# Duolingo vs Match Lingo Language Learning

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Match Lingo Language Learning at 100% against Duolingo's 65%. Match Lingo Language Learning also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.5M vs 7) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). 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 Match Lingo Language Learning sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 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 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 100% of Match Lingo Language Learning's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Match Lingo Language Learning fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Match Lingo Language Learning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/match-lingo-language-learning/id1529213699/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **100.0% 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 | 202 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Smushy Dushy Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529213495) |

## 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, #64 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


### Match Lingo Language Learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/match-lingo-language-learning/id1529213699)

This app uses a fun card-matching game to help children learn to speak, read, and write new languages like Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese. It offers customizable learning experiences with a vast card collection, writing practice, and adjustable difficulty levels.

**Highlights:** Card matching game for language learning, Learn Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Hundreds of curated words and phrases, Create custom cards, Introduction to writing characters, Adjustable difficulty levels, Multiplayer mode

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Match Lingo Language Learning free?

Match Lingo Language Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Match Lingo Language Learning?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Match Lingo Language Learning averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Match Lingo Language Learning have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Match Lingo Language Learning does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Match Lingo Language Learning?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Match Lingo Language Learning fortnightly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Match Lingo Language Learning on June 3, 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.*