API.Bible

If you're a developer building a Bible app, church website, or Scripture-based tool, API.Bible gives you on-demand access to nearly 2,500 Bible versions across more than 1,600 languages through a single API — the largest collection available through any developer service.^1 Whether you need text or audio, the KJV or a lesser-known translation in Swahili, it's all served through clean REST endpoints for search, books, chapters, verses, sections, and passages.^2

API.Bible is built and maintained by the American Bible Society (ABS), an organization with over 200 years of history dedicated to making Scripture accessible to everyone.^3 In 2026, ABS launched a fully redesigned platform — replacing the legacy scripture.api.bible with a modern developer portal, clearer pricing tiers, and an expanded translation catalog.^1 The service integrates directly with the Digital Bible Library (DBL), which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2026 and launched its "Next Phase" as the world's largest Scripture repository, containing text, audio, video, print, and Braille Bibles.^4 ABS partners with major publishers — including Lifeway, Tyndale, Biblica, HarperCollins, Holman, and the Lockman Foundation — to keep the collection growing.^3 The translations featured on their homepage are the NIV, NASB, CSB, NKJV, NLT, GNT, the Amplified Bible, The Message, and the KJV.^1

The platform offers a free Starter plan (non-commercial, 5,000 monthly calls, pick 3 copyrighted translations) and a Pro plan with 150,000 monthly calls and commercial licensing options.^1 Individual copyrighted translations can be licensed for commercial use, with tiered pricing based on application reach. Custom Enterprise plans for apps scaling beyond 100,000 monthly users are on the roadmap.^1 Fair Use Management System (FUMS) tracking helps ABS demonstrate to publishers how Scripture is being engaged digitally — building trust that keeps more translations available to developers.^5

API.Bible is part of ABS's Digital Bible Lab, led by Chief Technology Officer Bryce Allison — who studied Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic in Israel before dedicating his career to Scripture technology.^6 The lab also builds the Digital Bible Library (used by YouVersion and others) and the broader Scripture technology infrastructure powering Bible access across the digital world.^4

Notable
  • Partnered with United Bible Societies, a global fellowship committed to Bible translation and distribution^3
  • Part of the Every Tribe Every Nation collective impact alliance^4
  • Integrated with Runbear for AI-powered Bible workflows in Slack, Teams, and Discord^7
  • ABS publishes the annual State of the Bible report; the 2026 edition focuses on Artificial Intelligence and Scripture engagement^8
  • get.bible (Mar 2026) published a helpful comparison clarifying API.Bible (developer-facing "digital storefront") vs Library.Bible/DBL (organizational "data warehouse") — both operated by ABS^9
  • DBL's vision: digital Scripture in every language on earth by 2033^4
  • Active developer documentation at docs.api.bible with guides for Bibles, Books, Chapters, Verses, Passages, Sections, Search, and Audio Bibles^2

Last updated: July 26, 2026

By installing or using API.Bible, you are subject to their Terms of Use and/or Privacy Policy. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners.

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API.Bible: Frequently Asked Questions

Is API.Bible free?

There is a free tier, with one restriction that decides it for most people. The Starter plan is $0 and gives you 5,000 API calls a month plus your pick of 3 copyrighted translations, alongside the Creative Commons and public domain versions. The restriction is in their own wording: Starter is strictly non-commercial, with no ads, fees, freemium models or upsells allowed.

So a side project, a study tool or a church's own site qualifies. Anything that earns money — including through ads or a freemium upgrade — does not. Pro starts at $29/month for 150,000 calls.

Can I use the NIV or NASB in an app that makes money?

Yes, with a license, and the price is published rather than hidden behind a sales call. Copyrighted translations are licensed individually for commercial use starting at $10/month per translation, on top of a Pro plan.

Read their definition of commercial before assuming you're outside it. By API.Bible's terms anything that generates revenue counts, and that includes advertising and freemium upsells, not just charging users directly. Budget per translation, not per app — three copyrighted translations is three licenses.

Can I use the ESV in my app?

Go to Crossway for the ESV — they run their own API rather than licensing it out through the general Bible APIs. The official one is at api.esv.org: free for non-commercial use with an API key, rate-limited to 5,000 queries a day, and capped at 500 verses per query. Commercial use needs a separate license requested from Crossway directly.

Who runs API.Bible?

The American Bible Society, through its Digital Bible Lab — the same team behind the Digital Bible Library, the Scripture repository a large part of the Bible app ecosystem is built on.

That matters for an unglamorous reason: API.Bible's catalog exists because ABS holds publisher relationships an independent developer could never negotiate alone. It also explains FUMS, the Fair Use Management System — the tracking snippet they ask you to include so they can show publishers how Scripture is actually being engaged. Some developers find it friction, and it is. It's also the reason the copyrighted translations are available to you at all.

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