What are the best Hallow alternatives?

Hallow is the largest Catholic app and a very good one. People look for alternatives for three reasons: the price, the wish to learn rather than listen, or a preference for something simpler. Each reason leads to a different app.

Saintly publishes this comparison, and Saintly is one of the apps in it. We have described Hallow and every alternative as fairly as its own makers would, linked to their own pages for prices and features, and said plainly where Hallow and every alternative is the better choice. Prices are US prices checked on October 20, 2026. They vary by country and change, so check the store before you subscribe.

Why do people look for a Hallow alternative?

Most people who look for an alternative to Hallow want one of three things: a lower price, more teaching and less listening, or a simpler app. Hallow's annual plan costs $69.99, according to Hallow's help centre, and its strength is guided audio prayer rather than structured learning.

None of these is a criticism of Hallow. A large audio library is expensive to produce, and prayer is what Hallow sets out to do. But a student on a budget, a convert who wants to understand the faith, or a parent who wants one text and no music will each be better served elsewhere.

It helps to name what you need before you switch. The Catechism treats prayer and the faith that is believed as inseparable (CCC 2558), but most apps are built for one of them. Choose the app built for the one you lack.

What is the best free alternative to Hallow?

Laudate is the best free alternative for prayer. Its App Store listing lists daily Mass readings, the Liturgy of the Hours in English and Latin, an interactive Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the Stations of the Cross, the Bible and the Catechism, in nineteen languages and without a subscription.

Laudate is a library rather than a guide. It gives you texts, not narrated sessions, so it suits people who already know how they want to pray. If you liked Hallow's Rosary or Lectio Divina sessions, you will find the words in Laudate but not the voice.

Two other apps are free for their core content. Ascension gives away Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year. Saintly gives away seven of sixteen courses, the daily saint, the day's Mass readings, the evening examen, the Rosary, guided prayer audio, a Bible reader and three questions a day to the AI companion. Our comparison of Saintly and Laudate covers the difference in detail.

Which Hallow alternative is best for learning the faith?

For learning, a lesson app is the better choice. Saintly and Creedo both teach the faith in short structured lessons that end in a quiz, which Hallow does not offer. Ascension is the better choice for working through the whole Bible or Catechism over a year.

Saintly teaches in illustrated lessons built like a short magazine article, across sixteen courses from the foundations to the sacraments, and adds a saint of the day, the day's readings and an evening examen. Saintly Plus costs $40 a year. See Saintly vs Hallow for the direct comparison.

Creedo is closer to a game, with more than 3,000 short lessons, puzzles and parish study groups, according to its App Store listing. Creedo Lux costs $49.99 a year. Ascension's core content is free and its subscription costs $59.95 a year, according to Ascension's help pages. We compare both in Saintly vs Creedo and Saintly vs Ascension.

Is there a Catholic AI app instead of Hallow?

Yes. Magisterium AI and Truthly answer questions about Scripture and Church teaching in a chat. They are useful when you have a specific question, and they cite Church documents, but they do not guide prayer and they do not teach in a structured order.

Magisterium AI answers from a library of Church documents and shows the sources it used, which makes it popular with students and catechists. Truthly adds a Bible mode, daily readings and short reflections, with a free trial before a subscription.

Saintly also includes an AI companion that answers with sources, next to its courses, so you can ask a question where it arises. Any AI can be wrong, even one trained on Church documents. Prefer answers that cite the Catechism, and take anything important to a priest.

How do the Hallow alternatives compare?

Each alternative is stronger than Hallow at one thing and weaker at audio prayer. Prices are US annual prices from each app's own pages or store listing, checked in October 2026.

Which Hallow alternative should you choose?

Choose by what you want more of than Hallow gives you. More free prayer texts: Laudate. More depth in the Bible and Catechism: Ascension. More understanding in a few minutes a day: Saintly or Creedo. Answers to specific questions: an AI app.

• You want to keep praying but pay less. Laudate for texts, plus the free daily content in Saintly or Hallow's own free tier.
• You want to understand what you are praying. A lesson app. Start with the Rosary or the sacraments and build from there.
• You are in OCIA or returning after years away. A lesson app alongside your parish, and our guide to confession after years away.
• You like Hallow but want to learn too. Keep Hallow's free tier for prayer and add a lesson app for learning.

For the full overview, read our guide to the best Catholic apps to learn the faith.