Comparison

Polyglot Reader vs Linga

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Polyglot Reader

Read books in foreign languages and learn new vocabulary. Tap on unknown words for instant translations and save them to flashcards for later study. Supports various document formats and offers pronunciation practice and knowledge tests.

Highlights
  • Read books in multiple formats (PDF, EPUB, TXT)
  • Translate unknown words and phrases instantly
  • Create flashcards for vocabulary learning
  • Pronunciation support for words and phrases
  • Knowledge tests for vocabulary sets
  • Scan and recognize text from documents
Features
Read full description

Read books in any foreign language and turn every unknown word into a flashcard you'll actually remember. Now with an account and cloud sync: your books and flashcards go with you to every device. Polyglot Reader is your pocket library, dictionary and flashcard trainer in one app. Tap any word or phrase in a book, get an instant translation with transcription, hear the pronunciation, and save it to a deck to review later. Built for iPhone, iPad and Mac, with a refined dark theme. — ACCOUNT & SYNC — • Sign in with Apple, Google or email • Books, card sets, flashcards and language pairs stay in sync across all your devices • Your own books are uploaded to the cloud together with their covers • New device? Sign in and your library and flashcards come right back — READ — • Completely redesigned reader, bookmarks, translation popup and settings • New System theme that follows iOS automatically, plus refined Light and Dark • Open books in PDF, EPUB, FB2, RTF and TXT • Import from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive or any file app • Scan a paper page — the app recognizes the text and saves it as a book • Highlights words you don't know yet, right inside the page • Vertical scrolling, comfortable type settings, picture zoom — LIBRARY — • Thousands of free books in 38+ languages, sorted into sections like Classics, Sherlock Holmes, Shakespeare, Horror & Mystery, Fairy Tales, Philosophy, Adventure • Adapted A2–B1 readers for German learners, plus original literature in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Latin, Greek and many more • New sorting, new sections and search inside every shelf • Filter to show only recent books • Difficulty level and tags shown right on each cover • Drag and drop books between shelves • New "Added manually" section for everything you imported yourself • Smoother search, scroll and sharing on iPad — LEARN — • Redesigned cards and study screens • Ready-made flashcard sets for English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese — verbs, nouns and themed categories • Smart virtual decks: All cards, Recent, Unknown — see progress at a glance • Quick preview and actions inside every deck • Pick a default deck for new words you save while reading • Per-card knowledge level with a colored progress bar (red → green as you master each word) • Three study modes: foreign only, foreign + native, native only • Hands-free mode — keep learning without touching the screen • Long-press context menu: mark as known or unknown in one gesture • Optional shuffled order during study • Filter to show only words you haven't learned yet • Pronunciation for both the word and its translation • Knowledge tests for every deck • Export and import cards in CSV — TRANSLATE — • 111 offline dictionaries — no internet, no quota • On-the-fly transcription for all popular languages • Speech-to-text: just say the word, get the translation • Add your own phrases and translations to any deck • Edit translations when you want a better wording • 90+ languages supported, including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and many more — AND ALSO — • System, Light and Dark themes • Choose Google or Yandex as your online translator • Compact mode on iPhone, expanded card view on iPad • Notifications to bring you back to recent cards Whether you're reading Sherlock Holmes in English, Kafka in German, Don Quixote in Spanish or Dostoevsky in Russian — Polyglot Reader turns reading into vocabulary, one tap at a time. Questions or feedback: support@readandlearnapp.com

About

Linga

Master languages by reading real books. Tap any word for instant translation and detailed dictionary information. Build your vocabulary with flashcards and spaced repetition, and practice pronunciation with native audio.

Highlights
  • Read books in foreign languages
  • Instant word translation and dictionary
  • Vocabulary builder and flashcards
  • Native audio pronunciation
  • Import your own books
  • Learning games and progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Ever wanted to learn Spanish or French by reading real books? With Linga, you can! Linga turns reading into an immersive way to master languages naturally — perfect for intermediate and advanced learners. Explore over 1,000+ books across Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, and English. Read stories you love, tap any word for translation, and grow your vocabulary effortlessly. READ REAL BOOKS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES: - Build your bookshelf with novels, stories, and classics. - Import your own EPUB, PDF, MOBI, FB2, or TXT files. - Learn through context just like real native readers. INSTANT TRANSLATIONS & DICTIONARY: - Tap any word or phrase for instant translation and detailed dictionary info. - See definitions, synonyms, and grammar notes without leaving the page. - A built-in translator for Spanish, French, German, and more. VOCABULARY BUILDER & FLASHCARDS: - Save new words with one tap to your personal vocabulary list. - Add notes, organize by themes, and study later. - Review words using spaced repetition, flashcards (like Anki). PRACTICE PRONUNCIATION: - Hear native audio for words and sentences — even offline. - Improve your accent and sound more natural in any language. LEARNING GAMES & PROGRESS TRACKING: - Play vocabulary games and quizzes to reinforce memory. - Set daily goals and monitor your progress over time. - Stay motivated with streaks and personalized stats. SUPPORTED LEARNING LANGUAGES: - Spanish • French • German • Italian • Russian • English Whether you’re learning for travel, study, or fluency, Linga helps you learn languages by reading real content — faster, smarter, and more enjoyably than ever. Download Linga today and start your bilingual reading adventure! Your feedback helps us improve! Contact us at: support@linga.io Privacy Policy: https://linga.io/privacy Terms of Use: https://linga.io/terms

Screenshots

Polyglot Reader4 screens
Linga4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Linga at 4.9 against Polyglot Reader's 4.4. Linga also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (93% vs 66%). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Polyglot Reader sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Linga sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Linga holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 74 and 198 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Polyglot Reader's written reviews are positive against 93% of Linga's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Polyglot Reader ships an update every 5 weeks, Linga every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Polyglot Reader versus Linga: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPolyglot ReaderLinga
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (74 ratings)4.9 (198 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.7% of reviews93.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings74198 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.015.5 — better
Further details — not scored
Size137 MB116 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperAnton IvanovAndrei Savchuk

Customer experience

Polyglot Reader

All ratings74 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative10.8%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive65.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative20.0%

Linga

All ratings177 ratings
Positive98.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive93.1%
Neutral3.4%
Negative3.4%

Bugs and requests

Polyglot Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Linga

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inaccurate reading time counter
  • Offline dictionary download issues causing overheating
  • Blue highlighted words not always displaying
  • Mislabeled language support (e.g., Dutch vs. German)
  • Error in app translation on the first page

Requested features

9 requests
  • Add bionic font
  • Add widgets for quick access or reading progress
  • Add Chinese language support
  • Add option to use target language for definitions
  • Add Mac, iPad, and iPhone home screen widgets
Show 4 more
  • Improve offline functionality
  • Automatically remove word endings when adding to dictionary
  • Add a permanent 'home' button
  • Support larger file sizes for uploads

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Polyglot Reader

Subscriptions8
  • Monthly subscription$3.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription3 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription$7.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Monthly subscription$9.991 Month
  • Annual subscription$22.991 Year
  • Annual subscription$34.991 Year
  • Annual subscription7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Annual subscription$59.991 Year
One-time3
  • Upgrade from advanced to professional version$3.99
  • Upgrade from Starter to Advanced version$15.99
  • Full version$99.99
10 purchases

Linga

Subscriptions4
  • Linga PRO Monthly Offer$4.991 Month
  • Monthly$5.491 Month
  • Linga PRO Annual Offer$44.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Annual$54.991 Year
One-time6
  • Lifetime with 50% off$12.99
  • Lifetime with 30% off$17.99
  • Lifetime$25.99
Show 3 more
  • Lifetime with 50% off$54.99
  • Lifetime with 30% off$76.99
  • Lifetime$109.99

Questions

Is Polyglot Reader free?
Polyglot Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Linga free?
Linga is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Polyglot Reader or Linga?
Linga is rated higher. Polyglot Reader averages 4.4 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Linga averages 4.9 from 198 ratings.
Do Polyglot Reader or Linga have ads?
Polyglot Reader shows ads; Linga does not.
Which is updated more often, Polyglot Reader or Linga?
Polyglot Reader ships an update every 5 weeks, and Linga every 2 weeks. Most recently, Polyglot Reader was updated on October 24, 2026 and Linga on October 29, 2026.

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