Comparison

LingQ | Learn Languages vs italki

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

Head to head
About

LingQ | Learn Languages

Learn languages naturally by reading and listening to real content. Expand your vocabulary and improve comprehension with interactive tools and AI-powered features. Supports over 50 languages and offers a global community for support.

Highlights
  • Massive content library
  • Import your own content
  • Interactive reader with word definitions
  • AI-powered learning tools
  • Progress tracking
  • Offline learning
  • Community support and tutoring
Features
Read full description

Experience Language Learning with LingQ — the natural and effective way to learn a new language. LingQ is a language learning app that lets you grow your vocabulary and improve comprehension through meaningful exposure to the language with real content. Follow your interests and enjoy an immersive learning experience in over 50 languages. Learn Spanish, English, Japanese, Korean, Italian, German, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Arabic, and other languages. Trusted by Learners Worldwide: ◆4.7 star rating from over 45000 reviews. ◆Featured in CBC, Men’s Health, La Vanguardia, El País. Designed for Real Language Learning LingQ uses an input-based approach: you learn languages by reading and listening to real, interesting content at your level. ◆ Massive Content Library: Thousands of lessons from podcasts, books, interviews, videos, articles, and more — all with matching text for easy listening and reading. ◆ Follow Topics You Enjoy: Choose content you love and progress naturally through immersion, not drills. ◆ Import Your Favorite Content: Turn Netflix, YouTube, podcasts, books, and articles into personalized lessons. ◆ Powerful Reader: An effective, optimized reader that tracks every word you encounter to boost your vocabulary. ◆ Interactive Learning: Listen, read along, tap words for instant definitions, and learn naturally as you go. ◆ Advanced Progress Tracking: Monitor your listening, reading, study time, and vocabulary growth. ◆ Learn Anytime, Anywhere: Study offline and sync your progress automatically. Learn whenever you want. AI Language Learning Tools • AI Audio Transcription: Turn podcasts and audiobooks into interactive lessons. • AI Voices: Make your lessons, reviews and chats more immersive with natural sounding text-to-speech voices. • Advanced Chatbot: Get detailed tutor responses and real-time web search with our advanced Lynx AI Chatbot. • AI-Simplified Lesson: Take advantage of more interesting content earlier on in your learning journey by generating simplified versions of lessons. Read and Listen with Interactive Tools • SRS vocabulary review for long-term retention; • Mini Stories that build a strong foundation at any level; • Grammar guides with clear, accessible explanations; • Audio playlists for hands-free listening; • Karaoke Mode to follow the text while listening; A Global Community to Support You • Writing Exchange for real corrections from native speakers; • Tutoring sessions tailored to your goals; • Community forum for questions, guidance, and motivation; • Challenges that help you stay consistent and build strong habits; Built by Language Learners LingQ was co-founded by Steve Kaufmann, a polyglot who learned more than 20 languages using this same natural approach. Learn Multiple Languages LingQ supports more than 50 languages, including Spanish, English, Japanese, Korean, Italian, German, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Arabic and more. Get LingQ Premium and Accelerate Your Learning • Unlimited vocabulary lookup and SRS review; • Comprehensive word tracking to boost your progress; • Unlimited content imports; • Access to AI features; Start learning from real content. Download LingQ and begin today. Feedback? Let us know. Send suggestions and feedback to iosapp@lingq.com. Terms of Service - https://www.lingq.com/terms/

About

italki

Connect with qualified native teachers for personalized language lessons. Learn Spanish, English, French, and over 150 other languages at your own pace and schedule. Practice conversation, master grammar, and immerse yourself in new cultures.

Highlights
  • Private tutoring with native teachers
  • Learn over 150 languages
  • Customizable lesson plans
  • Flexible class scheduling
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing
  • Video call tutoring
Features
Read full description

Start learning or keep improving your Spanish, English, French or any other language with private tutoring, thanks to qualified native teachers. With italki, enjoy an immersive learning experience with native teachers, and learn Spanish, French or any other language by sharing a real and human connection with your teacher. Do you want to learn a new language? Would you like to study English with a native teacher? You speak a bit of French and you’re not sure how to keep on learning? Language academies don’t fit your schedule? Download italki, register for free and learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and more languages. Customize the way you learn languages; connect with native teachers according to your interests, work experience, etc. In italki you’ll find qualified language teachers to learn the language you like best (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean…). Make the most of this opportunity to learn languages, practice your conversation skills, get to know new cultures and grow professionally. Aside from the italki’s community’s support, video call tutoring with native teachers is the best tool for you to learn a language. italki, the app to learn languages with tutoring More than 150 languages available with native teachers - Spanish - English - French - Japanese - Korean - German … and much more! ◉ Language classes where and when you want Do you want to make the most of your lunch break at work or your daily walk to learn Spanish? Choose the class duration (30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes) and adjust it to your schedule. Use italki Classroom, Skype, Zoom or another platform for your online language classes and start speaking the language you always wanted to learn, or practice the languages you want to get better at. ◉ Master the language skills you need the most italki's qualified teachers tailor their language classes to your current level (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2). They will build every lesson based on your personal needs and weaknesses, to ensure you progress fast. Choose a course that fits your priorities: conversation, business, grammar, creative writing, exam preparation… You have lots of options available for each language! ◉ Pay as you go Forget about paying a lot without knowing if you’ll be able to attend all the classes. With italki, you pay per class. You can also buy credits to spend them little by little or buy a package and save on the final price. Educators set their own prices, from less than $10 for qualified teachers to less than $5 for tutors. You also have three classes for less than $5 each to try, so you can make sure it’s right for you! ◉ An immersive learning experience Learn and exchange with native teachers who will teach you everything you need to know about the language and its culture, and with whom you can create a real human connection, far beyond mechanical language learning. Whether you want to learn Spanish, English, Japanese or any other language, progress quickly with a total immersion. ◉ Connect with thousands of native teachers Find Spanish, English, French, Japanese, German, Italian and Korean teachers, and teachers of many more languages. Choose your teacher according to their interests, specialization, or even their accent: British or American English, to learn English and any other language you need. Some teachers use language-teaching materials in their tutoring classes, such as books, videos, cards, etc. ◉ Learning together with your friend Invite your friends to join italki to study a language, and earn $10 every time one of them spends their first $20. They will also earn $5 for adding you as their referrer. Study online, learn languages with native tutors in italki and expand your world. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

LingQ | Learn Languages4 screens
italki4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: LingQ | Learn Languages at none against italki's shown. LingQ | Learn Languages also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 68%) and chart position (#102 vs unranked). italki's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. LingQ | Learn Languages sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and italki sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for LingQ | Learn Languages against 4.8 for italki. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10K and 9.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of LingQ | Learn Languages's written reviews are positive against 68% of italki's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LingQ | Learn Languages ships an update every 5 days, italki weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
LingQ | Learn Languages versus italki: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLingQ | Learn Languagesitalki
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (10K ratings)4.8 (9.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.2% of reviews — better67.6% of reviews
Number of ratings10K — better9.7K
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#102 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size345 MB306 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperLingQ Languages Ltditalki HK Limited

Customer experience

LingQ | Learn Languages

All ratings10,219 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews1,172 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral6.1%
Negative13.7%

italki

All ratings9,737 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.0%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews1,457 reviews
Positive67.6%
Neutral5.1%
Negative27.2%

User reviews

LingQ | Learn Languages

From 10K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent for reading and listening practice
  • 👍 Customizable content and learning experience
  • 🚀 Efficient vocabulary acquisition
  • 👍 Helpful for improving comprehension and fluency
  • 👍 Engaging and enjoyable way to learn

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app with sync and performance issues
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🤔 Limited free version functionality
  • 🤔 Confusing user interface and navigation
  • 🤔 Inconsistent quality of translations and definitions

italki

From 9.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great platform to connect with native speakers
  • 🚀 Flexible scheduling and easy to use
  • 💰 Affordable lessons
  • 🎓 Helpful for improving language skills
  • 🤝 Positive learning experience with great teachers

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy app with glitches and connectivity issues
  • 💳 Concerns about pricing changes and fees
  • 🕰️ Unreliable teachers who cancel or don't show up
  • 🤖 Poor customer service and lack of support
  • 📆 Difficulty with scheduling and calendar integration

Bugs and requests

LingQ | Learn Languages

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Sync issues between app and web version
  • Incorrect translations and definitions
  • Unreliable streak tracking and progress reporting

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved user interface and navigation
  • Better sync and performance across devices
  • More content and language options
  • Enhanced vocabulary management and review tools
  • Affordable subscription plans

italki

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Inaccurate teacher availability information
  • Issues with login and account management
  • Problems with video/audio quality during lessons
  • Syncing and integration problems with other platforms

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved calendar and scheduling functionality
  • Better notification system for lessons
  • Ability to search for and connect with language partners
  • More transparency around teacher availability and cancellations
  • Streamlined payment and refund process

In-app purchases

12 purchases

LingQ | Learn Languages

Subscriptions12
  • LingQ Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • LingQ Premium (Monthly)$14.991 Month
  • Premium Plus Monthly$29.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • LingQ Premium (6 Months)7 Days trial$80.996 Months
  • LingQ Premium (6 Months)$80.996 Months
  • LingQ Premium$89.991 Year
  • LingQ Premium$99.991 Year
  • LingQ Premium$101.991 Year
  • LingQ Premium2 variants$109.991 Year
  • LingQ Premium (12 Months)7 Days trial$119.991 Year
  • LingQ Premium (12 Months)$119.991 Year
  • Premium Plus Yearly7 Days trial$269.991 Year
4 purchases

italki

Subscriptions4
  • italki Plus - 1 Month$5.991 Month
  • Plus Monthly Plan with Trial1 Month trial$5.991 Month
  • italki Plus - 1 Year$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Plus Yearly Plan with Trial1 Month trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is LingQ | Learn Languages free?
LingQ | Learn Languages is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is italki free?
italki is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LingQ | Learn Languages or italki?
italki is rated higher. LingQ | Learn Languages averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while italki averages 4.8 from 9.7K ratings.
Do LingQ | Learn Languages or italki have ads?
italki shows ads; LingQ | Learn Languages does not.
Which is updated more often, LingQ | Learn Languages or italki?
LingQ | Learn Languages ships an update every 5 days, and italki weekly. Most recently, LingQ | Learn Languages was updated on September 24, 2026 and italki on September 24, 2026.

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