Comparison

Maktabati vs Parallel Arabic

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

Head to head
About

Maktabati

Read full description

Maktabati is a beautifully designed Arabic reading and learning companion built for students, self-learners, and anyone who wants to understand classical Arabic with confidence. Explore a growing library of hand-picked classical Arabic literature, presented with clean formatting and helpful linguistic tools. Every sentence becomes easier to understand through instant AI-powered contextual translation, diacritics, grammar tagging, and transliteration support. Whether you are studying Arabic formally or learning independently, Maktabati helps you read faster, deeper, and smarter. CURATED CLASSICAL ARABIC TEXTS Enjoy a carefully selected collection of classical stories and literature. Each text is structured for learners, making advanced Arabic more accessible and enjoyable. INSTANT CONTEXTUAL TRANSLATION Get quick, accurate explanations of any sentence or word. Understand meaning in context and see diacritics, grammar roles, patterns, and roots in one place. SMART FLASHCARDS AND DAILY REVIEW Build your personalized vocabulary deck directly from the texts you read. Maktabati uses spaced-repetition techniques to help you review words daily until they are mastered. CLEAN, FOCUSED READING EXPERIENCE Read without distractions using adjustable fonts and a minimalist interface designed to support longer, more focused study sessions. A MINDFUL ALTERNATIVE TO ENDLESS SCROLLING Replace aimless scrolling with purposeful learning. Maktabati offers a calmer, more enriching digital experience, helping you spend your screen time discovering eloquent classical Arabic. BUILT FOR ALL LEVELS Perfect for beginners who want guided help and powerful enough for intermediate learners exploring classical Arabic on their own. Maktabati turns studying Arabic into a smooth, intuitive, and enjoyable experience, helping you build real comprehension and lasting vocabulary through meaningful texts. Privacy Policy: https://ilmtech.ltd/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Parallel Arabic

Features
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Most Arabic apps teach you the formal version โ€” the one people rarely speak on the street. Parallel Arabic is different. We teach the dialects: Egyptian, Levantine, Moroccan Darija, and Modern Standard Arabic โ€” so you can hold a real conversation with real people, wherever you are. Read in parallel Every story and lesson shows English, Arabic script, and transliteration side by side โ€” so you can follow along at your own pace, whether you can read Arabic yet or not. Hear it like a native All content is voiced by native dialect speakers, not generic text-to-speech. Tap any word to hear it pronounced, see its meaning, and get example sentences โ€” instantly. Learn your way Choose your dialect and start building vocabulary that actually matters to you. Generate custom lessons, stories, and practice sentences around topics you care about โ€” not generic scripted content. AI that works for you Practice speaking with an AI tutor in your chosen dialect and get instant feedback. Read AI-generated stories on any topic, tap any word to translate it, and hear native audio pronunciations โ€” all in one place. Built to make words stick Our spaced repetition review system schedules words at exactly the right time so you don't forget them. Each review session generates fresh stories and sentences using your saved words โ€” not the same flashcards on repeat. See your progress Your vocabulary map grows with every word you learn, giving you a visual picture of how far you've come. Track your daily activity and climb the leaderboard. What's included: - 4 Arabic dialects: Egyptian, Levantine, Moroccan Darija, Modern Standard Arabic - 50+ structured lessons per dialect - AI-generated stories with click-to-translate - AI conversation tutor with pronunciation feedback - Writing and sentence-matching practice - Dialect comparison โ€” see how words differ across regions - Spaced repetition review powered by your own vocabulary - Visual vocabulary map - Word of the Day Free to start. Premium unlocks everything. Whether you're a complete beginner or brushing up before a trip, Parallel Arabic meets you where you are; and teaches you Arabic the way it's actually spoken. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Maktabati4 screens
Parallel Arabic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Parallel Arabic at none against Maktabati's 3. Parallel Arabic also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Maktabati's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Maktabati sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Parallel Arabic asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Maktabati ships an update every 5 days, Parallel Arabic every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 2 level
Maktabati versus Parallel Arabic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMaktabatiParallel Arabic
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days โ€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS17.014.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size29 MB389 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIlmtech LimitedSherif Elmetwally

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Maktabati

Subscriptions3
  • Maktabati Premium (Weekly)$1.997 Days
  • Maktabati Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Maktabati Premium (Yearly)$29.991 Year
None

Parallel Arabic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Maktabati free?
Maktabati is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Parallel Arabic free?
Parallel Arabic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Maktabati or Parallel Arabic have ads?
Neither Maktabati nor Parallel Arabic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Maktabati or Parallel Arabic?
Maktabati ships an update every 5 days, and Parallel Arabic every 3 weeks. Most recently, Maktabati was updated on September 11, 2026 and Parallel Arabic on September 21, 2026.

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