# Busuu vs LingoDeer

The clearest difference is monetization model: Busuu at free with in-app purchases against LingoDeer's subscription. Busuu also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (85% vs 77%). LingoDeer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Busuu sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and LingoDeer sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Busuu against 4.7 for LingoDeer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 101K and 28K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Busuu's written reviews are positive against 77% of LingoDeer's.

Busuu ships an update weekly, LingoDeer every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Busuu | LingoDeer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (101K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busuu-language-learning-app/id379968583/reviews) | [4.7 (28K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingodeer-learn-languages/id1261193709/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **101K** | 28K |
| Positive reviews | **85.4% of reviews** | 76.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#84** | #170 |
| Size | 267 MB | 216 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Busuu Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/370806574) | [LingoDeer Co, Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1261193708) |

## What reviewers say

### Busuu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busuu-language-learning-app/id379968583)

**Currently charting:** #84 Top Grossing · Education, #143 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Learn new languages through bite-sized lessons and interactive exercises. Connect with native speakers for feedback and practice, and track your progress with personalized study plans and official certificates.

**Highlights:** Learn up to 14 languages, Connect with native speakers, Expert-designed courses, Personalized study plans, Smart review for vocabulary and grammar, Official language certificates, Specialized courses

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Plan | $23.49 | per month |
| 12 Months Premium | $70.00 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| 14 Day Trial - Premium Plus | $89.99 | per year |
| 12 Months' Premium | $138.99 | per year |
| 12 Months Premium | $138.99 | per year |
| 12 Months Premium Plus | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Best resource for learning
- 🎓 Structured lessons and review
- 👥 Helpful community feedback
- 🎨 Engaging visuals and content
- 🗣️ Realistic native speaker audio

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Inconsistent AI-generated corrections
- 🔒 Limited access without premium
- 🔀 Difficulty navigating between lessons
- 📚 Lack of advanced content and review
- 🔊 Issues with audio and pronunciation

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect or missing translations
- Inconsistent lesson progress tracking
- Bugs with voice recognition and feedback

**Requested features**

- Ability to learn multiple languages simultaneously
- More detailed grammar explanations and practice
- Customizable review and flashcard features
- Improved community features and messaging
- Offline access to downloaded lessons


### LingoDeer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingodeer-learn-languages/id1261193709)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

This app offers structured language lessons created by teachers, making learning effective and easy. It covers 20 languages, from beginner alphabets to conversational fluency, with interactive exercises and native speaker audio.

**Highlights:** Short, interactive lessons, Clear learning path, Grammar tips and notes, Native speaker audio, Flashcards and quizzes, Offline learning, Real-life conversation practice

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spanish Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Japanese Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Korean Monthly subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Multilingual Pass - Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Korean Quarterly subscription | $32.99 | per 3 months |
| Multilingual Pass - Quarterly | $34.99 | per 3 months |
| Korean Pass - Yearly | $76.99 | per year |
| Multilingual Pass - 6 Months | $83.99 | per 6 months |
| Multilingual Pass (Annual) | $95.99 | per year |
| Multilingual Pass (Annual) | $95.99 | per year |
| Yearly subscription - discount | $109.99 | per year |
| Buy 1200 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy 3000 Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Multilingual Pass - Lifetime | $119.99 | one-time |
| Multilingual Pass - Lifetime | $159.99 | one-time |
| lifetime membership for new | $299.99 | one-time |
| lifetime membership discount | $499.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for learning Asian languages
- 👍 Thorough grammar and sentence structure explanations
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 📚 Comprehensive lessons and review features
- 🔊 Clear audio and pronunciation guidance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall after initial lessons
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Limited free content
- 🔀 Difficulty switching between languages
- 🔢 Lack of customization options (e.g., dark mode)

**Reported bugs**

- Progress bar not updating correctly
- Incorrect answers sometimes marked as correct
- Inability to resume lessons after app update
- Keyboard issues when typing answers

**Requested features**

- Allow typing answers instead of just selecting
- Provide feedback on pronunciation accuracy
- Improve spaced repetition for vocabulary review
- Add more languages, especially less common ones
- Implement a community feature to connect with other learners


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Busuu free?

Busuu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is LingoDeer free?

LingoDeer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Busuu or LingoDeer?

Busuu and LingoDeer are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 101K and 28K ratings respectively.

### Do Busuu or LingoDeer have ads?

Busuu shows ads; LingoDeer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Busuu or LingoDeer?

Busuu ships an update weekly, and LingoDeer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Busuu was updated on September 25, 2026 and LingoDeer on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Busuu or LingoDeer?

Busuu currently peaks at #84 in the App Store charts, and LingoDeer at #170. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*