On October 28, 2025, YouVersion's "Bible App" surpassed 1 billion downloads. But even though a commercial version of the app would likely be worth several billion dollars, the nonprofit organization behind it says it is not for sale. The Bible App was created by Bobby Gruenewald who is a pastor and innovation leader at Life.Church based in Edmond, Oklahoma.
In 2007, it was just a free online Bible website. When the Apple App Store opened in 2008, the Bible App became one of the first 200 free apps available. That early visibility played a major role in its rapid global growth.
From the very beginning, YouVersion has been driven by a mission to make the Bible free for everyone, and that commitment still guides every choice they make today. Even as the user base grew into the hundreds of millions and eventually passed one billion, YouVersion has turned down all opportunities to monetize the platform.
According to YouVersion, its mission is to make it easier for people around the world to access the Bible and grow in their understanding of God. The Bible App is available in over 1,600 languages and offers access to over 2,400 versions of Scripture.
It does not include ads, paid subscriptions, premium content, or sell any user data. YouVersion has also declined acquisition interest from commercial companies. Gruenewald has said that selling the app would compromise its mission by shifting attention toward commercial incentives instead of spiritual impact.
"YouVersion is a not-for-profit, and we do not monetize anything. We do not sell any data. We do not have advertisements," Gruenewald said in an 2025 interview with Relevant Magazine.
The app is funded through donations and supported by Life.Church. This approach keeps their focus on helping people engage with Scripture rather than on generating revenue. Life.Church gives more to ministry and outreach than it receives in donations.
In 2024, the church received about $282.3 million in contributions and spent roughly $235.7 million on ministry programs and operations, according to audited financial statements reviewed by Stay Inspired News. A significant portion of the remaining funds were donor-restricted, meaning they were set aside for ministry projects specified by donors. Those ministry expenses include support for families, children, food programs, counseling services, outreach, and people in need across their communities.
The Bible App remains one of the most widely used digital faith tools in the world. It's also one of the few apps of its scale that has chosen mission and purpose over money.