# Duolingo vs The ASL App

The clearest difference is rating: Duolingo at 4.7 against The ASL App's 3.6. Duolingo also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (5.6M vs 850). The ASL App's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 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 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and The ASL App sells 10 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 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.6M ratings behind it against 850, 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 59% of The ASL App's.

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, The ASL App every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | The ASL App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128/reviews)** | [3.6 (850 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-asl-app/id921030207/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.6M** | 850 |
| Positive reviews | **64.7% of reviews** | 59.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 499 MB | 162 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [DeafDigits Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1737604636) |

## 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, #28 Top Grossing, #70 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


### The ASL App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-asl-app/id921030207)

Learn American Sign Language with this intuitive app designed by Deaf individuals. Master conversational ASL through organized phrases and signs, with features like adjustable playback speed, search, and a favorites folder for practice.

**Highlights:** Learn conversational ASL, Adjustable video playback speed, Searchable sign index, Slow-motion option, Favorites folder for practice, Share learned signs on social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Basics! | Free | one-time |
| Universal Gestures | Free | one-time |
| Handshape Exercises | Free | one-time |
| Colors! | Free | one-time |
| The Nyle Sampler | Free | one-time |
| Signs on Elections! | Free | one-time |
| More Basic Signs | $0.99 | one-time |
| Meet and Greet with Nyle DiMarco! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Family Signs | $0.99 | one-time |
| The ASL App Pack | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy and simple to learn
- 👍 Engaging and fun videos
- 👍 Variety of presenters and signing styles
- 👍 Slow motion feature helpful for learning
- 👍 Comprehensive curriculum covering many topics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Inability to restore purchases on new devices
- 🐛 Some incorrect or outdated signs
- 🔒 Lack of customer support responsiveness
- 💰 Limited free content, most features require payment

**Reported bugs**

- Bundles won't download after purchase
- App crashes on startup or shortly after opening
- Inability to restore previous purchases on new devices

**Requested features**

- Add more advanced vocabulary and conversational phrases
- Include religious and spiritual signs
- Implement a flashcard or quiz mode for review
- Allow users to create custom playlists
- Add more categories like medical, sports, and hobbies


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is The ASL App free?

The ASL App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or The ASL App?

Duolingo is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.6M ratings, while The ASL App averages 3.6 from 850 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or The ASL App have ads?

Duolingo shows ads; The ASL App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or The ASL App?

Duolingo ships an update every 5 days, and The ASL App every 3 months. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on November 5, 2026 and The ASL App on November 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.*