Comparison

Michel Thomas Language Library vs linguistica

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

Head to head
About

Michel Thomas Language Library

Learn languages naturally through an audio-based method without books or memorization. This app guides you from beginner to confident speaker by actively participating in simulated live lessons, building a solid foundation and speaking in full sentences from the start.

Highlights
  • Audio-based lessons
  • No books or memorization required
  • Learn from simulated live lessons
  • Active participation
  • Speak in full sentences from the start
  • Learn at your own pace
Features
Read full description

*****‘A great app and a wonderful teacher…Best way to learn a language by far’ – Ethicos *****‘His method is just genius! It works so well around a busy life’ – Kim s *****‘I could not believe how quickly I was able to learn a language’ – Laurie 1954 The Michel Thomas Method Languages app makes language learning easy! Go from absolute beginner to confident speaker – all without books, homework or having to memorize anything. The stress-free Michel Thomas Method teaches you a foreign language in weeks, not years. Trial 20 minutes of any language for FREE (no card details required). You’ll stick with it because you’ll love it. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Choose a language from our website to trial for free, or purchase, and sign up for an account. 2. Download the free Michel Thomas Method App. 3. Sign into the app with your account, download your course and start learning! Ready to move up to the next level? Find your next course on our website and continue learning! THE METHOD THAT WORKS WITH YOUR BRAIN 'What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.' – Michel Thomas Based on Michel Thomas’s 25 years of extensive research on how the brain best learns and retains information, and perfected over another 25 years of teaching with students, academics, professionals, politicians and Hollywood stars. The highly acclaimed Michel Thomas Method courses provide an accelerated method for foreign language learning that will have you speaking a language in whole sentences right from the start. You will quickly build a solid foundation and gain a deep understanding of the language, and be motivated to carry on due to your phenomenal progress. HOW DO THE COURSES WORK? ‘All stress inhibits true and effective learning’ – Michel Thomas During your course, you will join a Michel Thomas Method teacher and two students in live lessons, learning from both their successes and their mistakes to keep you motivated and involved throughout the course. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. Within the very first hour you will be able to construct simple phrases by listening and thinking out answers for yourself without the pressure of writing, or stress of having to memorize. You will learn at your own pace, pausing and repeating where necessary. Michel Thomas Method courses are the perfect foundation for anyone looking to start their language learning journey, continue their journey, or for those who have failed to learn a language in the past or lack confidence speaking. We offer courses from beginner to high intermediate level. The courses make it easy and convenient to fit language learning into your daily routine in whatever time you have. Let go of the tensions and anxieties traditionally associated with language learning, and enjoy it. WHY IS IT SO EFFECTIVE? You will learn the language naturally, as you learned your own, by listening and speaking, rapidly building your confidence and improving your fluency. The language is broken into essential building blocks which you reconstruct to create sentences, absorbing the vocabulary and grammatical structures almost effortlessly, to say what you want, when you want. You will enjoy the language learning process as it creates real excitement – you’ll speak the language immediately and experience a constant sense of progress through your new understanding. LEARN UP TO 19 LANGUAGES: Arabic (Egyptian) Arabic (MSA) Danish Dutch French German Greek Hindi Irish Italian Japanese Korean Mandarin (Chinese) Norwegian Polish Portuguese Russian Spanish Swedish Join 5 million people who have learned a language with the Michel Thomas Method and achieve your goal to speak a new language today! Any questions? Contact us at support@michelthomas.com Michel Thomas Method® is a registered trademark of Michel Thomas, used by Hodder & Stoughton Limited (a division of Hachette UK) under exclusive license.

About

linguistica

Learn Spanish, French, Italian, and German through engaging weekly news podcasts. Native speakers host these slow-paced programs, focusing on comprehension and cultural insights. Access free content with two news stories per language weekly.

Highlights
  • Learn Spanish, French, Italian, German
  • Weekly news podcasts
  • Intermediate language level
  • Native speaker hosts
  • Slow-paced comprehension
  • Cultural insights
Read full description

Study Spanish, French, Italian and German on the go through current events! Since 2009, we have been producing weekly podcasts with news stories, conversation and culture in intermediate Spanish, French, Italian and German. Hosted by native speakers, our programs present news and discussion at a slow pace to help you improve comprehension. Recommended by The Guardian, The Economist and The Washington Post, this program helps you learn French, Spanish, Italian or German with stories you care about at a pace you can understand. Give it a try with our free app, which offers a portion of our weekly program: Two news stories per language every week with no payment and no need to sign up. Just download and play!

Screenshots

Michel Thomas Language Library4 screens
linguistica4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: linguistica at none against Michel Thomas Language Library's 4. linguistica also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 41%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). 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. Michel Thomas Language Library sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. linguistica asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

linguistica holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 156 and 53 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of Michel Thomas Language Library's written reviews are positive against 63% of linguistica's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Michel Thomas Language Library ships an update every 4 months, linguistica every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Michel Thomas Language Library versus linguistica: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMichel Thomas Language Librarylinguistica
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (156 ratings)4.5 (53 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.8% of reviews63.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings156 — better53
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size97 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHachette UK (Holdings)LimitedLinguistica 360

Customer experience

Michel Thomas Language Library

All ratings156 ratings
Positive78.2%
Neutral5.1%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive40.8%
Neutral6.1%
Negative53.1%

linguistica

All ratings52 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral9.6%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive63.2%
Neutral15.8%
Negative21.1%

Bugs and requests

Michel Thomas Language Library

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • App crashes on login
  • App crashes when opening audio files
  • Pause/play button unresponsive when phone locked
  • Pause button skips back 30 seconds
  • Progress bar out of sync with audio
Show 11 more
  • Audio tracks fail to play despite downloading
  • Auto-play between tracks not working
  • App minimizes unexpectedly
  • Incompatibility with iOS 13+ updates
  • Sign-up button non-functional on iPad
  • Downloaded content shows 'coming soon' indefinitely
  • Purchased courses inaccessible after app updates
  • Device limit restrictions blocking legitimate users
  • App blocks access after multiple reinstalls
  • Slow loading screens for simple operations
  • Inconsistent play/pause icon display

Requested features

11 requests
  • Bookmark/progress saving functionality
  • Lesson completion tracking
  • Better pause/play button responsiveness
  • Improved UI design with larger control buttons
  • MP3 file access for external players
Show 6 more
  • Subscription option for all courses
  • Spaced repetition reminders
  • Real-time speaking feedback
  • Consistent track numbering with PDF booklets
  • Better integration with lock screen controls
  • Dark mode option

linguistica

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Michel Thomas Language Library

One-time4
  • Pack of 11 Credits$10.99
  • Pack of 12 Credits$11.99
  • Pack of 90 Credits$89.99
Show 1 more
  • Pack of 100 Credits$99.99
None

linguistica

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Michel Thomas Language Library free?
Michel Thomas Language Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is linguistica free?
linguistica is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Michel Thomas Language Library or linguistica?
linguistica is rated higher. Michel Thomas Language Library averages 4.2 out of 5 from 156 ratings, while linguistica averages 4.5 from 53 ratings.
Do Michel Thomas Language Library or linguistica have ads?
Neither Michel Thomas Language Library nor linguistica shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Michel Thomas Language Library or linguistica?
Michel Thomas Language Library ships an update every 4 months, and linguistica every 2 months. Most recently, Michel Thomas Language Library was updated on September 23, 2026 and linguistica on September 3, 2026.

Other comparisons