# Duolingo vs Alphabet Learning App

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Alphabet Learning App at 100% against Duolingo's 65%. Alphabet Learning App also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Duolingo's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (5.5M vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 and Alphabet Learning App sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Alphabet Learning App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 100% of Alphabet Learning App's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Alphabet Learning App every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Alphabet Learning App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphabet-learning-app/id1097552106/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [TopOfStack Software Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/370530694) |

## 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, #26 Top Grossing, #74 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


### Alphabet Learning App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alphabet-learning-app/id1097552106)

This app makes learning the alphabet and numbers fun for toddlers and preschoolers. It offers interactive games and visual aids to teach children how to read and write letters and numbers in multiple languages.

**Highlights:** Alphabet visualization with pronunciation, Multiple words and pictures per letter, Number learning with items, Alphabet tracing/writing practice, Memory game, Multilingual support (English, French, Italian, Spanish)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Insects | $0.99 | one-time |
| Animals | $0.99 | one-time |
| Insectos | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sblocca "Insetti" | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sblocca "Animali" | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sblocca "Frutta" | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sblocca "Verdura" | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sblocca "Animali d'acqua" | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads! | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Alphabet Learning App free?

Alphabet Learning App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Alphabet Learning App?

Alphabet Learning App is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Alphabet Learning App averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Alphabet Learning App have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Alphabet Learning App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Alphabet Learning App?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Alphabet Learning App every 2 months. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Alphabet Learning App on September 6, 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.*