# Duolingo vs 9th Grade Learning Games

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Duolingo at 5.5M against 9th Grade Learning Games's 17. Duolingo also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and review sentiment (65% vs 50%). 9th Grade Learning Games's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads 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 9th Grade Learning Games sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 3 months. 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 9th Grade Learning Games. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 17, 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 9th Grade Learning Games's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, 9th Grade Learning Games monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | 9th Grade Learning Games |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9th-grade-learning-games/id1594000802/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | **64.7% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 233 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [nguyen thanh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481436893) |

## 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, #74 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


### 9th Grade Learning Games

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/9th-grade-learning-games/id1594000802)

This app helps 9th-grade students master English through interactive tests and lessons. It offers offline access and a user-friendly interface for a convenient and engaging learning experience.

**Highlights:** Interactive English tests, Offline learning capability, Self-paced lessons, User-friendly interface, Progress enhancement for exams

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Three Months VIP | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| Learning Premium Monthly Plan | $1.99 | per month |
| One Month VIP | $4.99 | per month |
| Learning Premium HalfYear Plan | $5.99 | per 6 months |
| Learning Premium Annual Plan | $9.99 | per year |
| Six Months VIP | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year VIP | $49.99 | per year |
| Gói khởi đầu | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is 9th Grade Learning Games free?

9th Grade Learning Games is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or 9th Grade Learning Games?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while 9th Grade Learning Games averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or 9th Grade Learning Games have ads?

Both Duolingo and 9th Grade Learning Games show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or 9th Grade Learning Games?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and 9th Grade Learning Games monthly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 28, 2026 and 9th Grade Learning Games on September 11, 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.*