# Duolingo vs Shock Dictionary

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shock Dictionary at 100% against Duolingo's 65%. Shock Dictionary also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.5M vs 8) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases 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 Shock Dictionary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shock Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 8, 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 100% of Shock Dictionary's.

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, Shock Dictionary every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Shock Dictionary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shock-dictionary-translation/id6499239870/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 64.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 490 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Pinecone Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763513051) |

## What reviewers say

### Duolingo

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Education, #1 Top Grossing · Education, #24 Top Grossing, #81 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


### Shock Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shock-dictionary-translation/id6499239870)

Instantly translate words and sentences between 133 languages with this AI-powered dictionary and translator. Engage in AI-driven chat for learning and receive customizable reminders to reinforce new vocabulary. Track your progress and save favorite words for easy access.

**Highlights:** AI dictionary and translator, AI-driven chat for learning, Translate between 133 languages, Save favorite words and phrases, Learning progress tracking, Customizable vocabulary reminders

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Shock Dictionary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Shock Dictionary?

Shock Dictionary is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Shock Dictionary averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Shock Dictionary have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Shock Dictionary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Shock Dictionary?

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, and Shock Dictionary every 3 weeks. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on October 28, 2026 and Shock Dictionary on October 24, 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.*