# Duolingo vs Watch and Learn

The clearest difference is rating: Duolingo at 4.7 against Watch and Learn's 2.0. Duolingo also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (5.5M vs 6). Watch and Learn's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads, 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 Watch and Learn sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 6, 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 50% of Watch and Learn's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Watch and Learn every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Watch and Learn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [2.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watch-and-learn/id1465175697/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **64.6% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Anton Ivanov](https://appshunter.io/developer/594091388) |

## 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, #62 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


### Watch and Learn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watch-and-learn/id1465175697)

Learn new languages by watching films and series with synchronized subtitles. Tap on unknown words or phrases for instant translations and save them to flashcards for later study. Supports over 40 languages and offers pronunciation practice and knowledge tests.

**Highlights:** Watch films/series in foreign languages, Interactive subtitles with tap-to-translate, Save words/phrases to flashcards, Pronunciation support, Knowledge tests for vocabulary, Supports over 40 languages, Offline dictionaries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $1.49 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $14.49 | per year |
| The Snows of Kilimanjaro | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Little Shop of Horrors | $0.99 | one-time |
| Carnival of Souls (1962) | $0.99 | one-time |
| House on Hounted Hill | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Stranger (1946) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Suddenly (1954) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Blood on the Sun | $0.99 | one-time |
| Detour | $0.99 | one-time |
| Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full version | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Watch and Learn free?

Watch and Learn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Watch and Learn?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Watch and Learn averages 2.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Watch and Learn have ads?

Both Duolingo and Watch and Learn show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Watch and Learn?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Watch and Learn every 7 months. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Watch and Learn on September 6, 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.*