# Duolingo vs Learn Characters AD

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Learn Characters AD at none against Duolingo's 28. Learn Characters AD also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 33%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 29 months). On price, ads 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. Learn Characters AD asks for nothing beyond the download.

Learn Characters AD 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 33% of Learn Characters AD's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Learn Characters AD every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Learn Characters AD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-characters-ad/id1221249612/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **64.6% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [HARASHOW Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/356148278) |

## 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


### Learn Characters AD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-characters-ad/id1221249612)

This app helps users learn to write letters and display words clearly. It's ideal for teaching children, displaying complex characters, or helping foreigners learn a new language.

**Highlights:** Display favorite letters and words large, Teach letter writing with finger tracing, Suitable for children's learning, Useful for displaying complex characters, Aid for learning native language writing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Learn Characters AD free?

Learn Characters AD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Learn Characters AD?

Learn Characters AD is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Learn Characters AD averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Learn Characters AD have ads?

Both Duolingo and Learn Characters AD show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Learn Characters AD?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Learn Characters AD every 29 months. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Learn Characters AD on August 12, 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.*