- Starting price
- $9.99/month after 7-day trial
- Free tier
- No
- Platforms
- iPhone · iPad · Apple Silicon Mac compatibility
- Developer
- Iron Hill Press, LLC
- Launched
- 2022
- Updated
- Aug 3, 2026
The verdict
STRIVE has a coherent idea: give Christian men one place for daily Scripture-rooted devotion, practical articles and sermons rather than asking them to assemble a routine from a general Bible app and scattered podcasts. Iron Hill Press still promotes the product and the $99.99 yearly option saves about $20 versus twelve monthly payments. The decisive problem is maintenance. Version 1.0.25 has not changed since May 13, 2022, the former Android app is gone, the public page does not show a dated content catalog, and early App Store reviews report white screens and surprise at the paywall. Start the seven-day trial only after confirming the app opens, current material loads and cancellation is visible. Do not prepay for a year based on a four-year-old listing and undated testimonials.
Try STRIVE Men's Bible Study ↗Opens ironhillpress.com
STRIVE is a subscription Bible study and devotional app for men from Iron Hill Press. Its advertised library combines daily devotions, articles addressing faith and men’s life, sermon archives and additional discipleship resources. Founder Andy Blanks also develops men’s books, conferences and long-form group curricula, so the app sits inside a larger publishing ministry rather than operating as a generic devotional aggregator.
The exact product is Strive Men’s Bible Study App, App Store ID 1614281648. It launched in March 2022, reached version 1.0.25 two months later and has received no listed iOS update since May 13, 2022. Apple still offers the download and subscriptions, and Iron Hill Press still maintains a promotional page saying the app is available. Continued sale, however, does not demonstrate that feeds, login, media playback, links or new daily material are being maintained.
The app’s 3.0 average comes from only 13 US ratings. Positive feedback praises Scripture-rooted material. Negative reviews from launch mention a white screen, inability to reach content and discovering the fee only after submitting a name and email. The developer said one white-screen issue was fixed in April 2022, but there is no recent review base or version history from which to infer current reliability.
This researched review uses Iron Hill Press’s current product page and privacy notice, the exact Apple listing, version history, subscription records, the linked app-platform privacy policy and faith.tools. We did not create an account, start a trial, verify a fresh daily item, watch the sermon archive, test cancellation, inspect the former Android build, or conduct doctrinal, accessibility, privacy, security or source-code testing. Because the maintenance gap is central, readers should treat functionality as unverified until the trial proves otherwise.
✓ The good
- Focused audience - the writing addresses men’s discipleship instead of presenting another all-purpose devotional shelf
- Simple content mix - daily devotions, practical articles and sermon archives can support a repeatable morning routine
- Seven-day trial - users can test the current app before the first paid renewal if they track the deadline
- Clear current store prices - Apple lists $9.99 monthly and $99.99 yearly rather than hiding the subscription amount completely
- Established publisher - Iron Hill Press continues to produce substantial men’s books, studies and conference material outside the app
- Low platform requirement - iOS 11 support keeps the binary compatible with many older Apple devices
✗ Watch out
- Four-year maintenance gap - the last listed iOS update was May 13, 2022 despite an active paid subscription
- Android removal - the former Google Play product is no longer a current option, reducing reach and raising continuity questions
- Unverified content cadence - the marketing page does not publish a dated sample, author roster, archive size or last-new-content date
- Poor small-sample rating - 3.0 from 13 ratings includes complaints about blank screens and paywall disclosure
- Account before value - Apple says the app links name and email to the user, and an early reviewer reported learning the price only after registration
- Generic legacy policy - the linked 2018 app-platform notice covers location, broad identifiers, remarketing and many services without a STRIVE-specific data map
- No documented accessibility - Apple shows no developer-submitted accessibility support and the app predates many current platform features
- Subscription dependence - server feeds, authentication and media can fail even while the old binary remains downloadable
Best for
- Adult Christian men who specifically value Iron Hill Press or Andy Blanks material and can test every important function during the trial
- Users comfortable with an iOS-only subscription and a small, publisher-shaped content ecosystem
- Men who want a short devotional, related article and occasional sermon rather than deep Bible-language or commentary tools
- Existing subscribers who can verify they are still receiving fresh content and have a working account export or cancellation path
Avoid if
- You need an actively maintained app, Android support, cross-device sync guarantees or current accessibility documentation
- You want a free Bible, offline library, many translations, group administration or a transparent dated content catalog
- You cannot inspect the renewal screen and cancel within the seven-day trial if the app is stale or broken
- Your church needs a dependable multi-year curriculum license; Iron Hill Press’s downloadable group studies are a different product and may fit better
- Masculinity language centered on one evangelical publisher does not match your church’s theology, pastoral approach or family context
What STRIVE Men's Bible Study is
STRIVE is a publisher-led devotional membership, not a full-featured Bible study engine. The app organizes short recurring content for men: daily devotions, practical articles, sermon media and related resources. Its promise is curation and relevance, not an enormous translation library, original-language research or community platform.
Iron Hill Press separately sells books, five-week studies and 40-week video curricula for men’s groups. Those products are not included merely because a user subscribes to STRIVE. The app is individual access billed through Apple; churches should compare a durable group curriculum purchase rather than assume one subscription licenses public showing or participant copies.
A men’s devotional can be specific without turning stereotypes into doctrine
Focused writing can name pressures that generic devotionals miss: fatherhood, marriage, work, sexual integrity, spiritual leadership, friendship and the reluctance some men feel about asking for help. A consistent editorial voice can also connect daily reflection to a deeper group study rather than scattering attention across unrelated contributors.
The danger is reducing discipleship to a narrow performance of masculinity. Men differ in age, marital status, disability, culture, vocation, temperament and trauma. Churches should examine whether the app centers Christ, Scripture, repentance, tenderness and service or merely reinforces provider, warrior and leader clichés. No app should pressure disclosure, conceal abuse or equate emotional silence with maturity.
Daily devotions offer a low-friction entry into Scripture
A short daily item can help a user begin before work or during a commute. STRIVE’s niche is pairing biblical reflection with applications written for men rather than asking users to search a broad plan catalog. The product page still promotes this routine, and favorable store feedback specifically mentions beginning mornings with it.
During the trial, verify that the date changes, Scripture references open, prior days remain accessible and content is genuinely recent. Read the whole biblical passage, not only an excerpt and application. A devotional is most useful as a doorway into Scripture; it becomes weak when the publisher’s point replaces the text.
Articles and sermons extend the daily prompt—if their archive is alive
Articles can address marriage, fatherhood, faith and Christian practice at more length, while sermon archives provide audio or video for users who learn by listening. Keeping these formats in one app is convenient and can build continuity across a ministry’s teaching voice.
The public page supplies no current article count, sermon count, author list, denominational statement or latest publication date. Before paying, open several archive entries, inspect dates, test playback on mobile data and Wi-Fi, and confirm captions or transcripts. A static four-year library may still contain good teaching, but it should be sold and described as an archive rather than an active daily service.
A simple account and subscription create more operational risk than they appear to
Apple says the app may link name and email to the user for functionality and personalization. The binary is old enough that server or authentication changes can break access without an App Store update. Because content lives behind login and subscription, a functioning download icon is not a meaningful availability test.
Use a unique password if the service still accepts password login, do not reuse church credentials and save the Apple subscription receipt. Confirm where account deletion lives and whether deleting an account affects paid access. The linked platform policy is generic and older than the app, so ask Iron Hill Press for the specific processor, retention and deletion flow if those answers matter.
Pricing
Seven-day trial
$0 for 7 days
Registration is required. Confirm the exact renewal timestamp on Apple’s purchase sheet and test login, current content, video and cancellation immediately.
STRIVE monthly
$9.99/month
The lower-commitment option. Twelve months at the unchanged price total $119.88.
STRIVE yearly
$99.99/year
About $8.33 per month and $19.89 less than twelve monthly payments, but risky until current operation and content cadence are proven.
STRIVE provides a seven-day free trial and then renews through Apple at $9.99 monthly or $99.99 yearly. There is no documented permanent free tier. The yearly plan saves about 17% relative to twelve monthly charges.
Monthly is the rational first paid choice because the app has not been updated since 2022. Test beyond the onboarding screen: open the current devotion, several older articles, sermon media, account settings, privacy controls and support. Take screenshots of dates and errors. If fresh content or core functions are missing, cancel before the trial ends.
Apple subscriptions normally renew automatically unless canceled through the Apple account at least 24 hours before the period ends. Deleting STRIVE does not cancel billing. The publisher should display price before collecting registration data; regardless of the current flow, users should read Apple’s purchase sheet rather than relying on an undated landing page.
For a church group, compare Iron Hill Press’s separately licensed downloadable curricula. A one-time study purchase can provide leader guides, participant structure and durable access, whereas a personal app subscription may not permit group distribution and depends on a service that has not shipped an update in four years.
Where STRIVE Men's Bible Study falls behind
Ship a maintenance release. Support current iOS, restore or formally retire Android and publish a service-status history.
Show content freshness. Date the latest devotion, article and sermon; publish archive counts, authors and the promised update cadence.
Move price disclosure before registration and explain trial timing, refunds, renewal, cancellation and account deletion in plain language.
Replace the generic 2018 platform policy with a STRIVE-specific map of account data, analytics, media hosting, push notifications and processors.
Document accessibility: captions, transcripts, Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, contrast, reduced motion, keyboard use and audio controls.
Publish doctrine and editorial standards, including author review, corrections, Scripture translations and boundaries for counseling or abuse content.
Provide export or durable access for saved items and explain what subscribers retain if the app or service closes.
STRIVE vs. He Reads Truth vs. Every Man Ministries
He Reads Truth offers polished, actively maintained Bible reading plans and community-shaped studies for men with a much larger operating history. It is the better default when current app support and structured passage reading matter. STRIVE has the more concentrated Iron Hill Press voice and sermon/archive proposition, but its update gap dominates the comparison.
Every Man Ministries focuses on sexual integrity, marriage and men’s discipleship through a broader media and ministry ecosystem. That specificity can help users seeking those subjects but is not a general daily Bible replacement. STRIVE is broader in everyday devotional themes; both should be evaluated for doctrinal fit and whether content leads to accountable local relationships.
YouVersion is the free baseline: many translations, audio Bibles and thousands of plans, including material for men. It lacks one consistent men’s publisher voice, yet it is actively maintained, cross-platform and does not require $99.99 a year for core Scripture reading. Pay STRIVE only if its unique current content is demonstrably worth the difference.
The bottom line
STRIVE’s content concept remains sensible. Men may benefit from Scripture-centered material that speaks directly to work, family, integrity, service and spiritual formation, and Iron Hill Press is still active in that ministry. But a subscription app is also software, authentication, feeds, billing, support and an ongoing promise. STRIVE has not published an iOS update since May 2022, its Android version is gone, its public catalog is undated and its only aggregate rating is 3.0 from 13 people. That does not prove the app is broken; it means the customer must not assume it is alive. Use the seven days as an operational audit, keep identifiable data minimal, pay monthly if it passes and cancel immediately if current content or core functions fail. A free Bible app plus a recent Iron Hill Press book or a real men’s group may deliver more durable formation with less subscription risk.
Alternatives to STRIVE Men's Bible Study
He Reads TruthAn actively maintained men’s Bible reading and study app with polished plans and a stronger current product footprint.
Every Man MinistriesA men’s discipleship and sexual-integrity ministry app with a broader media ecosystem and a different topical emphasis.
Men's MinistriesA free Assemblies of God men’s resource app with studies, events and ministry material, though its own update history should be checked.
YouVersionThe free cross-platform default for Bible reading, audio and a large catalog of men’s plans without a required subscription.Frequently asked questions
What is the STRIVE app?
STRIVE is an Iron Hill Press subscription app for men featuring daily Bible devotions, practical articles, sermon archives and related discipleship material.
How much does STRIVE cost?
Apple lists a seven-day trial followed by $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. There is no advertised permanent free tier.
Is STRIVE still active?
The iOS listing and official sales page remain live, but the last App Store update was May 13, 2022. Current content and functionality should be verified during the trial.
Is STRIVE available on Android?
No current Google Play listing was found. The product is presently offered through Apple for iPhone and iPad.
Why is STRIVE rated 3.0?
The score comes from only 13 US ratings. Early negative reviews mention white screens and paywall disclosure, while positive feedback praises the devotional content.
What data does STRIVE collect?
Apple says name and email may be linked to the user. The app links a broad 2018 platform privacy policy that also describes usage, identifiers, location, analytics and advertising practices, so a current app-specific explanation would be better.
Should I choose the yearly plan?
Only after the app proves reliable and current. Because it has not shipped an update since 2022, monthly billing is the safer first paid option despite the annual discount.
Sources & further reading
More Devotional Apps
Spoken GospelA reading plan that gives you a 3-minute spoken-word video on every chapter of the Bible - the rare Bible companion that actually changes how the page reads.
Following JesusFollowing Jesus gives new believers a free pocket companion for seven Christian foundations, devotionals, Bible reading, worship and video—useful immediately, though its iOS build and privacy label lag the much newer Subsplash Android app.
helloHOPEhelloHOPE offers free Scripture-centered encouragement, prayer, calming music and stories for families facing a child’s diagnosis—but advertising and cross-app tracking labels are a poor match for such a sensitive moment.
JO App (JesusOnline)JO App combines the complete NET Bible with daily inspiration, evangelical discipleship, apologetics, prayer requests, free books, and direct messages to its ministry team—but its breadth needs clearer content provenance, prayer safeguards, accessible privacy details, and more than an excellent rating from a very small audience.
EasterNowA free notification-led walk from Palm Sunday to Resurrection morning that makes Holy Week feel immediate—provided its reconstructed timing is held with humility.
Join The JourneyA free, church-built Bible rhythm that spends a week in one Acts passage and aligns reading, practice, podcast, and Sunday teaching—substantive, communal, and more transparent theologically than technically.