The best Bible notes app, or Bible app with notes, depends on what you want it for. Sermon Keeper, the app we make, keeps your sermon notes and your own Bible study in one place and turns a scanned verse into a SOAP study card. YouVersion is the easiest free way to highlight verses and attach notes. Logos and Olive Tree are built for deeper study. Spirit Notes is a notebook that drops verses into your notes as you type, and Psalmlog is an AI-guided Bible journal. Below, each app is matched to what it does best, with prices and ratings taken from the App Store and the apps' own sites in October 2026.
We make Sermon Keeper
It's on this list, and we tell you what it doesn't do. Record sermons, keep notes, scan a verse into a SOAP card. Free 3-day trial.
A note before you read: we make Sermon Keeper, one of the apps below. We've tried to be fair: we list our own app first because it's ours, so judge it by the same facts as the others, including what it doesn't do. After it, the order is not a ranking from best to worst, and every app gets the use case it's genuinely best for. Every price and rating comes from the app's US App Store page or official website, checked on October 30, 2026. Prices change, so check the store before you buy.
This guide is about notes while you read and study the Bible, and about Bible journaling. If you want an app to capture sermons at church, that's a different list: see the best sermon notes apps.
Comparison at a glance
| App | Best for | Price (US) | App Store rating | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sermon Keeper (ours) | Sermon notes plus scan-a-verse SOAP cards | $6.99/mo or $64.99/yr, 3-day trial | 5.0 (2) | Recording and verses |
| YouVersion | Free notes and highlights on any verse | Free | 4.9 (13.8M) | Select Bible versions |
| Logos | Deep study with a library and AI search | Free app; books and plans extra | 4.9 (177K) | Not stated |
| Olive Tree | Study Bibles you own, offline | Free app; resources extra | 4.8 (325K) | Yes, per listing |
| Spirit Notes | A notebook that inserts verses as you type | 5 notes free; $4.99/mo or $49.99/yr | 4.8 (611) | Yes, per listing |
| Psalmlog | AI-guided Bible journaling | From $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr | 4.6 (11) | Yes, per listing |
| Bible Notes AI | Verse-linked notes with an AI prayer plan | Free plan; $4.99/mo | 5.0 (2) | Yes, per its site |
| Apple Notes / Notion | A blank page you design yourself | Free / free plan | 4.8 / 4.8 | Apple Notes: yes |
Ratings are the US App Store average and number of ratings on October 30, 2026. "Offline" says only what the app's own listing or site states.
How we picked
We started from the apps people actually find when they search for a Bible notes or Bible journal app, and from the ones Christians already use every day. For each, we read the current App Store listing and official website and looked at five things:
- Notes on the text. Can you attach a note to a specific verse, and find it again later?
- Journaling. Is there room for longer, personal writing, with or without prompts?
- Price. What's free, and what the paid plan costs in the US.
- Offline. Whether the app says it works without a connection. Church basements and planes matter.
- Where your notes live. Sync, accounts, and anything stated about privacy.
We did not get paid by any app on this list. We left out apps we couldn't verify, and apps that are mainly for recording sermons, which have their own guide.
1. Sermon Keeper (we make this one)
Best for linking Sunday's sermon with your own study.
What we like
- Records the sermon while you tap short notes; you get a transcript and a summary listing every verse named.
- Scan a Bible page and get a SOAP study card with cross-references.
- Type a reference and the verse appears, in 7 translations that work offline.
What to know
- It is not a Bible reader: you can't highlight or annotate a chapter.
- Transcription and AI summaries need an internet connection.
- iPhone only, and only 2 US ratings so far.
2. YouVersion
Best free option: notes and highlights on any verse.
What we like
- Free: the App Store page lists no in-app purchases.
- Notes can be private, or public to share with friends.
- Highlights in custom colors, synced with a free account.
What to know
- Notes are tied to verses; there is no journal for longer writing.
- Offline reading is for select Bible versions only.
- No AI features are mentioned in the listing.
3. Logos
Best for deep study: a library, notes everywhere and AI search.
What we like
- Notes "travel with you everywhere", per the listing.
- A Study Assistant answers questions from your Logos books.
- Huge library of Bibles and commentaries to buy into.
What to know
- Bibles like the ESV or NKJV are $9.99 each as in-app purchases.
- AI features have limited free uses; subscriptions add more.
- Logos Premium on the website is $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr.
4. Olive Tree
Best for offline study with Bibles and study notes you own.
What we like
- Highlight, bookmark and take notes as you study.
- "Everything downloads to your device" for offline study.
- Syncs across iPhone, iPad, Mac and more.
What to know
- Many translations and study Bibles are paid add-ons.
- Some packs are monthly subscriptions, starting at $2.99.
- No AI features are mentioned in the listing.
5. Spirit Notes
Best notebook: type a reference and the verse appears.
What we like
- Type "John 3:16" and the verse is inserted into your note.
- Tap a verse to see every note you've written on it.
- Says it is fully functional without an internet connection.
What to know
- The free tier is limited to 5 notes.
- Built for sermons as well as personal study.
- No AI features are mentioned in the listing.
6. Psalmlog
Best for guided journaling: speak or type, get a reflection.
What we like
- You speak or type, and it returns a reflection with cited Bible passages and a next step.
- Keeps a journal history and monthly insights.
- Every paid plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
What to know
- The mobile app needs a trial or paid account; the free plan is 3 entries on the web.
- It's an AI journal more than a place for notes on the text.
- Few App Store ratings so far (11).
7. Bible Notes AI
A newer app: verse-linked notes and an AI prayer plan.
What we like
- Free plan with unlimited notes, per its pricing page.
- Notes link to Scripture, with tags, collections and search.
- Can turn your notes into a 7-day prayer plan with AI.
What to know
- Very new on the App Store, with only 2 US ratings.
- Upgrades happen on the web; annual plans are "coming soon".
- Its site, biblenotes.ai, is a different product from biblenote.ai.
General-purpose options: Apple Notes and Notion
You don't need a Bible app to keep Bible notes. Apple Notes is free on every iPhone, syncs through iCloud, and supports checklists, tags and folders; start each note with the reference and it works as a simple study notebook. Notion has a free plan and lets you build your own system, such as a database of passages with tags, though paid plans are $12 per month (US, billed monthly) and it takes time to set up. Neither has any Bible features, so you'll copy verses in yourself.
Which Bible study app is right for you?
- You want your sermon notes and personal study together: Sermon Keeper.
- You want to start today, for free: YouVersion.
- You lead a Bible study or want commentaries: Logos or Olive Tree.
- You like writing notes and want verses filled in: Spirit Notes.
- You want a guided journal: Psalmlog.
- You want full control and no Bible app: Apple Notes or Notion.
Whichever you pick, the habit matters more than the app. Our guide on how to take Bible notes has a simple system that works in any of them, and the SOAP method gives every journal entry a structure. If you want to see how scanning a verse into a SOAP card works, read our SOAP Bible study app guide.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on what you want to do. To keep sermon notes and your own Bible study together, with a SOAP study card from any verse you scan, Sermon Keeper (we make it). For free notes and highlights attached to verses, YouVersion is the easiest start. For deep study with commentaries and original languages, Logos or Olive Tree. For an app built around writing notes with verses auto-inserted, Spirit Notes. For guided journaling, Psalmlog.
YouVersion is free with no in-app purchases listed. Logos and Olive Tree are free to download, but most Bibles, study notes and commentaries are paid add-ons. Bible Notes AI has a free plan, and Spirit Notes lets you create 5 notes for free. Prices as of October 2026.
YouVersion. As of October 2026 its App Store page lists no in-app purchases, and it lets you add private or public notes to any verse, highlight in custom colors and sync everything with a free account.
If you want a prompt-driven journal with AI reflections, Psalmlog is built for that. If you'd rather write your own entries, Apple Notes or Notion with a method like SOAP works well and costs nothing on their free plans.
Spirit Notes says it is fully functional without an internet connection, and Olive Tree says everything downloads to your device for offline study. YouVersion offers offline Bibles for select versions. Sermon Keeper's seven Bible translations and verse cards work offline; its transcription needs a connection.
Yes, but that's a different job. Sermon apps record the message and help you capture the pastor's points. We compare those separately in our guide to the best sermon notes apps.
