The short answer: pick by tradition first. Hallow is the deepest Catholic app there is; Abide is the deepest evangelical meditation app, and it costs about $30 a year less. If you’re Catholic, Hallow. If you’re Protestant and want a big situation-based library, Abide. Almost everything else follows from those two facts.
A disclosure up front: we make Still, a different Christian app, so we’re not neutral about the category. But we don’t compete head-on with either of these the way they compete with each other, and we’ve kept this comparison factual. Where one clearly beats the other, we say so plainly.
Side by side
| Hallow | Abide | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2018 | 2015 |
| Tradition | Catholic | Evangelical / broadly Protestant |
| Core format | Rosaries, liturgy, guided prayer, Bible in a Year | Situation-based guided meditations |
| Sleep content | Yes, a well-made wing | Yes, one of the largest libraries |
| Big-name narrators | Yes (e.g. Jonathan Roumie, Mark Wahlberg) | No, focus is on the content |
| Languages | Multiple, including German (translated) | English only |
| Free tier | Real (includes Bible in a Year) | Real (daily meditation + some sleep) |
| Price (US, approx.) | ~$69.99/year or $9.99/month | ~$39.99/year or $9.99/month |
Prices as of July 2026; confirm current figures on each App Store listing.
Tradition: the deciding factor
This is the fork in the road, so start here.
Hallow is Catholic, and not in a decorative way. The rosary, the liturgy of the hours, novenas, the Examen, Mass readings, and the liturgical calendar are the skeleton of the whole app. Protestants can and do use it, but you’ll be navigating around Marian devotions and saints rather than through them.
Abide is evangelical and broadly Protestant. Its content is built around a Bible verse and a guided reflection, without a specific liturgical tradition framing it. Catholics can use Abide, but they won’t find the rosary or the sacramental structure that makes Hallow what it is.
If your tradition matters to you, this alone probably settles it.
Format: liturgy and prayer vs situation-based meditation
Hallow’s flagship is Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz, the podcast-style scripture journey that brought millions into daily reading. Around it sits guided prayer in a distinctly Catholic shape: pray the rosary, sit with the daily readings, follow a seasonal challenge like Pray40 in Lent.
Abide is organized differently. Its library is sorted by life situation, so you open the app when you’re anxious, grieving, stressed about work, or struggling in a marriage, and find a guided meditation built for that exact moment. It’s less about a fixed liturgical rhythm and more about meeting you where the day left you.
Neither approach is better in the abstract. One hands you a tradition to step into; the other hands you a catalog to browse by feeling.
Sleep content
Both apps take sleep seriously, which is why people so often compare them at bedtime.
Abide has one of the largest Christian sleep libraries anywhere, with a deep catalog of Bible sleep stories and sleep meditations. It’s a genuine strength, not an afterthought.
Hallow’s sleep section is well-produced and features recognizable narrators, but it’s a wing of a much larger app rather than the foundation, and nearly all of it sits behind the paywall.
For sleep specifically, Abide gives you more for less. If sleep is the only thing you want, though, both are larger and pricier than a dedicated sleep app needs to be. (That’s our lane, and we’ll come back to it briefly at the end.)
Price and free tiers
Abide is the cheaper app by a clear margin: about $39.99 a year against Hallow’s roughly $69.99. Both bill monthly at around $9.99 if you’d rather not commit to a year.
Both also have real free tiers. Hallow’s free layer is unusually generous, including Bible in a Year, the Daily Rosary, and daily readings at no cost. Abide’s free tier gives you a daily meditation and a rotating selection of sleep content. Either lets you test the app properly before paying, so try before you subscribe.
Full pricing detail lives in our Hallow cost breakdown and Abide review.
Language
Abide is English only. Hallow offers several languages, including German, though translated content is not the same as content produced natively in a language. German speakers weighing either should keep that difference in mind.
Which should you choose?
Choose Hallow if you’re Catholic, you want your prayer life and the liturgical year in one place, or you’re drawn to Bible in a Year and the polish of its big-name narration. The higher price buys the best-produced Catholic library available.
Choose Abide if you’re Protestant, you want a large situation-based meditation and sleep library, and you’d like to spend about $30 a year less. It’s the better value of the two for most evangelical users.
Consider a third option if your main goal is falling asleep to scripture. Both apps are big, general tools with sleep as one feature among many. Still is built specifically for the tired end of the day: Bible sleep stories, sleep sounds, and evening prayers, plus a short daily devotional and a gentle scripture alarm. It’s ecumenical, with German content produced natively. See Still vs Hallow, Still vs Abide, or try Still free.
Frequently asked questions
Is Abide or Hallow better? Neither wins outright; they serve different traditions. Hallow is the strongest Catholic app; Abide is a strong evangelical one at a lower price. Match the app to your tradition first.
Which is cheaper, Hallow or Abide? Abide, at about $39.99 a year versus Hallow’s roughly $69.99. Both offer monthly billing near $9.99 and a real free tier.
Which has better sleep content? Abide has the larger sleep library. Hallow’s is well-made but a smaller part of a bigger app and mostly behind the paywall.
Can Protestants use Hallow? Yes, though the app is built on Catholic devotions and liturgy. Many Protestants use it happily; others prefer an app like Abide or Still without that framing. See is Hallow Catholic.
Is there a good Hallow or Abide alternative for sleep? Still is built specifically for falling asleep with scripture. For a free option, Lectio 365 offers guided night prayer with no paywall.
All app names are trademarks of their respective owners; Still is not affiliated with Hallow or Abide. We make Still, a different Christian app, and have disclosed that. For the wider field, see the best Christian apps roundup or our full comparison hub.