# Thunderbird Times vs LingoAce for Student

The clearest difference is monetization model: Thunderbird Times at free against LingoAce for Student's free with in-app purchases. LingoAce for Student's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Thunderbird Times ships an update every 2 months, LingoAce for Student every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thunderbird Times | LingoAce for Student |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.9 (793 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingoace-for-student/id1155911183/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **793** |
| Positive reviews | **63.2% of reviews** | 59.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 45 MB | 278 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Surrey School District](https://appshunter.io/developer/634542422) | [PPLINGO Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1141645002) |

## What reviewers say

### Thunderbird Times

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thunderbird-times/id1123354477)

This official school app provides students, parents, and staff with timely updates on school news, event calendars, and important announcements. It offers push notifications for closures and news, easy access to school resources, and convenient sharing of events.

**Highlights:** Push notifications for news and closures, Up-to-date event calendars, Access to school resources, Share school events, Export events to personal calendar, Contact school via email/phone/navigation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### LingoAce for Student

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingoace-for-student/id1155911183)

This platform offers live online classes for children aged 3-15 to learn Mandarin Chinese, English, and Math. It connects students with certified teachers for personalized, engaging instruction to build confidence and academic skills.

**Highlights:** Live 1-on-1 and group classes, Certified native-speaking teachers, Curriculum aligned with global standards, Interactive courseware and gamified practice, Personalized learning for all levels, Singapore Math method for logic skills

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Nice and caring teachers
- 🎉 Enjoyable lessons
- 🤝 Friendly teachers
- 🏫 Great for kids
- 🧠 Helps learn Chinese

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Teachers sometimes go off topic
- 🕰️ Lessons can be boring
- 📚 Homework is too difficult
- 🤖 AI grading issues
- 🤖 Microphone and camera issues

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes
- Issues with homework submission
- Microphone and camera not working properly
- Inconsistent grading by AI

**Requested features**

- Add shorter class duration option
- Improve homework submission process
- Enhance audio and video quality
- Provide more engaging lesson content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Thunderbird Times free?

Thunderbird Times is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LingoAce for Student free?

LingoAce for Student is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Thunderbird Times or LingoAce for Student have ads?

Neither Thunderbird Times nor LingoAce for Student shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thunderbird Times or LingoAce for Student?

Thunderbird Times ships an update every 2 months, and LingoAce for Student every 3 weeks. Most recently, Thunderbird Times was updated on October 24, 2026 and LingoAce for Student on October 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*