-Clause
Checked Nov 8, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)

Quick comparison

1. YouVersion Bible AppTop pick

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

2. Xiphos

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

3. BibleTime

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

4. Ezra Bible App

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

5. Olive Tree Bible App

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

6. Bible Hub

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

7. STEP Bible

Pros

Cons

Verified facts