Parallel Books vs GlowWords
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Parallel Books
Learn a new language by reading books with side-by-side translations. This app keeps translations synchronized as you read, allowing for full immersion. Easily switch between display modes and add notes for a personalized learning experience.
- Dual language display
- Synchronized translations
- Adjustable display modes
- Searchable notes
- Day/night themes
- Highlighting
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Become fluent in a new language. Read a book in your new tongue while having a parallel copy in your native language handy for reference. Now thanks to Parallel Books, this technique is available on iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Translations will automatically stay in sync, leaving you free to be immersed in the words on the page. Reading a book in two different languages at the same time has never been easier! - Designed for people learning a new language. - Displays a book simultaneously in two different languages. - Translations stay in sync as you read. - Stretchy, “chewing gum" overlay visually connects parallel content. - Chewing gum overlay can be hidden. - Translations can be displayed in two columns on the screen, or each translation can fill an entire screen. - Continuously scrolls or pages through content without needing to change mode. - Tapping on a paragraph shows the translation of that paragraph. - Double tapping hides tool bars, giving more space. - Multicolored highlights and searchable notes can be added. - Includes day and night themes. - Currently books are available in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Esperanto, Korean, Chinese, Arabic plus more. - Some books include multiple translations in the same language; ideal for literature and translation students. - Parallel Books is in development for other platforms. - New books are being added all the time. - All books are currently FREE.
GlowWords
This app helps you learn languages by reading books. It offers AI-powered translation, flashcards, and exercises based on the words you encounter. Import your own EPUBs and track your progress to build vocabulary naturally.
- AI-powered translation for EPUB books
- Flashcards and smart vocabulary exercises
- AI Coach for contextual explanations
- Import your own EPUB e-books
- Personal goals and progress tracking
- Offline reading and practice
- Support for over 100 languages
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Turn the words you read into words you can use. GlowWords brings EPUB reading, vocabulary practice and an AI English tutor together in one focused space. PRACTISE WITH MAYA Have a live voice conversation with an illustrated AI tutor. Talk about everyday life, travel, work or books. Get a correction, ask why, hear an example and try again. Live captions and typed replies help you keep going. Maya is AI, not a real person, and can make mistakes. READ AT YOUR OWN PACE Import EPUB books or explore the built-in library. Translate selected words, ask for an explanation and save vocabulary from what you read. Your imported books, reading progress and saved words stay on your device. MAKE NEW WORDS STICK Review saved vocabulary with flashcards and exercises. Follow your reading and learning progress without losing your place in a book. A NEW AFTER HOURS LOOK A warm, dark reading-and-speaking workspace, with clearer navigation and controls. YOU CONTROL THE CONVERSATION Online AI features require a GlowWords account and consent. You can mute the microphone, end a lesson or withdraw AI consent. Audio and selected text are processed by OpenAI; offline reading remains available. GLOWWORDS PLUS Optional auto-renewing subscriptions remove ads and the daily translation quota. Request-rate and shared service-capacity limits still apply. Tutor access is limited to six 5-minute lesson starts per account per day, subject to availability. The purchase screen shows the localized monthly price. No free trial is offered; payment starts when you subscribe. Payment is charged to your Apple Account on confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Apple Account subscription settings. Privacy: https://formhelm.com/glowwords/privacy/en/ Terms: https://booklingo-legal-9df066.gitlab.io/terms/en/
Screenshots
Verdict
Parallel Books and GlowWords both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of GlowWords's written reviews are positive against 40% of Parallel Books's. GlowWords also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Parallel Books's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support 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
Both are free to download. GlowWords sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Parallel Books asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Parallel Books against 5.0 for GlowWords. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of Parallel Books's written reviews are positive against 100% of GlowWords's.
Parallel Books ships an update every 3 months, GlowWords every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Parallel Books | GlowWords |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 82 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | +12 |
| Developer | High Tea IT Limited | Viktorya Hovhannisyan |
Customer experience
Parallel Books
GlowWords
In-app purchases
Parallel Books
No in-app purchases
GlowWords
- GlowWords Plus7 Days trial2 variants$2.991 Month
- GlowWords Plus$2.991 Month
- GlowWords Plus – 3 months7 Days trial$5.993 Months
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- GlowWords Plus Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year
Questions
Is Parallel Books free?
Is GlowWords free?
Which has better reviews, Parallel Books or GlowWords?
Do Parallel Books or GlowWords have ads?
Which is updated more often, Parallel Books or GlowWords?
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