Read Bean vs Lingofable
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Read Bean
Master Chinese with authentic, graded readings and interactive exercises. Tailored lessons adapt to your HSK level, offering vocabulary drills, grammar practice, and AI-powered speaking roleplays. Get instant translation and pronunciation support.
- Authentic graded readings
- HSK 1-6 level adaptation
- Interactive drills and exercises
- AI-powered speaking roleplays
- On-demand translation and pronunciation
- Spaced repetition flashcards
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Master Chinese Through Real-World Graded Content — Read Bean Go beyond basic apps and textbooks. Read Bean is the ultimate tool for Chinese learners from HSK 1 to 6 who want to read, listen, and think in real Chinese — at a professional, cultural, and conversational level. Whether you're preparing for business, professional exams, or personal fluency, Read Bean transforms authentic articles, stories, and conversations into dynamic, personalized graded readings with mini vocab drills made just for you. Built for all learners HSK 1 through 6 Forget "beginner content" stretched thin. Read Bean assesses your exact reading and listening levels and instantly tailors every lesson to challenge you without overwhelming you. Improve fluency across real-world topics — from culture to commerce — with lessons designed to mirror how Chinese is actually used. Practice the Skills That Matter Learn actively with sentence structure drills, fill-in-the-blank questions, smart listening challenges, and comprehension boosters. Every question type is crafted to sharpen your grammar, expand your vocabulary, and strengthen your ability to read, write, and think in Chinese — not just recognize words. New: Interactive Speaking Roleplays Go beyond passive learning with Read Bean Roleplays — dynamic, voice-driven conversations that simulate real-life scenarios in Chinese. Whether you're ordering food, negotiating at work, or chatting with a neighbor, our AI-powered roleplays help you practice speaking naturally and confidently. You’ll get feedback, cultural tips, and just the right level of challenge to improve your fluency in a fun, low-pressure way. On-Demand Translation, Pronunciation, and Grammar Support Tap any word to see its meaning, pronunciation, usage notes, and common collocations. Explore grammar patterns, sentence breakdowns, and alternative expressions with a single tap. Your growth stays fast and natural — without endless dictionary lookups. Your Personal AI Language Coach Need a deeper explanation, a cultural note, or a memory tip for a tough word? Just ask. Our built-in AI tutor gives you personalized help in real time — it’s like having a Chinese teacher in your pocket 24/7. Spaced Repetition That Works — Flashcards Reimagined Reinforce everything you learn with smart flashcards powered by proven spaced repetition methods. Read Bean automatically tracks your progress and schedules reviews, turning short-term learning into long-term mastery. Achieve Your Chinese Learning Goals With Read Bean, you'll do more than memorize — you'll think and operate in Chinese. Whether you're aiming to work abroad, connect more deeply with Chinese culture, ace professional certifications, or simply enjoy native content without subtitles, Read Bean gives you the edge. What Our Users Say "I have a 1500-day streak on Duolingo. If I had to choose between Read Bean and Duo today, I'd choose Read Bean." — Lawson K., After 30 Days "Dropped my 500+ day Duolingo streak to make Read Bean part of my New Year’s resolutions. Huge fan now." — Gary N., After 5 Days Subscription Details Full access to all lessons requires a subscription. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Your Apple account will be charged within 24 hours prior to renewal. Manage your subscription anytime in your Apple Account Settings. Privacy Policy: https://readbean.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ CONTACT US: Questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@readbean.app
Lingofable
Learn languages by reading engaging stories tailored to your proficiency level. Tap words for instant definitions and track your vocabulary growth. Enjoy audio narration and offline access to over 1,000 fables.
- Tap-to-translate definitions
- Adaptive story difficulty
- Personalized vocabulary tracking
- Audio narration
- Offline reading
- Reading streaks and goals
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Learn languages naturally through stories you actually want to read, from fantasy & sci-fi to r/AmITheJerk-style Reddit threads. Lingofable helps you build real fluency faster by reading engaging stories matched to your level. Instead of dull textbooks and confusing native novels, Lingofable delivers 1,000+ compelling fables that teach you words in context — the way languages are meant to be learned. HOW IT WORKS Every story is carefully matched to your proficiency level using the internationally recognized CEFR framework. As you read, tap any word to see its meaning instantly. Lingofable tracks which words you know and which you're still learning, building a personalized vocabulary over time. Start with simple tales and watch your comprehension grow. The more you read, the more words you absorb — naturally and effortlessly. FEATURES • Tap-to-translate: Tap any word for instant definitions and examples • Adaptive difficulty: Stories matched to your exact reading level, adjusting as you improve • Reading streaks & goals: Set weekly targets and build a daily reading habit • Progress insights: Track words learned, stories completed, and your CEFR level over time • Audio narration: Listen along at adjustable speeds to improve pronunciation and listening skills • Smart vocabulary tracking: See every word you've encountered, how often, and how well you know it • Offline reading: Download stories to read anywhere, anytime • Accessibility: OpenDyslexic font option and customizable text sizes WHY STORIES? Research shows that comprehensible input (reading material you can mostly understand with just enough new words) is the most effective way to acquire a language. Lingofable puts this science into practice with stories crafted for every level. LINGOFABLE PRO Reach fluency faster with: • Unlimited access to 1,000+ fables • Audio narration for every fable • Offline reading anytime, anywhere • Exclusive reading themes & fonts Whether you're a beginner picking up your first words or an intermediate learner looking to break through to fluency, Lingofable turns reading time into real progress. Start your first story today! Questions about Lingofable? Please reach out to us at team@lingofable.com Privacy policy: https://lingofable.com/privacy Terms of service: https://lingofable.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Read Bean at none against Lingofable's shown. Read Bean also leads on ratings volume (369 vs 12). Lingofable's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 91%). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Read Bean sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month and Lingofable sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Read Bean against 5.0 for Lingofable. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Read Bean has 369 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Read Bean's written reviews are positive against 100% of Lingofable's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Read Bean | Lingofable |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (369 ratings) | 5.0 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 369 — better | 12 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 113 MB | 87 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Refond, Inc. | Simon Ilincev |
Customer experience
Read Bean
Lingofable
Bugs and requests
Read Bean
Reported bugs
2 issues- Login screen freezes
- Incompatibility with older devices
Requested features
2 requests- Full-screen mode for iPad
- Ability to use reading assistance on any website
Lingofable
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Read Bean
- Monthly Premium3 Days trial$14.991 Month
- 6 Month Premium$79.996 Months
- Annual Premium3 Days trial$99.991 Year
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- Annual Premium3 Days trial$119.991 Year
Lingofable
- Lingofable Pro - Monthly$6.991 Month
- Lingofable Pro - Annual7 Days trial$44.991 Year









