YouVersion

What YouVersion does

YouVersion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit digital ministry of Life.Church, founded in 2008 and headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma, that builds a global family of free Bible engagement applications. Its product portfolio includes the flagship Bible App (1B+ cumulative installs across the family), Bible App Lite (optimized for low-storage, low-connectivity devices in 192 countries), Bible App for Kids (140M+ installs, 41 animated stories in 65+ languages, developed with OneHope), YouVersion Connect (church/creator engagement tools with real-time analytics), and YouVersion Platform (public beta since December 2025, providing free APIs/SDKs for Web, React Native, Swift, and Kotlin with access to 1,487 licensed Bible versions from 36 publishing partners in 1,283 languages). The platform's underlying technology stack offers an embedded Bible reader, Sign In With YouVersion authentication for cross-device sync, and engagement analytics for partners.

The organization distributes through iOS App Store, Google Play, Amazon Appstore, bible.com, and voice platforms (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant), reaching 17.5M+ daily users in 2026 and recording 21.6M peak users on Easter Sunday 2026, with presence in every country and content in 2,400+ languages and 3,750+ translations. YouVersion serves individual consumers seeking daily Bible engagement, churches and ministries, developers integrating Scripture via the Platform, and Bible publishers extending distribution. It also runs the Bible App Research Team, volunteer programs in localization and technical support, and funds Bible translation projects through the illumiNations alliance.

YouVersion operates a pure donation-funded revenue model with no advertising, subscriptions, or in-app purchases; revenue streams include Sowers (monthly recurring donors), Vision Partners (church/ministry financial supporters), one-time gifts, and non-cash giving (stocks, crypto, donor-advised funds), supplemented by a $1.5M donor-match program through June 30. Strategic distribution and partnerships include a South Africa Regional Hub (Cape Town, opened February 2026), Brazil Hub, Latin America operations under Pablo Langlois, and developer ecosystem partnerships with Gloo (AI Hackathon, June 2026), BibleProject, Come and See/The Chosen, Biblica, and 2,400+ Brazilian churches.

Name

YouVersion

Legal name

YouVersion

Website

https://youversion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YouVersion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit digital ministry of Life.Church that provides free Bible engagement applications and developer APIs, serving over 1 billion cumulative installs across 2,400+ languages and 17.5M+ daily users in 2026, funded entirely by donor contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Bible Engagement Software

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (51321)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB), Religious Children’s Publishing (Faith-Based Kids & YA) (MPAJAHAJ)

Keywords

• Bible engagement apps
• Scripture digital platform
• Religious content software
• Bible API services
• Faith-based mobile applications

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: YouVersion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All products and services are provided completely free to users. Revenue comes entirely from voluntary donations from a community of supporters. The organization runs multiple giving programs including Sowers (monthly recurring donors), Vision Partners (church/ministry supporters), one-time gifts, and non-cash giving (stocks, crypto, donor-advised funds). A generous donor match program was active up to June 30 with up to $1.5M in matching.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

YouVersion develops and distributes a family of free mobile applications that deliver the Bible in 2,400+ languages and 3,750+ translations, alongside an open technology platform offering APIs, SDKs, and licensed Scripture content for ministries, churches, Bible publishers, and third-party developers. Its core products span the flagship Bible App, the lightweight Bible App Lite, the children's Bible App for Kids, the YouVersion Connect church and creator tools, and the YouVersion Platform for embedding Scripture in external apps.

Product overview

YouVersion is a digital ministry of Life.Church offering a family of Bible engagement apps and a developer platform. The core product portfolio includes the Bible App (primary app with reading, listening, plans, prayer, and social features), Bible App Lite (lightweight offline version for resource-constrained markets), Bible App for Kids (animated children's content developed with OneHope), and YouVersion Connect (church/creator engagement tools). YouVersion Platform, launched in December 2025 public beta, extends the company's Bible technology to third-party developers and ministries through APIs and SDKs, enabling Scripture integration into external apps while providing analytics and cross-app sync. All products are free to end users, supported by donor contributions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bible App: The flagship Bible reading and engagement application offering access to 3,500+ Bible versions in 2,300+ languages with features including reading plans, audio Bibles, prayer tracking, and social features.
• Bible App Lite
• Bible App for Kids
• YouVersion Connect
• YouVersion Platform

Products and services

• Bible App The flagship Bible engagement application offering free access to 3,500+ Bible versions across 2,300+ languages with reading, listening, Bible Plans, prayers, social features, study tools, and Verse of the Day, all free and ad-free.
• Bible App Lite Lightweight version of the Bible App optimized for older phones, low storage, slow connections, and offline use. Includes Bible reader, Audio Bibles, Verse of the Day, and Prayer features, available in 192 countries and 300+ languages.
• Bible App for Kids Interactive Bible application for children featuring 41 animated Bible stories, interactive games, and audio content built to help kids engage with Scripture. Developed in partnership with OneHope, with 140M+ installs and availability in 65+ languages including Afrikaans and Swahili.
• YouVersion Connect Digital tools platform for churches, content creators, and partners to share Scripture-based content and engage with their communities. Provides real-time dashboards, audience analytics, and direct connection with users inside the Bible App.
• YouVersion Platform Free technology and licensing solution for ministries, Bible organizations, and developers to embed Scripture into digital experiences. Provides APIs, SDKs, Embedded Bible Reader, Sign In With YouVersion authentication, Data and Insights analytics, and access to licensed Bible versions from approved publishers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 billion+ installs across Family of Apps
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GloocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Joint launch of 'Scripture in New Frontiers: A Virtual Summer Challenge' global developer competition on Kaggle (July 6-31, 2026) using YouVersion Platform and Gloo AI Studio. Serves as lead-in to Gloo AI Hackathon in October 2026 with 700+ developers competing for $200,000+ in prizes. Focus on integrating Scripture into AI assistants, wearables, gaming, and social platforms.
• BibleProjectcoreTechnology or Integration · 5 December 2025Early adopter of YouVersion Platform. BibleProject creates free Bible videos and resources that are distributed through the YouVersion ecosystem.
• Come and SeecoreTechnology or Integration · 5 December 2025Early adopter of YouVersion Platform behind The Chosen app. Integration places Bible passages alongside video content, allowing viewers to see Scripture that inspired scenes. CEO James Barnett called it 'a long-awaited requested feature.' Come and See is a faith-based nonprofit producing The Chosen historical drama in 600 languages.
• BiblicacoreTechnology or IntegrationBible publisher partner on YouVersion Platform extending reach of their resources through the YouVersion distribution channel. Biblica praised YouVersion's 'generosity and vision' in launching the Platform.
• illumiNationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of world's leading Bible translation ministries enabling collaboration on translation projects. Goal: translate at least the New Testament for 99.9% of world's population by 2033. YouVersion funds high-impact translation projects through this alliance.
• Compassion InternationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Global Bible Month November 2025 featuring a 30-day prayer challenge 'A Call to Care for the World's Most Vulnerable' with over 2.2 million participants.
• GlorifyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with leading Bible engagement apps (YouVersion, Glorify, Hallow) to launch Global Bible Month November 2025 with 30-Day Bible Challenge. Coordinated displays at Times Square, Sphere in Las Vegas, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.
• HallowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with leading Bible engagement apps (YouVersion, Glorify, Hallow) to launch Global Bible Month November 2025 with 30-Day Bible Challenge. Hallow reported over $55M ARR and 65% share of faith-based prayer app sub-sector.
• OneHopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for development of Bible App for Kids, featuring interactive animations and fun activities designed to help children engage with the Bible.
• 36 Bible Publishing PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouVersion Platform provides secure, licensed access to Bible translations including NIV through approved Bible publishers. These partners have opt-in control over Platform access to their texts.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hallow: Hallow is a leading Catholic prayer and meditation app with reported $55M+ ARR and ~65% share of the faith-based prayer app sub-sector. It is the most direct commercial competitor to YouVersion in mobile faith engagement, and was a co-launch partner with YouVersion on Global Bible Month November 2025.
• BibleProject: BibleProject is a nonprofit producing free animated Bible videos and study resources, and is an early adopter of the YouVersion Platform for Scripture distribution. It is directly comparable as a Bible-engagement content ministry targeting the same global audience with overlapping free, donor-funded delivery.
• Glorify: Glorify is a daily devotional and worship app that partnered with YouVersion on the Global Bible Month 30-Day Bible Challenge. Comparable as a mobile-first faith engagement app serving Christians globally with devotional, prayer, and Bible-reading features.
• Bible Gateway: Bible Gateway is a long-established online Bible reading platform (owned by HarperCollins Christian Publishing) offering multiple translations and study tools via web and mobile. Comparable as a direct competitor in online Bible reading and translation access for both consumers and ministry partners.
• Logos Bible Software: Logos (Faithlife) is a paid Bible study software platform with deep original-language tools, commentaries, and library plans. Comparable as a Bible software publisher targeting serious individual and ministry study users, though opposite on monetization (paid vs. free).
• Olive Tree Bible Software: Olive Tree provides mobile Bible study apps featuring multiple translations, reading plans, and study tools across iOS and Android. Comparable as a Bible engagement app competitor serving similar individual and church consumers with overlapping translation and reading-plan features.

Emerging players

• Pray.com: Pray.com is a subscription-based prayer, sleep, and faith app drawing significant venture funding. Comparable as a commercially monetized faith engagement app competing for the same daily-use habit minutes that YouVersion captures with its free model.
• Abide: Abide is a Christian meditation and sleep app offering guided Bible-based meditations and prayers. Comparable as a niche player in faith-based mobile wellness competing with YouVersion's prayer, audio Bible, and meditation-adjacent features.
• She Reads Truth / He Reads Truth: She Reads Truth (and He Reads Truth) is a devotional reading-plan app and content ministry with a large female-skewing audience. Comparable to YouVersion's Bible Plan community as a daily Bible engagement platform with content-led habit formation.

Others

• Gloo: Gloo is a faith-tech platform and YouVersion's strategic technology partner, co-developing the AI Hackathon and Scripture-in-New-Frontiers developer challenge. Comparable as a faith ecosystem infrastructure player enabling AI, content, and developer tools adjacent to YouVersion's Platform offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/youversionhelp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@YouVersion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youversion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YouVersion