Comparison

ForeignLanguage Graded Readers vs Mango Reader

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

Head to head
About

ForeignLanguage Graded Readers

Learn languages through engaging short stories tailored to your proficiency level. Expand vocabulary and improve comprehension in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, or English with controlled language and authentic dialogues. Designed for enjoyable self-study or classroom use.

Highlights
  • Eight short stories per collection
  • Controlled language at your level
  • Authentic spoken dialogues
  • Vocabulary lists
  • Chapter summaries and comprehension questions
  • Variety of genres
Features
Read full description

Read for pleasure at your level and learn a foreign language the fun way! Teach Yourself Short Stories by Olly Richards is a series of easy graded readers for adult and young adult language learners. Featuring eight unmissable short stories for beginners, high-beginners and intermediate learners, the series is available in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian and English. “Olly's top-notch language-learning insights are right in line with the best of what we know from neuroscience and cognitive psychology about how to learn effectively. I love his work - and you will too!” - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers Expand your vocabulary and improve your comprehension in an enjoyable and natural way: Read in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian or English and improve your language learning skills! The Short Stories collection is designed to give you a sense of achievement, a feeling of progress and most importantly - enjoyment! Each foreign language reader gives you: • Eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making learning fun, while you acquire a wide range of new vocabulary • Controlled language at your level, including the 1000 most frequent words, to help you progress confidently • Authentic spoken dialogues, to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability • Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way • Vocabulary lists so you can quickly look up unfamiliar words without interrupting your flow. • Chapter summaries and comprehension questions to help you follow the plot and understand the story. • Enjoyment! It's much easier to learn a new language when you're having fun, and research shows that if you're enjoying reading or listening in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration – “It's too hard!” “I don't understand!” The Beginners collection is for students from high-beginner to low-intermediate level (A2-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference). Intermediate is for low-intermediate to intermediate learners (B1-B2)! You can also purchase a sample to read a story before you buy the full collection. Discover the joy of being entertained in a foreign language, while learning new skills at the same time – Short Stories for Beginners in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian or English! These stories are Ideal for self-study, as well as in the classroom as supplementary learning material. If you are interested in using this content with your students, contact learningsolutions@teachyourself.com What the experts say: “As researchers in language acquisition, we need to study people like [Olly Richards]”. -Stephen Krashen, Emeritus Professor, University of Southern California “Olly's advice on language learning is the real deal, and I recommend you pay attention to what he has to say!” - Benny Lewis, Fluent in 3 Months “When we wanted to create a free online course on how to learn a language we asked Olly to write it with us”. - Dr Tita Beaven, The Open University “Learning a language is challenging, but it's one of the best things you can do for your brain and your learning skill set... Olly Richards is doing some seriously incredible work to empower more and more people to rise to the challenge”. - Jonathan Levi “Olly bridges the gap between theory and practice by helping you to use scientific principles to get real results with your language learning”. - Anthony Metivier, Magnetic Memory Method

About

Mango Reader

This app helps intermediate language learners improve their skills by providing real-time translations and pronunciation for words on any website. Users can save new vocabulary, bookmark content, and enjoy an ad-free reading experience.

Highlights
  • Real-time website translation
  • Word and phrase pronunciation
  • Personalized vocabulary lists
  • Ad-free reader mode
  • Website and article bookmarking
  • Supports 14 languages
Read full description

With Mango Reader, you can go to any website on the internet and get translations for words you don’t know, in real time, while you’re reading. Designed with Intermediate-level language learners in mind, this powerful tool will help boost your language proficiency to an Advanced level. • Visit any website in the language you're learning and immerse yourself in content that interests you. • Highlight unfamiliar words and phrases to see their translation and hear them pronounced. • Save vocabulary you want to learn to personalized lists with the tap of a button. • Convert web pages into readable content without ads or distractions using "Reader Mode." • Bookmark your favorite websites and articles. • For the full experience, get the Mango Languages app to practice new vocabulary. Mango Reader supports 14 languages, including Modern Standard Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Latin American Spanish, and English.

Screenshots

ForeignLanguage Graded Readers4 screens
Mango Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Mango Reader at 4.6 against ForeignLanguage Graded Readers's 3.3. Mango Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (63% vs 35%). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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. ForeignLanguage Graded Readers sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Mango Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mango Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of ForeignLanguage Graded Readers's written reviews are positive against 63% of Mango Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ForeignLanguage Graded Readers ships an update every 6 months, Mango Reader monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ForeignLanguage Graded Readers versus Mango Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForeignLanguage Graded ReadersMango Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (27 ratings)4.6 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.3% of reviews62.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB10 MB
Age rating+417+
DeveloperHachette UK (Holdings)LimitedCreative Empire, LLC

Customer experience

ForeignLanguage Graded Readers

All ratings27 ratings
Positive51.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative37.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive35.3%
Neutral17.6%
Negative47.1%

Mango Reader

All ratings13 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

ForeignLanguage Graded Readers

One-time5
  • Pack of 2 Credits$1.99
  • Pack of 11 Credits$10.99
  • Pack of 13 Credits$12.99
Show 2 more
  • Pack of 15 Credits$14.99
  • Pack of 65 Credits$64.99
None

Mango Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ForeignLanguage Graded Readers free?
ForeignLanguage Graded Readers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mango Reader free?
Mango Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ForeignLanguage Graded Readers or Mango Reader?
Mango Reader is rated higher. ForeignLanguage Graded Readers averages 3.3 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Mango Reader averages 4.6 from 13 ratings.
Do ForeignLanguage Graded Readers or Mango Reader have ads?
Neither ForeignLanguage Graded Readers nor Mango Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ForeignLanguage Graded Readers or Mango Reader?
ForeignLanguage Graded Readers ships an update every 6 months, and Mango Reader monthly. Most recently, ForeignLanguage Graded Readers was updated on October 10, 2026 and Mango Reader on September 21, 2026.

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