# italki vs Earworms

The clearest difference is ads: Earworms at none against italki's shown. Earworms also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.1). italki's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (9.8K vs 357). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. italki sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Earworms sells 16 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for italki against 4.8 for Earworms. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: italki has 9.8K ratings behind it against 357, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of italki's written reviews are positive against 71% of Earworms's.

italki ships an update weekly, Earworms every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | italki | Earworms |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/italki-language-learning/id1140000003/reviews) | [4.8 (357 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earworms-language-learning/id1214721881/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | 357 |
| Positive reviews | 67.6% of reviews | **71.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 306 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [italki HK Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/569299241) | [earworms Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/391784509) |

## What reviewers say

### italki

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/italki-language-learning/id1140000003)

Connect with qualified native teachers for personalized language lessons. Learn Spanish, English, French, and over 150 other languages at your own pace and schedule. Practice conversation, master grammar, and immerse yourself in new cultures.

**Highlights:** Private tutoring with native teachers, Learn over 150 languages, Customizable lesson plans, Flexible class scheduling, Pay-as-you-go pricing, Video call tutoring

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| italki Plus - 1 Month | $5.99 | per month |
| Plus Monthly Plan with Trial | $5.99 | per month |
| italki Plus - 1 Year | $59.99 | per year |
| Plus Yearly Plan with Trial | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great platform to connect with native speakers
- 🚀 Flexible scheduling and easy to use
- 💰 Affordable lessons
- 🎓 Helpful for improving language skills
- 🤝 Positive learning experience with great teachers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with glitches and connectivity issues
- 💳 Concerns about pricing changes and fees
- 🕰️ Unreliable teachers who cancel or don't show up
- 🤖 Poor customer service and lack of support
- 📆 Difficulty with scheduling and calendar integration

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes
- Inaccurate teacher availability information
- Issues with login and account management
- Problems with video/audio quality during lessons
- Syncing and integration problems with other platforms

**Requested features**

- Improved calendar and scheduling functionality
- Better notification system for lessons
- Ability to search for and connect with language partners
- More transparency around teacher availability and cancellations
- Streamlined payment and refund process


### Earworms

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earworms-language-learning/id1214721881)

Learn languages effectively using the "earworm effect" with catchy music and lyrics. This method anchors foreign language words and phrases into your long-term memory through engaging, brain-based audio-visual lessons. Improve vocabulary and grammar with bite-sized tracks and native speaker pronunciation.

**Highlights:** Learn languages with music and lyrics, Brain-based learning technique, Audio-visual experience with karaoke lyrics, 6-9 minute learning tracks, Content-rich language based on CEF, Native speaker pronunciation

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Try before you buy | Free | one-time |
| Essayez avant d’acheter | Free | one-time |
| Álbum de demostración | Free | one-time |
| French Vol. 1 | $11.99 | one-time |
| Italian Vol. 1 | $11.99 | one-time |
| Spanish Lat. Am. Vol. 1 | $11.99 | one-time |
| Portuguese Vol.1 | $11.99 | one-time |
| French Vol. 2 | $11.99 | one-time |
| Dutch Vol. 1-2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Japanese Vol. 1-2 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Spanish Lat. Am. Vol. 1-3 | $27.99 | one-time |
| Bundle deals, French Vol. 1-3 | $28.99 | one-time |
| Bundle deals, German Vol. 1-3 | $28.99 | one-time |
| Bundle deals, Italian Vol. 1-3 | $28.99 | one-time |
| Bundle, Spanish Eu. Vol. 1-3 | $28.99 | one-time |
| Portuguese Vol.1-3 | $28.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Music-based learning method effectively reinforces memory
- 👍 Easy and intuitive to use
- ⭐ Excellent customer support team
- 🎯 Practical, conversational phrases for real-world use
- 🧠 Words and phrases stick in memory effortlessly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing issues
- 📱 Poor booklet formatting on mobile devices
- 💸 Pricing considered expensive by some users
- ❌ Limited number of lessons per language
- 🔧 App lacks autoplay/continuous playback feature

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes every few minutes on iPhone
- Network error on startup despite internet connection
- Infinite loop on initial setup screen
- App closes unexpectedly during playback
- Restore purchases feature not functioning

**Requested features**

- Additional volume levels for existing languages
- More lessons and expanded content library
- Autoplay feature for continuous listening
- Repeat single track functionality
- Ability to select specific lesson categories


## Frequently asked questions

### Is italki free?

italki is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Earworms free?

Earworms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, italki or Earworms?

italki and Earworms are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9.8K and 357 ratings respectively.

### Do italki or Earworms have ads?

italki shows ads; Earworms does not.

### Which is updated more often, italki or Earworms?

italki ships an update weekly, and Earworms every 5 months. Most recently, italki was updated on September 25, 2026 and Earworms on September 19, 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.*