Comparison

Parallel Texts Reader vs GlowWords

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

Head to head
About

Parallel Texts Reader

Read books with instant, sentence-by-sentence translations in multiple languages. Listen to translations and tap words for more options like transcription and pronunciation. Features a growing library of over 370 books across various language pairs.

Highlights
  • Parallel text translation
  • Listen to sentence translations
  • Tap for word details
  • Extensive book library
  • Multiple language pairs
  • Reverse translation mode
Features
Read full description

Application for reading books with parallel translation. Allows you to listen and see the translation of any sentence while reading. Constantly updated library of books - we are adding books every month. Now the library has more then 370 books: - English - Russian - English - French - English - German - English - Italian - English - Spanish - English - Ukrainian - English - Polish - English - Chinese - Russian - English - Russian - French - French - Russian - French - English - French - Ukrainian - French - Polish - Spanish - Russian - Spanish - English - Spanish - Ukrainian - German - Russian - German - Ukrainian - German - English - Danish - English - Norwegian - English - Hebrew - Russian - Estonian - Russian Touch any part of the text to see the translation. To memorize, transcribe, translate or listen the word, tap and hold your finger on it. Reverse mode allows you to change the primary language into the translated language, that is, for example from English-Spanish to Spanish-English.

About

GlowWords

This app helps you learn languages by reading books. It offers AI-powered translation, flashcards, and exercises based on the words you encounter. Import your own EPUBs and track your progress to build vocabulary naturally.

Highlights
  • AI-powered translation for EPUB books
  • Flashcards and smart vocabulary exercises
  • AI Coach for contextual explanations
  • Import your own EPUB e-books
  • Personal goals and progress tracking
  • Offline reading and practice
  • Support for over 100 languages
Features
Read full description

Turn the words you read into words you can use. GlowWords brings EPUB reading, vocabulary practice and an AI English tutor together in one focused space. PRACTISE WITH MAYA Have a live voice conversation with an illustrated AI tutor. Talk about everyday life, travel, work or books. Get a correction, ask why, hear an example and try again. Live captions and typed replies help you keep going. Maya is AI, not a real person, and can make mistakes. READ AT YOUR OWN PACE Import EPUB books or explore the built-in library. Translate selected words, ask for an explanation and save vocabulary from what you read. Your imported books, reading progress and saved words stay on your device. MAKE NEW WORDS STICK Review saved vocabulary with flashcards and exercises. Follow your reading and learning progress without losing your place in a book. A NEW AFTER HOURS LOOK A warm, dark reading-and-speaking workspace, with clearer navigation and controls. YOU CONTROL THE CONVERSATION Online AI features require a GlowWords account and consent. You can mute the microphone, end a lesson or withdraw AI consent. Audio and selected text are processed by OpenAI; offline reading remains available. GLOWWORDS PLUS Optional auto-renewing subscriptions remove ads and the daily translation quota. Request-rate and shared service-capacity limits still apply. Tutor access is limited to six 5-minute lesson starts per account per day, subject to availability. The purchase screen shows the localized monthly price. No free trial is offered; payment starts when you subscribe. Payment is charged to your Apple Account on confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in Apple Account subscription settings. Privacy: https://formhelm.com/glowwords/privacy/en/ Terms: https://booklingo-legal-9df066.gitlab.io/terms/en/

Screenshots

Parallel Texts Reader4 screens
GlowWords4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GlowWords at 100% against Parallel Texts Reader's 54%. GlowWords also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Parallel Texts Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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. GlowWords sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Parallel Texts Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GlowWords holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Parallel Texts Reader has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Parallel Texts Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of GlowWords's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Parallel Texts Reader ships an update every 6 weeks, GlowWords every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Parallel Texts Reader versus GlowWords: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterParallel Texts ReaderGlowWords
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (10 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB82 MB
Age rating4++12
DeveloperIvan SavchenkoViktorya Hovhannisyan

Customer experience

Parallel Texts Reader

All ratings10 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive54.3%
Neutral20.0%
Negative25.7%

GlowWords

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Parallel Texts Reader

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

GlowWords

Subscriptions4
  • GlowWords Plus7 Days trial2 variants$2.991 Month
  • GlowWords Plus$2.991 Month
  • GlowWords Plus – 3 months7 Days trial$5.993 Months
Show 1 more
  • GlowWords Plus Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Parallel Texts Reader free?
Parallel Texts Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GlowWords free?
GlowWords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Parallel Texts Reader or GlowWords?
GlowWords is rated higher. Parallel Texts Reader averages 4.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while GlowWords averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Parallel Texts Reader or GlowWords have ads?
GlowWords shows ads; Parallel Texts Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, Parallel Texts Reader or GlowWords?
Parallel Texts Reader ships an update every 6 weeks, and GlowWords every 3 weeks. Most recently, Parallel Texts Reader was updated on October 23, 2026 and GlowWords on October 31, 2026.

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