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Compare Orthodox apps

Orthodox Daily Companion
vs Athon

Two Orthodox Christian apps for iPhone, built for different jobs. Here is what each is for, where each stops, and how to choose.

We make Orthodox Daily Companion, so we have kept to what each app’s own listing shows, checked on , and we say where ours stops too.

Orthodox Daily CompanionOurs

Best for
A daily rule you actually keep
Made by
Lives of the Saints
Runs on
iPhone & iPad

Our own app, and the one we built because nothing else put the whole day in one place: the saint commemorated today, the appointed readings, morning and evening prayer laid out so you can pray them rather than assemble them, and the fasting rule for the date you are standing in.

What it does

  • Free to download, with the daily synaxarion, prayers, and a daily saying included
  • A Home Screen widget and prayer reminders, so the rule reaches you before you go looking for it
  • A private journal kept on the device, not on our servers
  • Both reckonings - every feast marked under Julian and Revised Julian alike

Where it stops. iPhone and iPad only. If you are on Android, use the Lives of the Saints web app in a browser instead.

View on the App Store ↗

Athon: Orthodox Bible

Best for
Scripture study alongside the prayer rule
Made by
Product Tech SRL
Runs on
iPhone, iPad & Android

The most Bible-forward of the Orthodox apps we have reviewed. Athon builds outward from the Orthodox scriptures rather than from the calendar, so the readings come with study material around them instead of standing alone.

What it does

  • The Orthodox Bible with daily appointed readings
  • A prayer library with audio, reminders, and a morning and evening rule
  • More than 900 lives of the saints
  • Feast and fasting calendars, plus guided Bible studies

Where it stops. The breadth is the point, which also makes it the heaviest app here to learn. If you only want today's saint and today's readings, it is more than you need.

View on the App Store ↗
How to choose

Pick the app for the job.

Choose Athon for scripture study alongside the prayer rule.

Choose Orthodox Daily Companion for a daily rule you actually keep: the saints of the day, the readings, the morning and evening prayers, and the fast in one place, on the Old or New calendar, with a Home Screen widget and prayer reminders. See what is inside.

Or keep both - plenty of people use one app for the day’s rule and another for study or listening.

Questions

Before you download,
the honest answers.

Which is better, Athon or Orthodox Daily Companion?
It depends on the job. Athon is best for scripture study alongside the prayer rule. Orthodox Daily Companion is best for a daily rule you actually keep: the saints, the readings, the prayers, and the fast for the day in one place, on the Old or New calendar.
Is Athon on Android?
Yes - Athon runs on iPhone, iPad & Android. Orthodox Daily Companion is for iPhone and iPad only; on Android, the Lives of the Saints web app runs in any modern browser.
Is Orthodox Daily Companion free?
Yes, it is free to download, and the free app includes the daily synaxarion, the prayers, and a daily saying. Optional premium features are purchased through Apple.
Can I use both?
Yes. Plenty of people keep one app for the day's rule and another for study or listening, and nothing in either app stops you.
§ Other comparisons

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Ours vs OrthoPrax

Best for matching your parish's exact reckoning.

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Ours vs Daily Readings (GOA)

Best for the Greek Archdiocese lectionary, officially.

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Ours vs Orthodox Calendar

Best for a dense, everything-at-once reference.

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The whole field

The best Orthodox apps

Seven apps, what each is for, and six questions to ask first.

Explore

Try ours,
and keep the one that suits you.

Orthodox Daily Companion is free to download for iPhone and iPad. On Android or a computer, the web app runs in any browser.

Mobile · iPhone & iPadDownload on App StoreWeb app · Any browserOpen web app