Comparison

Parallel Books vs LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Dual language display
  • Synchronized translations
  • Adjustable display modes
  • Searchable notes
  • Day/night themes
  • Highlighting
Features
Read full description

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.

About

LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

GlowWords is a new reading app (e-book reader) that allows you to read books in more then 100 different languages with simultaneous AI translation into any language and increase your vocabulary by performing built-in exercises.This reading app has a built-in, free library with books in German, Spanish, French, Italian and English, and you can also download any book in any language from the Internet or other source, open it via Bookflex app and it will give you the ability to translate any words from the book into your native language. All the words that you translated while reading can be learned by doing built-in exercises.This free reading app with translator is also suitable for ordinary readers and has a list of useful features: • AI-Powered Reading – Read any EPUB book in your target language and get instant translations with a single tap. An AI translator acts as your personal reading companion, so you never get stuck on unfamiliar words or phrases. • Flashcards & Smart Exercises – Turn new words into flashcards in one tap and practice them through different exercise types, including multiple choice, typing, and sentence building. All exercises are based on what you read and help reinforce vocabulary naturally. • AI Coach – Go beyond simple translation. AI Coach explains meaning, nuance, and usage in context, helping you truly understand the language and remember new words. • Your Books, Your Content – Import your own EPUB e-books or documents and learn from content you genuinely enjoy. Whether it’s a novel or a textbook, GlowWords transforms it into an interactive language lesson. Customize font and reading settings for comfort. Learning with your favorite content keeps you motivated! • Personal Goals & Progress Tracking – Set personal reading and learning goals and track your progress over time. See how your vocabulary grows, how much you read, and stay motivated at your own pace. • Offline Mode – Read books and practice vocabulary offline after downloading content in advance — perfect for travel or commuting. • Multi-Language Support – Pick from 100+ languages to learn (including Spanish, French, German, Italian, English, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and more). Switch learning languages at any time. GlowWords is great for bilingual users or polyglots juggling multiple languages. Download GlowWords today and start reading your way to fluency! Turn every book into a language-learning experience and enjoy the process.

Screenshots

Parallel Books4 screens
LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING at 100% against Parallel Books's 40%. LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 months). Parallel Books's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Parallel Books asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Parallel Books ships an update every 3 months, LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Parallel Books versus LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterParallel BooksLEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB66 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperHigh Tea IT LimitedViktorya Hovhannisyan

Customer experience

Parallel Books

All ratings77 ratings
Positive75.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative24.7%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral3.3%
Negative56.7%

LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Parallel Books

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING

Subscriptions4
  • GlowWords Plus7 Days trial2 variants$2.991 Month
  • GlowWords Plus$2.991 Month
  • GlowWords Plus – 3 months7 Days trial$5.993 Months
Show 1 more
  • GlowWords Plus Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Parallel Books free?
Parallel Books is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING free?
LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Parallel Books or LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING have ads?
LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING shows ads; Parallel Books does not.
Which is updated more often, Parallel Books or LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING?
Parallel Books ships an update every 3 months, and LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING every 11 days. Most recently, Parallel Books was updated on August 28, 2026 and LEARNING A LANGUAGE BY READING on September 29, 2026.

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