# Basic English vs MBE

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MBE at none against Basic English's 3. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Basic English sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. MBE asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic English | MBE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-english-esl-course/id1225114836/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.9K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 198 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1321248741) | [SIMEC SYSTEM LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1540554473) |

## What reviewers say

### Basic English

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-english-esl-course/id1225114836)

Learn to speak English fluently and confidently with interactive lessons, audio, and quizzes. Improve speaking, listening, and vocabulary through step-by-step instruction and real-world conversation practice, even offline.

**Highlights:** Offline learning support, Interactive lessons with audio and quizzes, Real-world conversation practice, Vocabulary and grammar expansion, Speaking practice with recording, Listening practice via radio

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Month | $6.99 | per month |
| Year | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Excellent learning tool
- 💡 Helpful for improving English
- 🤩 Great app
- 🥰 Love the app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Ads disrupt usage
- 🤔 Incorrect quiz answers
- 🤷‍♀️ Premium not connected

**Reported bugs**

- Audio issue during use
- Repeated audio lessons

**Requested features**

- Option to speak slowly
- Desktop version for online classes


### MBE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mbe-islamic-foundation/id6480442145)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basic English free?

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

### Is MBE free?

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

### Do Basic English or MBE have ads?

Neither Basic English nor MBE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Basic English or MBE?

Basic English ships an update every 3 weeks, and MBE every 3 weeks. Most recently, Basic English was updated on October 29, 2026 and MBE on October 25, 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.*