Comparison

Ludus vs Norae

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

Head to head
About

Ludus

This app helps you learn new languages faster by automatically creating study decks from pre-loaded dictionaries. It uses a smart spaced repetition system to schedule reviews right before you forget words, ensuring efficient learning and better long-term memory retention.

Highlights
  • Pre-loaded dictionaries
  • Automatic daily review decks
  • Spaced Repetition Scheduler (FSRS)
  • Word definitions and grammar info
  • AI Sentence Generator
  • AI Scan Tool
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

Norae

Learn Korean through real-world short videos with interactive captions. Tap any word to understand its meaning in context, save it for review with its original clip, and track your progress with spaced repetition.

Highlights
  • Interactive video captions
  • Contextual word definitions
  • Spaced repetition review
  • Vocabulary grouped by roots
  • Adjustable playback speed
  • Personalized video feed
Features
Read full description

Norae is a feed of real Korean short videos: the vlogs, street interviews, food runs and drama recaps people actually watch, with captions that light up word by word as they're spoken. Tap any word you don't know. You get what it means in that sentence, not a dictionary dump. Save it, and it comes back later, attached to the clip you first heard it in. HOW IT WORKS • Korean and English captions running together, with each word lit the moment it is said • Tap a word for what it means in that line, its dictionary form, and how it is actually used • Words you keep come back as review cards that replay the clip you found them in • Roots: the words you save, grouped by the Chinese character they share, so 학교 brings 학생 and 과학 with it • 0.75x and 0.5x on any clip, for the lines that get away from you • A feed built from the level you pick, from your first day of Hangul onward MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY WATCH If you're already spending an hour a day scrolling, Norae puts that hour to work. Ten minutes gets you a handful of words that stick, because you met them somewhere real. No streak guilt. No sentences about a bear drinking milk. Videos play in the official YouTube player and belong to the creators who made them. Every clip links back to its channel. SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED Norae is available through an annual subscription with a free trial, and a monthly subscription without a trial. Apple charges nothing until the trial ends. After that the plan renews at the same price until you cancel it, which you can do any time in your Apple ID settings. Cancel at least 24 hours before a period ends and Apple will not bill you for the next one. Prices are shown in app and vary by region. Privacy policy: https://noraeapp.com/norae/privacy.html Terms of use: https://noraeapp.com/norae/terms.html Contact the founder: trent@noraeapp.com

Screenshots

Ludus4 screens
Norae4 screens

Verdict

The call

Ludus and Norae both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 89% of Ludus's written reviews are positive against 57% of Norae's. Ludus also leads on ratings volume (79 vs 4). Norae's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). On price, rating, ads 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 Norae sells 2 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Ludus against 5.0 for Norae. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ludus has 79 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Ludus's written reviews are positive against 57% of Norae's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ludus ships an update weekly, Norae every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ludus versus Norae: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLudusNorae
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (79 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.9% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings79 — better4
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.416.4
Further details — not scored
Size175 MB109 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLudus-Language, Inc.TC Fusion LLC

Customer experience

Ludus

All ratings51 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%

Norae

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Ludus

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

Norae

Subscriptions2
  • Norae Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Norae Pro Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Ludus free?
Ludus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Norae free?
Norae is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ludus or Norae?
Norae is rated higher. Ludus averages 4.9 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while Norae averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Ludus or Norae have ads?
Neither Ludus nor Norae shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ludus or Norae?
Ludus ships an update weekly, and Norae every 2 days. Most recently, Ludus was updated on October 24, 2026 and Norae on October 24, 2026.

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