# Busuu vs Hilokal

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Busuu at 85% against Hilokal's 45%. Busuu also leads on ratings volume (101K vs 768) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Hilokal's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Busuu sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Hilokal sells 26 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Busuu holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Busuu has 101K ratings behind it against 768, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Busuu's written reviews are positive against 45% of Hilokal's.

Busuu ships an update weekly, Hilokal every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Busuu | Hilokal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (101K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busuu-language-learning-app/id379968583/reviews)** | [4.4 (768 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hilokal-language-exchange-app/id1537500613/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **101K** | 768 |
| Positive reviews | **85.4% of reviews** | 44.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#87** | — |
| Size | 267 MB | 219 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Busuu Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/370806574) | [Hilokal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537500615) |

## What reviewers say

### Busuu

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

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Grossing · Education, #129 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


### Hilokal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hilokal-language-exchange-app/id1537500613)

Learn languages like Korean and English with an AI tutor and a global community of learners. Practice speaking, writing, and listening with real-time feedback and interactive tools. Engage in themed chats and games to make learning fun and practical.

**Highlights:** AI-powered language tutoring, Real-time grammar and pronunciation correction, Interactive transcripts with AI insights, Word tracking and pronunciation analysis, Global language exchange community, Themed chat rooms and language games, Community-led learning sessions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hilokal Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $10.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $10.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $19.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium 1 year | $24.99 | per year |
| Hilokal Premium | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| Hilokal Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus 6 months | $41.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $64.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $73.00 | per year |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $73.00 | per year |
| Hilokal 140 Beans | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium bundle 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium(1mo) Gift Card | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal 500 Beans | $6.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 1 | $10.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 1 | $11.49 | one-time |
| Hilokal 1500 Beans | $18.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium bundle 5 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 3 | $37.00 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium(1yr) Gift Card | $39.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal 5000 Beans | $64.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 10 | $110.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for language exchange and practice
- 👍 Diverse community of users from around the world
- 🌟 Helpful and knowledgeable teachers/tutors
- 💡 Innovative features like AI tutor and role-playing
- 🤝 Great for making new friends and cultural exchange

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs, crashes, and connection issues
- 🔊 Volume control problems, echo, and audio distortion
- 🤖 Inconsistent performance of AI tutor feature
- 🔒 Weak security and moderation, allowing harassment
- 💰 Expensive subscription, lack of affordable options

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in or create account
- Sudden loss of audio/voice functionality
- Incompatibility with older iOS/Android devices
- Disappearing user profiles and conversation history
- Inconsistent performance after recent app updates

**Requested features**

- Allow selecting multiple target languages
- Add option to save/review conversation transcripts
- Implement better filtering and search for tables
- Improve moderation system to address harassment
- Provide more affordable subscription plans


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Busuu free?

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

### Is Hilokal free?

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

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

Busuu is rated higher. Busuu averages 4.7 out of 5 from 101K ratings, while Hilokal averages 4.4 from 768 ratings.

### Do Busuu or Hilokal have ads?

Both Busuu and Hilokal show ads.

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

Busuu ships an update weekly, and Hilokal every 9 days. Most recently, Busuu was updated on September 25, 2026 and Hilokal on September 4, 2026.

---

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