# Duolingo vs Hallo

The clearest difference is ads: Hallo at none against Duolingo's shown. Hallo also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.5M vs 2.4K) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). 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 Hallo sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 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 4.6 for Hallo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 2.4K, 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 53% of Hallo's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Hallo fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Hallo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hallo-language-learning/id1452630026/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 2.4K |
| Positive reviews | **64.7% of reviews** | 53.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 203 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Hallo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1452629785) |

## 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


### Hallo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hallo-language-learning/id1452630026)

Practice speaking over 50 languages with an AI teacher anytime, anywhere. Improve fluency and confidence through conversation-based learning. Track progress, earn rewards, and connect with a global community of learners.

**Highlights:** AI conversation practice, Learn 50+ languages, Speak in 3 seconds, Track progress and fluency, Global learner community, Daily practice rewards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hallo Plus - Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Hallo Plus - Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Hallo Plus - Yearly | $83.99 | per year |
| Hallo Plus - Yearly | $119.99 | per year |
| Hallo Plus - Yearly | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤝 Great community and social features
- 🚀 Excellent for practicing conversational skills
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Innovative language learning approach
- 🌍 Opportunity to connect with people globally

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 💰 Paywall for key features
- 🔇 Removal of popular features like live streams and InstantMatch
- 📉 Declining user experience after app updates
- 🙅‍♀️ Lack of customer support and unresponsive developers

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes during lessons
- Inability to log in or access account
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Errors when trying to use certain features

**Requested features**

- Bring back live streams and InstantMatch
- Improve stability and reduce bugs
- Offer more free features for language learners
- Provide better customer support and communication
- Introduce more language options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Hallo free?

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

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

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Hallo averages 4.6 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Hallo have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Hallo does not.

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

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Hallo fortnightly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 27, 2026 and Hallo on September 7, 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.*