Comparison

ContextCat vs Zeste.

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

Head to head
About

ContextCat

Features
Read full description

ContextCat helps you learn a language by reading things you actually want to read. Open a news article, a book from the library, a web page or your own PDF. When a word stops you, tap it. You get a short explanation of what it means in that exact sentence, written in your own language. No switching apps, no guessing which dictionary meaning fits. TAP ANY WORD See the meaning that fits the sentence, the word type, and how the word is built. Select a few words to translate the whole phrase. TODAY'S NEWS Each morning the Today tab has a new edition of real articles: world, science, tech, culture, sport, food and travel. Most stories are in English, and for several languages there is also a section from outlets in that language. Tap a headline and the article opens in the app, with every word one tap away. LISTEN WHILE YOU READ Natural voices read your books, PDFs and texts aloud, sentence by sentence, and highlight where you are. Pause, go back a sentence, or slow it down. ASK ABOUT WHAT YOU READ Not sure what a paragraph means? Ask. Answers come from the text in front of you. You can also ask for a quick quiz to check you understood it. WORDS THAT STAY WITH YOU Words you look up are saved for you. Study cards bring them back right before you would forget them, and you can watch the number of words you know grow. READ YOUR OWN THINGS Open a PDF, add a link to a web article, or paste text. You can also share a link or a PDF to ContextCat from Safari, Files and other apps. Everything you open stays in your library. NEW HERE? A short first read and a quick tour show you how it works. JUST WANT TO READ? Choose reading only if you read in your own language and want help with long or tricky documents. You still get listening and questions about the text, without the study tools. Explanations come in your language, in any of the 39 the app supports. SUBSCRIPTION ContextCat is free to try. The free plan includes a limited number of explanations, imports and questions. Premium lifts these limits. - Choose a monthly or yearly plan. Both renew automatically. - Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. - Your plan renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends. - Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://contextcatapp.blogspot.com/2025/06/contextcat-privacy-policy-english.html Terms of Use: https://contextcatapp.blogspot.com/2025/06/terms-and-conditions.html EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Zeste.

Features
Read full description

Zeste turns long videos into short audio podcasts. A one-hour video becomes a few minutes of listening that get to the point, ready to play while commuting, walking or doing something else. WHAT IT'S FOR • Keeping up with talks, interviews and video essays without spending an hour on each. • Grabbing the key ideas before deciding whether to watch the full video. • Making use of commute and chore time. WHAT YOU GET • A clear podcast, split into chapters and made for listening. • Background playback and lock-screen controls. • A library that keeps all your podcasts. ZESTE MAX A limited free usage lets you discover Zeste. The monthly Zeste Max subscription adds: • Usage renewed every month. • Premium audio, a more natural and more expressive voice. • Challenge viewpoints: the video's conclusions are put to the test. • Offline downloads, to listen without a connection. The subscription renews automatically at the price shown in the app unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You manage and cancel it in your Apple account settings. Zeste is a personal tool: each podcast keeps a link to its original video and is for your private listening only. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://zeste.studio/en/privacy

Screenshots

ContextCat4 screens
Zeste.4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Zeste. at none against ContextCat's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. ContextCat sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Zeste. sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ContextCat ships an update fortnightly, Zeste. every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
ContextCat versus Zeste.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterContextCatZeste.
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCaner GulayGuillaume LARIVIERE

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ContextCat

Subscriptions3
  • ContextCat Pro (Monthly)$7.991 Month
  • ContextCat Pro (6 Months)$24.996 Months
  • ContextCat Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
1 purchases

Zeste.

Subscriptions1
  • Zeste Max$3.991 Month

Questions

Is ContextCat free?
ContextCat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zeste. free?
Zeste. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ContextCat or Zeste. have ads?
ContextCat shows ads; Zeste. does not.
Which is updated more often, ContextCat or Zeste.?
ContextCat ships an update fortnightly, and Zeste. every 3 weeks. Most recently, ContextCat was updated on October 28, 2026 and Zeste. on October 29, 2026.

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