Comparison

Innovative Language Learning vs Bunpo

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

Head to head
About

Innovative Language Learning

Learn to speak new languages quickly with short, engaging audio and video lessons created by experienced teachers. Access a vast library of content for over 30 languages and practice conversations from your first session.

Highlights
  • Short audio/video lessons (3-15 minutes)
  • Lessons taught by real teachers
  • Instant practice with assessments
  • Offline lesson downloads
  • Progress syncing across devices
  • Multiple playback options
Features
Read full description

Want to speak a new language from your 1st lesson? Learn practical conversations fast with fun audio/video lessons made by real teachers. With Innovative Language Learning, you can learn up to 34 languages. Download the App for FREE and start speaking today! === 4 REASONS WHY YOU CAN & WILL LEARN A LANGUAGE === START SPEAKING IN MINUTES: Audio/video lessons are just 3-15 minutes. Just press “Play” and learn practical conversations in every lesson. LEARN FROM REAL TEACHERS Feel confident as you learn from actual teachers and hear real-life conversations. INSTANTLY PRACTICE WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED Tired of learning and forgetting immediately after? That’s why after every few lessons, you’ll get tested on what you’ve learned with our Assessments. 16+ YEARS OF TEACHING LANGUAGES With 2+ billion lesson downloads and 16 years of teaching languages, you’re learning with a time-tested, proven system. === WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING === "This is always my first port of call when starting a new language.” - The Guardian "A painless and FREE way to bone up on the language.” - PC Magazine “Of particular note is SurvivalPhrases, which offers 3- to 5-minute episodes that cover basics.” - The New York Times === 34 LANGUAGES AVAILABLE === Afrikaans Arabic Bulgarian Cantonese Chinese Czech Danish Dutch English Filipino Finnish French German Greek Hebrew Hindi Hungarian Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Romanian Russian Spanish Swahili Swedish Thai Turkish Urdu Vietnamese === WHAT’S INSIDE THE APP === Start now and access hundreds of audio and video lessons by real teachers, lesson notes, study tools and more. You get: - A 7-Day Free Premium Trial of Any of Our Language Courses (Free) - New Audio & Video Lessons EVERY Week for LIFE (Free) - Offline Mode - Download Lessons to My Library (Free) - Daily Vocabulary Lessons Delivered to Your Email (Free) - Progress Syncing Across Devices - Start On One Device & Finish on Another (Free) - Multiple Playback Options - Stream from the App or the Lock-Screen, Skip Ahead & Control the Speed of Your Lessons (Free) - The Largest Library of Audio & Video Lessons (Basic Users & Above) - In-Depth Lesson Notes with Grammar Explanations (Basic Users & Above) - Progress Tools to Track Your Learning Progress (Basic Users & Above) - Line-by-Line Breakdowns of Lesson Dialogues (Premium Users & Above) - Word Bank - Your Own Custom Vocabulary List (Premium Users & Above) - 1-on-1 Learning with Your Own Teacher (Premium PLUS only) - Get a Personalized Learning Program & Guidance (Premium PLUS Only) === DOWNLOAD THE APP & LEARN FREE TODAY. === Download the App and sign up for your Free Lifetime Account. You get a 7-day Trial of our entire Learning System – both the mobile app and the desktop version! Want to add Basic, Premium, or Premium PLUS and learn on your device and computer? There's an option for that, too. *Please note that subscriptions made using the in-app purchases will auto-renew at the end of the subscription period and be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of your current subscription period. Subscriptions made through in-app purchases cannot be cancelled during active subscription period. Please see this article for managing your in-app subscriptions and auto-renewal: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 Monthly Premium PLUS Access: $46.99/month per language Monthly Premium Access: $24.99/month per language Monthly Basic Access: $7.99/month per language *all amounts are in US dollars. At Innovative Language Learning, we take your privacy very seriously. You can view our privacy policy here: http://www.innovativelanguage.com/privacy You can view our Terms of Service here: https://www.innovativelanguage.com/terms-of-service

About

Bunpo

Master multiple languages with this comprehensive learning app. It offers detailed grammar explanations, vocabulary building, and smart review systems to help you progress from beginner to advanced levels. Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese with interactive exercises and personalized study plans.

Highlights
  • Learn 6 languages
  • Master grammar with detailed explanations
  • Build vocabulary and kanji knowledge
  • Spaced repetition for smart review
  • Interactive quizzes and example sentences
  • Offline learning for Spanish, French, German, Chinese
Features
Read full description

Learn languages with Bunpo! Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, English and more! Master speaking, grammar, and vocabulary from beginner to advanced, trusted by over 5 million learners worldwide. From your first Hiragana あ to JLPT N1, from "annyeong" to a real Korean conversation, or any of our 8+ languages, Bunpo takes you from day one to fluency. ========= Why Bunpo works for language learning - Speak from day one: Start speaking from your very first lesson with advanced speech recognition technology. - 8+ languages, one app: Learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, and English, and switch between them anytime without juggling multiple apps. - Grammar that makes sense: Detailed explanations in plain English, plus exercises that make it stick. - Smart review: A personalized study plan powered by spaced repetition (SRS) so you remember more, faster. - From the alphabet to advanced: Start with your very first character and build all the way to advanced grammar, whatever language you choose. Whether you're learning for travel, a higher grade, JLPT, a career boost, or just to feel confident in a new conversation, Bunpo's got your back. ========= Japanese Course - Master the Japanese alphabets (Hiragana & Katakana) so you can read menus, train signs, and even your favorite manga without guessing. - Learn Japanese grammar for every JLPT level (N5 to N1) with clear, no-nonsense explanations because "This is a pen" will only get you so far. - Build real-world Japanese vocabulary and kanji knowledge you can actually use in daily conversations, not just in textbooks. - Practice with 1,800+ Japanese example sentences and 8,000+ interactive quizzes designed to make new grammar and vocab stick. - Search any topic instantly in the Japanese grammar dictionary, perfect for "What does that mean again?" moments. - Review smarter, not harder, with a spaced repetition system (SRS) that reminds you before you forget. ========= Korean Course - Master the Korean alphabet (Hangul) with a guided chart, listening, and writing practice. - Build Korean vocabulary you'll actually use in everyday conversations. - Practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking so every skill grows together. ========= Spanish Course - Learn Spanish offline - Master Spanish grammar from A1 to B1 level - Spanish verb conjugation - Perfect your Spanish pronunciation ========= French Course - Learn French offline - Master French grammar from A1 to A2 level - French verb conjugation - Perfect your French pronunciation ========= German Course - Learn German offline - Master German grammar from A1 to C1 level - German verb conjugation - Perfect your German pronunciation ========= Chinese Course - Learn Chinese offline - Master Chinese vocabulary and phrases - Listen, speak, and write Chinese ========= Subscription pricing and terms Bunpo offers an auto-renewing monthly subscription and an auto-renewing yearly subscription to provide you with unlimited access to the Bunpo courses while you maintain an active subscription. These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary, and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can go to your iTunes Account settings to manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. Bunpo also offers a Forever subscription, which is paid for by a one-off upfront payment with unlimited access to the Bunpo courses forever. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://bunpo.app/privacy.html Any feedback? Feel free to contact us at: iphone@bunpo.app

Screenshots

Innovative Language Learning4 screens
Bunpo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bunpo at every 9 days against Innovative Language Learning's every 2 months. Bunpo also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Innovative Language Learning's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Innovative Language Learning sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Bunpo sells 9 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

Bunpo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34K and 18K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Innovative Language Learning's written reviews are positive against 73% of Bunpo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Innovative Language Learning ships an update every 2 months, Bunpo every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Innovative Language Learning versus Bunpo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInnovative Language LearningBunpo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (34K ratings)4.9 (18K ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.8% of reviews72.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34K — better18K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB189 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInnovative Language Learning USA LLCBunpo Language Learning

Customer experience

Innovative Language Learning

All ratings34,138 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews656 reviews
Positive66.8%
Neutral8.7%
Negative24.5%

Bunpo

All ratings18,012 ratings
Positive98.1%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews1,129 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral9.3%
Negative18.2%

User reviews

Innovative Language Learning

From 34K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Well-constructed course
  • 🚀 Comprehensive learning system
  • 👍 Option to use a night screen
  • 👍 Engaging and interesting lessons
  • 👍 Helpful for learning and improving language skills

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Freezing and crashing issues
  • 🐛 Lessons getting locked after 7 days
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance across devices
  • 🐛 Bugs with audio and video playback
  • 🐛 Errors and typos in lesson content

Bunpo

From 18K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Helpful for learning Japanese
  • 👍 Well-designed and organized
  • 👍 Explains grammar and usage well
  • 👍 Customizable to learning needs
  • 👍 Effective spaced repetition

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Too much content locked behind paywall
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported
  • 🐛 Issues with keyboard and text display
  • 🐛 Inconsistencies in question answers
  • 🔒 Lack of offline access to paid content

Bugs and requests

Innovative Language Learning

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Lessons not downloading successfully
  • Screen freezing when using certain features
  • Inconsistent lesson navigation between app and website
  • Automatic subscription renewal issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Flashcard functionality in the app
  • Ability to create custom playlists
  • Improved integration between app and website
  • More advanced features like speech recognition
  • Ability to switch between multiple languages

Bunpo

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes during lesson reviews
  • Incorrect answers marked as wrong
  • Text and keyboard issues on smaller screens
  • Audio playback problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add landscape mode support for tablets
  • Improve review options to revisit specific grammar points
  • Expand vocabulary lessons and practice
  • Add more languages beyond Japanese

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Innovative Language Learning

Subscriptions13
  • French Basic Subscription$7.991 Month
  • Korean Basic Subscription$7.991 Month
  • Italian Basic Subscription$7.991 Month
Show 10 more
  • Japanese Basic Subscription$7.991 Month
  • Spanish Basic Subscription$7.991 Month
  • French Mobile Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Korean Mobile Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Russian Mobile Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Spanish Mobile Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Japanese Mobile Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Japanese Premium Subscription$24.991 Month
  • Spanish Premium Subscription$24.991 Month
  • Japanese Basic Subscription1 Year trial$59.991 Year
9 purchases

Bunpo

Subscriptions7
  • Bunpo Plus Monthly2 variants$9.991 Month
  • Bunpo Platinum Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Bunpo Platinum Monthly$19.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Bunpo Plus Yearly$29.991 Year
  • Bunpo Plus Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Bunpo Platinum Yearly7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Bunpo Platinum Yearly$79.991 Year
One-time2
  • Bunpo Plus Lifetime$39.99
  • Bunpo Plus Lifetime$44.99

Questions

Is Innovative Language Learning free?
Innovative Language Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bunpo free?
Bunpo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Innovative Language Learning or Bunpo?
Bunpo is rated higher. Innovative Language Learning averages 4.7 out of 5 from 34K ratings, while Bunpo averages 4.9 from 18K ratings.
Do Innovative Language Learning or Bunpo have ads?
Neither Innovative Language Learning nor Bunpo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Innovative Language Learning or Bunpo?
Innovative Language Learning ships an update every 2 months, and Bunpo every 9 days. Most recently, Innovative Language Learning was updated on September 24, 2026 and Bunpo on September 24, 2026.

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