Is Hallow a Catholic App? An Honest, Traditional Look

Yes, Hallow is a Catholic app. It was founded by Catholics, its prayers and devotions are Catholic — the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet (a modern devotion, outside the 1962 books, whose spread the Holy See restricted from 1959 to 1978), lectio divina on the day's readings, night prayer — and it presents itself plainly as a Catholic prayer app. It has helped a great many people begin to pray again, and that is a real good. What most people who ask "is the Hallow app Catholic?" also want to know is what kind of Catholic prayer it carries, what it costs, and whether it serves those who keep the traditional Roman rite. Here is a factual answer to each.

What the Hallow app is

Hallow is an audio-first prayer and meditation app. Its own App Store listing describes "over 10,000 different sessions on contemplative prayer, meditation, Catholic Bible readings, music, and more." In practice that means:

• Daily prayers — lectio divina on the day's Gospel, the Rosary, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, each guided by a narrator;
• Scripture — a "Bible in a Year" programme and Bible stories, some read by well-known voices such as the actor Jonathan Roumie;
• The Hours — sessions such as Night Prayer from the modern Liturgy of the Hours;
• Music and sleep — chant and meditative music, and sleep sessions;
• Seasonal challenges — Lent, Advent and similar programmes prayed together by its users.

The app is available on iOS and Android, and its listing names seven languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Polish. It is polished, easy to use, and carefully produced.

Is the Hallow app Catholic? Who made it

Hallow was launched at the end of 2018 by Alex Jones, its chief executive, with Alessandro DiSanto and Erich Kerekes, three graduates of the University of Notre Dame. Jones has spoken publicly of drifting from the Faith and finding his way back through the Church's tradition of meditation, and the app grew out of that return. The company, Hallow, Inc., is a private, venture-backed business based in Chicago.

Its content is Catholic in substance: the prayers are the Church's prayers, the Scripture sessions follow the Church's daily readings, and its sessions are led by priests, religious and lay Catholics. So to the question "is Hallow a Catholic app or a Christian app?" the answer is: Catholic. Anyone may use it, and many non-Catholic Christians do, but it does not water its Catholicism down for them.

Which Catholic tradition does Hallow follow?

This is the real distinction, and it is a matter of fact rather than of judgement. Hallow is built on the current, post-conciliar books and calendar: its daily readings follow the modern lectionary, its Hours sessions come from the Liturgy of the Hours promulgated after the Council, and its feasts follow the reformed calendar. It also offers some older riches — a Latin Rosary, for instance, and chant among its music — but these sit inside a modern framework. It does not carry the traditional Roman rite: the Mass of the 1962 Missal with its proper texts, the Office of the 1962 Roman Breviary, or the traditional calendar with Septuagesima, the Ember days and the old octaves.

There is also a difference of register. Hallow speaks the language of meditation, calm, sleep and peace, and its marketing places it alongside wellness apps; it has often been described as a "Calm for Catholics." The traditional manuals speak first of adoration, contrition, petition and thanksgiving, with peace of soul as a fruit of prayer rather than its aim. Neither register is a heresy; they are simply different starting points, and a reader should know which one he is choosing.

Is the Hallow app free? What it costs

Hallow has a free tier — its help pages state that some prayers will always remain free — but most of its catalogue requires a paid subscription, which every new user is offered with a free trial. In October 2026 the US App Store listed a monthly plan at $9.99 and a yearly plan at $69.99; prices vary by country and by current offers, and Hallow also sells family and parish plans. A subscription is cancelled from the account settings of the store you bought it in (Apple or Google Play), or from your Hallow account if you subscribed on its website.

"Halo app": a note on the name

Many people search for the "halo app" or "halo Catholic app" when they mean Hallow: the name is easily misheard. The app is spelled Hallow, as in hallowed be Thy name. There is no Catholic prayer app of any note called "Halo", so a recommendation of the "Catholic halo app" almost certainly means Hallow, and everything above applies to it.

The traditional alternative: Iter Fidei

Hallow serves the modern rite well; we built Iter Fidei for the other need — the traditional Roman rite, whole and on a phone:

• The Mass of the day in the 1962 Missal — its proper texts on the traditional calendar, so the app agrees with the missal in your pew. See the Roman Missal for what that book contains.
• The 1962 Divine Office — the hours of the Roman Breviary, from Lauds to Vespers and Compline, laid out to be prayed. Our Divine Office app page describes it.
• The handed-down prayers — the Rosary, the traditional litanies, chaplets and novenas, in their unchanged wording.
• Latin and English side by side, with audio to pray along.

Iter Fidei is coming soon to iOS and Android, with free early access open now.

	Hallow	Iter Fidei
Rite and calendar	Modern (post-conciliar)	Traditional (1962)
Mass	Modern lectionary readings	The 1962 Mass of the day, with its propers
Office	Sessions from the Liturgy of the Hours	The 1962 Roman Breviary
Format	Guided audio sessions, meditation, sleep, music	Liturgical texts to pray, Latin and English, with audio
Price	Free tier + subscription	Free early access (launch coming soon)

Which is for you?

If you pray with the modern Missal and want guided audio to help you begin or keep a habit of prayer, Hallow does that with real care. If your prayer follows the Tridentine Mass and the traditional Office, you need texts drawn from the 1962 books and a calendar that matches them; that is what Iter Fidei is made for. For a wider survey of the field — iBreviary, Universalis, Laudate and others — see our guide to the best Catholic apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hallow a Catholic app?

Yes. Hallow was founded by Catholics, its prayers, Scripture and devotions are Catholic, and it describes itself as a Catholic prayer app. Its liturgical content follows the modern, post-conciliar books and calendar rather than the traditional 1962 rite.

Is the Hallow app Catholic or Christian?

Catholic. Non-Catholic Christians do use it, and anyone may download it, but its content — the Rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Church's daily readings, sessions led by priests and religious — is Catholic throughout.

Is the Hallow app only for Catholics?

No. Anyone can download and use it, and its meditations on Scripture are open to any Christian. Its prayers and teaching, however, are Catholic, and it makes no secret of that.

Is the Hallow app free?

Partly. Hallow keeps a free tier of prayers, but most of its sessions require a paid subscription, which starts with a free trial. In October 2026 the US App Store listed $9.99 a month or $69.99 a year; prices vary by country and promotion.

Who owns the Hallow prayer app?

Hallow, Inc., a private, venture-backed company based in Chicago, founded by Alex Jones, Alessandro DiSanto and Erich Kerekes. The app launched at the end of 2018.

Does Hallow have the traditional Latin Mass?

No. Hallow offers some Latin content, such as a Latin Rosary, and chant among its music, but its daily readings, Hours and calendar follow the modern books. It does not carry the propers of the 1962 Missal or the 1962 Breviary.

Is the "halo app" the same as Hallow?

Almost always, yes. "Halo app" is the common misspelling of Hallow, whose name comes from hallowed be Thy name. There is no well-known Catholic prayer app called Halo.

Iter Fidei carries the traditional Mass of the day, the 1962 Divine Office and the prayers of the Church, in Latin and English with audio. It is coming soon to iOS and Android. Join early access here.

Sources. Missale Romanum, editio typica 1962; Breviarium Romanum, editio typica 1962; Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part IV, on prayer.