# Duolingo vs Learn Spanish

The clearest difference is ads: Learn Spanish at none against Duolingo's shown. Learn Spanish also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.6M vs 404) and update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Learn Spanish sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.6M ratings behind it against 404, 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 43% of Learn Spanish's.

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, Learn Spanish monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Learn Spanish |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.6 (404 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-spanish-for-beginners/id1667150297/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.6M** | 404 |
| Positive reviews | **64.8% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 499 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [INVENTO ONE PRIVATE LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1601427564) |

## What reviewers say

### Duolingo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Grossing · Education, #2 Top Free · Education, #25 Top Grossing, #85 Top Free (US App Store)

Master new languages, chess, and math with fun, bite-sized lessons. This educational app uses a game-like approach to build vocabulary, grammar, and strategic skills. Track your progress and compete with a global community.

**Highlights:** Bite-sized language lessons, Chess learning and play, Interactive math courses, Music reading and playing, Progress tracking and achievements, Competitive leaderboards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Super Duolingo | $9.99 | per month |
| Super Duolingo | $12.99 | per month |
| Super Duolingo | $83.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $95.99 | 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 |
| 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


### Learn Spanish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-spanish-for-beginners/id1667150297)

Master Spanish vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation with interactive lessons, flashcards, and games. Designed for beginners, this app offers a fun and efficient way to learn the language quickly.

**Highlights:** 5000+ most used Spanish words, Interactive Spanish learning games, Spanish vocabulary builder, Flashcards for each topic, Accent training for listening and speaking, Grammar and pronunciation practice

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Weekly Subscription | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| App bundle | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Learn Spanish free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Learn Spanish?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.6M ratings, while Learn Spanish averages 4.6 from 404 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Learn Spanish have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Learn Spanish does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Learn Spanish?

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, and Learn Spanish monthly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on November 6, 2026 and Learn Spanish on November 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.*