Accordance Bible Software Reviews

by Caper2

AccordanceBibleSoftware is great in many ways. I especially love how it gives one access to almost all the texts and tools that are available on the Mac app. Unfortunately it falls down in some important areas and, in some cases, gets in the way of you accomplishing what you want to accomplish. One example is highlighting. Want to highlight a line in a commentary? I wish you success. Most times it works okay but it’s still not as nearly as or intuitive or as easy as it is in iBooks. But at other times it is downright impossible. Using either your finger or the Apple Pencil you go to highlight a sentence and suddenly the next two or three paragraphs are highlighted, sometimes even discontinuously! What seems to be happening is that the bottom of your hand or wrist is being picked up as your finger, even though it’s nowhere near the screen. (I’ve tried to avoid this by trying to holding the Apple Pencil straight up and down but that doesn’t prevent it.) So I can just forget about highlighting the correct sentence, or spend the next 5 or 10 minutes trying to get just the sentence highlighted by trying over and over again, each time erasing the paragraph highlighting I don’t want, but it keeps happening over and over again. It’s an exercise in frustration. Unfortunately highlighting is one of the main things I want to do with the Accordance app for iOS. If the Accordance people could fix this I would rate their app 4 stars.

by DaveHebrewlearner

First let me say I download a free app from GTY and I get KJV, ESV, and NKJV for free. Go look at all the free or very inexpensive bible study tools you can download. I understand there is a premium price to pay and I am not coming months maiming about that but I expect a little bit better description and maybe a tour of your product if I am going to shell out from 99 to 300 bucks for a few more resources. Woo me a little bit more. I know you got your fans but please put a little more effort into it...this is not for your fans. At this point this is less about religion and more about investing and straight up businesses transactions. This is why I give it a one star. I know nothing about AccordanceBibleSoftware except I get the ESV which I can get for free just about anywhere else. So what does Accordance do for me? Heard a lot of good things about it from James White but I need a little bit more than this. Wet my appetite. I don’t have a MAC unless you started making Accordance for PC’s...this is it.

by Jfp14

I am running iOS 12.3.1 on an iPhone 6+ and have been using Accordance for years. The latest version of Accordance cross ref feature will let me select and display a ref verse when I first select a verse that I am studying but when I scroll down to the following verses and try to display a cross ref it will not display the cross ref verse. This makes the latest version of Accordance of limited or no use on my iPhone. I’ve searched your ‘help’ but could find no info addressing this problem. This problem exists whether the lower panel is linked or not linked.

The Problem: The latest version of Accordance requires one to scroll the notes window rather than the text window for the cross ref to work. This needs to be reversed so one scrolls the text window and the linked cross ref window follows and allows display of selected cross ref verses! It’s upside down!!!

by Harrypowers

I have used Accordance on my iPad for several years and DID like the previous version, even though the highlighting didn’t work well all the time—often it just wouldn’t highlight at all; especially if part of the verse was near the top of the page; it would sometimes highlight part of the verse but not all of it.

The latest version is especially bad. . .it has all the original errors in it as well as some new ones. ALL scripture, from Genesis through Revelation is off by one verse, e.g. John 3:16 now reads: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” I DO appreciate the free bible app and the people who provide it, but it does have some “glitches” that need to be fixed. The earlier version was pretty good but the latest version is TERRIBLE! Fortunately, I still have the earlier version on my iPhone and it does work reasonable well. DON’T UPGRADE TO THE LATEST VERSION UNTIL THEY FIX IT!

by Theophilus7777

First -- I'm not particularly happy that I'm basically forced into writing a review. The "Give Us a 5-Star Review" notification pops up every time I open AccordanceBibleSoftware . The only options are to either write a review or press the "maybe later" button. Turns out, the "maybe later" is every time I open AccordanceBibleSoftware . Not cool.

Second -- I would give AccordanceBibleSoftware 5 stars if it weren't for the fact that it locks up on the loading screen far too frequently (actually, even once would be too many times). I'm forced to delete AccordanceBibleSoftware , re-download it, and then pick through the many books, commentaries, etc. to download as well. I have found that the fewer items I select, the better chance I have of not needing to repeat the whole process. This is very frustrating, since I have purchased many, many resources over the years. Even when I download only a few items, AccordanceBibleSoftware may work well for a couple of weeks but then lock up again (without adding other items). Again, this is extremely frustrating -- especially in light of how much money I've paid over the years.

by Pastor Andy Fitz

I just recently was able to get an iPad Pro to replace my laptop which was coming to the end of its life after school. Since my paper writing days are pretty much over I thought an iPad would better suit my needs for future ministry. I love it so far but my biggest problem is with accordance. I have found that AccordanceBibleSoftware is really difficult to use on IOS vs my old MacBook. It’s difficult to use dictionaries and parse verbs. I’ll admit that I may just need to do a little more research in how to use accordance with IOS (maybe its just new and I don’t know how to use it yet). But I will say that after spending a few hours trying to figure it out that I feel AccordanceBibleSoftware on the IOS is much worse than on the MAC (maybe that’s the way all apps are on IOS vs actually laptops???). I am curious to see what Logos does with IOS. The only problem is that I’ve sunk a lot of money into accordance and feel like I can’t switch at this point...

by JL Garber

First thank you for a great app. I love Accordance and especially the LSB app. However, if I could strongly encourage you to do 1 thing it would be this. Give us tabs! Right now the most you can have open is 2 panes. If we could have tabs for text and then search and then lexicons, etc that would be amazing. They need to be user defined so each person can customize them. We need tabs. If we had that, the mobile version would be as usable as the desktop version. In my humble opinion that is the only thing stopping the mobile app from being as useful as the desktop version. Without that, or an app that can do everything in the screen the desktop version can do I am left wanting. Please add tabs.

by Nickname Frank. Mc

I was in the process of watching a video actually a number of them from Chris Roseburough- F4F Fighting for Faith- on YouTube-hope I spelled his name correctly. Anyway he had a deal up on his screen I’ve never seen or heard of so tried to get ahold of him on Facebook but I must have done it wrong so I contacted his church and they gave me the information for this program. I Love for one because I get to have it on my laptop and phone. It has a lot of tools. It will take awhile for me to familiarize w/ it but nonetheless I will do my best to figure it out, I believe there was a tutorial at the beginning I just need to find it again- I’m also new to smart phones so I’m getn there. Anyway thank you to the creators of this great tool

by DoxaPar

Accordance is, without a doubt, the best Bible study app in AccordanceBibleSoftware Store for both serious academic work and research as well as casual Bible reading.

It is simple enough and designed well enough that the new or inexperienced user can jump right in, and powerful enough that scholarly users won’t be left without the complex search capabilities found in desktop Bible study apps (including morphologically tagged original language searches).

The new UI has improved on this even more and has made navigation both easy and beautiful.

The ability to customize AccordanceBibleSoftware organization is excellent as well, making it simple to find the resources that are most important for you quickly.

Syncing between the desktop and mobile versions of Accordance is a feature that is not imperative and present in Accordance. Regardless of whether you did the work on mobile or the desktop version it’s synced between the two.

I can recommend Accordance without reservation.

by Torahinmyheart.com

I’ve had Accordance for 8 years after being frustrated with Logos and Olive Tree and their flawed BHS with Morphology programs. Once I tried Accordance I was done searching.

Now I have on one iPhone screen the Hebrew text with morphology and English translation. Plus I got the Hebrew recordings of both the Tenach and New Testament. I played Psalm 23 to an Israeli and he said, “Whoa, that’s not street Hebrew—that’s beautiful.” I’ve tried to mimic the pronunciation and I’ve been complimented on my pronunciation of memorized passages. One such comment came from an Israeli who taught Biblical Hebrew at university and said I pronounce Hebrew better than most Israelis. I don’t attribute that to talent on my part, rather to this amazing Accordance Hebrew resource.

I teach Hebrew and recommend to new students to skip right to the best: Accordance.

by Hansolow2000

I gave AccordanceBibleSoftware three stars because it’s pretty solid overall. However, the text search feature is really tedious and frustrating given that there’s just SO MUCH SCROLLING with each search of a text. This really takes up a lot of time when trying to find several texts at once; for example, while listening to a sermon in church and being given two or three bible texts to reference. If, let’s say, I look up Rev 22:20...I tap the menu button, but then have to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the list of bible books because they don’t all show up on the screen at once. Then I have to scroll all the way down to the chapter 22, then the same thing for the verse. It would really help if when we tapped the menu button, all the books were shown on the same pop up menu with no scrolling needed. Same thing for chapters and verses.

by Bfchris

It certainly is a huge challenge to convert the tremendous abilities of Accordance for Mac to run on iOS, but this is a valiant effort and the developers are always trying to improve things. I like this because all my resources (yes, DyreLogan, this is something you invest in building up over years) can be viewed while portable, not just when I'm home. Accordance is the workhorse Bible application, with Greek interlinear, tap to bring up notes and commentaries, highlighting, and loads of related resources (like Athanasius's book on the Incarnation and Bonhoeffer's Works). All of it currently syncs through Dropbox, but soon this will sync without that overhead. After years of buying and giving up resources when I moved to a new Bible study program, Accordance has been my mainstay for almost 20 years; that saves tons of money.

by Uncommon1

I have been in the Bible app for over six years. It’s a great app bc it has so many translations available. However it is also limited to the translation. Therefore if the translation does not have references you have to go to one that does. And then if it doesn’t have Greek and Hebrew you limited to the links in the text.

Unlike the Bible app, this has a great set of references. For example if you select grace, you get the Greek with a definition along with the number of times it’s used in the text throughout the Bible. This alone helps you understand more in depth the context of what is being said.

If you’re serious about the study of the Bible, this AccordanceBibleSoftware for you.

by GGaskins

I have been working with Accordance for ten years or so and I remained a big, big fan. As a resource for biblical scholars, Accordance is unbeatable. It’s not just that Accordance has a tremendous library of texts and resources, but it’s always growing. Software improvements and updates are regular and relevant to my work. More important than these things are Accordance’s people and it’s training. High-quality training webinars are held weekly, making it relatively easy to reach power-user status. And Accordance’s people are just great and delightful to work with ... to a person. Great product. Great company. (They really need more stars for this one!)

by MathWise

I love AccordanceBibleSoftware for Bible study! It really shines on mobile devices because it is both powerful and fast (and I have used other expensive Bible apps as well). I have used it on about seven devices over the past several years, and I’ve never had a problem with it. The interface is beautiful, and easily customizable. You can change the fonts and font sizes and backgrounds quickly and easily. You can include additional resources into a panel quickly and navigate efficiently. AccordanceBibleSoftware is rock solid and a joy to use. Accordance has resources for Bible students at all levels. Very enjoyable and profitable to use. Highly recommended!

by JH From AK

Great Bible app! The resources that Accordance offers are fewer than say Logos but they are all top of the line in the field of Bible study and very affordable and in a way help narrow down what you are looking for. I have a crossover package and it is by far the best collection of resources I have. The instant details feature is one of the most helpful I’ve encountered. Also, Accordance for the computer is probably the best for original language studies which I do a lot of. I would recommend AccordanceBibleSoftware to anyone interested in deeper Bible study, and the computer version is a must for any student of the original languages.

by Eric In RTP

Accordance is in my estimation the best Bible software package out there. Using it for over 20 years, it has undergone quite a lot of change. But at the heart is a fast and sophisticated search engine and high quality content suited for serious church goers all the way through pastors, people in ministry, and scholars. It does not do global searches, and the extended popular reading library is not as large as its main competitor, but it truly has the quality sources for in depth study at a quantity that usually makes those weaknesses irrelevant. If you have any serious mind to invest in a Bible software package, Accordance is my first choice. I use it consistently in my ministry.

by Todd D Vasquez

As a scholar of the Bible, Accordance Bible has been my “go to” program for serious research in the original languages of Greek and Hebrew. The search function is unrivaled by other programs and the ease with which you can highlight and capture notes and have them sync across all of your devices is seamless. Invest in some quality translations and commentaries and some tagged versions of Greek and Hebrew texts and you will not be disappointed. There is also nothing better for those wishing to study the Dead Sea scrolls of Qumran or the primary texts of the early Church Fathers. A+++

by Aiwilliams

I’ve tried a number of other similar apps, including the most downloaded and highest rated apps in AccordanceBibleSoftware Store. None of them matches the simplicity and speed of Accordance. It seems that development has slowed down considerably since the early days, but I still love AccordanceBibleSoftware and trust my highlights and notes to it.

I’ve been an Accordance user since before the iPhone. I’ve invested substantially in content. I think they could innovate on desktop, mobile, and web, but I hope the day to day use is never hindered by an over dependency on connectivity and social media envy.

by Graves -> Gardens

Found this while recently looking for a more privacy-respectful Bible app, and this seems to be a really good option. I love the clean, distraction free look, and the way it opens directly to the scripture, once installed.

The only thing holding me back from making the switch is current lack of support for TB (or any other) Indonesian translation, as that’s my wife’s native language, and we want to both be studying from the same app. I see there are many other international translations available in the store; I hope an Indonesian language translation becomes available for purchase there soon!

by Maxmaidoug

Thank you very much, helps me with my fellowship with my Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus Christ. I am one that tends not to focus very well, AccordanceBibleSoftware helps me to get down to the point. The computer is an awesome tool in which AccordanceBibleSoftware for example makes it easier and less time consuming. Even though this is awesome there is nothing like searching and turning the pages of God’s Word, nothing. But this is one tool in my arsenal of studying the Word of God. Yes the computer is awesome, but if not used right, it can be dangerous, but I digress. Thank you so much, I would recommend this to anyone. God Bless!

by William Zeitler

I have both Logos and Accordance. Logos has enormously more resources but I find them hard to use. About 90% of the time I want to just immerse myself in the (greek and Hebrew) Text. Accordance works really well for that — all I really want is to be able to highlight and look up a word that I don’t know and press on. Accordance is a lean well oiled machine for that use case, and also works well for looking up said word in multiple lexicons, and for doing nuanced word searches. But if you want to know what 89 different commentaries have to say, then you want Logos. There are times when I want to survey 89 different commentaries so I fire up Logos for that. But I always find Logos slow, confusing and awkward —- but the resources available are vast! Having both is the best of both worlds, but your mileage may vary.

by DNewell777

After years of using Accordance, I find it to be a very powerful tool on my IPAD. As an example I can find a book of the Bible and a passage with ease and efficiency. It seems like a different matter on my laptop/desktop program. The adjoining pop up windows are confusing and not intuitive. Turning to a Bible Book and specific passage is relatively arduous when compared to the IPAD. I have to go find the drop down Bible list, look for the Book and then click on it.

It just seems more complicated and less efficient.

by Andrufus Ombudsman

I love Accordance. Highly recommend it. And the iOS versions on my iPhone & iPad are great. I agree with the following summary:

Accordance Bible software is a great tool for those who want to go deeper in their study and understanding of the Bible. The library of available resources that can be purchased through their site is incredibly vast. AccordanceBibleSoftware makes a very handy companion to the software. You can select only the resources you most want to be downloaded to your device. If you’ve got the software you should definitely take advantage of AccordanceBibleSoftware !

by Scootie_n_co

Overall accordance is fantastic and has many excellent features and design. However, I frequently will add a note, hit “done” then the note simply does not show up. Also, I’ve had trouble finding all of my purchases in the easy install section. For instance, I’ve purchased the timeline package and have it installed on my computer. I even synced my computer with my iPad, but only the sampler will show up.
Other than those couple issues, great app!