Comparison

LingoDeer vs Umi

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

Head to head
About

LingoDeer

This app offers structured language lessons created by teachers, making learning effective and easy. It covers 20 languages, from beginner alphabets to conversational fluency, with interactive exercises and native speaker audio.

Highlights
  • Short, interactive lessons
  • Clear learning path
  • Grammar tips and notes
  • Native speaker audio
  • Flashcards and quizzes
  • Offline learning
  • Real-life conversation practice
Features
Read full description

#1 app for learning Asian languages and more! Over 20 million people choose to learn with LingoDeer. Why? Our structured lessons created by language teachers make learning easy and effective. From the alphabet, LingoDeer will get you to a conversational level in 20 languages: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Malay, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Spanish(Latin American or European), Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, and English. Download LingoDeer Today! ⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓ What will you get on LingoDeer? ※ Short, interactive lessons Easy 5-min lessons that fit into your daily plan ※ Clear learning path Each course is tailored to your target language ※ Customized for Asian languages Read & write in a unique alphabet system like Korean or Japanese ※ Better understanding of the grammar Tips & notes within lessons to help you build sentences confidently ※ Listen, imitate, and speak Studio-recorded audio from native speakers ※ Reinforce what you learn Flashcards, quizzes, target training, and more ※ Offline learning Take lessons everywhere you go Powerful features you'll love: • Fluent: real-life conversations! Practice reading, writing, listening, speaking, and get cultural tips as you learn. • Travel Phrasebook: audio phrasebook! Get ready for your trip to your dream country. • Character Drill: writing practices for Japanese kanji and Chinese characters. • Story: mini stories with captions! Expand what you learned in lessons. • Knowledge Cards: printable grammar flashcards! Keep essential grammar concepts at your desk. *Fluent is only available for Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, and French courses at the moment. ⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓ Find tips, guides, and resources on language learning: ※ LingoDeer Blog: https://blog.lingodeer.com ※ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/lingodeer Come chat with us on social media! Follow us for language learning advice, support, and memes: ※ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lingodeerapp ※ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LingoDeer ※ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lingodeer ⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓ You will need a subscription in order to get full access to all courses and features. The subscription price starts at $14.99/month. Prices are in US dollars, may vary by country, can be converted to local currency depending on the country of residence, and are subject to change without notice. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will be automatically charged at the same price for renewal within the 24-hour period prior to the end of the current payment period unless you change your subscription preferences in your iTunes Account Settings. When a subscription is canceled, access to the app's courses and features will expire at the end of the current payment period. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a LingoDeer subscription, where applicable. - Terms of Use: https://www.lingodeer.com/terms-conditions-html - Privacy Policy: https://www.lingodeer.com/privacypolicy-html CONTACT US: Got ideas you want to share or feedback for the app? Email us at hi@lingodeer.com ⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓⎓ Real reviews from the LingoDeer community: "This has been helping me study Japanese way better than any book can!" "LingoDeer is worth every penny and more, it is an essential tool in the shed for anyone learning any of their offered languages, in or out of a classroom." YOUR JOURNEY TO FLUENCY STARTS HERE: • Learn Korean • Learn Japanese • Learn Mandarin Chinese • Learn Arabic • Learn French • Learn German • Learn Greek • Learn Hindi • Learn Indonesian • Learn Italian • Learn Malay • Learn Polish • Learn Brazilian Portuguese • Learn Russian • Learn Spanish (Latin American or European) • Learn Thai • Learn Turkish • Learn Ukrainian • Learn Vietnamese • Learn English

About

Umi

Master a new language through engaging TV clips, from beginner to fluent in a year. This app offers a fun, scientifically backed immersion method with vocabulary, listening, and reading practice. Learn from native speakers in real-life contexts without textbooks or lectures.

Highlights
  • Learn languages from 0 to fluency
  • Watch TV clips for learning
  • Vocabulary, listening, and reading practice
  • Immersion method
  • Learn from native speakers
  • 24 free lessons
Features
Read full description

Learn a language from 0 to fluency in 1 year, by watching TV clips! 24 lessons for free! Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German or English! Vocabulary, listening, and reading all in one app... and it's fun! A revolutionary scientifically backed method; natural exposure with short videos is the best way to gain REAL comprehension. No textbooks. No boring lectures. Learn from native speakers! Understand how people talk in real life situations. Start learning today with the revolutionary immersion method, and actually achieve fluency! Privacy: https://www.umiapp.co/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

LingoDeer4 screens
Umi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Umi at free with in-app purchases against LingoDeer's subscription. LingoDeer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (77% vs 54%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. LingoDeer sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Umi sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for LingoDeer against 4.8 for Umi. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LingoDeer has 28K ratings behind it against 2.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of LingoDeer's written reviews are positive against 54% of Umi's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LingoDeer ships an update every 3 weeks, Umi every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
LingoDeer versus Umi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLingoDeerUmi
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (28K ratings)4.8 (2.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews — better53.6% of reviews
Number of ratings28K — better2.4K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#136 — better#191
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size216 MB79 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperLingoDeer Co, Ltd.Immersely Inc.

Customer experience

LingoDeer

All ratings27,589 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral2.0%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews1,237 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative17.1%

Umi

All ratings2,362 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral1.9%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews278 reviews
Positive53.6%
Neutral15.1%
Negative31.3%

User reviews

LingoDeer

From 28K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great for learning Asian languages
  • 👍 Thorough grammar and sentence structure explanations
  • 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
  • 📚 Comprehensive lessons and review features
  • 🔊 Clear audio and pronunciation guidance

Room to improve

  • 💰 Paywall after initial lessons
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Limited free content
  • 🔀 Difficulty switching between languages
  • 🔢 Lack of customization options (e.g., dark mode)

Umi

From 2.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Engaging and immersive learning experience
  • 👍 Helpful for improving listening and comprehension
  • 💡 Unique approach using real-world media clips
  • 🤩 Fun and enjoyable way to learn vocabulary

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inaccurate translations and subtitles
  • 🐛 Inconsistent clip quality and content
  • 💰 Paywall limits free access to full features
  • 🤔 Lack of structured learning progression

Bugs and requests

LingoDeer

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Progress bar not updating correctly
  • Incorrect answers sometimes marked as correct
  • Inability to resume lessons after app update
  • Keyboard issues when typing answers

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow typing answers instead of just selecting
  • Provide feedback on pronunciation accuracy
  • Improve spaced repetition for vocabulary review
  • Add more languages, especially less common ones
  • Implement a community feature to connect with other learners

Umi

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent app crashes and loading issues
  • Inability to delete account or access full free version
  • Inconsistent performance and playback problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more language options like Mandarin and Russian
  • Improve spaced repetition and word review system
  • Provide more detailed grammar and conjugation explanations
  • Add a search function to find specific vocabulary

In-app purchases

17 purchases

LingoDeer

Subscriptions11
  • Spanish Monthly Subscription$12.991 Month
  • Japanese Monthly Subscription$12.991 Month
  • Korean Monthly subscription$12.991 Month
Show 8 more
  • Multilingual Pass - Monthly$14.991 Month
  • Korean Quarterly subscription$32.993 Months
  • Multilingual Pass - Quarterly$34.993 Months
  • Korean Pass - Yearly$76.991 Year
  • Multilingual Pass - 6 Months$83.996 Months
  • Multilingual Pass (Annual)$95.991 Year
  • Multilingual Pass (Annual)7 Days trial$95.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription - discount3 Days trial$109.991 Year
One-time6
  • Buy 1200 Gems$4.99
  • Buy 3000 Gems$9.99
  • Multilingual Pass - Lifetime$119.99
Show 3 more
  • Multilingual Pass - Lifetime$159.99
  • lifetime membership for new$299.99
  • lifetime membership discount$499.99
15 purchases

Umi

Subscriptions14
  • Umi Plus + Monthly7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Umi Plus - Monthly3 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Umi Premium - Monthly3 Days trial$14.991 Month
Show 11 more
  • Umi Pro - Monthly3 Days trial$17.991 Month
  • Umi Professional - Monthly3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Umi Plus - 6 months3 Days trial$34.996 Months
  • Umi Plus + 6 Months$34.996 Months
  • Umi Premium - 6 Months$39.996 Months
  • Umi Plus + Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Umi Plus - Annual3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Umi Pro - 6 months$59.996 Months
  • Umi Premium - Annual3 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Umi Pro - Annual3 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Umi Professional - Annual3 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • Umi - Plus$149.99

Questions

Is LingoDeer free?
LingoDeer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Umi free?
Umi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LingoDeer or Umi?
Umi is rated higher. LingoDeer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 28K ratings, while Umi averages 4.8 from 2.4K ratings.
Do LingoDeer or Umi have ads?
Umi shows ads; LingoDeer does not.
Which is updated more often, LingoDeer or Umi?
LingoDeer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Umi every 10 days. Most recently, LingoDeer was updated on September 27, 2026 and Umi on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, LingoDeer or Umi?
LingoDeer currently peaks at #136 in the App Store charts, and Umi at #191. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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