# ASL Translator vs Duolingo

The clearest difference is price: Duolingo at Free against ASL Translator's $4.99. Duolingo also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). ASL Translator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 28) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Duolingo is free to download; ASL Translator costs $4.99 up front. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ASL Translator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 87, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of ASL Translator's written reviews are positive against 65% of Duolingo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ASL Translator ships an update every 4 months, Duolingo weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ASL Translator | Duolingo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.1 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asl-translator/id421784745/reviews) | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 87 | **5.5M** |
| Positive reviews | **69.0% of reviews** | 64.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | #166 | **#1** |
| Size | 320 MB | 489 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Software Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/425694308) | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) |

## What reviewers say

### ASL Translator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asl-translator/id421784745)

**Currently charting:** #166 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

This app translates English text into American Sign Language (ASL) videos, offering real-time sign generation for over 30,000 words and 1,400 idioms. It also provides a library of 110 common ASL phrases with video demonstrations, all without requiring an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Text-to-sign video generation, Over 30,000 words translated, 1,400+ idioms and phrases, Seamless sign connectivity, 110 common ASL phrases, Offline functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning ASL
- 👍 Helpful for communication
- 👍 Useful for beginners
- 👍 Good for memorizing scriptures
- 👍 Quick lookups for signs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Low quality videos
- 👎 Messy app design
- 👎 Incorrect text to sign translation
- 👎 Too many finger spellings
- 👎 Videos don't show word being signed

**Reported bugs**

- App suddenly stopped working
- App is always freezing
- Text to sign part not working
- Videos are choppy
- App won't open, needs update

**Requested features**

- Ability to watch in slow motion
- Favorites section for personalized sentences
- Memory game for learning
- Larger print for text box
- ASL word order option


### Duolingo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Education, #1 Top Grossing · Education, #27 Top Grossing, #64 Top Free (US App Store)

Learn languages, math, music, and chess through fun, bite-sized lessons. Build vocabulary, grammar, and real-world skills with a science-based methodology. Track progress and stay motivated with a global community.

**Highlights:** Bite-sized language lessons, Speaking, reading, listening, writing practice, Math skills development, Music reading and playing, Chess strategy and gameplay, Progress tracking and rewards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Super Duolingo | $9.99 | per month |
| Super Duolingo | $12.99 | per month |
| Super Duolingo | $12.99 | per month |
| Super Duolingo | $59.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $79.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $83.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $83.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $95.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $119.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $119.99 | per year |
| Chest of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems (1200) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Gems (1200) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Cart of Gems (3000) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems (3000) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cart of Gems (6500) | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and entertaining learning experience
- 🎉 Motivating streak and league features
- 🎨 Cute and engaging animations
- 📚 Effective for learning vocabulary and basics
- 🤖 Useful AI-powered features like voice lessons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Issues with voice recognition and pronunciation feedback
- 🤑 Aggressive monetization tactics and paywall for key features
- 🤯 Frustrating heart/health system that penalizes mistakes
- 🤔 Lack of grammar explanations and focus on just memorizing phrases
- 🤷‍♀️ Inconsistent app experience across platforms

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing or crashing during lessons
- Incorrect translations or answers marked wrong
- Inconsistent behavior of certain features like leagues

**Requested features**

- Add more languages, especially less common ones
- Improve grammar lessons and explanations
- Allow more flexibility in navigating the course content
- Provide better feedback and corrections for mistakes
- Sync progress and features consistently across app and web


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ASL Translator free?

ASL Translator costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ASL Translator or Duolingo?

Duolingo is rated higher. ASL Translator averages 4.1 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while Duolingo averages 4.7 from 5.5M ratings.

### Do ASL Translator or Duolingo have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; ASL Translator does not.

### Which is updated more often, ASL Translator or Duolingo?

ASL Translator ships an update every 4 months, and Duolingo weekly. Most recently, ASL Translator was updated on September 22, 2026 and Duolingo on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, ASL Translator or Duolingo?

ASL Translator currently peaks at #166 in the App Store charts, and Duolingo at #1. 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.*