# Duolingo vs Lan

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lan at none against Duolingo's 28. Lan also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (80% vs 65%). Duolingo's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (5.5M vs 38). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Lan asks for nothing beyond the download.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 38, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 80% of Lan's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, Lan monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Lan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.2 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lan-master-native-tutors/id1020166132/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 38 |
| Positive reviews | 64.7% of reviews | **79.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 490 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Language Master Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/951700328) |

## What reviewers say

### Duolingo

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Education, #1 Top Grossing · Education, #27 Top Grossing, #77 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


### Lan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lan-master-native-tutors/id1020166132)

Connect with native English speakers for practice and improve your language skills. Experienced native speakers can also start an online teaching career with comprehensive tools.

**Highlights:** Native English speaker practice, Online tutoring platform, IELTS preparation, Business English, Online teaching tools

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Lan free?

Lan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Lan?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Lan averages 4.2 from 38 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Lan have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Lan does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Lan?

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, and Lan monthly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on October 27, 2026 and Lan on October 24, 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.*