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Religion · head to head

Ministry Brands vs YouVersion

Ministry Brands logo

Ministry Brands

Religion

A church software holding company whose current product is the Amplify module suite

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YouVersion logo

YouVersion

Religion

Bible app with reading plans and devotionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only YouVersion has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ministry Brands the legacy acquired brands and Amplify are different software, so a church buying Shelby or Fellowship One today is buying a product line that is not receiving the development investment.; YouVersion youVersion states its entire Bible App family is free with no paid tier, which means there is no purchasable enterprise or institutional plan with an SLA for organizations wanting one.
  • They diverge on capability: Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, YouVersion covers Multi-translation Bible.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ministry Brands and YouVersion actually diverge.

Attributes where Ministry Brands and YouVersion differ
AttributeMinistry BrandsYouVersion
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android, Smart TVs
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Religion).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Ministry Brands

  • Amplify People
  • Amplify Giving
  • Amplify Accounting
  • Amplify Websites and Streaming
  • Background screening
  • Amplify Service Planning

Only in YouVersion

  • Multi-translation Bible
  • Reading Plans
  • Audio Bible
  • Social Media Sharing
  • Church Apps
  • Bookmarking Services
  • Web support
  • IOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Ministry Brands

  • A church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one loginnot YouVersion
  • A congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business softwarenot YouVersion
  • Running volunteer background checks under a child protection policy without a separate screening vendornot YouVersion
  • A denominational office standardising several congregations on one records and giving platformnot YouVersion

YouVersion

  • Member managementnot Ministry Brands
  • Donation trackingnot Ministry Brands
  • Event planningnot Ministry Brands
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Ministry Brands
  • Communicationnot Ministry Brands

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Ministry Brands

  • The legacy acquired brands and Amplify are different software, so a church buying Shelby or Fellowship One today is buying a product line that is not receiving the development investment.
  • Nothing is publicly priced at any level, so churches cannot compare modules against single-purpose competitors without running a full sales process.
  • Ministry Brands processes the giving, so the transaction rate is a large and negotiable part of the cost that is easy to overlook while comparing module subscriptions.
  • Module count creates upsell pressure, and churches often sign for a bundle then use three or four modules while paying for the rest.
  • Moving from a legacy brand onto Amplify is a full data migration with its own cost and risk, which weakens the argument that staying inside the family is the low-effort choice.

YouVersion

  • YouVersion states its entire Bible App family is free with no paid tier, which means there is no purchasable enterprise or institutional plan with an SLA for organizations wanting one.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ministry Brands

On request
  • Amplify$undefined/year
    • Modules bought individually or bundled
    • Priced by church size and modules selected
    • Giving processed by Ministry Brands at a negotiated transaction rate
  • Legacy products$undefined/year
    • Shelby Systems, Elexio, Fellowship One, easyTithe and others
    • Supported for existing customers
    • Not the go-forward investment line

YouVersion

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic Bible access
    • Reading plans
    • Devotionals
  • Premium$4.99/month
    • Audio Bible
    • Ad-free experience
    • Offline access

Which should you pick?

Choose Ministry Brands if

  • You need amplify people.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want amplify giving.
Ministry Brands review

Choose YouVersion if

  • You need multi-translation bible.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android, Smart TVs.
  • You also want reading plans.
YouVersion review

Questions people ask

Is Ministry Brands or YouVersion better?
Neither clearly leads. Ministry Brands starts at On request and YouVersion at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ministry Brands or YouVersion?
YouVersion has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Ministry Brands and Free for YouVersion.
Does Ministry Brands or YouVersion run on more platforms?
Ministry Brands runs on Web, iOS, Android. YouVersion runs on Web, IOS, Android, Smart TVs.
Can I use YouVersion for free?
Yes. YouVersion has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ministry Brands starts at On request.
What is Ministry Brands best used for?
Ministry Brands is most often used for a church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one login, a congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business software, running volunteer background checks under a child protection policy without a separate screening vendor, a denominational office standardising several congregations on one records and giving platform. Of those, a church that wants member records, giving, website and streaming from one vendor with one login and a congregation needing fund accounting that understands restricted funds rather than a general ledger adapted from business software are not what YouVersion is typically brought in for.
What can Ministry Brands do that YouVersion cannot?
Ministry Brands covers Amplify People, Amplify Giving, Amplify Accounting, Amplify Websites and Streaming. YouVersion covers Multi-translation Bible, Reading Plans, Audio Bible, Social Media Sharing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ministry Brands: What do I actually buy from Ministry Brands?

Amplify, sold as modules. The older acquired brands are still supported but are not what new customers are sold.

YouVersion: Is the Bible App free?

Yes, the Bible App and all YouVersion products are completely free. Users can read or listen to the Bible, explore Bible Plans, create Prayers, study with Friends, and more at no cost.

Source
Ministry Brands: Is pricing published?

No. Everything is quoted by church size and module selection, and the giving transaction rate is negotiated separately.

Ministry Brands: Are Shelby and Fellowship One discontinued?

They are supported but not the go-forward line. Ask for written end-of-support commitments before renewing.

Ministry Brands: Is Amplify Equip the same as Faithlife Equip?

No. Amplify Equip is an AI sermon preparation module. Faithlife Equip was a separate product that has been discontinued.

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