Comparison

Lectia 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

Lectia

Master a new language with authentic audio, video, and reading materials from native speakers. This free app offers structured lessons, cultural notes, and progress tracking for all levels, with offline study options available.

Highlights
  • Authentic audio, video, and reading passages
  • Language learning activities for comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar
  • Cultural, historical, and vocabulary notes
  • Transcript and translation
  • Offline study options
  • Goal tracking and proficiency tests
Features
Read full description

Don’t just learn a new language, master it! Completely free with no ads, Lectia is the first language learning app to offer in-depth content using real-life audio, video, and reading passages from countries where the target language is spoken. Developed by language experts at the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland, Lectia features: - Language learning activities to build comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar that increase in difficulty as you progress - Cultural, historical, and vocabulary notes - Transcript and translation - Highlighted text-tracking to help you follow along - Extensive glossary Choose from seven languages Arabic | Chinese | French | Korean | Persian | Russian | Spanish | more languages coming in 2022! Authentic materials created by and for native speakers: - Local and national news reports - Expert interviews - Weather reports - Apartment listings - Product and service ads - Recipes, and more! Benefits of Lectia: - No hidden costs or in-app purchases. Ever! - No ads - For all language levels (beginner, intermediate or advanced)! - Proficiency test at the end of each level - No wifi? No problem! Download lessons for offline study. - Goal tracking feature to measure your progress - Whether you’re already comfortable with the language or just starting out, Lectia has an option for you! For 35 years, the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland has been helping people understand each other and the world around them. To learn more about our work, visit us at www.nflc.umd.edu. Connect with us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umdnflc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NationalForeignLanguageCenter Twitter: @NFLC_UMD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-foreign-language-center Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nflc.umd.edu/ Got an idea? We want to hear from you! Share your feedback with us at nflc-feedback@umd.edu.

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

Lectia4 screens
Mango Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mango Reader at monthly against Lectia's every 4 months. Mango Reader also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.4). Lectia's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 63%) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.4). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mango Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 38 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of Lectia's written reviews are positive against 63% of Mango Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lectia ships an update every 4 months, Mango Reader monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Lectia versus Mango Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLectiaMango Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (38 ratings)4.6 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews — better62.5% of reviews
Number of ratings38 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB10 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperUniversity of MarylandCreative Empire, LLC

Customer experience

Lectia

All ratings38 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%

Mango Reader

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

In-app purchases

None

Lectia

No in-app purchases

None

Mango Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lectia free?
Lectia is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mango Reader free?
Mango Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lectia or Mango Reader?
Mango Reader is rated higher. Lectia averages 4.4 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while Mango Reader averages 4.6 from 13 ratings.
Do Lectia or Mango Reader have ads?
Neither Lectia nor Mango Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lectia or Mango Reader?
Lectia ships an update every 4 months, and Mango Reader monthly. Most recently, Lectia was updated on October 4, 2026 and Mango Reader on September 21, 2026.

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