# Duolingo vs Буквонавты

The clearest difference is monetization model: Duolingo at free with in-app purchases against Буквонавты's subscription. Duolingo also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks) and chart position (#1 vs unranked). Буквонавты's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (83% vs 65%). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Буквонавты sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, Буквонавты every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Буквонавты |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.6M** | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.8% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 499 MB | 96 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) | [Consultant Application Engineering Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725031339) |

## 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, #28 Top Grossing, #73 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


### Буквонавты

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/russian-alphabet/id6475737742)

This app helps young children aged 4-7 learn to read Russian letters, words, and stories through engaging mini-games. Developed by experts, it offers a fun and intuitive way to build reading fluency with interactive activities and illustrated stories.

**Highlights:** Learn Russian letters and words, Interactive mini-games, Build reading fluency, Illustrated short stories, Phonics-based learning, Developed by linguists and teachers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 месяц | $4.99 | per month |
| 1 месяц | $4.99 | per month |
| 3 месяца | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| 3 месяца | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| 12 месяцев | $17.99 | per year |
| 12 месяцев | $17.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Буквонавты free?

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

### Do Duolingo or Буквонавты have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Буквонавты does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Буквонавты?

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, and Буквонавты every 2 weeks. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on November 7, 2026 and Буквонавты on November 4, 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.*