When deciding on which Bible software to use, the cost of resources should be a significant consideration.  Following on from my discussion of Bible software on the iPad/iPhone, I have made a quick comparison of resource cost for two of the major Bible applications on the mac (which synchronise to the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch).  For some further context, I have also included a comparison with that offered from Olivetree (remember: whilst cheaper, you can’t use it on the mac and there are only limited resources available).

LogosAccordanceOlivetree
NIV$64.95*~$30.00$15.39*
NRSV-A$39.95$30.00$11.90*
NJB$39.95$30.00$14.00*
Tanakh$39.95$30.00n/a
Septuagint$99.95$80.00$55.88*
GNT (NA27)$99.95$50.00$74.99
Metzger Textual Commentary$34.95$35.00n/a
Word Biblical Commentary$699.95*$399.00*n/a
Hermeneia$1200.00*`$699.00*n/a

Notes:
  • All prices are in $US
  • * on sale
  • ~ purchased in a package only
  • ` includes supplementary commentaries

As can be seen from the costs tabled, Olivetree is typically cheaper than both the desktop counterparts, however there are only limited resources (and remember you can’t access these on your mac).  Accordance is typically cheaper for most Biblical texts – but the savings are most significant in regards to commentaries.  In fact, I would suggest that the savings are so significant for these commentaries, that it is a critical differentiator when choosing between Logos and Accordance.

This is of course a very limited comparison of some common resources, but hopefully still of value.  In an additional post I’ll make a detailed comparison of the various packages available from Logos and Accordance.