# Duolingo vs Hand Talk

The clearest difference is rating: Duolingo at 4.7 against Hand Talk's 4.2. Duolingo also leads on ratings volume (5.5M vs 891) and review sentiment (65% vs 44%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Hand Talk sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 891, 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 44% of Hand Talk's.

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, Hand Talk every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Hand Talk |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.2 (891 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hand-talk-learn-sign-language/id659816995/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 891 |
| Positive reviews | **64.7% of reviews** | 44.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 490 MB | 120 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Hand Talk Servicos Ltda](https://appshunter.io/developer/956364002) |

## 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, #26 Top Grossing, #85 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


### Hand Talk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hand-talk-learn-sign-language/id659816995)

Learn and practice American, Brazilian, and British Sign Language with virtual translators. Translate text or voice into signs, access a dictionary of thousands of signs, and practice through interactive characters. Offers offline access and customizable features.

**Highlights:** Text and voice translation to sign language, Learn ASL, Libras, and BSL, Virtual translators Hugo and Maya, Offline dictionary with thousands of signs, 360-degree sign viewing, Customizable translation speed, Educational videos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium(1 month) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (1 Year) | $44.99 | per year |
| 10 HTCoins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 30 HTCoins | $7.99 | one-time |
| 50 HTCoins | $12.99 | one-time |
| 100 HTCoins | $24.99 | one-time |
| 200 HTCoins | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for learning sign language
- 🚀 Great for communication
- 💡 Customizable avatar
- 👍 Useful for working with special needs children/adults

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Inaccurate sign language translations
- 🐛 Lacks diversity in sign language models
- 🐛 Outdated and incorrect signs
- 🐛 Slow performance and lag

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Translations not working correctly
- Inability to open or use the app
- Incorrect sign language representations

**Requested features**

- Add more sign language options (e.g. BSL, SSL)
- Improve sign language accuracy and grammar
- Allow pasting text for translation
- Provide visual cues for sign language
- Offer free trial for subscription


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Hand Talk free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Hand Talk?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Hand Talk averages 4.2 from 891 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Hand Talk have ads?

Both Duolingo and Hand Talk show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Hand Talk?

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, and Hand Talk every 3 weeks. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on October 30, 2026 and Hand Talk on October 29, 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.*