# Duolingo vs Polyglot Reader

The clearest difference is update cadence: Duolingo at weekly against Polyglot Reader's every 2 months. Duolingo also leads on ratings volume (5.5M vs 74) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Polyglot Reader sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 66% of Polyglot Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Polyglot Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Polyglot Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.4 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polyglot-reader/id1015619263/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 74 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **65.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Anton Ivanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/594091388) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Polyglot Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polyglot-reader/id1015619263)

Read books in foreign languages and learn new vocabulary. Tap on unknown words for instant translations and save them to flashcards for later study. Supports various document formats and offers pronunciation practice and knowledge tests.

**Highlights:** Read books in multiple formats (PDF, EPUB, TXT), Translate unknown words and phrases instantly, Create flashcards for vocabulary learning, Pronunciation support for words and phrases, Knowledge tests for vocabulary sets, Scan and recognize text from documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $22.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| Upgrade from advanced to professional version | $3.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade from Starter to Advanced version | $15.99 | one-time |
| Full version | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Polyglot Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Polyglot Reader?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Polyglot Reader averages 4.4 from 74 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Polyglot Reader have ads?

Both Duolingo and Polyglot Reader show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Polyglot Reader?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Polyglot Reader every 2 months. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Polyglot Reader on September 23, 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.*