Comparison

+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input vs Parlo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input

This app generates personalized Chinese language learning podcasts based on your vocabulary level and interests. It offers live transcripts to aid comprehension and a community library of user-created content. Learn Mandarin through engaging, AI-powered audio experiences.

Highlights
  • Personalized AI-generated podcasts
  • Adjustable vocabulary level
  • Topic-based content creation
  • Live transcripts for audio
  • Community content library
  • Cancel anytime subscription
Read full description

Maximizing comprehensible input is a great way to learn Chinese, but it's not always easy to find interesting Chinese content at your current level. Plus One Chinese makes this content for you using generative AI. How it works: Personalized Podcasts: Input the number of Chinese words you know and your desired topic, and in less than 5 minutes Plus One generates an interesting podcast episode just for you. Live Transcripts: Follow along with live transcripts as the episode plays, helping you connect spoken words to their written forms. Community Content: Access an unlimited number of personalized episodes and explore a rich library of content created by other learners in the Plus One community. Subscription Details: Membership is a month-to-month subscription that begins at sign up. You can easily cancel anytime, online, 24 hours a day. There are no long-term contracts or cancellation fees. We just want you to love learning Chinese What Users are Saying: “Have been using and it's epic.” – Plus One user “It's better than Christmas” – Plus One user “Wow, I did not even know this kind of thing was possible with today's AI.” – Reddit comment Privacy Policy: https://plusonechinese.com/terms-of-service Terms of Service: https://plusonechinese.com/privacy-policy Support: support@plusonechinese.com

About

Parlo

This app focuses on language acquisition through conversation practice, inspired by polyglot methods. It helps users build confidence by simulating real-life scenarios and providing tools for vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation practice. Learn languages by speaking them in context.

Highlights
  • Conversation practice for language acquisition
  • Simulates real-life scenarios
  • Flashcard saving for new words
  • Grammar checking
  • Pronunciation practice with audio tools
  • Contextual phrase learning
Features
Read full description

Have a 500-day streak but still freeze when trying to talk to a local? Stop repeating 'the apple is red' for 300 days. Practice real, high-stress conversations so you don't freeze when you land in Europe. Whether you’re ordering food abroad, preparing for an interview, or connecting with family, practice what you want to say before the moment arrives. Build the confidence to actually use a new language with Parlo by Mamu. Practice realistic AI conversations, explore guided lessons, and work on pronunciation all at your own pace, without the pressure of getting everything right. TURN WHAT YOU LEARN INTO WHAT YOU CAN SAY Move beyond recognizing words to using them in conversation. Parlo brings speaking, listening, vocabulary, and grammar together so you can practice expressing your own thoughts. Start with practical phrases or challenge yourself with deeper discussions. Choose topics you care about and adjust the conversation’s level and formality to suit your goals. MORE THAN GAMES AND VOCABULARY You can keep a streak, match words, memorize vocabulary, and still struggle when someone asks you a question. Many language apps teach individual pieces through games and isolated exercises. Parlo helps you put those pieces together: finding the words, forming sentences, understanding what you hear, and responding in conversation. Practice speaking, listening, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation together through guided lessons and realistic AI conversations. Put what you’ve learned to use, with support when you need it. Because the goal isn’t just to finish another exercise. It’s to feel ready for your next real conversation. PRACTICE REAL-LIFE CONVERSATIONS Build confidence for everyday situations with AI roleplay: • Travel, study abroad, and moving overseas • Restaurants, cafés, and ordering food • Work, school, and job interviews • Dating and meeting new people • Conversations with friends and family • Daily life and casual conversation Try different responses, make mistakes, and practice again at your own pace. LEARN THROUGH GUIDED CONVERSATION LESSONS Put new vocabulary and grammar to use as you learn. Guided lessons combine speaking, listening, and practical language in meaningful situations, helping you connect what you study with what you want to say. GET SUPPORT WHILE YOU CHAT Keep the conversation going while understanding more of the language: • Translate unfamiliar words and phrases • Access pronunciation and writing-system support • Check your grammar before sending a message • Understand mistakes and learn how to correct them • Save useful vocabulary as flashcards • Review words with spaced practice • Use saved vocabulary in new AI conversations WORK ON PRONUNCIATION AND LISTENING Practice the sounds that are difficult to hear and say. Record yourself, receive pronunciation feedback, and explore pronunciation patterns across accents and dialects. Train your ear to differentiate minimal pairs. Similar-sounding words that help you notice differences you might otherwise miss. MAKE YOUR VOCABULARY PERSONAL Save words and phrases you actually want to use. Review them with flashcards, then bring them back into conversation to practice remembering and using them in context. CHOOSE FROM 16 LANGUAGES Learn Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, or English. From your first phrases to more advanced conversations, practice at a level that suits you. GET READY FOR YOUR NEXT CONVERSATION Learning a language opens doors to new places, new people, and to new opportunities. Parlo gives you space to practice speaking, ask questions, notice patterns, and try again. Download Parlo and start turning what you know into what you can say. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input4 screens
Parlo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Parlo at 5.0 against +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input's 4.2. Parlo also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Parlo sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Parlo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input's written reviews are positive against 100% of Parlo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input ships an update weekly, Parlo every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input versus Parlo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter+1 Chinese | Mandarin InputParlo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (13 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13 — better4
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.4 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB81 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperThomas Joseph ShelleyMamu Labs Inc.

Customer experience

+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Parlo

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input

Subscriptions3
  • Full Access$14.991 Month
  • Full Access14 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Full Access7 Days trial$14.991 Month
4 purchases

Parlo

Subscriptions4
  • Parlo Lite Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Parlo Pro Monthly Subscription$29.991 Month
  • Parlo Lite Yearly Subscription$89.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Parlo Pro Yearly Subscription$249.991 Year

Questions

Is +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input free?
+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Parlo free?
Parlo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input or Parlo?
Parlo is rated higher. +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input averages 4.2 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Parlo averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input or Parlo have ads?
+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input shows ads; Parlo does not.
Which is updated more often, +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input or Parlo?
+1 Chinese | Mandarin Input ships an update weekly, and Parlo every 2 weeks. Most recently, +1 Chinese | Mandarin Input was updated on October 23, 2026 and Parlo on October 24, 2026.

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