# Mandarin Flash Cards vs Duolingo

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Duolingo at 65% against Mandarin Flash Cards's 0%. Duolingo also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and rating (4.7 vs 4.0). Mandarin Flash Cards's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 28) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Duolingo is free to download; Mandarin Flash Cards costs $1.99 up front. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Mandarin Flash Cards asks for nothing beyond the download.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Mandarin Flash Cards's written reviews are positive against 65% of Duolingo's.

Mandarin Flash Cards ships an update every 19 months, Duolingo every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mandarin Flash Cards | Duolingo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarin-flash-cards/id515673126/reviews) | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **5.5M** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **64.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#1** |
| Size | 40 MB | 491 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [eFlashApps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/378668745) | [Duolingo](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) |

## What reviewers say

### Mandarin Flash Cards

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandarin-flash-cards/id515673126)

This app offers an engaging way for young children to build Mandarin vocabulary through interactive flashcards. It features over 500 words with high-quality images, videos, and professional voiceovers, designed for ages 1-4.

**Highlights:** Ad-free learning experience, Over 500 words with images and videos, Professional voiceovers and real sounds, Interactive question mode for parent-child play, 10 learning categories, Large text and icons for young users

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Duolingo

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Grossing · Education, #2 Top Free · Education, #25 Top Grossing, #73 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 Mandarin Flash Cards free?

Mandarin Flash Cards costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mandarin Flash Cards or Duolingo?

Duolingo is rated higher. Mandarin Flash Cards averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Duolingo averages 4.7 from 5.5M ratings.

### Do Mandarin Flash Cards or Duolingo have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Mandarin Flash Cards does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mandarin Flash Cards or Duolingo?

Mandarin Flash Cards ships an update every 19 months, and Duolingo every 6 days. Most recently, Mandarin Flash Cards was updated on October 1, 2026 and Duolingo on October 22, 2026.

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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.*