Umi vs Lingala
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Umi
Master a new language through engaging TV clips, from beginner to fluent in a year. This app offers a fun, scientifically backed immersion method with vocabulary, listening, and reading practice. Learn from native speakers in real-life contexts without textbooks or lectures.
- Learn languages from 0 to fluency
- Watch TV clips for learning
- Vocabulary, listening, and reading practice
- Immersion method
- Learn from native speakers
- 24 free lessons
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Learn a language from 0 to fluency in 1 year, by watching TV clips! 24 lessons for free! Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German or English! Vocabulary, listening, and reading all in one app... and it's fun! A revolutionary scientifically backed method; natural exposure with short videos is the best way to gain REAL comprehension. No textbooks. No boring lectures. Learn from native speakers! Understand how people talk in real life situations. Start learning today with the revolutionary immersion method, and actually achieve fluency! Privacy: https://www.umiapp.co/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Lingala
Learn to speak Lingala with short, daily lessons featuring native speaker audio. Practice pronunciation, use smart flashcards, and track your progress with daily streaks. Start speaking real conversations in minutes a day.
- Bite-size daily lessons
- Native-speaker pronunciation
- Smart flashcards
- Pronunciation practice
- Daily streaks and progress tracking
- Offline access
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Speak Lingala, don't just study it. Learn Lingala the way people actually speak it: out loud, in short daily lessons, with real native-speaker voices. • Bite-size lessons you can finish in minutes • Native-speaker pronunciation • Smart flashcards that focus on the words you keep forgetting • Pronunciation practice with clear audio playback • Daily streaks and progress tracking to keep you going • Works offline once your content is downloaded From "Mbote" to real conversations: just a few minutes a day to start speaking Lingala for real. Start for free. Terms of Service: https://yaydy.app/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://yaydy.app/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Umi at 4.8 against Lingala's 1.0. Umi also leads on ratings volume (2.8K vs 1). Lingala's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Umi sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Lingala sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Umi holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Umi has 2.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Umi ships an update every 10 days, Lingala weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Umi | Lingala |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.8K ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 52.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 79 MB | 82 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Immersely Inc. | Diarno Diouf |
Bugs and requests
Umi
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent app crashes and loading issues
- Inability to delete account or access full free version
- Inconsistent performance and playback problems
Requested features
4 requests- Add more language options like Mandarin and Russian
- Improve spaced repetition and word review system
- Provide more detailed grammar and conjugation explanations
- Add a search function to find specific vocabulary
Lingala
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Umi
- Umi Plus + Monthly7 Days trial$12.991 Month
- Umi Plus - Monthly3 Days trial$12.991 Month
- Umi Premium - Monthly3 Days trial$14.991 Month
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- Umi Pro - Monthly3 Days trial$17.991 Month
- Umi Plus - 6 months3 Days trial$34.996 Months
- Umi Plus + Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Umi Plus - Annual3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Umi Premium - Annual3 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Umi Pro - Annual3 Days trial$69.991 Year
- Umi - Plus$149.99
Lingala
- No Ads$2.991 Month
