Comparison

Tibetan Manual vs Dechen Study

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

Head to head
About

Tibetan Manual

Features
Read full description

Easily learn Tibetan letters, words, and grammar! Tibetan Manual features an easy-to use alphabet reference, a mini-dictionary, and even grammar lessons! Every letter and Tibetan word can be tapped to hear a pronunciation, and words are colored by tone - red for high, blue for low. Long-press a word to see its definition. This function works everywhere in the app! More updates and lessons to come!

About

Dechen Study

This app provides a structured way to study classical Buddhist texts and their commentaries. It offers various study modes, including daily verses, reading, overviews, and quizzes, to deepen understanding of the teachings.

Highlights
  • Study classical Buddhist texts
  • Explore commentaries
  • Daily verse notifications
  • Hierarchical text navigation
  • Structural text overviews
  • Knowledge quizzes
  • Guess the chapter game
Features
Read full description

Dechen Study is a companion app for studying classical Buddhist texts — designed for practitioners who want to go deeper into the root texts and their commentaries. Study texts such as: Bodhicaryavatara by Śāntideva — structured according to the commentary by Sonam Tsemo The King of Aspiration Prayers by Samantabhadra — mapped to the commentary by Drakpa Gyaltsen Friendly Letter (Suhrillekha) by Nāgārjuna — presented through the hierarchy of The Telescope of Wisdom by Karma Thinley Rinpoche Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment by Atiśa — with beginner and advanced quizzes, mapped to the commentary by Jamgon Kongtrul Study Modes: Daily Verses — Receive a new section of the text each day with a reminder notification. Work through the text gradually, at a pace that fits your life. Read — Browse the full root text in a structured, hierarchical format that reflects the outline of each commentary. Navigate by chapter, section, and subsection with breadcrumb guidance. Overview — See the complete structural outline of a text at a glance. Understand how the teachings are organised before diving into the detail. Quiz — Test your knowledge of the root verses. Choose beginner or advanced difficulty and see how well you know the text. Guess the Chapter — A verse is shown — can you identify which chapter or section it belongs to? A challenging exercise for serious students. Built for Serious Study Dechen Study is not a guided meditation app. It is a reading and memorisation tool for students who are working with classical Tibetan Buddhist literature in English translation. The texts are presented cleanly, without distraction, in a format that supports sustained engagement. Developed by the Dechen Foundation — a charitable organisation supporting the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism.

Screenshots

Tibetan Manual1 screens
Dechen Study4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Dechen Study at monthly against Tibetan Manual's every 11 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tibetan Manual ships an update every 11 months, Dechen Study monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Tibetan Manual versus Dechen Study: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTibetan ManualDechen Study
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size89 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn KelleyAdrian OSullivan

In-app purchases

None

Tibetan Manual

No in-app purchases

None

Dechen Study

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tibetan Manual free?
Tibetan Manual is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dechen Study free?
Dechen Study is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tibetan Manual or Dechen Study have ads?
Neither Tibetan Manual nor Dechen Study shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tibetan Manual or Dechen Study?
Tibetan Manual ships an update every 11 months, and Dechen Study monthly. Most recently, Tibetan Manual was updated on October 13, 2026 and Dechen Study on October 3, 2026.

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