YouVersion Gives Away the Technology Behind the World’s Most-Downloaded Bible App

YouVersion, the ministry behind the Bible App, is making its Bible technology available for free to ministries, Bible organizations, and developers through YouVersion Platform. The announcement comes on the heels of YouVersion’s one-billion install celebration and marks a new chapter in its commitment to helping the global Church reach every person on earth with God’s Word.

YouVersion Platform allows any Scripture-based app or website to display the Bible in multiple versions and languages, using the technology that powers the Bible App. It gives free access to an embedded Bible reader featuring 1,487 Bibles from 36 publishers in 1,283 languages. It also provides high-level engagement analytics and the ability to sign in with YouVersion so users can sync highlights and preferences across apps, with more features in development.

For many ministries, two barriers have historically made it difficult to incorporate Scripture into their digital experiences: the resources required to build reliable Bible technology and the complexity of securing Bible licensing agreements. YouVersion Platform removes both barriers, saving ministries years of development and licensing negotiations that can cost millions of dollars.

“We don't see the Bible App as ours, but something we feel called to steward on behalf of the global Church. Part of stewarding it well is asking how we can make the Bible available to as many people as possible. When a ministry doesn’t have to spend years building what we’ve already built, it frees up resources to focus on doing what only they can do. That’s good for the global Church because it means more people are encountering God’s Word.”
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Bobby Gruenewald, YouVersion Founder and CEO

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Among the first ministries to use YouVersion Platform are BibleProject and Come and See, the non-profit behind the groundbreaking historical drama based on the life of Jesus, The Chosen. In fact, when Come and See surveyed their community about integrating Scripture into the viewing experience, the response was overwhelmingly positive. With YouVersion Platform, The Chosen will soon place Bible passages alongside the story of Jesus in their app, connecting viewers to source material in God's Word as they encounter it on screen.

“Through our ongoing collaboration with YouVersion, we are bringing The Bible App and The Chosen together through emerging technology. This powerful collaboration is bringing Scripture to life in a way that has never been done before. Now, through the YouVersion Platform, users can actually see the Scripture that inspired their favorite scenes in The Chosen. This is a long-awaited requested feature in The Chosen app that allows us to serve fans in a unique way.”
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James Barnett, CEO of Come and See

YouVersion Platform is also designed to serve developers and Bible publishers. Publishers like Biblica can extend the reach of their resources through a trusted distribution channel, while developers gain access to Bible technology and licensing that allow them to creatively share Scripture. YouVersion is also teaming up with Gloo to accelerate innovation in the faith-tech space through a virtual challenge and the AI Hackathon later this year.

YouVersion Platform launched in public beta in December 2025 and is now open for sign-ups at youversion.com/platform
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About Come and See

Come and See is a faith-based nonprofit that exists to invite everyone to encounter Jesus through exceptional storytelling that brings the Bible to life. Because of the generosity of supporters around the world, Come and See is focused on ensuring all seven seasons of The Chosen are produced, translated into 600 languages, made globally accessible, and free to all.