# Duolingo vs Learning Games

The clearest difference is ads: Learning Games at none against Duolingo's shown. Learning Games also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.5M vs 760) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). 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 Learning Games sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 760, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 67% of Learning Games's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Learning Games |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.4 (760 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learning-games-fabulingua/id1435947003/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 760 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **67.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 262 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [FabuLingua, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435947002) |

## 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, #25 Top Grossing, #72 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


### Learning Games

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learning-games-fabulingua/id1435947003)

An interactive game that teaches children Spanish or English as a second language through engaging stories and educational games. Designed for preschool to elementary ages, it focuses on vocabulary, comprehension, and speaking skills in a fun, play-based environment.

**Highlights:** Interactive stories, Educational language games, Listening and speaking practice, Vocabulary development, Reading guided practice, Beginner grammar exposure, Progress tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Learn Spanish Kids Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| FabuLingua | $19.99 | per 6 months |
| Learn Spanish Kids Annual | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and engaging for kids
- 🎨 Beautiful illustrations and animations
- 🗣️ Effective for improving pronunciation
- 🏫 Great for homeschooling and language learning
- 🤖 Intuitive and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and glitches preventing app from working
- 🔒 Subscription required before trying the app
- 💰 Expensive subscription cost
- 🤯 Steep learning curve, not very user-friendly
- 🕰️ Lack of new content updates

**Reported bugs**

- App not loading or getting stuck on black screen
- Login issues and inability to access account
- Certain stories and features not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- More incremental steps and shorter stories
- Cumulative vocabulary testing
- Ability to track progress and achievements
- Expansion of available languages beyond Spanish


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Learning Games free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Learning Games?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Learning Games averages 4.4 from 760 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Learning Games have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Learning Games does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Learning Games?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Learning Games weekly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 24, 2026 and Learning Games 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.*