# Duolingo vs Learn German +

The clearest difference is ads: Learn German + at none against Duolingo's shown. Learn German + also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 65%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (5.5M vs 248). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Learn German + sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Duolingo against 4.8 for Learn German +. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 248, 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 93% of Learn German +'s.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Learn German + every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Learn German + |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | **[4.8 (248 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-german-plus/id1426469368/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 248 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **93.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Ascendo Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/320494153) |

## 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, #65 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 German +

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-german-plus/id1426469368)

Master German with interactive lessons and a unique AI-powered virtual tutor. Practice real-life conversations, improve pronunciation with advanced speech recognition, and learn at your own pace through engaging exercises. Ideal for travelers and students.

**Highlights:** AI Virtual Tutor for conversation practice, 101 real-life situation lessons, 1,190 useful phrases, 5,277 vocabulary and pronunciation exercises, Advanced speech recognition for pronunciation, Offline functionality, Customizable study lists

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lessons & Exercises (1-month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Lessons & Exercises (1-year) | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Learn German + free?

Learn German + is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Learn German +?

Learn German + is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Learn German + averages 4.8 from 248 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Learn German + have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Learn German + does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Learn German +?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Learn German + every 2 months. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Learn German + 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.*