DW Learn German vs Recabulary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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!
Recabulary
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Learn languages with smart flashcards and real native audio. Every single recording in Recabulary is spoken by a human native speaker. No AI voices, because we prefer to listen to real humans. Recabulary is built on memory science. A spaced repetition algorithm schedules every review right before you would forget, so vocabulary moves into long-term memory with the least possible effort. Our word lists come from real-world frequency data and major exam frameworks like JLPT and HSK, so you always study words that actually matter. One deck per language, designed to be the only flashcard deck you will ever need. We are two friends and language enthusiasts who built the app we always wanted but never found. It isn't perfect yet, but with your feedback we will get there. LEARN JAPANESE, CHINESE, GERMAN, TURKISH & ENGLISH Study Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, German, Turkish, or English today. Spanish and Korean are coming very soon, and you can vote in the app on which languages we add next. REAL NATIVE AUDIO, NO AI VOICES Every word and every example sentence is recorded by a real native speaker, and some languages let you choose between several voices. Not a single recording in the app is AI generated. Learn authentic pronunciation, accent, and speech rhythm from day one. LEARN FOR FREE Recabulary is free to download and free to use. Every core study feature is available without payment, because we do not believe in paywalling the things that matter. Recabulary Premium is nice to have, but you never need it to reach your learning goals. SPACED REPETITION THAT WORKS Built on spaced repetition and active recall, two of the most researched techniques for long-term vocabulary retention. Each flashcard returns at the moment reviewing it helps most, so you stop wasting time on words you already know. AN ALGORITHM YOU CAN ADJUST Most apps hide their algorithm. We let you tune ours. Adjust review intervals and fine-tune the spaced repetition settings until the app fits how you learn, or simply keep our recommended defaults. THE RIGHT WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER We build every vocabulary list in three stages. We compare multiple frequency lists to find the words you are most likely to encounter in real life. We cross-reference exam vocabulary such as JLPT, HSK, and equivalent frameworks, so our decks work for everyday learners and exam takers alike. Then we refine everything by hand with language teachers and our community, because some words matter to beginners long before frequency data would suggest them. We keep expanding every deck, with the goal of covering all the vocabulary you need for complete fluency. FOR BEGINNERS AND ADVANCED LEARNERS Start from the alphabet or jump straight into advanced vocabulary. Recabulary meets you where you are. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Few things motivate like visible progress. Every study session feeds into clear statistics that show your retention and vocabulary growth over time. Download Recabulary for free and learn your first ten words today. Privacy Policy: https://www.recabulary.com/privacy-policy/ Terms and Conditions: https://www.recabulary.com/terms-and-conditions/
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DW Learn German at none against Recabulary's 3. DW Learn German also leads on ads (none vs shown). Recabulary's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 16 months). 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
Both are free to download. Recabulary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. DW Learn German asks for nothing beyond the download.
DW Learn German ships an update every 16 months, Recabulary every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DW Learn German | Recabulary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (129 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 129 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Deutsche Welle | Spaceive |
In-app purchases
DW Learn German
No in-app purchases
Recabulary
- Monthly Premium$5.991 Month
- Yearly Premium$49.991 Year
- Lifetime Premium$84.99
Questions
Is DW Learn German free?
Is Recabulary free?
Do DW Learn German or Recabulary have ads?
Which is updated more often, DW Learn German or Recabulary?
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