# HelloTalk vs Tutor Lily

The clearest difference is ads: Tutor Lily at none against HelloTalk's shown. Tutor Lily also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 36%). HelloTalk's advantage is ratings volume (44K vs 239) and chart position (#28 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HelloTalk sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Tutor Lily sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for HelloTalk against 4.6 for Tutor Lily. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HelloTalk has 44K ratings behind it against 239, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of HelloTalk's written reviews are positive against 50% of Tutor Lily's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HelloTalk | Tutor Lily |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (44K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellotalk-language-learning/id557130558/reviews) | [4.6 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tutor-lily-ai-language-tutor/id6448189123/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **44K** | 239 |
| Positive reviews | 36.1% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#28** | — |
| Size | 753 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HELLOTALK FOREIGN LANGUAGE EXCHANGE LEARNING TALK CHAT APP](https://appshunter.io/developer/557130561) | [Tutor Lily Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683846536) |

## What reviewers say

### HelloTalk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellotalk-language-learning/id557130558)

**Currently charting:** #28 Top Grossing · Education, #52 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Practice languages with native speakers through chat, voice, and live events. Connect with locals worldwide to improve fluency and cultural understanding. Features include translation tools, instant captions, and interactive Voicerooms.

**Highlights:** Practice with native speakers, Live video lessons, Interactive Voicerooms, Translation tools, Instant captions, Global community, Cultural insights

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly auto-renewal VIP | $12.99 | per month |
| VIP Membership Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| VIP Membership Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| VIP Membership | $79.99 | per year |
| VIP Membership Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| 8 HT Coins | $0.29 | one-time |
| 64 HT Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 324 HT Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 649 HT Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pro Membership (3 Months) | $29.99 | one-time |
| 3249 HT Coins | $49.99 | one-time |
| 10334 HT Coins | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for language learning
- 👍 Helpful features like translation and correction
- 💡 Ability to connect with native speakers
- 🤝 Friendly and supportive community
- 🌍 Exposure to different cultures

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Overly aggressive monetization
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and censorship
- 🚫 Difficulty changing account details
- 🤖 Issues with bots and fake accounts

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing messages and chat history
- Inability to create new accounts on same device
- Inconsistent app performance across platforms
- Incorrect language detection and translation
- Unexpected account suspensions or bans

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve messaging and notification features
- Allow more flexibility in language settings
- Enhance moderation and reporting systems
- Provide better customer support channels


### Tutor Lily

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tutor-lily-ai-language-tutor/id6448189123)

Engage in natural conversations to build real language fluency. This AI tutor remembers your progress and interests, adapting sessions to your goals and mistakes. Practice real-world scenarios and receive gentle corrections for effective learning.

**Highlights:** Natural conversation practice, Personalized learning based on goals, Real-time, gentle corrections, Smart vocabulary building, Adaptive difficulty levels, Practice real-world scenarios, Pronunciation coaching

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

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly PRO $1 | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly PRO Membership | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly PRO Membership | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly PRO Membership | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly PRO Membership | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly PRO Membership | $29.99 | per month |
| Annual PRO Discount | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Discount | $49.99 | per year |
| 6-Month PRO Membership | $56.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual PRO Membership | $69.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Discount | $71.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Membership | $83.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Membership | $83.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Membership | $89.99 | per year |
| Annual PRO Membership | $169.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for language practice
- 👍 AI is personable and engaging
- 👍 Provides corrections and explanations
- 👍 Wide range of language options
- 👍 Natural sounding AI voice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitches
- 🐛 Freezes often
- 🐛 Hands-free mode is glitchy
- 🐛 Incorrect translations at times
- 🐛 Robotic and artificial voices

**Reported bugs**

- App settings change and can't contact support
- Recent update removed roleplay/topics
- App is buggy
- Makes users answer same questions each time
- App locked behind paywall without notice

**Requested features**

- Option to watch ads for more messages
- Ability to see pre-corrected version of messages
- Add Icelandic language
- Improve hands-free mode
- More natural sounding voices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HelloTalk free?

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

### Is Tutor Lily free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HelloTalk or Tutor Lily?

HelloTalk and Tutor Lily are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 44K and 239 ratings respectively.

### Do HelloTalk or Tutor Lily have ads?

HelloTalk shows ads; Tutor Lily does not.

### Which is updated more often, HelloTalk or Tutor Lily?

HelloTalk ships an update fortnightly, and Tutor Lily fortnightly. Most recently, HelloTalk was updated on September 26, 2026 and Tutor Lily on September 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.*