Comparison · Checked 4 November 2026
A Hallow alternative for praying with the people you love
Hallow is a large Christian prayer app, with more than 10,000 audio-guided sessions and a 4.9 rating from about 382,000 ratings in the US App Store. If you want guided audio prayer, Hallow is hard to beat. Avela is built for something narrower: reading the Bible offline and praying for your family and friends in small private circles, in a Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox setting. Avela is not in the App Store yet, so this page compares Hallow as it is today with Avela as planned for launch.
Hallow is a trademark of Hallow, Inc. Avela is not affiliated with Hallow. Facts about Hallow come from Hallow's own help center and its App Store listing, checked on 4 November 2026; sources are listed at the end.
The short answer
- Choose Hallow if you want audio: guided prayers, the Rosary, Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz, music and sleep content, and you are Catholic or comfortable with Catholic sources.
- Consider Avela if what you need most is to pray for specific people, often far away, and let them know you did; if you are Protestant or Orthodox; or if you want a free Bible reader that works offline.
- Many people could use both. Avela does not try to replace Hallow's audio library.
Prices side by side
Hallow prices are from Hallow's help center, "How much does the subscription cost?", for the United States, checked on 4 November 2026. Avela prices are planned launch prices.
| Hallow | Avela (planned) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes, hundreds of sessions, including Daily Rosary, Daily Gospel and Bible in a Year | Yes, Bible reading free forever: 15 translations offline, search, highlights, verse of the day, widgets, one Scripture prayer a day |
| Individual, monthly | $9.99 | $7.99 |
| Individual, yearly | $69.99 | $55.99 |
| Family or group plan | Friends & Family, $119.99 a year, up to 6 members | Family, $95.99 a year or $12.99 a month, up to 6 people |
| Free trial | Individual plans start with a free trial; Friends & Family has none | 7 days free on Premium and Family |
Prices in both apps can differ by country and do not include sales tax. Check the App Store before you buy.
Where Hallow is better
We would rather you pick the right app than pick ours. Hallow is stronger in several ways that matter:
- Audio. Over 10,000 guided sessions, with three lengths for most prayers, background music and downloads for offline listening. Avela has no audio at launch.
- Well-known voices. Sessions led by Fr. Mike Schmitz, Bishop Barron, Jonathan Roumie, Jeff Cavins and others. Avela uses classic written sources instead.
- Catholic depth. Daily Mass readings, the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Lectio Divina, seasonal challenges like Pray40 in Lent.
- Android and languages. Hallow sells subscriptions through both the App Store and Google Play, and its App Store listing has seven languages. Avela starts on iPhone only, in English.
- Track record. Hallow has been in the US App Store since December 2018. Avela is new.
- Community. Hallow already lets you join a Hallow Family to share prayer intentions and reflections.
Where Avela is different
Praying for specific people, privately
Avela is being built around Prayer Circles: a small private group for your family, your spouse or a few friends. The plan for launch: you share a request, tap "I prayed" so the other person knows, and mark the answer when it comes. Circle conversations are designed to be encrypted on your iPhone before they are sent, so that we cannot read them. The idea is the text you send a sister three states away, "praying for you", with a place to keep it.
Three traditions, not one
Hallow describes itself as rooted in the Catholic Church and built to welcome users of all backgrounds. Avela asks at the start whether you are Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox, and shows reflections from classic writers of that tradition, credited by name: Matthew Henry for Protestants, the Haydock commentary for Catholics, John Chrysostom for Orthodox Christians.
A Bible reader that stays free
In Avela, the Bible reader is the free part: fifteen public-domain translations to download, including KJV, WEB, BSB and Douay-Rheims, with search and highlights. It does not include NIV or ESV.
Quiet by design
Avela has no ads and no streaks. Its daily practice is a few minutes: a verse, a short reflection, a question and your own prayer.
Feature comparison
| Hallow | Avela (planned) | |
|---|---|---|
| Audio-guided prayer | Yes, 10,000+ sessions | No, not at launch |
| Bible | Yes, in the app | Yes, 15 translations offline, free |
| Prayer journal | Journal after each prayer | Prayer journal with answered prayers |
| Groups | Hallow Family for sharing intentions | Private Prayer Circles, up to 10, designed to be encrypted on the device |
| Traditions | Catholic, open to all | Protestant, Catholic or Orthodox, chosen at start |
| Platforms | iPhone, Android (subscriptions sold on both stores) | iPhone (iOS 18 or later) |
| Languages | 7 | English |
| Status | Available since 2018 | In final development |
Who should pick which
A Catholic who prays the Rosary on the drive to work and loves Fr. Mike's voice will be well served by Hallow. Avela is iPhone first, with no audio at launch. A Baptist mom whose son is at college in another state, and who wants to pray for him and know he prayed for her, is who we built Avela for. An Orthodox reader who wants the Septuagint offline is another.
If that second picture sounds like you, join the early-access list. Everyone who signs up before launch gets 30 days of Premium free.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Hallow?
Hallow itself has a free version with hundreds of sessions. If you mainly want to read the Bible, Avela's Bible reader will be free forever once it launches, and YouVersion is a free Bible app available now.
Is there a Protestant alternative to Hallow?
Avela lets you choose a Protestant setting, with reflections from writers such as Matthew Henry.
How much is Hallow per year?
In the United States, $69.99 a year for an individual and $119.99 a year for Friends & Family (up to 6 members), according to Hallow's help center on 4 November 2026. The monthly plan is $9.99.
Can I use Avela and Hallow together?
Yes. They do different jobs: Hallow for guided audio prayer, Avela for reading and for praying with the people close to you.
Sources: Hallow Help Center, "How much does the subscription cost?" and "What is Hallow?"; Hallow in the US App Store (rating 4.9 from about 382,000 ratings; US release date 6 December 2018 from Apple's public app lookup). All checked on 4 November 2026.