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Selah vs e-Sword

An e-Sword alternative for connected Bible study

Choose e-Sword for an installed reference library and powerful lookup tools. Choose Selah when you want the passage, observation, question, prayer, and note from your own study to stay connected and return when you need them.

Try Selah freeSee what Selah includes

What Selah does differently

Selah is a web-based Bible study workspace for the work you do around the text. Read a passage, highlight a phrase, capture what you notice, develop it in notes, carry it into prayer, and think it through with a Socratic companion grounded in your own study.

e-Sword is established Bible study software with Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, Strong's-based search, an integrated editor, and downloadable resources. Its Windows edition is free, and versions are available for Android and Apple devices.

The practical difference is focus. e-Sword helps you look up more about a passage. Selah helps you keep and develop what you notice in it. Some readers may use e-Sword for reference work and Selah as the connected home for their own study.

Selah vs e-Sword, at a glance

An honest comparison. Where e-Sword is stronger, we say so.

Bible reference library
SelahLight
e-SwordHundreds of downloadable resources
Original-language help
SelahInline word study
e-SwordStrong's search and dictionaries
Notes
SelahConnected to passages and memory
e-SwordIntegrated study and topic editors
Custom reading plans
SelahGenerated from a goal
e-SwordBuilt manually
Prayer
SelahBoard, history, sessions, reminders
e-SwordPrayer request tool
Socratic study companion
Selah✓
e-Sword—
Where it runs
SelahWeb and Telegram
e-SwordInstalled desktop and mobile apps
Starting price
SelahFree core
e-SwordWindows edition free
Selah Bible reader open beside the Socratic study companion
The difference becomes visible in the study itself. The passage stays central while notes, cross-references, and the companion remain close enough to develop what you notice without replacing your own reading.

When to choose e-Sword

Choose e-Sword when you want an installed reference library, offline access, extensive downloadable modules, parallel Bible views, or Strong's-based searching. It has been refined for this kind of study for decades.

When to choose Selah

Choose Selah when the thing you most want to keep is your own study: the phrase you highlighted, the question you carried, the prayer it became, and the note you will need months later. The companion helps you examine the passage without writing the interpretation for you, and custom plans can match the season you are in.

Questions

Does Selah replace e-Sword's reference library?
No. e-Sword offers a much larger collection of downloadable Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, and reference modules. Selah focuses on the connected read-reflect-remember rhythm around your own study.
Can I move e-Sword notes into Selah?
Selah does not have a direct e-Sword importer today. If you can copy or export your notes into Word, PDF, markdown, or plain text, Selah can import those files as notes. Review the imported result before treating the move as complete.
Is Selah free like e-Sword for Windows?
Selah's reader, notes, prayer board, curated plans, and a limited companion allowance are free with no card. Selah Plus adds the unlimited companion, full knowledge map, and advanced features.

Compare, then keep exploring

Try Selah with your next passage

Read, capture what stands out, and talk it through with a companion that keeps your own study in view.

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