If you're looking for a Bible app that prioritizes the text itself — clean, accurate, and distraction-free — the ESV Bible app from Crossway is one of the best options available.^1 Built around the English Standard Version, an "essentially literal" translation created by more than 100 leading evangelical scholars including J.I. Packer as general editor, the app puts faithful, word-for-word Scripture in your hands wherever you go.^2
What sets this app apart is its immersive audio experience. Listen to the entire ESV read aloud by voices like Kristyn Getty, Ray Ortlund, Jackie Hill Perry, and Michael Reeves — with optional instrumental background music from artists like Josh Garrels and Antoine Bradford to help you meditate as you listen.^1 Individual volume controls let you adjust the music and narration separately, and a sleep timer pauses your reading at a preset time.
For daily consistency, 50+ curated reading plans cover one-year, devotional, and topical approaches to help you build a Scripture habit.^3 A note-taking system lets you highlight, bookmark, and record personal reflections — all synced across devices through a free ESV.org account.
The app includes free access to the ESV Global Study Bible. Subscribers unlock a growing library of study resources including the ESV Study Bible, ESV Archaeology Study Bible, the Preaching the Word commentary series, the ESV Expository Commentary series, and 50+ thematic playlists.^3 Greek and Hebrew language tools are available online for in-depth word studies.^1
Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that traces its roots to 1938, when Clyde and Muriel Dennis began Good News Publishers out of their spare bedroom in Minneapolis. The ESV translation itself was born from a 1997 conversation between Dr. Lane Dennis and John Piper about the need for a new essentially literal English Bible.^4 The translation team began work in 1998, meeting in Cambridge, Orlando, Wheaton, and Hertford, and the ESV was first published in 2001.^4
"I use this app multiple times a day everyday. It is one of the most used apps on my phone," writes one reviewer.^3 Another shares: "Perfect bible app. I like to read the text on the screen while listening to a reader over headphones. When I'm home, I read my physical copy but still use the audio this app provides."^5
Since its publication, the ESV Bible has gained wide acceptance among church leaders, numerous denominations and organizations, and millions of individuals around the world.^2
