Maktabati vs Lisaan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Maktabati
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Learn Arabic by reading real Islamic books, one word at a time. Maktabati is a quiet reading room for anyone learning Classical Arabic (fuṣḥā) and the Arabic of the Qur'an and hadith. Tap any word to see what it means in that sentence, with its root, dictionary form and grammar. Save the words you meet, quiz yourself on them, and earn back screen time by reading. A SHELF OF CLASSICAL BOOKS • Qaṣaṣ an-Nabiyyīn, the Stories of the Prophets by Abū al-Ḥasan an-Nadwī: fully voweled, with audio for every word, and the place to begin • Imam an-Nawawī's Forty Hadith: fully voweled, with audio for every word • Forty Hadith Qudsī, sayings of Allah narrated by the Prophet (peace be upon him): fully voweled, with audio for every word • Min Akhlāq ar-Rasūl al-Karīm, on the character of the Prophet (peace be upon him), for readers ready for a moderate text • Laftat al-Kabid by Ibn al-Jawzī, a father's advice to his son, at a moderate level New books arrive in the online library as they're added, with no app update needed. Short chapters, three Arabic fonts, any text size, and two columns on iPad. Maktabati opens where you stopped. EVERY WORD EXPLAINED Tap a word to see its meaning in context and hear it pronounced. Open it further in the Arabic dictionary for: • its parts, such as the article al- and the stem • its dictionary form, pattern and part of speech, and whether a noun is masculine or feminine • its meanings in plain English, each also explained in Arabic • example sentences from the books • its plural, feminine and other forms • its root, with a page for every root and the words built from it FIND A WORD Search a book for an Arabic word, with or without vowels and in all its forms, or for an English word in the translation, and jump to every place it appears. FLASHCARDS FOR YOUR VOCABULARY Save any word with one tap. Cards earn stars as you answer them, from new to mastered, and you can group them into decks. QUIZ YOURSELF IN A MINUTE Each quiz picks the ten words you need most, and asks about them five ways: meaning, sound, a gap in a sentence, root, or Arabic explanation. Premium adds two word games, Root Garden and Sentence Builder. READ MORE, SCROLL LESS Choose the apps that pull you away and give them a balance of minutes. Every minute you read and every quiz answer you get right earns a minute, up to the limit you set. When the balance runs out, Maktabati can block those apps until you've read a little more. Focus uses Apple's Screen Time, and the apps you choose stay private on your device. ON ALL YOUR DEVICES Sign in with Apple or Google, if you like, to keep your saved words, decks and reading place on your iPhone and iPad. No account is needed to read, and the books work offline. WATCH YOURSELF GROW Keep a daily streak, see this week's reading at a glance, and follow your words mastered, roots met and quiz accuracy. Eight achievements, each with levels, mark the way. MAKTABATI PREMIUM Maktabati is free to download. The free plan includes reading, the word panel, each word's dictionary form and root, up to 15 saved words, unlimited quizzes, and Focus. Premium adds full dictionary entries, unlimited saved words, your own decks, Root Garden and Sentence Builder, and requests for the next book on the shelf. Premium is an auto-renewing weekly, monthly or yearly subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it's cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for the renewal within 24 hours before that period ends. You can manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings at any time. Privacy Policy: https://www.ilmtech.ltd/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Lisaan
Explore Arabic vocabulary through meaning, pronunciation, grammar, and word roots. Understand language structure with detailed word views, root family exploration, and practice modules. Features structured learning, Qur'anic word study, and customizable themes.
- Translate Arabic to English
- Save and review vocabulary
- Explore Arabic root families
- Structured learning modules
- Qur'anic word study
- Light and dark themes
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Learn Arabic vocabulary with clarity, depth, and beauty. This app is designed for learners who want more than simple translation. It helps you understand languages words through meaning, pronunciation, grammar, gender, plural forms, roots, related word families, and real context. Features Translate Arabic words and phrases into clear English meanings. Save vocabulary for review and study. Search saved words quickly. Open detailed word views with meaning, spelling, transliteration, gender, plural, part of speech, roots, and related vocabulary. Explore Arabic root families to understand how words are connected. tap on the three letter root words to view the root tree and other forms of the word. Practice from saved words in the practice tab with questions designed to reinforce memory. Use the Learn tab for structured learning modules, including Qur’anic word study. Switch between clean light and luxury dark themes. Double-tap tabs to return to the top or home state of each section. This app focuses on making languages feel structured, elegant, and practical. Instead of treating each word as isolated, it helps you see how Arabic words are built and related. Use it to read, translate, review, and build deeper understanding of language vocabulary wherever you encounter it.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lisaan at none against Maktabati's 3. Lisaan also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Maktabati's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Maktabati sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Lisaan asks for nothing beyond the download.
Maktabati ships an update every 5 days, Lisaan every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Maktabati | Lisaan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 132 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ilmtech Limited | SUDHEER JEFFERY CLARKE |
In-app purchases
Maktabati
- Maktabati Premium (Weekly)$2.997 Days
- Maktabati Premium (Monthly)$6.991 Month
- Maktabati Premium (Yearly)$39.991 Year
Lisaan
No in-app purchases







