Mahau vs Tairongo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mahau
Learn te reo Māori with this app, focusing on dialects from Wellington's mana whenua iwi. Features synchronized narration, interactive learning, and the ability to record your own voice. Supports learning at work, school, or home.
- Synchronized narration in standard and regional dialects
- Swipe to read or touch to hear
- Record your own narration
- Create custom pepeha
- Export content to social media
- Informative videos and maps
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Welcome to Mahau, our te reo Māori language app for Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington. Mahau refers to this section of the whare as an entrance, and that's what this app is all about – it's designed to help you enter the house of te reo Māori. Use Mahau at work or school, in your home or café and give te reo Māori a go! What makes Mahau special is that you can learn the dialects of our mana whenua iwi, Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa Rangatira. Ngā mihi nui for helping to make Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington a bilingual capital city by 2040! FEATURES Synchronised narration in standard te reo Māori and 2 dialects, Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui Swipe to read or touch to hear Record your own narration Create your own pepeha Export pages, images, and audio to colleagues, friends or social media Maps Tutorials Watch informative videos This app was produced by world leading Cultural Services agency Kiwa Digital. For more www.kiwadigital.com NEED HELP? Contact us: support@kiwadigital.com
Tairongo
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Tairongo includes commonly used Māori words and phrases, basic greetings and resources to understand Māori culture, customs and protocols. Tairongo includes helpful tips such as preparing for a pōwhiri and how to create your own mihimihi. The app has audio guides to help with Māori words, phrases and songs. The app includes information on Manatū Aorere Trade partnership with Māori, Embassy locations, and the titles of each Group and Division to help staff understand more about our shared cultural heritage and further express the Manatū Aorere vision, purpose and values. FEATURES 1. Synchronised narration in te reo Māori 2. Swipe to Read or Touch to Hear 3. Create your own pepeha This app was produced by world leading Cultural Services agency Kiwa Digital. For more www.kiwadigital.com NEED HELP? Contact us: support@kiwadigital.com
Screenshots
Verdict
Mahau and Tairongo are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mahau ships an update every 3 months, Tairongo every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mahau | Tairongo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 167 MB | 96 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Wellington City Council | Kiwa Digital Limited |
In-app purchases
Mahau
No in-app purchases
Tairongo
No in-app purchases
