Catholic Prayer App, Hallow: 6-Month Review
Is the $9.99 Premium Fee Worth It?
This review is not sponsored by Hallow or anybody who works for Hallow.
I discovered Hallow in the summer of 2023 and it caught my eye.
In the past, most Catholic applications that I came across were always dull and quite mediocre.
I had been searching for an app that focuses on guiding me through prayer, but also one that includes readings from the Bible.
Hallow did just that.
With Hallow, you can have everything in one place.
In this review, I will go over what exactly makes Hallow convenient, and everything you get with the free version vs. the paid version.
App Layout
The layout of the app is very pleasing to the eye.
The minimal layout keeps the focus on the meditations provided, and there are never any advertisements that pop up (even on the free version!).
The menu bar at the bottom of the screen allows for easy navigation and makes it difficult to get lost within the app.
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Free Hallow
There are some great things that the free version of Hallow offers!
Some of these are,
Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike
Catechism in a Year with Fr. Mike
Daily Gospel (5, 10, 15 mins)
Daily Rosary
Divine Mercy
Daily Meditation
Daily Mass Readings
Homilies — Fr. Mike Schmitz
One of the things that I love about Hallow is the fact that they give access to everything you need to pray in your daily life.
I use the Hallow app to pray while I drive, or just to listen to a “The Bible in a Year” segment.
The convenience of being able to wake up in the morning, start my Keurig, and start the daily Gospel readings is amazing.
Hallow also has a streak statistic to remind you that consistency is key when trying to develop a closer relationship with God.
The app also sends you prayer reminders, and these can be convenient when I am exceptionally busy, or just when I show my humanity and forget for no good reason.
Paid Version of Hallow
I have been using Hallow Premium since July, and I love it!
The benefit of the paid version mainly derives from the ability to create scheduled routines and communities within the app.
The scheduled routines are one of my favorite features of the paid version. Every morning, I have my daily readings and reflections set up to remind me 30 minutes after I get up.
This schedule keeps me accountable, and the “dailies” by Jeff Cavins offer great insight that you can only have by paying for the premium feature.
Other Benefits of the Paid Subscription
Music — 450 music tracks from artists like Instrumental Beats by Matt Fradd (Catholic Lofi), Sean Beeson, The Vigil Project, and Kat Hammock.
Audiobooks — Story of A Soul (Autobiography of St Therese of Lisieux), Searching For Peace by Fr. Jacques Phillipe, Presence of God (Life of Brother Lawrence), Intro to Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales, etc.
Guided Challenges — These are longer “deep dives” into areas of the faith and include the “Our Father” challenge (9 unique sessions), “Stations of the Cross” challenge (14 unique sessions), Saints in 7 days, 33-day Marian Consecration and St. Michael Chaplet.
Music
The music feature on the paid subscription of Hallow is very well-curated.
Whilst reading/studying for exams in university, I love to turn on the Lo-fi beats and focus.
The playlist is curated of classic Christian instrumentals and is very relaxing to listen to.
I am not a huge fan of classic worship music, so this playlist still allows me to listen to holy music in my kind of way.
Audiobooks
I have not used the audiobook function of the subscription, so I can’t give an honest review of them.
Guided Challenges
This, by far, is what separates Hallow from any other Catholic application I have had on my phone.
The challenges on the platform are simply immaculate.
I just finished one that they ruled out during Advent, and it was a great experience.
Every day, there would be a 10-minute reflection on certain things about Advent.
They incorporate quotes/readings from C.S. Lewis and other Catholic authors who offer great advice on humanity.
I learned a lot about myself, and my faith in this past challenge.
I’m very much looking forward to participating in the Lent 2024 challenge!
Is the $9.99/month Subscription Worth It?
For me, yes.
I ended up buying the yearly subscription at $69.99/year ($6.00/month).
I would not pay for Hallow monthly.
The “routine” service of the app and the insights from the daily reflections with Jeff Cavins make the subscription worth it for me.
I use a lot of the features on the app and love the music playlists that it comes with.
The meditations are incomparable to other Catholic apps and the guides are very helpful.
You don’t need to buy premium to effectively use the app.
If you don’t see yourself using the mourning routines and just want to listen to the rosary, then the free version is perfect for you.
There truly is a lot offered by Hallow in the free version and it makes me happy that they are not withholding the mysteries of the Lord for money.
That is not very common in today’s world.
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God Bless,
Chris
