Yes — Hallow is a Catholic app. Not loosely Christian with Catholic options: the app is built by Catholics, around Catholic practice. The rosary, novenas, the Examen, Marian devotions, Mass readings, the liturgical calendar — that’s the skeleton of the product, and Hallow is open and unapologetic about it.
Whether that’s a feature or a dealbreaker depends on where you sit.
One disclosure before we start: we make Still, an ecumenical Christian app that competes with Hallow. We’ve kept this factual, and Hallow gets full credit where it’s due.
How Catholic is Hallow, exactly?
Thoroughly. Hallow was founded in 2018 by Catholics, describes itself as a Catholic prayer app, and its flagship content is Catholic through and through:
- Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz — its most famous content
- The Daily Rosary, novenas, and Marian devotions
- Mass readings, homilies (including from Bishop Barron), and the liturgical calendar
- Saints, Lectio Divina, and seasonal challenges like Pray40 built around the Church year
None of this is hidden in a corner of the app. It is the app.
Can Protestants use Hallow?
Yes, and plenty do. Nothing stops a Protestant from subscribing, and some of the best content works for any Christian:
What travels well across traditions: Bible in a Year (it’s scripture, wonderfully narrated — and free), the sleep meditations and Bible stories, the music, and many of the guided scripture meditations.
What assumes Catholic practice: the rosary, novenas, prayers to saints and Mary, the liturgy of the hours, and much of the seasonal content. Depending on your convictions, these are either content you’ll simply skip — or content you’d rather not pay for.
That’s the practical rub: at $69.99/year, Protestants are paying full price for a library where a substantial share assumes a tradition they don’t practice. Hallow is honest about what it is; the question is whether it’s what you are.
The quick test
Ask yourself two questions:
- Would you pray a rosary? If yes or “open to it,” Hallow will feel rich, not foreign.
- Is most of what you want scripture, prayer, and sleep content without Catholic framing? Then you’re better served by an app built that way from the start — see below.
Protestant-friendly alternatives
If you want what Hallow does, minus the Catholic framing:
For an all-round library: Abide — Bible-based meditations, prayers, and one of the deepest Christian sleep libraries, built on scripture rather than devotions, at ~$39.99/year.
For sleep and evening prayer: that’s us. Still is ecumenical by design — Bible sleep stories, calming evening prayers, and a gentle scripture alarm, with nothing that assumes any denomination’s practice. Every day pairs a daily devotional with an evening prayer, and listening plans like the Psalms in 30 days keep scripture moving. Try Still free on the App Store.
For free daily prayer: Lectio 365, from the 24-7 Prayer movement — guided morning, midday, and night prayers, completely free. Our best prayer apps guide compares the full field.
For morning devotionals: Glorify — scripture, reflection, and worship music in a ten-minute daily rhythm.
The complete list, with prices and honest trade-offs, is in our 7 Hallow alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hallow Catholic or Christian? Both — Catholicism is a Christian tradition. But specifically, Hallow is Catholic: its content and devotions follow Catholic practice.
Is Hallow affiliated with the Catholic Church? It’s an independent company, not an official Church product, but it works closely with Catholic clergy, religious orders, and institutions, and its content follows Catholic teaching.
Can non-Catholics use Hallow? Yes. The free Bible in a Year content in particular works for any Christian. The further you go into the library, the more Catholic it gets.
Is there a Protestant version of Hallow? The closest is Abide (evangelical, big library). For sleep-first use, Still; for free daily prayer, Lectio 365. See the full comparison.
Written July 2026. Hallow is a trademark of Hallow, Inc.; Still is not affiliated with Hallow. We make Still, a competing app, and have disclosed that throughout — including where Hallow is the better pick for Catholic users.