Comparison

Tigrinya Basics vs Lisan

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

Head to head
About

Tigrinya Basics

Learn 1000 Tigrigna words through an intuitive, all-in-one platform. Engage with study, quiz, and game modes on a single screen, making vocabulary acquisition fun and effective. Covers 21 diverse categories for comprehensive learning.

Highlights
  • 1000 Tigrigna words
  • Study, quiz, and game modes
  • Game-based learning (GBL)
  • 21 learning categories
  • Intuitive single-screen design
  • Pronunciation practice
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Tigrinya Basics! Your perfect, completely free introduction to the Tigrinya language. Whether you are starting from absolute zero or looking to solidify your foundational knowledge, Tigrinya Basics is designed to make learning fast, intuitive, and fun for all ages. A Massive Leap Forward (Version 3.0 Update): We have completely retired our legacy 2022 vocabulary app and rebuilt the experience from the ground up! Tigrinya Basics is no longer just a simple word-matching game. It is a modern, comprehensive language-learning platform featuring a beautiful, highly responsive interface, buttery-smooth native animations, and instant touch responses. What You Will Learn: This app is strictly focused on mastering the foundational building blocks of the Tigrinya language through an engaging Game-Based Learning (GBL) methodology: Alphabets (Fidelat): Learn to recognize, read, and pronounce the unique characters of the Ge'ez script. Numbers: Master counting in Tigrinya with interactive audio and visual cues. Core Vocabulary: Explore an expanded, reimagined words section covering essential everyday categories like animals, family, food, colors, time, and more! 100% Offline & Lightning Fast: Tigrinya Basics is engineered to be a true "offline-first" experience. Every single high-quality audio pronunciation and beautiful visual asset is bundled directly inside the app. This means zero loading screens, zero buffering, and absolutely no internet connection required. You can practice your Tigrinya anywhere, anytime! 100% Free: We believe foundational language education should be accessible to everyone. Tigrinya Basics contains no hidden fees, no subscriptions, and no mandatory cloud accounts. It is our gift to the community. Ready for Fluency? Upgrade to Complete Tigrinya! Tigrinya Basics is the ultimate starting line, but it is just the beginning of your journey. Once you have mastered the alphabets, numbers, and basic words here, we highly recommend downloading our flagship app: Complete Tigrinya. Complete Tigrinya takes your learning to the next level by offering: Real-world conversational dialogue lessons Advanced grammar and sentence structure breakdowns An expansive, searchable Tigrinya-English dictionary AI-powered speech evaluation to perfect your pronunciation Deep-dive audio lessons for complete fluency Start your journey today with Tigrinya Basics, practice pronouncing the sounds out loud, and when you are ready to speak like a native, we will see you in Complete Tigrinya!

About

Lisan

Features
Read full description

Lisan is a language app for beginners and returning learners. Kito, your guide within the app, introduces each lesson and helps you move through the course at a comfortable pace. During setup, you choose a language and tell Lisan how much you already know. Lisan then recommends a starting path covering everyday conversation, letters, Ethiopian culture, or numbers. Lessons are built for short study sessions and can be revisited at any time. AUDIO YOU CAN TRUST Every recording is reviewed for pronunciation before it reaches a lesson. Amharic words, phrases, and base letters are recorded by a native speaker. The full fidel grid and the English course use a reviewed studio voice. WHAT IS INCLUDED • Seven Letter Garden lessons that introduce Fidel one sound at a time. • Four Counting Trail lessons covering numbers from 1 to 20. • Three greeting lessons with polite words and phrases for everyday conversations. • Color Market for learning common color vocabulary. • Animal Trail for listening and vocabulary practice. • Family Picnic, where you arrange words to build a complete Amharic sentence. • 17 Amharic lessons with 72 questions in total. • A starter English course of 10 listening lessons for Amharic speakers and anyone building practical English. LEARNING PATHS Choose a learning path based on your interests: • Everyday conversation • Fidel foundations • People and culture • Guided foundations • Numbers You can change your focus as you continue learning, and each course keeps its own lessons and progress. PROGRESS AND DAILY LEARNING See the current Ethiopian date and traditional Ethiopian time from the Home screen. Set a daily goal and earn XP for every lesson you finish. Track completed lessons, earned stars, learned words, and your current streak. The Practice studio brings back what you have already learned with a short review, and shows how strong each skill has become. Progress is stored directly on your device. No account or sign up is required, and Lisan does not display advertising. WHO LISAN IS FOR Lisan is for people learning Amharic for family, travel, heritage, everyday conversation, or personal interest, and for Amharic speakers who want practical English. The guided course suits complete beginners as well as learners refreshing what they already know. LISAN PREMIUM Five starter lessons are free, covering letters, numbers, greetings, and colors, so you can judge the whole app before paying. Lisan Premium opens all learning paths and lessons, listening and practice activities, and future lesson releases during your subscription. Weekly, monthly, and yearly subscriptions provide the same Premium access. Eligible new subscribers may receive a free three day trial with the yearly plan. Current pricing and trial availability are shown on the purchase screen and may vary by country or region. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Payment will be charged to your Apple ID when you confirm your purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current subscription period ends. Your Apple ID will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription from your App Store account settings. If you purchase a subscription during a free trial, any unused portion of the trial will be forfeited where applicable. Terms of Use: https://addisstack.com/apps/lisan/terms Privacy Policy: https://addisstack.com/apps/lisan/privacy

Screenshots

Tigrinya Basics4 screens
Lisan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lisan at monthly against Tigrinya Basics's every 20 months. Tigrinya Basics's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Tigrinya Basics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Lisan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tigrinya Basics ships an update every 20 months, Lisan monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Tigrinya Basics versus Lisan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTigrinya BasicsLisan
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size112 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPatrick K BaruseiTeklie Belay Bzuneh

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tigrinya Basics

One-time1
  • iLearn Tigrigna Words Premium$7.99
3 purchases

Lisan

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Yearly3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Tigrinya Basics free?
Tigrinya Basics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lisan free?
Lisan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tigrinya Basics or Lisan have ads?
Neither Tigrinya Basics nor Lisan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tigrinya Basics or Lisan?
Tigrinya Basics ships an update every 20 months, and Lisan monthly. Most recently, Tigrinya Basics was updated on November 3, 2026 and Lisan on October 31, 2026.

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