Comparison

Learn Korean 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

Learn Korean

Master the Korean language with interactive exercises for Hangul and vocabulary. Practice reading, writing, speaking, and typing with guided feedback and smart review systems. Track your progress and build a vocabulary of over 1600 words.

Highlights
  • Interactive Hangul learning paths
  • Over 1600 essential vocabulary words
  • Smart spaced repetition system
  • Guided writing and speaking exercises
  • Korean typing practice
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Learn Korean step by step with Jamo Korean. Build real Korean skills with: • Hangul, including pronunciation and writing • Korean vocabulary with native example sentences • Korean grammar explained clearly • Korean stories for reading practice • Smart spaced repetition powered by FSRS Practice speaking, typing, writing, multiple choice, and fill-in-the-blank exercises so you can remember what you learn and use it naturally. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

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

Learn Korean4 screens
Kimchi Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Learn Korean at free with in-app purchases against Kimchi Reader's subscription. Learn Korean also leads on ratings volume (223 vs 12) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Learn Korean sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 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 — 4.9 for Learn Korean against 4.9 for Kimchi Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn Korean has 223 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 97% of Learn Korean's written reviews are positive against 100% of Kimchi Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Learn Korean ships an update every 9 days, Kimchi Reader every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Learn Korean versus Kimchi Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearn KoreanKimchi Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (223 ratings)4.9 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews97.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings223 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB12 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJohn DykesKimchi Reader Sàrl

Customer experience

Learn Korean

All ratings218 ratings
Positive99.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.5%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive97.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative0.0%

Kimchi Reader

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

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Learn Korean

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Plan$6.991 Month
  • Quarterly Plan$17.993 Months
  • Annual Plan$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlimited Access$19.99
2 purchases

Kimchi Reader

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

Questions

Is Learn Korean free?
Learn Korean 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, Learn Korean or Kimchi Reader?
Kimchi Reader is rated higher. Learn Korean averages 4.9 out of 5 from 223 ratings, while Kimchi Reader averages 4.9 from 12 ratings.
Do Learn Korean or Kimchi Reader have ads?
Both Learn Korean and Kimchi Reader show ads.
Which is updated more often, Learn Korean or Kimchi Reader?
Learn Korean ships an update every 9 days, and Kimchi Reader every 10 days. Most recently, Learn Korean was updated on November 5, 2026 and Kimchi Reader on October 31, 2026.

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