# Duolingo vs Study Quest

The clearest difference is rating: Duolingo at 4.7 against Study Quest's 4.1. Duolingo also leads on ratings volume (5.5M vs 18) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Study Quest's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, 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 Study Quest sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Duolingo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 65% and 65% positive.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Study Quest monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Study Quest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews)** | [4.1 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-quest/id662849400/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 64.7% of reviews | 64.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Futuretro Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/566957208) |

## 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, #60 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


### Study Quest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-quest/id662849400)

Embark on an epic quest to master languages by battling monsters and casting spells. Create a hero, use interactive flashcards, and compete with friends to boost motivation and retention. This app supports multiple languages and is suitable for all skill levels.

**Highlights:** Hero creation and customization, Interactive flashcard books, Gem-matching spell casting, Monster battles in vibrant worlds, Co-op and competitive multiplayer, Smart algorithm for retention

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pile of Oins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Oins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Oins | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Study Quest free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Study Quest?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Study Quest averages 4.1 from 18 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Study Quest have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; Study Quest does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Study Quest?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Study Quest monthly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 28, 2026 and Study Quest on June 1, 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.*