# Duolingo vs Wayground

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wayground at none against Duolingo's 28. Wayground also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.5M vs 42K) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Wayground asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Duolingo against 4.8 for Wayground. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 42K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 63% of Wayground's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Wayground monthly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Wayground |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | **[4.8 (42K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wayground/id1160249042/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 42K |
| Positive reviews | **64.6% of reviews** | 63.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Quizizz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1160249041) |

## 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


### Wayground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wayground/id1160249042)

This supplemental curriculum platform helps educators align district priorities with classroom instruction to accelerate student achievement of grade-level standards. It offers a vast library of standards-aligned resources, AI-powered differentiation, and diverse learning formats to engage students. Students can access assignments, study independently, and track their progress on any device.

**Highlights:** Standards-aligned resource library, AI-powered material differentiation, Diverse student learning formats, 25+ student accommodations, Independent study resources, Progress tracking for students

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and engaging way to learn
- 🚀 Helpful for studying and preparing for tests
- 💡 Ability to create custom quizzes
- 🎨 Enjoyable meme-based feedback

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent log-outs and login issues
- ⏱️ Strict time limits on questions
- 🔒 Lack of password management options
- 🧠 Concerns about using app for formal assessments

**Reported bugs**

- Horizontal display issues causing misclicks
- Quizzes disappearing from user's library
- Inconsistent behavior with power-ups and scoring

**Requested features**

- Option to disable timer on questions
- Ability to review past answers and questions
- Improved quiz creation and management tools
- Sync progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Wayground free?

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

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

Wayground is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Wayground averages 4.8 from 42K ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Wayground have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Wayground does not.

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

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Wayground monthly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Wayground on September 25, 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.*