Lingora vs VietBuddy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lingora
Learn new languages through interactive lessons, vocabulary games, and detailed grammar explanations. Progress from beginner to A1 level with sentence-centric learning and practice tools. Supports a wide range of languages with more being added.
- 500 lessons in 50 units
- Sentence-centric learning approach
- Vocabulary games and trainer
- Grammar quizzes and breakdowns
- Script and tone trainers
- Progress tracking
- Comprehensive dictionary
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The most thorough language course you'll find in an app. 30+ languages, 500 lessons each, every single word of every sentence explained as thoroughly as you care to follow. One sentence might keep you busy for twenty minutes. WHAT'S IN A COURSE Each sentence gets a full lesson wrapped around it. 500 English sentences in all, hand-picked to cover every grammar structure and the full A1 vocabulary. Each word comes with its own full dictionary entry: definition with examples, any conjugation or declension it takes, the grammar topics behind it, and stroke-by-stroke guidance for new scripts. If you want to know why a word looks the way it does, the app can tell you. HOW A LESSON WORKS Each lesson opens with the intro. You hear the sentence before you see what it means. Slow it down, replay as often as you want. Then the Word Breakdown. Tap any word to see what it means and the grammar behind it. Then the literal, word-for-word translation. Then the grammar topics sitting inside the sentence. After the intros, the main session starts. Words and sentences from the current lesson get mixed with whatever's due for review, chosen by the spaced-repetition algorithm so you're practicing what you're closest to forgetting. Your own chosen exercise mix prioritizing reading, writing, or listening. Premium users can even further fine-tune exactly which exercises appear. 25+ WAYS TO PRACTICE Six word games and six sentence games. Flashcards you design yourself, picking what goes on each side. Quick-review tables. Multiple-Choice. Context-clue fill-ins where the wrong answers are similar on purpose. Character stroke practice with real-time validation. Typing exercises with a virtual keyboard. A speech trainer with per-word, color-coded feedback. An AI chat that stays on the lesson's topic and corrects you as you go. And so much more.. REFERENCE A dictionary that searches in native script, in transliteration, or in English. It finds base forms and inflected forms alike. A grammar guide covering every topic that appears in the course. Each has a thorough write-up and example sentences, plus the words and lesson sentences that show it in use. A pronunciation guide covering every consonant and vowel in the language. Tone guides for tonal languages. Script courses for writing systems you haven't learned yet. Conjugation tables for every verb and noun. Character breakdowns for CJK languages. WAYS TO FINE-TUNE Three sliders to weight reading, writing, and listening in each session. Silent mode for studying in public. Transliteration style where more than one exists (Jyutping or Yale, and so on). Diacritics on or off. Full control over what the app does. PROGRESS You'll see progress word by word and lesson by lesson. There's a streak counter, stars on completed lessons, and a weekly leaderboard if you want one. None of it is forced on you. Lifetime users can also export anything they've learned as an Anki deck. LANGUAGES Arabic · Cantonese · Catalan · Czech · Dutch · Filipino · Finnish · French · German · Hakka (Hailu & Sixian) · Hindi · Hokkien (Taiwanese) · Indonesian · Italian · Japanese · Khmer · Korean · Lithuanian · Malay · Mandarin · Persian · Polish · Portuguese (Brazilian) · Spanish (European & Mexican) · Thai · Turkish · Vietnamese (Northern & Southern) No hearts. No energy. No cartoons. Just a proper course.
VietBuddy
Learn practical Vietnamese through real-life scenarios like ordering food or having conversations. Train your listening and speaking skills with interactive lessons and personalized review. Ideal for travelers, residents, or anyone wanting to connect with Vietnamese speakers.
- Practice real-life Vietnamese situations
- Train listening skills before reading
- Speak phrases at your own pace
- Choose Northern or Southern voices
- Personalized vocabulary review
- Adaptive daily practice plan
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VietBuddy helps you use Vietnamese in the moments that matter. Instead of memorising isolated word lists, you practice real situations: ordering coffee, talking with family, getting around town, and handling everyday conversations with more ease. Start by listening. Make your best guess before seeing the words. Then decode the phrase, say it out loud, and keep the useful parts close with short vocabulary reviews. With VietBuddy, you can: - Practice natural Vietnamese through short, real-life lessons - Practice real-time conversations - Train your ear before reading the transcript - Speak useful phrases out loud at your own pace - Choose Northern or Southern Vietnamese voices - Review the words and chunks you want to remember - Build a daily habit with a practice plan that adapts to you Whether you’re visiting Vietnam, living there, reconnecting with family, or building confidence with a partner, VietBuddy keeps Vietnamese practical, personal, and within reach. Subscriptions VietBuddy Premium offers auto-renewable weekly and yearly subscriptions. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID subscription settings. Terms of Use (EULA): - Terms: https://viet-buddy-six.vercel.app/terms - Privacy Policy: https://viet-buddy-six.vercel.app/privacy Apple specifically allows the standard EULA link in the description. Their official EULA is available here (https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/). Apple’s App Store metadata documentation confirms that the license agreement is managed through App Store Connect.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Lingora at 4.6 against VietBuddy's 3.7. Lingora also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 69%) and ratings volume (54 vs 15). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Lingora sells 40 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and VietBuddy sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Lingora holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 54 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Lingora's written reviews are positive against 69% of VietBuddy's.
Lingora ships an update weekly, VietBuddy every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lingora | VietBuddy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (54 ratings) — better | 3.7 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.3% of reviews — better | 68.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 54 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 155 MB | 78 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alexander Stebner | Amaury Delille |
Customer experience
Lingora
VietBuddy
In-app purchases
Lingora
- Cantonese A1 Premium (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Malay A1 Premium (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Mandarin A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
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- German A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Korean A1 Premium (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Vietnamese A1 Premium (M)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Korean A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Catalan A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Indonesian A1 Premium (M)$3.991 Month
- French A1 Premium (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Bra. Portuguese A1 Premium (M)$3.991 Month
- Turkish A1 Premium (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Dutch A1 Premium (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Sth.Vietnamese A1 Premium (1m)$3.991 Month
- Cantonese A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- French A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Polish A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Mex. Spanish A1 Premium (M)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Sth. Vietnamese A1 Premium (M)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Malay A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Thai A1 Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- All Courses Pro (Monthly)$6.991 Month
- Polish A1 Pro (Yearly)$11.991 Year
- Malay A1 Pro (Yearly)$11.991 Year
- All Courses Premium (Monthly)$12.991 Month
- Cantonese A1 Pro (Yearly)$14.991 Year
- Sth. Vietnamese A1 Pro Yearly$14.991 Year
- French A1 Lifetime Access$3.99
- Mandarin A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Eur. Spanish A1 Lifetime$49.99
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- Malay A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Catalan A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Korean A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Mex.Spanish A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Thai A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Vietnamese A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Polish A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Sth. Vietnamese A1 Lifetime$49.99
- Cantonese A1 Lifetime Access$49.99
- Lingora Lifetime$99.99
VietBuddy
- VietBuddy Weekly2 variants$7.997 Days
- VietBuddy Premium Weekly3 Days trial$7.997 Days
- VietBuddy Fallback Offer7 Days trial$19.991 Month
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- VietBuddy Premium Monthly$19.991 Month
- VietBuddy Fallback Yearly$39.991 Year
- VietBuddy Yearly Premium$49.991 Year
- VietBuddy Yearly$69.991 Year
- VietBuddy Premium7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- VietBuddy Premium Yearly$79.991 Year
Questions
Is Lingora free?
Is VietBuddy free?
Which has better reviews, Lingora or VietBuddy?
Do Lingora or VietBuddy have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lingora or VietBuddy?
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