If you want a Bible app that puts the text first — clean, accurate, and distraction-free — the ESV Bible app from Crossway is one of the strongest 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, it places 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.^1 Individual volume controls let you adjust music and narration separately, and a sleep timer pauses playback at a preset time. Over 50 thematic playlists guide you through specific moods, topics, or seasons of the Christian life.
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, and the ESV Expository Commentary series.^3 Greek and Hebrew language tools are available online for in-depth word studies.^1
Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian ministry whose roots trace back to 1938, when Clyde and Muriel Dennis founded Good News Publishers from 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. Since then, over 315 million copies have been printed.^5
In 2025, Crossway issued a text update refining 42 verses and 57 footnotes — a commitment to ongoing scholarly faithfulness while preserving the translation's core identity.^5
"One of the best Bible apps on mobile. Easy and intuitive to use, great audio options including voices and music," writes one reviewer.^6 Another shares: "I use this app multiple times a day everyday. It is one of the most used apps on my phone."^3
Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Chromebook, and Apple Vision Pro.^3
