Comparison

Ella Verbs vs Jiveworld

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

Head to head
About

Ella Verbs

Master Spanish verb conjugations with structured lessons and intelligent quizzes. This app focuses on understanding grammar patterns rather than rote memorization, helping you speak Spanish confidently. Progress through 50 levels, track your CEFR level, and practice with various methods.

Highlights
  • 50 levels of bite-sized lessons
  • 2,300+ verbs with guides
  • Smart Quizzes with spaced repetition
  • CEFR level tracking
  • Multiple practice modes (typing, flashcards, speaking)
  • Spanish verb sudoku puzzle
  • Offline access
Features
Read full description

Spanish verbs don't have to be scary. Whether you're just starting to learn Spanish or pushing towards fluency, Spanish verb conjugation is usually what holds you back. Other apps make you memorize. We teach you to understand, so conjugation finally clicks and you can actually hold a conversation. Ella Verbs is the Spanish verb app built for learners who want real progress. How Ella Verbs works: Learn a concept → Quiz until it clicks → Level up. Short lessons, plenty of practice, and a clear path from the present tense to the subjunctive, broken into 50 manageable levels. Our Smart Quizzes use spaced repetition (SRS) to target the patterns you're struggling with: not just individual words, but the tenses and verb types that aren't clicking yet. You practice what actually needs work, not what you already know. What learners are saying: "In 22 days I've learned more than in all the years before." "I am not afraid to form sentences or speak anymore." "Learned more in 3 days than 3 years on Duolingo." "Great for beginners but essential for serious learners." Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 15,000+ ratings. What you get: • 50 levels of bite-sized lessons and quizzes covering 18 tenses • 2,500+ verbs with full English translations, synonyms, and step-by-step conjugation guides • Smart Quizzes with spaced repetition (SRS) that target your weak spots (Pro) • CEFR level tracking (A1 → C2) to see where you stand • Speaking quizzes: say each answer out loud and the app checks it • Practice your way: typing, multiple choice, flashcards, listening, or sentences in context • Daily Verb Sudoku: a conjugation puzzle for when you want a change from quizzes • Full lessons on tricky topics like ser vs. estar and reflexive verbs • Works offline, and syncs across phone, tablet, web, and Mac Start free: the first 11 levels, the top 100 verbs, the daily Verb Sudoku, and a free Pro trial with no card needed. Pro unlocks all 50 levels, all 2,500+ verbs, Smart Quizzes, custom quizzes in every tense, and your own verb lists. Built by learners, for learners: We're Jane and Brian: an Irish couple living in Spain, learning Spanish ourselves. We built Ella Verbs because we couldn't find a method that actually taught conjugation instead of just drilling it. We're a small team and read every email ourselves (really). We release updates almost every week. Have an idea or question? Reach us at jane@ellaverbs.com or brian@ellaverbs.com. We also offer free access through our Give Back program for those who need it. More features: • Milestone levels testing verbs in real sentence contexts • Custom quiz builder: choose your tenses, verbs, and practice styles (present tense free) • Create your own verb lists to study (Pro) • Daily streak tracking across devices • Both European Spanish (with vosotros) and Latin American Spanish • Dark mode and extensive customization options Tenses covered (18 total): Indicative mood: • Present (El Presente) • Present Continuous (El Presente Progresivo) • Informal/Near Future (El Futuro Próximo) • Preterite (El Pretérito Indefinido) • Imperfect (El Pretérito Imperfecto) • Present Perfect (El Pretérito Perfecto) • Past Perfect (El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto) • Future (El Futuro Simple) • Future Perfect (El Futuro Perfecto) • Conditional (El Condicional Simple) • Conditional Perfect (El Condicional Perfecto) Subjunctive mood: • Present Subjunctive (El Presente de Subjuntivo) • Imperfect Subjunctive (El Imperfecto de Subjuntivo) • Present Perfect Subjunctive (El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo) • Past Perfect Subjunctive (El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo) • Future Subjunctive (El Futuro de Subjuntivo) • Future Perfect Subjunctive (El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo) Imperative mood: • Imperative, affirmative & negative (El Imperativo) By using Ella Verbs you agree to our terms (https://ellaverbs.com/terms) and privacy policy (https://ellaverbs.com/privacy). Learn more at https://ellaverbs.com.

About

Jiveworld

This app helps intermediate and advanced language learners overcome the "sound barrier" by exposing them to authentic spoken language through engaging stories and podcasts. It offers tools to understand idioms, slang, and cultural nuances, improving conversational fluency.

Highlights
  • Engaging stories from award-winning podcasts
  • Soundbites mini-lessons
  • Story Scaffolding for plot comprehension
  • X-Ray Script with selective word display
  • Smart Pause for complete sentence listening
  • Vocabulary Review with story-based workflow
  • Idiom to Idiom translations
Features
Read full description

Jiveworld fills a crucial gap for intermediate-level and above language learners who've hit the "sound barrier" — where the language you've learned in the classroom doesn't resemble what you actually hear at street level. Jiveworld Español uses engaging stories from Radio Ambulante, an award winning podcast with interviewees from across Latin America and Spanish-speaking communities beyond. Jiveworld English features stories from the biggest names in radio and podcasting in the United States, including This American Life, Radiolab, The Truth, and The Moth. The stories are broken into chapters and paired with the patented Jiveworld player which provides help and guidance when you need it, and gets out of the way when you don't. Only have a few minutes a day? Try Soundbites. These mini lessons pose a question or challenge based on an audio excerpt from a full story. When you're done listening, tap reveal to check the answer and show deeper insights into the challenge. Soundbites go far beyond the dictionary, exploring the language and culture across eight dimensions: Idioms & Sayings, Speech & Accents, Useful Patterns, Vernacular & Slang, Strategies, Grammar, Vocabulary, and History & Culture. Jiveworld offers you help as you listen, with speed controls, vocabulary, and notes about language and the cultural context. But the real magic lies in some unique features: • Story Scaffolding — stories organized into chapters and passages, with succinct guides that help you follow the plot • X-Ray Script — follow the script while you listen, but only show the most difficult words • Smart Pause — ensures you always listen in complete sentences, without stop-start in unnatural places • Study Flow — after you complete a chapter in Study mode, re-listen in Natural Listen mode to reinforce the authentic sounds of the language • Vocabulary Review — master the new words and phrases you encounter with a unique ears-first story-based review workflow • Deep Insights — many stories feature Soundbite challenges, focusing on an aspect of language or culture, presented before the chapter you're about to study • Idiom to Idiom — wherever you see a translation, you'll see the most natural expression in both languages, showing you how your target language really works. By studying regularly with Jiveworld, you'll be able to engage in real conversations with any native speaker.

Screenshots

Ella Verbs4 screens
Jiveworld4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ella Verbs at none against Jiveworld's shown. Ella Verbs also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (5.5K vs 443). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Ella Verbs sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Jiveworld sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. 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 — 4.9 for Ella Verbs against 4.9 for Jiveworld. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ella Verbs has 5.5K ratings behind it against 443, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 98% of Ella Verbs's written reviews are positive against 95% of Jiveworld's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ella Verbs ships an update every 3 days, Jiveworld every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ella Verbs versus Jiveworld: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElla VerbsJiveworld
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (5.5K ratings) — better4.9 (443 ratings)
Positive reviews98.5% of reviews — better95.1% of reviews
Number of ratings5.5K — better443
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB18 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTauro Software SLJiveworld, SPC

Customer experience

Ella Verbs

All ratings5,476 ratings
Positive98.7%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews598 reviews
Positive98.5%
Neutral0.3%
Negative1.2%

Jiveworld

All ratings386 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive95.1%
Neutral3.3%
Negative1.6%

User reviews

Ella Verbs

From 5.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent for learning verb conjugations
  • 🚀 Efficient and intuitive learning experience
  • 💡 Customizable quizzes and practice options
  • 👍 Helpful explanations and examples
  • 👍 Responsive and supportive developers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional issues with progress tracking
  • 🔍 Could use more variety in quiz questions

Jiveworld

From 443 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent for improving listening comprehension
  • 👍 Engaging and interesting stories
  • 💡 Customizable features (speed, transcript visibility)
  • 👍 Helpful vocabulary tools
  • 👍 Well-designed interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and performance issues
  • 💰 Expensive subscription cost
  • 🔇 Audio quality degrades when slowing down playback

Bugs and requests

Ella Verbs

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Loading issues for some users
  • Inconsistent behavior when passing level-up quizzes

Requested features

2 requests
  • Ability to listen to full sentences in quizzes
  • Option to download verb dictionary for offline use

Jiveworld

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing/crashing issues
  • Inconsistent progress tracking
  • Audio playback issues when slowing down

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to loop/repeat sections
  • Export vocabulary lists
  • More content/stories
  • Dark mode option

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Ella Verbs

Subscriptions5
  • Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Ella Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro Annual$59.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Ella Pro Annual$69.991 Year
  • Pro Annual (Family)$89.991 Year
One-time2
  • Ella Pro Lifetime$179.99
  • Pro Lifetime$179.99
2 purchases

Jiveworld

One-time2
  • 3 month purchase$35.99
  • 1 year purchase$99.99

Questions

Is Ella Verbs free?
Ella Verbs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Jiveworld free?
Jiveworld is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ella Verbs or Jiveworld?
Ella Verbs is rated higher. Ella Verbs averages 4.9 out of 5 from 5.5K ratings, while Jiveworld averages 4.9 from 443 ratings.
Do Ella Verbs or Jiveworld have ads?
Jiveworld shows ads; Ella Verbs does not.
Which is updated more often, Ella Verbs or Jiveworld?
Ella Verbs ships an update every 3 days, and Jiveworld every 2 months. Most recently, Ella Verbs was updated on October 29, 2026 and Jiveworld on October 24, 2026.

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