Comparison

Ludus vs Kimchi Reader

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

Head to head
About

Ludus

Master Korean and French with structured lessons focusing on grammar and vocabulary. Learn Hangul, understand language structure, and practice with interactive games and flashcards. Progress through themed 'stadiums' to build fluency.

Highlights
  • Structured grammar and vocabulary lessons
  • Learn Hangul alphabet
  • Spaced repetition flashcards
  • Multiplayer and solo language games
  • Progress tracking through 'stadiums'
  • Character leveling system
Features
Read full description

Learn Korean and French from the ground up. Start with grammar, then build vocabulary that sticks past a streak. Ludus teaches you how the language actually works: how Hangul letters build into syllables, how sentences fit together, and why the rules are what they are. Join 2,000+ learners mastering language, one lesson at a time. Stadiums We breaks lesson units down into stadiums, structured paths that take you from your first letters and sounds, step by step. Each stadium is a short run of lessons and activities that builds on the last, so you always know what you've learned and what comes next. Read Hangul New to Korean? Start with the alphabet. Lessons break down consonants and vowels and show how they combine into syllable blocks, and our Character Stroke game lets you practice writing each letter. With regular practice, you can start reading Hangul within two weeks! Understand the language Stop learning random vocabulary that doesn't appear in daily life. Lessons teach foundations and grammar concepts, so you know why something is right instead of guessing. You build real structure first, then add vocabulary on top. Discover 1M+ premade flashcards Search through our built-in dictionaries, read definitions, and save any word in one tap. Saved words join your daily review automatically, so you spend your time learning instead of making flashcards or remaking sets. Reviews are scheduled with FSRS, a spaced-repetition algorithm that adapts to how well you recall each word. Words surface right before you forget them. Games Play live multiplayer games in the classroom, or play solo Gravity and destroy vocab asteroids before they reach the bottom of your screen. There is a way to study for every kind of learner. Starter characters Select from our three starters: Marmunch, Lucifin, and Dribbit! Study vocabulary and go through stadiums to level them up with XP. Complete the fourth stadium lesson to unlock our newly added character Pandit. No ads. No AI tutor. Just lessons and real progress. Subscriptions Ludus Premium unlocks all stadium lessons, languages, and unlimited flashcards. Plans are $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year, and prices may vary by region. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID settings. Terms of Use: https://ludusapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://ludusapp.com/privacy-policy Support: admin@ludusapp.com

About

Kimchi Reader

Learn Korean through immersion with real media like YouTube videos and e-books. Instantly look up word definitions, grammar, and Hanja meanings. Mine sentences for flashcards and sync with Anki for spaced repetition.

Highlights
  • Immerse with YouTube and e-books
  • Instant tap-to-define dictionary
  • Sentence mining for flashcards
  • Anki sync for spaced repetition
  • Smart content recommendations
  • Monolingual dictionary access
Features
Read full description

IMPORTANT: Kimchi Reader is free to download, but it requires an active subscription to use. New users can start a 7-day free trial with just an email - no credit card required. --- Start learning Korean by enjoying the content you already love. Kimchi Reader is a powerful tool (not a course) built to help you immerse using real Korean media. READ & WATCH ANYTHING Immerse yourself in Korean on YouTube or by importing your own e-books (EPUB) and text files. INSTANT DICTIONARY ON TAP Every word is clickable. Tap any word to instantly see: - Detailed definitions (including a monolingual dictionary) - Grammar breakdowns - Hanja meanings - Frequency ratings, so you learn the important words first POWERFUL SENTENCE MINING Found a sentence you want to remember? Mine it. The app creates a rich flashcard with the word, its definition, and a video screenshot for full context. SYNC WITH ANKI Use the desktop add-on to seamlessly import your mined sentences into Anki for long-term memorization with spaced repetition. SMART RECOMMENDATIONS Mark words as "Known" and let the system find the perfect book or show for you from its massive content database. No more guessing what to study next. WHO IS THIS FOR? Learners who already know Hangul and some basic vocabulary. It is designed to take your immersion-based learning to the next level. BUILT BY A LEARNER, FOR LEARNERS This app was coded by a solo developer (me) who is also learning Korean and was tired of mediocre tools. Every feature is built to solve real problems learners face. If you have any questions, please join the Discord. There is always someone from the friendly community (real humans) online to help.

Screenshots

Ludus4 screens
Kimchi Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Ludus at freemium against Kimchi Reader's subscription. Ludus also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (157 vs 12). Kimchi Reader's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 79%). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Ludus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Kimchi Reader sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Ludus against 4.9 for Kimchi Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ludus has 157 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Ludus's written reviews are positive against 100% of Kimchi Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ludus ships an update weekly, Kimchi Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Ludus versus Kimchi Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLudusKimchi Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (157 ratings)4.9 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings157 — better12
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size184 MB12 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperLudus-Language, Inc.Kimchi Reader Sàrl

Customer experience

Ludus

All ratings157 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive79.2%
Neutral12.5%
Negative8.3%

Kimchi Reader

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Ludus

Subscriptions2
  • Academic Weapon$7.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$59.991 Year
2 purchases

Kimchi Reader

One-time2
  • Kimchi Reader 30 Days Access$12.99
  • Kimchi Reader 365 Days Access$99.99

Questions

Is Ludus free?
Ludus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kimchi Reader free?
Kimchi Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ludus or Kimchi Reader?
Kimchi Reader is rated higher. Ludus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 157 ratings, while Kimchi Reader averages 4.9 from 12 ratings.
Do Ludus or Kimchi Reader have ads?
Kimchi Reader shows ads; Ludus does not.
Which is updated more often, Ludus or Kimchi Reader?
Ludus ships an update weekly, and Kimchi Reader every 10 days. Most recently, Ludus was updated on November 6, 2026 and Kimchi Reader on October 31, 2026.

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