# Russian Readers vs Learn Russian (Beginners)

The clearest difference is monetization model: Learn Russian (Beginners) at free with in-app purchases against Russian Readers's subscription. Learn Russian (Beginners) also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). Russian Readers's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (587 vs 133). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Russian Readers sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Learn Russian (Beginners) sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Russian Readers against 4.7 for Learn Russian (Beginners). Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 587 and 133 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Russian Readers's written reviews are positive against 82% of Learn Russian (Beginners)'s.

Russian Readers ships an update every 3 months, Learn Russian (Beginners) monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Russian Readers | Learn Russian (Beginners) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (587 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/russian-readers-learn-russian/id1535989222/reviews)** | [4.7 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-russian-beginners/id1622489366/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **587** | 133 |
| Positive reviews | **88.3% of reviews** | 81.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 76 MB | 170 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Russian Readers](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535989224) | [BNR LANGUAGES INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1622487401) |

## What reviewers say

### Russian Readers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/russian-readers-learn-russian/id1535989222)

Learn Russian through engaging stories narrated by native speakers. Each word is highlighted as it's read, with English translations available to help you build vocabulary. Challenge yourself by hiding translations as you progress.

**Highlights:** Learn Russian with stories, Native speaker narration, Word highlighting, English translations, Adjustable translation visibility, Vocabulary building

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription! | $12.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription! | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing app for learning Russian
- 👍 Excellent resource for reading practice
- 🎨 Charming illustrations and stories
- 🔊 Clear native speaker narration
- 📚 Wide range of content for all levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription-based model with no free content
- 🔍 Lack of a pause/repeat button for audio
- 🌙 No dark mode option
- 📱 Some UI/UX issues on smaller screens

**Reported bugs**

- Some users reported issues with accessing content after subscription
- Occasional crashes or freezes reported by a few users

**Requested features**

- Add a pause/repeat button for audio
- Implement a dark mode option
- Provide more advanced-level content
- Allow users to save/bookmark favorite words


### Learn Russian (Beginners)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-russian-beginners/id1622489366)

This app offers a comprehensive Russian language course designed for beginners. It covers the alphabet, vocabulary, reading, writing, and listening skills with native audio. Learn independently at your own pace, with offline access and interactive exercises.

**Highlights:** Learn alphabet, vocabulary, reading, writing, and listening, Native audio recordings with adjustable speed, Offline course access, Interactive exercises with images, Review mode for reinforcement, Weekly user rankings

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlock all categories | $3.99 | per month |
| Unlock all categories | $5.99 | per month |
| Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlock all categories | $24.99 | per year |
| Unlock all categories | $44.99 | per year |
| Unlock categories - lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |
| Unlock categories - lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Russian Readers free?

Russian Readers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Learn Russian (Beginners) free?

Learn Russian (Beginners) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Russian Readers or Learn Russian (Beginners)?

Russian Readers is rated higher. Russian Readers averages 4.7 out of 5 from 587 ratings, while Learn Russian (Beginners) averages 4.7 from 133 ratings.

### Do Russian Readers or Learn Russian (Beginners) have ads?

Learn Russian (Beginners) shows ads; Russian Readers does not.

### Which is updated more often, Russian Readers or Learn Russian (Beginners)?

Russian Readers ships an update every 3 months, and Learn Russian (Beginners) monthly. Most recently, Russian Readers was updated on November 3, 2026 and Learn Russian (Beginners) on November 7, 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.*