RosaryPlusRD

RosaryPlusRD is a Rosary companion app built around artwork. It leads you through the Rosary with a painted image for each decade to look at while you pray.

You pick the mysteries, and the app walks you through the prayers with a picture tied to each decade — the Annunciation, the Agony in the Garden, the Resurrection, and the rest. The art is the point here; instead of plain text, you get something to rest your eyes and your mind on as you move through the beads. It was put together with the new and the experienced in mind, so the prayers are there for those who do not have them by heart yet.

The artwork genuinely helps. The Rosary is meant to be meditation on the life of Christ and his Mother, and having a good image in front of you pulls your attention back to the mystery when your mind wanders, which mine reliably does around the third decade. The app got a kind word from Sarah Reinhard of CatholicMom.com, for whatever weight that carries with you.

It is a good fit for someone who prays the Rosary and wants a more visual, contemplative version, or for a newcomer who would benefit from images and the prayers spelled out. It suits quiet prayer at home more than praying on the move.

A couple of things to know. It costs $1.99, which is a small one-time price but worth flagging since most of these apps are free. It is also an older app from an independent developer, so it may feel dated next to newer Rosary apps and might not be updated often.

It is $1.99, made by Bil Kimes. You can find it on the App Store: RosaryPlusRD. If you want a Rosary app with real artwork to pray with, it is worth the couple of dollars.