# Duolingo vs DK Visual Dictionary (2017)

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Duolingo at 65% against DK Visual Dictionary (2017)'s 19%. Duolingo also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.8) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). DK Visual Dictionary (2017)'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 28) and ads (none vs shown). On price, 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. DK Visual Dictionary (2017) asks for nothing beyond the download.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 33, 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 19% of DK Visual Dictionary (2017)'s.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, DK Visual Dictionary (2017) every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | DK Visual Dictionary (2017) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [1.8 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dk-visual-dictionary-2017/id1192278999/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | **64.6% of reviews** | 19.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 208 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Dorling Kindersley](https://appshunter.io/developer/316351361) |

## 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, #70 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


### DK Visual Dictionary (2017)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dk-visual-dictionary-2017/id1192278999)

This app provides audio for DK's Bilingual Visual Dictionaries, featuring over 7,000 spoken words and phrases per language by native speakers. It's organized thematically and allows users to tap words for pronunciation, save favorites, and use offline after downloading.

**Highlights:** 7,000+ spoken words/phrases per language, Native speaker audio, Thematic vocabulary organization, Tap to hear pronunciation, Offline access after download, Favorites list for saved words

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple audio companion
- 👍 Works offline
- 👍 Useful for learning pronunciation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Barcode/ISBN not recognized
- 🐛 Audio files fail to download
- 🐛 Buggy interface
- 🐛 Lacks language support

**Reported bugs**

- Barcode/ISBN not recognized
- Audio files fail to download
- Buggy interface with visual glitches
- Lack of language support

**Requested features**

- Add support for more languages
- Allow searching by word, not just page number
- Implement landscape mode for tablets
- Add option to slow down audio playback speed


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is DK Visual Dictionary (2017) free?

DK Visual Dictionary (2017) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or DK Visual Dictionary (2017)?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while DK Visual Dictionary (2017) averages 1.8 from 33 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or DK Visual Dictionary (2017) have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; DK Visual Dictionary (2017) does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or DK Visual Dictionary (2017)?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and DK Visual Dictionary (2017) every 3 months. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and DK Visual Dictionary (2017) on September 10, 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.*