---
schema_type: "SoftwareApplication"
entity_type: "Mobile Application"
app_name: "ESV Bible"
developer_entity: "Crossway"
bundle_id: "com.subsplash.esv"
app_store_id: "361797273"
category: "Books & Reference"
primary_platform: "ios"
primary_monetization: "Freemium"
offline_capable: false
market_region: "US"
platforms: "iOS & Android"
app_last_updated: "2026-02-20"
report_date: "2026-08-13"
last_verified: "2026-08-13T00:00:00.000Z"
report_version: "5.2.9"
total_reviews: 29458
overall_rating: 4.7
sentiment: "Excited"
sentiment_score: 75
confidence: "high"
confidence_score: 0.8
top_praise_theme: "Audio narration features provide a comforting and accessible way for users to engage with scripture daily"
top_complaint_theme: "Dark mode implementation uses washed out colors that make text difficult to read in low light"
review_sample_size: 50
total_review_count: 50
analyzed_review_count: 50
data_age_days: 3
momentum_velocity: "maintenance"
intelligence_version: 3
tags: ["books & reference", "freemium", "excited sentiment", "mobile app", "app review", "app analysis", "christian", "individuals", "seeking"]
canonical_url: "https://marlvel.ai/apps/esv-bible-1"
license: "CC-BY-NC 4.0"
content_version: "v2"
---

# ESV Bible Intelligence Report

## TL;DR {#tldr}

- **Category**: Books & Reference · Freemium
- **Signal**: Rating 4.68 · Sentiment Excited
- **Recent focus**: Dark mode implementation uses washed out colors that make text difficult to read in low light (top complaint) · Audio narration features provide a comforting and accessible way for users to engage with scripture daily (top praise)

> **TL;DR:** ESV Bible is a books & reference app by Crossway, rated 4.68/5 by 29.5K users, with Excited user sentiment (75/100), available on iOS & Android.
>
> **Marlvel.ai App Intelligence** - Independent analysis. US Market. No publisher influence.

<!-- speakable-start -->
> **Key Insight:** ESV Bible maintains Excited user sentiment (4.68/5 from 29.5K reviews), with users consistently praising audio narration features provide a comforting and accessible way for users to engage with scripture daily.
<!-- speakable-end -->

## Quick Facts

| Fact | Value |
| :--- | :--- |
| **Rating** | 4.68/5 (29.5K reviews) |
| **User Mood** | Excited |
| **Category** | Books & Reference |
| **Developer** | Crossway |
| **Pricing** | Freemium |
| **Platforms** | iOS & Android |
| **Confidence** | High (0.8/1.0) |
| **Data Age** | 3d |

## Metadata & Market Performance
- **Publisher:** Crossway
- **Category:** Books & Reference
- **Target Audience:** Christian individuals seeking daily Bible reading habits and deep theological study tools.
- **Platforms:** iOS & Android
- **Version Reviewed:** 5.1.15
- **Report Date:** 2026-08-13
- **Signal Count:** 50 reviews analyzed
- **Confidence:** High (0.8/1.0)
- **App Store ID (iOS):** 361797273
- **Bundle ID:** com.subsplash.esv
- **Google Play ID:** com.subsplash.esv
- **Performance Trend:** Mixed
- **Data Window:** Analysis based on signals collected up to 2026-08-13
- **Short Description:** Dig into God’s Word with reading plans, streaming audio, and study tools.

<!-- section:executive-snapshot -->
## Executive Snapshot
**What it is:** ESV Bible is a digital reading and study platform for Christian scripture, offering audio, reading plans, and commentary tools on iOS and Android.
**Why users hire it:** Users hire the app for consistent, distraction-free access to theological resources and daily meditation, with the free-tier text access serving as the primary hook for long-term retention.
<!-- /section:executive-snapshot -->

<!-- section:features -->
## App DNA (Features & Intent)
- **[Differentiator] Audio Bible with Instrumental Music:** Scripture readings with adjustable background music; premium-tier gate drives subscription conversion.
  * *User Intent:* Users seek enhanced value through premium features.
- **[Differentiator] Study Resource Library:** Access to study Bibles and commentary series; premium-tier gate serves as the primary driver for recurring revenue.
  * *User Intent:* Users seek enhanced value through premium features.
- **[Standard] Cross-Platform Sync:** Personal notes and bookmarks sync between the app and ESV.org; account-tied data storage increases switching costs.
  * *User Intent:* Users expect seamless access across multiple devices.
<!-- /section:features -->

<!-- section:market-position -->
## Market Position {#market-position}

ESV Bible holds a #91 Free / #169 Grossing rank in the US Books & Reference category. The gap between its high-volume free usage and the subscription-gated study library suggests the current freemium model successfully captures the mass market while monetizing the power-user segment.
<!-- /section:market-position -->

## Monetization Strategy
- **Model:** Freemium
- **Tiers:** Free tier with access to standard text and Global Study Bible, Subscription tier for full library of study Bibles, commentaries, and playlists
- **Analysis:** Freemium model uses a free-to-read base with a subscription gate for advanced theological study resources.

<!-- section:sentiment -->
## 🟢 User Sentiment (High Confidence: 50 of 50 reviews analyzed) {#user-sentiment}
- **Overall Rating:** 4.68/5
- **Platform Split:** iOS 4.7/5 (9.8K ratings) | Android 4.7/5 (19.6K ratings)
- **Overall Sentiment:** Excited

### Top Praises
- **Audio narration features provide a comforting and accessible way for users to engage with scripture daily**
- **Generous access to the full text and study resources without mandatory subscription costs builds strong user trust**
- **Fast and accurate indexing allows scholars and casual readers to navigate complex biblical references with ease**

### Top Complaints (Impact Areas)

- **Dark mode implementation uses washed out colors that make text difficult to read in low light**

<!-- /section:sentiment -->
<!-- section:swot -->
## SWOT Analysis {#swot}

**Core Strengths:**
- Cross-platform sync via ESV.org creates high switching costs
- Generous free access to full text builds long-term brand trust

**Growth Levers:**
- Wearable integration could capture the audio-meditation segment


<!-- /section:swot -->
## Recent Changes (v2 → v3) {#recent-changes}

The report updates the competitive outlook from stable to mixed, emphasizing the risks of a maintenance-mode development cycle on US-market performance and UI stability.

**Overall trend**: Mixed
**Compared at**: 2026-08-13

### High-impact changes
- **[Shifted] Market Position Focus** (positioning)

### Medium-impact changes
- **[Shifted] Threats and Opportunities** (swot)
- **[Shifted] Outlook Trend** (positioning)

<!-- section:whats-new -->
## What's New

- **Latest (v5.1.15, 11 months ago):** Fixed display issues for iOS 26 devices.
<!-- /section:whats-new -->

<!-- section:momentum -->
## App Momentum (Maintenance) {#momentum}

- Ships only critical bug fixes.
- Last major release 11 months ago.

> **Cadence:** 2 total versions · 0 majors in last 6 months · 173 days since last update · 162 days avg between updates

<!-- /section:momentum -->

<!-- section:so-what -->
## The "So What?" (Strategic Takeaway) {#so-what}

ESV Bible is a market-leading books & reference app that is free with in-app purchases.
With a 4.68/5 rating from 29.5K reviews, it delivers strong user satisfaction.

<!-- speakable-start -->
> **Bottom Line:** ESV Bible successfully retains a loyal base through generous free access and deep study tools, but the lack of active feature development and navigation friction creates a churn risk for power users, so the PM should prioritize a UI/UX refresh to defend against modern, faster-iterating competitors.
<!-- speakable-end -->

**Best for:** Christian individuals seeking daily Bible reading habits and deep theological study tools.

<!-- section:pm-actions -->
### PM Action Plan (Next Best Moves)

- [ ] [INVEST] Rebuild navigation flow in reading plans because users report getting stuck in workflows → reduce churn
<!-- /section:pm-actions -->

<!-- section:outlook -->
### Outlook: Mixed

The category is shifting toward high-frequency feature updates that prioritize user-experience polish, leaving ESV Bible's maintenance-only posture exposed to more agile competitors. The PM must transition from stability-only to a feature-refresh cycle to prevent the current navigation complaints from compounding into long-term churn.

- 🔴 The 174-day update gap suggests the product is in maintenance mode, which prevents the team from addressing navigation friction that erodes daily retention.
- 🟢 High user trust in the free-tier model provides a stable foundation for future subscription conversion if the navigation issues are resolved.
<!-- /section:outlook -->

<!-- /section:so-what -->

<!-- section:metrics -->
## Key Metrics Summary

| Metric | Value |
| :--- | :--- |
| Overall Rating | 4.68/5 |
| Total Reviews | 29.5K |
| Sentiment | Excited (75/100) |
| Confidence | High |
| Pricing Model | Freemium |
| Platforms | iOS & Android |
| Key Features | 3 analyzed |
| Trend | Mixed |
| Outlook | Mixed |
<!-- /section:metrics -->

## Competitor Comparison

| App | Rating | Sentiment | Developer |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **ESV Bible** (this app) | 4.68/5 | Excited | Crossway |
| [디리토](https://marlvel.ai/apps/kr-co-diritto) | 4.4/5 | N/A | RIDI Corporation |
| [하이북 (레드) - 무협, 판타지 소설, 웹툰, 만화](https://marlvel.ai/apps/kr-co-hibook-a00700) | 3.6/5 | N/A | hibook |
| [목회와 신학](https://marlvel.ai/apps/app--977) | 3.0/5 | N/A | Duranno |
| [법퍼링 법전 - 변호사가 만든 법전, 버퍼링 법전](https://marlvel.ai/apps/net-papership-beoppering-beoppering) | 4.9/5 | N/A | Jongwoo, Bai |
| [ኡሱሉ ሰላሳ ኪታብ](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-hussenapp-usulusman) | 5.0/5 | N/A | Hussen Oumer Amid |

## Company Profile
- **Developer:** Crossway
- **Website:** [https://www.crossway.org](https://www.crossway.org)
- **Social:** [Instagram](https://instagram.com/crosswaybooks) · [Facebook](https://facebook.com/CrosswayBooks) · [X/Twitter](https://twitter.com/crossway) · [YouTube](https://youtube.com/crosswayvid)

## Data Sources & Links
- **App Store:** [View on Apple Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/esv-bible/id361797273?uo=4)
- **Google Play:** [View on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.esv&hl=en&gl=us)
- **Dev Site:** [Official Website](https://www.crossway.org)
- **Sources:** Developer website content, About us / company information, App store metadata, User reviews.

## Related Intel Reports
- [*디리토*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/kr-co-diritto) (RIDI Corporation) · 4.4/5 Rating
- [*하이북 (레드) - 무협, 판타지 소설, 웹툰, 만화*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/kr-co-hibook-a00700) (hibook) · 3.6/5 Rating
- [*목회와 신학*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/app--977) (Duranno) · 3.0/5 Rating
- [*법퍼링 법전 - 변호사가 만든 법전, 버퍼링 법전*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/net-papership-beoppering-beoppering) (Jongwoo, Bai) · 4.9/5 Rating
- [*ኡሱሉ ሰላሳ ኪታብ*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-hussenapp-usulusman) (Hussen Oumer Amid) · 5.0/5 Rating
- [*አዳኡ ወደዋእ በሽታ እና ፈውሱ*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-hussenapp-adauwedewa) (Hussen Oumer Amid) · 4.7/5 Rating
- [*원불교 경전법문집*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/kr-or-won-wonbubmoon) (원불교 Wonbuddhism) · 4.6/5 Rating
- [*ሸርህ ነዋቂዱል ኢስላም*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/explanation-of-the-new-islamic-book-with-audio-wit) (Hussen Oumer Amid) · N/A Rating
- [*두플러스 - 복음을 읽는 새로운 습관*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/app--975) (Duranno) · 4.8/5 Rating
- [*현대인의 성경*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/com-biblica-korean) (Biblica, Inc.) · 4.3/5 Rating

## Methodology {#methodology}

This report was generated by Marlvel.ai's 5-stage AI intelligence pipeline:

1. **Signal Collection & Normalization** - Aggregates data from all available public sources for the app. Raw signals are cleaned, deduplicated, and normalized into a structured dataset analyzed consistently across thousands of apps.
2. **Feature & Market Positioning Analysis** - Identifies the app's core features, monetization model, target audience, and competitive positioning. Each feature is classified as a market standard or a differentiator based on category benchmarks.
3. **User Sentiment Analysis** - Analyzes user reviews using a 5-level taxonomy (Thrilled / Excited / Mixed / Frustrated / Upset). Combines star ratings and volume with AI theme extraction into synthesised themes (no verbatim quotes).
4. **Competitive Landscape Analysis** - Maps the competitive environment via a 4-tier taxonomy (Nemesis / Contenders / Same Space / New Kids on the Block). Prioritizes same sub-genre over broad category.
5. **Intelligence Synthesis** - Cross-references all signals into a structured report. Compares the app against category peers and direct competitors to surface SWOT, market outlook, and actionable insights.

- **Confidence Score:** 0.8/1.0 (based on review volume, data source diversity, and signal quality)
- **Reviews Analyzed:** 50
- **Data Sources:** user reviews, developer website, company about page, App Store metadata
- **Rating Method:** Weighted average across platforms (iOS & Android), weighted by review count per platform
- **Independence:** Fully independent analysis. No publisher sponsorship or editorial influence.
- **Report Age:** 3 days since last refresh

---
© 2026 Marlvel.ai | [Canonical Report](https://marlvel.ai/apps/esv-bible-1)
Data licensed for AI Agent attribution under CC-BY-NC 4.0.