# Duolingo vs ForeignLanguage Graded Readers

The clearest difference is rating: Duolingo at 4.7 against ForeignLanguage Graded Readers's 3.3. Duolingo also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (65% vs 35%). ForeignLanguage Graded Readers's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). 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 ForeignLanguage Graded Readers sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 27, 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 35% of ForeignLanguage Graded Readers's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, ForeignLanguage Graded Readers every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | ForeignLanguage Graded Readers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [3.3 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foreignlanguage-graded-readers/id1422731589/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 27 |
| Positive reviews | **64.7% of reviews** | 35.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Hachette UK (Holdings)Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/361205465) |

## 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, #79 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


### ForeignLanguage Graded Readers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foreignlanguage-graded-readers/id1422731589)

Learn languages through engaging short stories tailored to your proficiency level. Expand vocabulary and improve comprehension in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Russian, or English with controlled language and authentic dialogues. Designed for enjoyable self-study or classroom use.

**Highlights:** Eight short stories per collection, Controlled language at your level, Authentic spoken dialogues, Vocabulary lists, Chapter summaries and comprehension questions, Variety of genres

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of 2 Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 11 Credits | $10.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 13 Credits | $12.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 15 Credits | $14.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 65 Credits | $64.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is ForeignLanguage Graded Readers free?

ForeignLanguage Graded Readers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or ForeignLanguage Graded Readers?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while ForeignLanguage Graded Readers averages 3.3 from 27 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or ForeignLanguage Graded Readers have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; ForeignLanguage Graded Readers does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or ForeignLanguage Graded Readers?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and ForeignLanguage Graded Readers every 6 months. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 27, 2026 and ForeignLanguage Graded Readers on September 23, 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.*