Quranly vs Quran Companion: Which App Builds a Stronger Long-Term Hifz Habit

TL;DR. Quranly and Quran Companion are two of the most-searched Qur'an memorization apps in 2026, but they optimise for different behaviours: Quranly leans on spaced repetition and structured drills, while Quran Companion leans on peer accountability and daily tests. Neither one is a universal winner — the right choice depends on whether you break routines because of isolation, weak recall, or lack of structure. In tracking 4,000+ users in SABR's first month, we observed that long-term habit retention comes from three things: a low daily floor, a revision schedule that survives missed days, and a way to restart without shame. This article compares both apps against that standard and tells you where SABR is honestly weaker too.

Key takeaways

• Quranly is optimised around spaced repetition and self-paced memorization drills, best suited for learners who already have a fixed daily block. [source: Quranly features page]
• Quran Companion emphasises daily tests and community league mechanics, which help learners who drop off due to isolation. [source: Quran Companion features page]
• Neither app publicly documents its long-term retention rates, so "best for hifz habits" claims from either side should be read cautiously.
• SABR takes a Duolingo-style structured roadmap approach with a free full-Qur'an memorization path and Premium reserved for flexibility, not gatekeeping ayat.
• For non-Arabic readers, all three apps offer some phonetic support, but a qualified teacher is still the recommended source for tajwid correction.
• The most predictive habit signal we observed is not app choice — it is whether the learner has a daily floor small enough to survive a bad day (one ayah, five minutes).

Founder disclosure

Disclosure: I'm the founder of SABR, a Qur'an memorization app that competes indirectly with both apps below. The comparison here is honest about where each app is stronger, including sections on where SABR itself falls short. As of July 2026, the feature descriptions for Quranly and Quran Companion are based on their public marketing pages and app store listings — where I couldn't verify a claim, I've marked it with a [source] placeholder.

Who each app is for

Before comparing feature checklists, it helps to be honest about who each product is really built for. Across the most common Hifz routines we see, learners tend to break for one of three reasons: structure (they don't know what to do next), recall (they memorize but forget), or isolation (they lose motivation alone). The three apps map roughly onto those three failure modes.

Quranly

Quranly is aimed at the solo learner who is comfortable with self-directed study and wants recall-focused drills. Its central mechanic is spaced repetition — you memorize an ayah, then the app schedules it for review at increasing intervals. [source: Quranly features page] It suits learners who already have a fixed 20-30 minute block per day and want that time to be intense and structured rather than social.

Quran Companion

Quran Companion appears focused on accountability. Daily tests, weekly leagues, and streaks are front and centre in its marketing. [source: Quran Companion homepage] It suits learners who have tried memorizing alone and burned out — the social layer is a substitute for a study circle when you don't have one nearby.

Muslim Pro, Quran.com and Tarteel — a quick note

We get asked about these three often, so a brief note before the main comparison:

• Muslim Pro is a general-purpose Muslim app (prayer times, Qibla, Qur'an reading). It is not primarily a memorization tool and shouldn't be judged as one. [source: Muslim Pro app store listing]
• Quran.com is a reading and study surface with translations and tafsir. Excellent for study, not designed as a memorization workflow. [source: Quran.com about page]
• Tarteel focuses on recitation recognition — you recite and the app matches your voice against the Mushaf. It is complementary to a memorization app, not a substitute. [source: Tarteel product page]

The like-for-like comparison below is between Quranly, Quran Companion, and SABR.

Comparison table

Dimension	Quranly	Quran Companion	SABR
Primary mechanic	Spaced repetition drills [source: Quranly features page]	Daily tests + leagues [source: Quran Companion features page]	Duolingo-style structured roadmap
Free full Qur'an memorization path	Partial — some content behind Premium [source: Quranly pricing]	Partial — some content behind Premium [source: Quran Companion pricing]	Yes, standard learning path is free
Streaks / XP / gamification	Yes	Yes, strong league layer	Yes (streaks, XP, gems, hearts)
Configurable ayah repetition count	Not publicly documented	Not publicly documented	Yes, defaults ~20, user-adjustable
Phonetic / transliteration help	Available [source: Quranly product page]	Available [source: Quran Companion product page]	Available
Community / social layer	Limited	Central to the product [source: Quran Companion homepage]	Leagues + leaderboards
Offline mode	Available on Premium [source: Quranly pricing]	Available [source: Quran Companion FAQ]	Available on Premium
Ads inside the app	Not publicly documented	Not publicly documented	None — Premium replaces ads
Approx. Premium price (monthly, 2026)	See vendor [source: Quranly pricing]	See vendor [source: Quran Companion pricing]	See SABR pricing

Key takeaway. Quranly optimises for recall, Quran Companion optimises for accountability, SABR optimises for structure and habit floor. If you know which of those you break on, you already know which app to try first.

Strengths of each option

Strengths of Quranly

• Spaced repetition done well. For learners who understand the science of forgetting curves, Quranly's core loop is clearly designed around it. [source: Quranly features page]
• Low decision fatigue for solo learners. You don't have to plan revision — the app tells you what to review each day.
• Clean interface with a memorization-first focus rather than a general Muslim-app dashboard.

Strengths of Quran Companion

• Accountability that lasts past week two. Weekly leagues and social streaks appear tuned to keep learners engaged after the honeymoon phase. [source: Quran Companion homepage]
• Daily tests enforce a check-in even on low-motivation days.
• Good positioning for group / family use. Learners who want to memorize alongside siblings or friends have a natural mechanic. [source: Quran Companion features page]

Strengths of SABR

• A structured roadmap the way Duolingo made popular — a visible path from Al-Fatiha onward with clear ayah-by-ayah progression.
• The full memorization path is free. Premium unlocks convenience (offline, choosing surahs outside the standard order), not the Qur'an itself.
• No ads inside the app. We refuse to embed ad networks in a Qur'an app because we can't guarantee the content of the ads served.
• Adjustable repetition count with a sensible default (~20 repeats) so beginners and advanced learners can both use the same tool.

Where SABR is honestly stronger

These are reasons, not adjectives:

1. Free memorization path over the full Qur'an. Some competitors gate significant portions of memorization content behind a paywall. SABR's standard learning path covers the entire Qur'an at zero cost. Premium exists for flexibility — offline downloads, jumping outside the standard order — not to unlock ayat.
2. A daily floor small enough to survive a bad day. SABR's design encourages a one-ayah, five-minute session as a valid "done for today." This is the single most predictive habit signal we observed across our 4,000+ first-month users: learners with a low floor kept coming back; learners with a high floor restarted.
3. Streak forgiveness by design. Missing a day should not feel like starting over. SABR's streak mechanics are tuned so that a missed day is a recoverable event rather than a reason to quit.
4. Explicit deference to teachers for tajwid. SABR is a structure and consistency tool. For recitation correction and tajwid, we consistently recommend a qualified teacher — this is documented in the app, on the site, and across our content.
5. Transparent monetization. Premium exists to fund a Qur'an app that runs without ad networks. That's it. No pressure tactics, no fake scarcity.

Key takeaway. The most important design decision in a hifz app isn't the drill algorithm — it's how the app treats the day you almost skipped. That day decides whether you have a habit or a memory of trying.

Where SABR is honestly weaker

Honesty section. As of July 2026:

• No recitation recognition. Tarteel-style page-filling as you recite is on our roadmap but not shipped. If real-time recitation feedback is your priority today, Tarteel is currently a better fit. [source: Tarteel product page]
• Younger community layer. Quran Companion has a more mature social layer and league system than we do. If "memorizing alongside friends" is your main motivator, they have shipped more of that than we have. [source: Quran Companion homepage]
• Fewer languages / translations at parity. Both Quranly and Quran Companion appear to have a broader multi-language translation footprint than we do at the moment. [source: Quranly languages page] [source: Quran Companion languages page]
• We're the newest of the three. We passed 4,000 active users in the first month, but Quranly and Quran Companion have longer track records. If you specifically want the app with the largest existing user base, we are not that app.
• No teacher-side dashboard. Serious Hifz students who work with a sheikh may want a companion-facing view for their teacher; we do not currently offer that.

Final recommendation by user profile

If you break routines because of isolation

Try Quran Companion first. The league mechanic and daily tests were built for you. If, after 30 days, you find the social layer feels like pressure rather than support, that's a signal to try a more solo-friendly app.

If you break routines because you forget what you memorized

Try Quranly first. Spaced repetition is the most direct answer to that specific failure mode. Pair it with a fixed daily block — the app assumes you have one.

If you break routines because life gets in the way

Try SABR first. Our design assumption is that motivation is finite and schedules break. The daily floor is intentionally low, streak forgiveness is a first-class feature, and the standard memorization path is free so cost never becomes a reason to stop.

If you don't know why you break routines yet

Start with the app whose free tier gives you the most Qur'an to memorize — you'll learn your failure mode in the first 3-4 weeks of trying. SABR's full-path-free model was designed for exactly this.

Frequently asked questions

Is Quranly better than Quran Companion for beginners?

Both apps are usable by beginners, but they suit different beginners. Quranly assumes you can commit to a fixed daily block and want structure inside that block. Quran Companion assumes you'll drop off without social pressure and gives you a league to belong to. Neither app can compensate for the absence of a qualified teacher for tajwid correction.

Do these apps replace a Qur'an teacher?

No. Quranly, Quran Companion, and SABR are all structural tools — they help with routine, repetition, and revision. None of them can correct your tajwid, verify your makhraj, or grade your recitation the way a qualified teacher does. Use these apps alongside a teacher, not instead of one.

Is Quran Companion free?

Quran Companion offers a free tier with a paid Premium option; some content and features are Premium-only. Check the vendor's pricing page directly for current details. [source: Quran Companion pricing]

Is Quranly free?

Quranly offers a free tier with a paid Premium option; some content and features are Premium-only. Check the vendor's pricing page directly for current details. [source: Quranly pricing]

How is SABR different from Quranly and Quran Companion?

SABR's standard memorization path is free for the entire Qur'an — Premium is used for flexibility (offline, choosing surahs outside the standard order), not to unlock ayat. SABR also runs without ad networks, uses a Duolingo-style structured roadmap, and is explicit about deferring to teachers for tajwid.

Which app is best for children?

We hesitate to give a blanket answer. For a child using an app under parental supervision, we'd prioritise (a) no ads inside the app, (b) a low daily floor the child can actually hit, and (c) parent-facing progress visibility. SABR meets the first two; parent-facing dashboards are a common gap across the category.

Try SABR alongside your current app

If you're already using Quranly or Quran Companion and it's working, keep using it. If it's not working — or if you want a structured, ad-free path with a genuinely free full-Qur'an memorization plan — try SABR. Start with one ayah today.

• Download on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sabr-quran-memorization/id6761574702
• Get it on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sabr.app
• Visit the site: https://get-sabr.com
• Or read our download guide and other Hifz articles.

---

A note on tajwid: SABR helps with memorization structure, repetition, and consistency. For tajwid and recitation correction, learning with a qualified teacher remains highly recommended. Neither Quranly, Quran Companion, nor SABR can replace that relationship.

About the author

This article was written by the SABR editorial team and reviewed by the founder of SABR (4,000+ active users in month one). Where we couldn't personally verify a competitor claim, we marked it with a [source] placeholder so a fact-checker can attach a verified URL before publication.

Last updated 2026-07-10.