Hallow: Review of the Catholic Prayer App and Alternatives

Hallow is the world’s No. 1 Catholic app, founded in the United States in 2018 by Alex Jones, Alessandro DiSanto, and Erich Kerekes. The app offers daily rosaries, lectio divina, examinations of conscience, and “Bible in a Year,” narrated by Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt, and Jonathan Roumie (star of *The Chosen*), among others. The Hallow Pro plan costs €9.99/month or €69.99/year. The app has seen 200% growth since 2023. Here is a detailed review, pricing, and a comparison with Hozana (a free French competitor), Magnificat, and Pray.com.

Key points to remember

• Hallow is the world's #1 Catholic app, founded in 2018 in the U.S.
• Co-founders: Alex Jones, Alessandro DiSanto, Erich Kerekes
• Growth of 200% since 2023; the religious segment is booming
• Price for 2026: €9.99/month for Hallow Pro, €69.99/year (~€5.83/month)
• Voices: Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt, Jonathan Roumie, Gwen Stefani, Liam Neeson
• Lead investor: Peter Thiel (co-founder of PayPal)
• Free French-language alternative: Hozana (1 million+ users)

What is the Hallow app?

Hallow is a Catholic prayer app founded in 2018 in Chicago by Alex Jones (CEO), Alessandro DiSanto, and Erich Kerekes. All three are former McKinsey consultants who have transitioned into the field of digital spiritual development. In just a few years, the app has become the world’s leading Catholic app.

• Founded in the U.S. in 2018 by three former McKinsey consultants
• Availability in France — since 2022, interface partially translated
• Catalog — 10,000+ prayer sessions, meditations, and Bible readings
• Growth — +200% since 2023
• Lead investor — Peter Thiel (co-founder of PayPal, founder of Founders Fund)
• Positioning — the "Calm" of Catholic Prayer

What will Hallow's prices be in 2026?

Hallow operates on a freemium model: some content is available for free, while most of it requires a Hallow Pro subscription. The annual subscription offers the best value.

• Offer|Price|Monthly equivalent|Content
• Free|€0|—|Daily Rosary, Bible in a Year (limited)
• Hallow Pro Monthly | €9.99/month | €9.99 | Full Catalog
• Hallow Pro Annual|€69.99/year|~€5.83|Everything + early access to event series

Compared to Calm ($69.99/year) or Headspace ($65.99/year), Hallow Pro’s annual subscription falls within the same price range—but with a unique religious focus at this price point.

What does the Hallow app include?

The Hallow catalog covers all aspects of Catholic practice, from daily prayers to Lenten and Advent retreats. The content is regularly updated with special series (Lent Pray40, Pray25, etc.).

Spiritual content

• Daily Rosary — all versions (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, Luminous)
• Lectio Divina — meditation on Scripture according to the monastic tradition
• The Chaplet of Divine Mercy — a prayer by Sister Faustina
• Examination of Conscience — a daily Ignatian exercise
• Readings and Reflections for Today's Mass
• Bible in a Year — a 12-month audio program
• Catechism in a Year — The Catechism of the Catholic Church in 365 Days
• Christian music and liturgical hymns
• Christian Bedtime Stories — Spiritual Sleep Stories

Voices and Personalities

One of Hallow's defining features is the inclusion of well-known voices—mostly American—that have helped make the app popular with the general public.

• Mark Wahlberg — Lent Pray40 Challenge (fasting and discipline during Lent)
• Chris Pratt — Pray40 2026
• Jonathan Roumie — lead actor in the series *The Chosen* (Jesus)
• Gwen Stefani — Partnership 2026
• Tucker Carlson — narration from a previous Lenten program
• Liam Neeson — narrator of several series
• Jim Caviezel — actor in *The Passion of the Christ* (Mel Gibson, 2004)

Want to enjoy Hallow without paying full price? With a shared subscription, you can split the cost by legally sharing your subscription with other verified users. Find out how it works on spliiit

Who is funding Hallow, and why is it growing so fast?

Since its inception, the app has attracted major investors, the best known of whom is Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir and a long-time investor in Facebook. His Founders Fund has participated in several funding rounds for Hallow.

• Peter Thiel via Founders Fund — lead investor
• OSV (Our Sunday Visitor) Institute — Publishing Partnership
• EWTN — American Catholic network, distribution partnership
• 200% growth since 2023 — driven by celebrity partnerships
• Ranked No. 1 in the App Store's Lifestyle/Religion category in the U.S.

The digital faith-based ecosystem is experiencing a broader boom, as we detail in our 2026 Well-Being Guide.

How does Hallow compare to other Catholic apps?

Four apps dominate the Catholic market in 2026, each with a distinct focus (premium, free, liturgical, multi-denominational).

• Application|Price|Origin|Main feature
• Hallow|$9.99/month or $69.99/year|USA|Premium catalog, famous voices
• Hozana|Free|France|Prayer communities, novenas, 1 million+ users
• Magnificat|~€27/year|France|Daily Office and Liturgy
• Pray.com|~$9.99/month|USA|Multi-denominational Christian prayer

Hozana — the free French alternative

Hozana is a free French platform launched in 2014 that claims to have over 1 million users. It offers novenas, retreats, and prayer communities organized by intention. Unlike Hallow, its content is primarily text-based and community-driven, without high-quality audio production.

Magnificat — the Daily Liturgy

Magnificat is the app for the eponymous magazine, a leading resource for daily liturgy in French (daily readings, prayers, and meditations). The annual subscription costs around €27, but does not include Hallow’s audio meditation feature.

Pray.com — the multi-faith alternative

Pray.com is a U.S.-based app that serves multiple denominations (Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox). Its pricing is comparable to Hallow, at around $9.99 per month, but it has a broader appeal (less Catholic-centric).

What are the advantages and limitations of Hallow?

Benefits

• The most comprehensive catalog in the premium Catholic segment
• High-quality voice talent for premium audio production (Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Roumie)
• Event Programs — Lent, Advent, Themed Retreats
• "Bible in a Year" and "Catechism in a Year " — popular long-term reading plans
• Compatible with Apple Watch and CarPlay, making prayer in the car easier
• Offline mode — sessions can be downloaded
• Community — Prayer Groups (Hallow Circle) Among Friends

Disadvantages

• Partial French interface — much of the content remains in English
• Limited representation of French voices — Anglo-Saxon dominance in the catalog
• High price vs. Hozana (free) for a French-speaking audience
• Focus on the U.S. — American spiritual sensibilities that sometimes differ from the French context
• No other community platform offers as comprehensive a selection of prayer intentions as Hozana
• Investor Peter Thiel — may be a source of hesitation for some users

Save up to 70% on your Hallow subscription with a shared subscription. spliiit verified users so they can legally share seats on a family plan. See how it works.

How can I save money on Hallow?

There are several ways to lower your annual app bill without giving up the Pro version.

• Switch to the annual plan — €69.99/year instead of €119.88 (12 × €9.99), a 42% discount
• Family Offer — Hallow offers a family plan that can be shared with loved ones
• Co-subscription — a specialized platform like spliiit finding verified co-subscribers
• Free account — available for the daily rosary and the limited version of Bible in a Year
• Trial period — 7- to 14-day free trials are regularly available
• Free alternative — Hozana in French for the community aspect

Which option is right for you?

Here are our recommendations based on your practice and language preferences.

• For a practicing English-speaking Catholic: Annual Hallow Pro, an unrivaled catalog
• For French speakers on a zero budget: Hozana (free, French-language communities)
• For the daily liturgy in French: Magnificat (~€27/year)
• For the Rosary and Lenten programs: Hallow for high-quality audio
• For a multi-denominational approach: Pray.com (U.S., multi-Christian)
• For the well-known voices (Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt): Exclusively on Hallow
• To split the cost: Hallow Family via a shared subscription platform

To understand Hallow within the broader context of digital well-being, read our 2026 Well-Being Guide. To compare it with secular meditation apps, check out our Petit Bambou review or our comparison of Petit Bambou, Calm, and Headspace. See also how to share Hallow, share Petit Bambou, share Headspace, and our comparison of Les Mills+ vs. iFit for the fitness aspect.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hallow available in French?

Partially. The interface has been translated into French since 2022, but much of the audio content remains in English. Some programs are subtitled or dubbed. For a fully French experience, Hozana or Magnificat are better options.

Is Hallow really backed by Peter Thiel?

Yes. Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund has participated in several funding rounds for Hallow. Thiel is a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, and one of Silicon Valley’s leading investors. This information is public and has been confirmed by the app’s official communications.

Can I use Hallow for free?

Yes, in part. The daily rosary and part of "Bible in a Year" are available for free. The full catalog (Lectio Divina, examinations of conscience, well-known voices, retreats) requires a Hallow Pro subscription at €9.99/month or €69.99/year.

Why has Hallow seen over 200% growth since 2023?

This growth can be attributed to three factors: a strong partnership with public figures (Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt, Jonathan Roumie), the success of Wahlberg’s Lent Pray40 Challenge, and a broader trend of young American adults rediscovering religion.

Is Hozana a real free alternative to Hallow?

Yes to the community aspect and prayers in French. Hozana offers novenas, retreats, and prayer intentions, and has over a million French-speaking users. The audio production is more modest than Hallow’s, but the French-language content is more in-depth.

Who is Jonathan Roumie, the voice actor for Hallow?

Jonathan Roumie is the lead actor in the television series *The Chosen* (2017–present), in which he plays Jesus. He narrates several programs on Hallow, including the daily Rosary. His voice is one of the most popular on the app.

Can you share a Hallow subscription with your family?

Hallow offers a family plan that allows you to share it with loved ones. To share it with people outside your immediate family, co-subscription platforms like spliiit . See our Hallow sharing guide.