# Duolingo vs Bunpo

The clearest difference is ads: Bunpo at none against Duolingo's shown. Bunpo also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.5M vs 18K) and chart position (#1 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Bunpo sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bunpo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 18K, 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 73% of Bunpo's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Bunpo every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Bunpo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | **[4.9 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 18K |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **72.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Bunpo Language Learning](https://appshunter.io/developer/1279720051) |

## 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, #61 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


### Bunpo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunpo-language-learning/id1279720052)

Master multiple languages with this comprehensive learning app. It offers detailed grammar explanations, vocabulary building, and smart review systems to help you progress from beginner to advanced levels. Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese with interactive exercises and personalized study plans.

**Highlights:** Learn 6 languages, Master grammar with detailed explanations, Build vocabulary and kanji knowledge, Spaced repetition for smart review, Interactive quizzes and example sentences, Offline learning for Spanish, French, German, Chinese

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bunpo Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Platinum Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Platinum Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Bunpo Plus Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Plus Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Platinum Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Platinum Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| Bunpo Plus Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Bunpo Plus Lifetime | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for learning Japanese
- 👍 Well-designed and organized
- 👍 Explains grammar and usage well
- 👍 Customizable to learning needs
- 👍 Effective spaced repetition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Too much content locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported
- 🐛 Issues with keyboard and text display
- 🐛 Inconsistencies in question answers
- 🔒 Lack of offline access to paid content

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during lesson reviews
- Incorrect answers marked as wrong
- Text and keyboard issues on smaller screens
- Audio playback problems

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode support for tablets
- Improve review options to revisit specific grammar points
- Expand vocabulary lessons and practice
- Add more languages beyond Japanese


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Bunpo free?

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

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

Bunpo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Bunpo averages 4.9 from 18K ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Bunpo have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Bunpo does not.

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

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Bunpo every 9 days. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 24, 2026 and Bunpo on September 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.*