# Duolingo vs Learn German for Beginners

The clearest difference is update cadence: Duolingo at weekly against Learn German for Beginners's every 5 weeks. Duolingo also leads on ratings volume (5.5M vs 3.2K) and chart position (#1 vs unranked). Learn German for Beginners's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 65%) and 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 Learn German for Beginners sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. 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 4.7 for Learn German for Beginners. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 3.2K, 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 86% of Learn German for Beginners's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Learn German for Beginners every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Learn German for Beginners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | [4.7 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-german-for-beginners/id662614701/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 3.2K |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **85.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Appcano LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626754199) |

## 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, #25 Top Grossing, #63 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


### Learn German for Beginners

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-german-for-beginners/id662614701)

Master German with this comprehensive educational app designed for beginners. It offers offline lessons, vocabulary building, and practice in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Includes a free translator and covers a wide range of topics from basic grammar to everyday conversations.

**Highlights:** 100% Free German Learning, 100% Offline Access, Free German Translator, Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing Practice, Vocabulary and Grammar Skills, Game-like Lessons, Beginner to Expert Progression

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Features | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlock All Features | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Comprehensive and well-structured lessons
- 💡 Helpful explanations of grammar and language concepts
- 👍 Offline functionality
- 👍 No ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio issues on some devices
- 💰 Paid subscription required for full access
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes

**Reported bugs**

- Audio not working when device is on silent mode
- Lessons not saving progress when app is closed unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add more languages
- Implement speech recognition and feedback
- Allow users to track progress and revisit past lessons
- Provide more advanced content for higher proficiency levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Learn German for Beginners free?

Learn German for Beginners is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Learn German for Beginners?

Duolingo and Learn German for Beginners are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5.5M and 3.2K ratings respectively.

### Do Duolingo or Learn German for Beginners have ads?

Both Duolingo and Learn German for Beginners show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Learn German for Beginners?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Learn German for Beginners every 5 weeks. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 24, 2026 and Learn German for Beginners on September 23, 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.*