Comparison

Duolingo vs Words

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Duolingo

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
Read full description

Learn a new language, chess & more with the world's most downloaded education app! Duolingo is the fun, free app for learning 40+ languages through quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, reading, listening & writing to build your vocabulary & grammar skills. Designed by learning experts & loved by hundreds of millions worldwide, our lessons make learning effective & fun and help you prepare for real conversations in Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, German, English and more. And now, you can learn CHESS on Duolingo! Whether you're a total beginner or looking to level up your game, you'll love learning chess the Duolingo way. Play matches and fun chess lessons for all levels, no matter the language - chess, ajedrez, xadrez, schach, Шахматы, الشطرنج. • Chess: Learn the moves, level up your game & play matches in our Chess course. Learn the basics, solve fun chess puzzles & improve your strategy with guided lessons. Whether you're new to chess or already play, our course is designed to help you have fun and build real skills. Checkmate! • Math: Forget lectures and math worksheets! Built by learning experts, our Math course makes math feel like a game. Boost learning and fight the summer slide with standards-aligned math lessons for elementary school, middle school, and high school students. • Music: Learn how to read music & play songs in our Music course, no instrument needed! Using an on-screen keyboard, you'll learn bit-by-bit. Whether you're learning a language for travel, school, career or your brain health, you'll love learning with Duolingo. Why Duolingo? • Duolingo is fun & effective. Game-like language lessons & fun characters help you build speaking, reading, listening, & writing skills, plus enjoy fun chess & competitive online chess in one app. • Duolingo works. Designed by learning experts, Duolingo has a science-based teaching methodology proven to foster long-term knowledge retention across language lessons & chess lessons alike. • Track your progress. Work toward your learning goals with playful rewards & achievements when you make practicing language lessons or chess online part of your daily habit. • Join millions of learners. Stay motivated with competitive Leaderboards as you learn languages & play chess online alongside our global community. • Every course is free. Learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Esperanto, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, Hebrew, Welsh, Arabic, Latin, Hawaiian, Scottish Gaelic, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, English, & even High Valyrian! And now, learn Math, Music & improve your Chess skills with fun, bite-sized lessons. What the world is saying about Duolingo: "Far & away the best language-learning app." - The Wall Street Journal "This free app & website is among the most effective language-learning methods I've tried… lessons come in the form of brief challenges, speaking, translating, answering multiple-choice questions, that keep me coming back for more." - The New York Times "Duolingo may hold the secret to the future of education." - TIME Magazine "Duolingo is cheerful, lighthearted & fun." - Forbes "I Can't Stop Playing Duolingo Chess." - Wired If you like Duolingo, try Super Duolingo for 14 days free! Learn a language fast with no ads & get fun perks like Unlimited Energy & Monthly Streak Repair. If you choose to purchase Super Duolingo, payment will be charged to your Apple account, and your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Auto-renewal may be turned off at any time by going to your settings in the App Store after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Privacy Policy: https://www.duolingo.com/privacy Terms of Service: https://www.duolingo.com/terms

About

Words

Master vocabulary in 14 languages with flashcards and interactive exercises. Features native speaker audio and a structured learning list to reinforce memorization. Ideal for on-the-go language learning.

Highlights
  • 14 languages supported
  • Thousands of words per language
  • Native speaker audio
  • Flashcard review
  • Multiple choice exercises
  • Spelling exercises
  • Listening exercises
Features
Read full description

Learn 1000's of words in 14 languages including French, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Korean, German, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional scripts), Hebrew, Greek, Russian, Portuguese, Brazilian Portuguese and now Inglés! * French - 4,400 words in 111 topics * Spanish - 3,800 words in 86 topics * Japanese - 6,500 words in 111 topics * Chinese (simplified and traditional) - 5,700 words in 125 topics * Italian - 5,000 words in 110 topics * Korean - 6,200 words in 126 topics * German - 2,400 words in 98 topics * Hebrew - 4,100 words in 139 topics * Greek - 4,500 words in 119 topics * Russian - 3,400 words in 105 topics * Brazilian Portuguese - 3,300 words in 83 topics * Portuguese - 3,100 words in 60 topics * Inglés! - 5,500 words in 141 topics Each language includes 1000s of words organised by topic, And each and every word with REAL native speaker audio. Start by reviewing the words in groups of ten (the learning list). Then jump into the exercises - multiple choice, spelling and listening. Get one answer wrong and you have to redo all the exercises for that word - reinforcing the words that words that need most attention. Features and benefits: * Every language includes 1000s of words. * Every word includes a native speaker's audio recording. * Flashcard review and exercises to aid memorization. * Strict Learning-List testing technique ensures word retention. With Declan FlashCards, learning a language is as simple as turning on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Packed with over 1000s of words and phrases, Declan FlashCards is an easy way to learn a language's fundamentals, such as the days of the week, numbers, useful phrases and expressions, articles, verbs, and nouns. All words and phrases come with a native speaker's audio recording, making it easier for you to learn the correct pronunciation. So, whether you're a beginner, or simply need to polish up your language skills, pull out Declan FlashCards wherever you are -- on the bus, waiting at the doctor's office, or even in line at the supermarket. Details: The Learning List: The words are learned based on a Learning List. The Learning List contains a subset of all the words in the WordFile – 10 words by default (although this can be changed by users). The Learning List allows users to concentrate learning a small group of words at any one time. Once a word is learned (by reviewing the Learning List and completing the Exercises) it is removed from the Learning List and is replaced by another, as yet unlearned word from the WordFile. This continues until the whole WordFile is learned. Exercises: Words in the learning list should first be Reviewed using the “Review Learning List” option. Then users can move to the Exercises which include the Meaning Exercise, the Word Exercise, the Spelling Exercise and the Listening Exercise. Once all the exercises have been correctly completed, the word is marked as complete, removed from the Learning List and replaced by a new word. However, if the user gets one answer wrong in any of the exercises, then all the exercises must be completed again for that one word. This ensures comprehensive learning and retention. All personal data is handled under the terms and conditions of Declan Software's privacy policy here: declansoftware.com/privacy-policy.html and terms of use here: declansoftware.com/terms-conditions.html

Screenshots

Duolingo4 screens
Words4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Words at none against Duolingo's shown. Words also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.6M vs 47) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Words sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Duolingo against 4.6 for Words. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.6M ratings behind it against 47, 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 50% of Words's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, Words every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Duolingo versus Words: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuolingoWords
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (5.6M ratings) — better4.6 (47 ratings)
Positive reviews64.7% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5.6M — better47
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#1 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.012.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size490 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDuolingo, IncDeclan Software

Customer experience

Duolingo

All ratings5,540,071 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.5%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews30,718 reviews
Positive64.7%
Neutral9.6%
Negative25.6%

Words

All ratings39 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.6%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Duolingo

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing or crashing during lessons
  • Incorrect translations or answers marked wrong
  • Inconsistent behavior of certain features like leagues

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

Words

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

16 purchases

Duolingo

Subscriptions10
  • Super Duolingo7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Super Duolingo7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Super Duolingo14 Days trial$12.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Super Duolingo2 variants$59.991 Year
  • Super Duolingo14 Days trial2 variants$79.991 Year
  • Super Duolingo14 Days trial4 variants$83.991 Year
  • Super Duolingo7 Days trial$83.991 Year
  • Super Duolingo7 Days trial4 variants$95.991 Year
  • Super Duolingo1 Month trial$119.991 Year
  • Super Duolingo7 Days trial$119.991 Year
One-time6
  • Chest of Gems$0.99
  • Barrel of Gems (1200)$4.99
  • Chest of Gems (1200)$4.99
Show 3 more
  • Cart of Gems (3000)$9.99
  • Barrel of Gems (3000)$9.99
  • Cart of Gems (6500)$19.99
19 purchases

Words

Subscriptions6
  • Hebrew: 1 month subscription7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Korean: 1 month subscription7 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Russian: 1 month subscription7 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Italian: 1 year subscription7 Days trial$47.991 Year
  • Hebrew: 1 year subscription7 Days trial$47.991 Year
  • Korean: 1 year subscription7 Days trial$47.991 Year
One-time13
  • Ingles Lifetime Purchase$4.99
  • French Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Chinese Lifetime Purchase$14.99
Show 10 more
  • German Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Hebrew Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Italian Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Russian Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Brazilian Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Korean Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Traditional Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Japanese Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Spanish Lifetime Purchase$14.99
  • Greek Lifetime Purchase$14.99

Questions

Is Duolingo free?
Duolingo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Words free?
Words is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Words?
Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.6M ratings, while Words averages 4.6 from 47 ratings.
Do Duolingo or Words have ads?
Duolingo shows ads; Words does not.
Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Words?
Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, and Words every 2 weeks. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on November 1, 2026 and Words on October 24, 2026.

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