The short answer: Dwell is an audio Bible; Still is a sleep app built on the Bible. Dwell does one thing excellently — scripture read aloud in beautiful voices with ambient music, playlists, and listening plans. Still uses scripture differently: Bible sleep stories, calming evening prayers, sleep sounds, and a gentle scripture alarm. If you want to listen to the Bible itself, pick Dwell. If you want to fall asleep inside it, that’s Still.
Disclosure: we make Still. The comparison below is factual, and Dwell is easy to praise.
What Dwell does well
Dwell treats the reading of scripture as a craft: 20+ distinct voice recordings, unhurried pacing, optional background music, 75+ listening plans and 300+ curated passages. On a commute or a walk you can hear whole books in sequence, Romans start to finish, or Acts across a few days. Still does this too, chapter by chapter with the rest of the book queued behind it, and its Bible audio is free on every tier. Where Dwell wins is breadth of translation: fourteen English translations against Still’s one per language. It works for sleep, and plenty of listeners use it that way, though nothing in it is shaped for that. Dwell Solo runs $59.99 a year or $9.99 a month (US, August 2026), with a 7-day trial and no free tier after it. There’s no devotional coaching, guided prayer, or sleep-specific structure — by design. It’s the Bible, read wonderfully.
Where the two apps differ
| Still | Dwell | |
|---|---|---|
| Core focus | Sleep, evening prayer & rest | Listening to scripture itself |
| Content type | Sleep stories, prayers, devotionals | Bible text, read aloud |
| Bible sleep stories | Yes — the heart of the app | No (scripture audio only) |
| Guided evening prayers | Yes | No |
| Sleep sounds & alarm | Yes, incl. scripture alarm | Limited |
| German | Native | English only |
| Free tier | Free trial | Trial |
| Price (US, Aug 2026) | $59.99/yr or $12.99/mo, after a free trial | Solo $59.99/yr or $9.99/mo; Duo $89.99; Family $109.99; Lifetime $399.99 one-time |
Prices last checked August 2026 and they change often.
Where Still is the better fit: falling asleep, evening prayer, and waking to a verse
You want to be led to sleep, not read to. A sleep story shapes scripture into a wind-down: slower arcs, calming narration, an ending designed for someone already half asleep. Dwell reads the text as it stands — which at Leviticus 14 is not a bedtime experience.
Evenings need prayer, not just listening. Still pairs the stories with guided evening prayers and sounds, then wakes you with a verse. Dwell has no prayer content.
Your day needs anchors, not just audio. Still pairs a daily devotional each morning with an evening prayer each night — and it has listening plans of its own, like the Psalms in 30 days, when you want scripture in sequence. Dwell has plans too; the difference is where they land — Still’s run from the Psalms in 30 days to the whole Bible in a year, and each session is shaped to end with you asleep rather than still listening.
Where Dwell is the better fit: commutes, study, and whole books of scripture
You want scripture itself, whole books of it, read superbly — for commutes, walks, and study as much as for nights. You’d rather have the plain text than anyone’s retelling. On the year, the two apps cost the same: Dwell Solo is $59.99, which is exactly what Still costs. Dwell is cheaper month to month, $9.99 against Still’s $12.99, and it has Duo, Family and Lifetime tiers ($89.99, $109.99 and $399.99). Where they differ is the free tier. Dwell has none at all: seven days, then you subscribe or you stop. Still keeps a permanent free version, and its whole Bible chapter library sits inside it. Both together is a legitimate setup: Dwell for the day, Still for the night.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dwell good for sleep? Many use it that way and like it. But it’s unstructured for sleep — you’re hearing the Bible read straight, not content shaped for drifting off. Sleep-first apps build the wind-down into the audio.
How much does Dwell cost? Roughly $40–60/year depending on the plan and platform (US, August 2026), after a trial. Our full Dwell app review covers the free version, the cost, and how it reads for sleep.
What’s the best Dwell alternative? For sleep and evening prayer: Still. For guided meditations on scripture: Abide. For a full roundup, see the best Christian sleep apps.
Dwell is a trademark of its owner; Still is not affiliated with Dwell. We make Still. See the full side-by-side comparison or try Still free on the App Store.