Comparison

DW Learn German vs Talkback City

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

Head to head
About

DW Learn German

Master German with engaging videos, news, and music. Offers courses for all levels, from beginner to advanced, with interactive exercises and vocabulary training. Includes a placement test to find your ideal course and materials for teachers.

Highlights
  • Placement test for level assessment
  • Courses for all levels (beginner to advanced)
  • Interactive exercises
  • Vocabulary training and word explanations
  • Grammar and regional studies
  • Materials for teachers
Features
Read full description

Learn German on the go with DW - for beginners, advanced learners and teachers With exciting videos, informative news and music, we’ll make sure that you’ll find the perfect way to learn German. Start right away, even without any previous knowledge, and improve your German online and on the go, completely free of charge. We offer courses for all levels -and if you're not sure where you stand, our placement test will help you find the perfect course for you - quickly and easily! Our offer includes: - A placement test to help you find the right level - Courses for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners (from literacy to exam training) - A wide range of interactive exercises - Vocabulary training and word explanations - Grammar and regional studies - Comprehensive materials for teachers Our courses cover all levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. There are also offers for learning the alphabet and language preparation for various jobs. As a teacher, you will also find what you are looking with materials that you can use for your lessons free of charge. Simply download the app and learn German with DW!

About

Talkback City

Practice real-life conversations with an AI tutor to improve speaking confidence and fluency in various languages. Get personalized feedback and grammar exercises to master practical communication skills.

Highlights
  • AI-guided pronunciation practice
  • Real-time speaking feedback
  • Grammar and vocabulary sessions
  • Personalized lessons for real-life scenarios
  • Role-play conversations with AI tutor
  • On-demand help and explanations
Features
Read full description

Explore Talkback City, a 3D world where you meet characters, take on challenges and talk your way through an ongoing story. To play the game, you'll need to use the language you're learning — asking questions, solving problems, ordering food, finding information and getting things done. Every conversation has a purpose. Every task moves you forward. ## A LANGUAGE-LEARNING RPG Explore the city, uncover the story and complete missions using your target language. Meet unusual characters. Discover new places. Find the things you need. Work out what to do next. ## LEARN BY DOING Language is a tool we use to do things. Talkback City gives you a reason to use your new language. You might need to order something from a café because the owner has an item you need. Ask someone for directions to find your next destination. Get information from a character to solve a problem. Instead of memorising phrases and hoping you'll remember them later, you use the language in meaningful situations as you explore. ## BUILT FOR REAL LANGUAGE LEARNING Talkback City is entertaining, but there's serious language learning behind the game. What you learn doesn't stay inside a lesson. You need to use it. Lessons introduce useful vocabulary and language through realistic tasks and conversations. Then, as you explore the city, you'll put that language into practice to solve problems, complete missions and move the story forward. The goal is to help you become better at the thing that really matters: actually communicating. ## LEARN FROM EVERY CONVERSATION Make mistakes. Get feedback. Try again. Talkback gives you real-time corrections and personalised feedback while you practise. You'll get help with: • Speaking and communication • Grammar and vocabulary • Pronunciation • Common mistakes • Useful words and expressions Then put what you've learned straight back into practice as you continue through the city. ## EXPLORE, TALK AND PROGRESS With Talkback City you can: • Explore an interactive 3D world • Follow an ongoing story • Complete missions and language challenges • Meet characters with their own personalities • Have AI-powered conversations • Practise realistic everyday situations • Get real-time corrections as you speak • Improve your pronunciation • Build vocabulary with interactive activities • Complete structured language lessons And expect some strange characters, unexpected situations and jokes along the way. ## MORE WAYS TO PRACTISE There's more to Talkback than the City. Create your own role-play scenarios based on situations that matter to you, practise conversations with an AI language tutor, or use the Language Lab to work on grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Whether you're learning for travel, work, study or simply because you want to speak another language, Talkback helps you practise actually using it. ## LEARN 26 LANGUAGES • English, including British and American English • Spanish • French • German • Italian • Portuguese • Dutch • Swedish • Danish • Norwegian • Welsh • Polish • Ukrainian • Russian • Greek • Turkish • Hebrew • Arabic • Hindi • Urdu • Swahili • Chinese • Japanese • Korean • Vietnamese • Thai ## WHAT USERS ARE SAYING “Really enjoying the app. It feels like a really natural way to learn and speak another language, mimicking real-life conversations.” — Jonnylaw86, App Store review Explore Talkback City and start using your new language today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DW Learn German4 screens
Talkback City4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Talkback City at 5.0 against DW Learn German's 3.9. Talkback City also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 45%) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 16 months). DW Learn German's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (131 vs 7). On price, ads, 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. Talkback City sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. DW Learn German asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Talkback City holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DW Learn German has 131 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of DW Learn German's written reviews are positive against 83% of Talkback City's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DW Learn German ships an update every 16 months, Talkback City every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
DW Learn German versus Talkback City: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDW Learn GermanTalkback City
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (131 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.9% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings131 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 16 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB78 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDeutsche WelleLazyfish Digital Ltd

Customer experience

DW Learn German

All ratings129 ratings
Positive69.0%
Neutral7.8%
Negative23.3%
Written reviews316 reviews
Positive44.9%
Neutral16.8%
Negative38.3%

Talkback City

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

None

DW Learn German

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Talkback City

Subscriptions4
  • Personal Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Personal Subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Personal Subscription7 Days trial$9.993 Months
Show 1 more
  • Personal Subscription7 Days trial$39.901 Year

Questions

Is DW Learn German free?
DW Learn German is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Talkback City free?
Talkback City is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DW Learn German or Talkback City?
Talkback City is rated higher. DW Learn German averages 3.9 out of 5 from 131 ratings, while Talkback City averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do DW Learn German or Talkback City have ads?
Neither DW Learn German nor Talkback City shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DW Learn German or Talkback City?
DW Learn German ships an update every 16 months, and Talkback City every 10 days. Most recently, DW Learn German was updated on October 22, 2026 and Talkback City on October 11, 2026.

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