Comparison

Maktabati vs Lisaan

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

Head to head
About

Maktabati

Read full description

Read real Islamic books in Arabic, one word at a time. Maktabati is a quiet reading room for anyone learning Classical Arabic (fuṣḥā). Open a classical text, tap any word, and see what it means in that sentence, along with its root, dictionary form and grammar. Save the words you meet, quiz yourself on them, and earn back screen time with the reading you do. A SHELF OF CLASSICAL BOOKS • Qaṣaṣ an-Nabiyyīn, the Stories of the Prophets by Abū al-Ḥasan an-Nadwī: fully voweled and the place to begin • al-Arba'ūn an-Nawawiyyah, Imam an-Nawawī's Forty Hadith: 42 short hadith, fully voweled, for beginners • Min Akhlāq ar-Rasūl al-Karīm, on the character of the Prophet (peace be upon him): for readers ready for a moderate text Each book has its own page on the shelf and is divided into short chapters, with Qur'an verses, hadith and poetry set apart from the text. Choose from three Arabic fonts and the size that suits your eyes, and Maktabati opens on the page where you stopped. EVERY WORD EXPLAINED Tap a word to see its meaning in context and hear it pronounced. Open it further for: • its parts, such as the article al- and the stem • its dictionary form, pattern and part of speech • its meanings in plain English, each also explained in Arabic • its plural, feminine and other forms • its root, with a page for every root and the words built from it Tap an honorific symbol or a number in the text and Maktabati explains that too. KEEP THE WORDS YOU MEET Save any word to your flashcards with one tap. Each card shows the word's root and dictionary form, and earns stars as you answer it correctly, moving from new to learning, familiar and mastered. Group words into decks to study them together. QUIZ YOURSELF IN A MINUTE Each quiz picks the ten words you need most: the ones you missed, the ones due for review, and new ones. As a word earns stars, its question changes: its meaning, its sound, a gap in a sentence from the book, its root, or its Arabic explanation. Miss one and Maktabati shows you the word properly, then asks again before the quiz ends. Premium adds two games. In Root Garden you find every word from a root against the clock, and in Sentence Builder you rebuild a sentence from the book word by word. 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 adds 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. 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. MADE FOR IPAD TOO On iPad the dictionary sits beside the page, with a sidebar to move around and keyboard page turns. 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 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://ilmtech.ltd/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

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.

Highlights
  • Translate Arabic to English
  • Save and review vocabulary
  • Explore Arabic root families
  • Structured learning modules
  • Qur'anic word study
  • Light and dark themes
Features
Read full description

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.

Screenshots

Maktabati4 screens
Lisaan4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Maktabati ships an update every 5 days, Lisaan every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Maktabati versus Lisaan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMaktabatiLisaan
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size293 MB132 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIlmtech LimitedSUDHEER JEFFERY CLARKE

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Maktabati

Subscriptions3
  • Maktabati Premium (Weekly)$2.997 Days
  • Maktabati Premium (Monthly)$6.991 Month
  • Maktabati Premium (Yearly)$39.991 Year
None

Lisaan

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Maktabati free?
Maktabati is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lisaan free?
Lisaan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Maktabati or Lisaan have ads?
Neither Maktabati nor Lisaan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Maktabati or Lisaan?
Maktabati ships an update every 5 days, and Lisaan every 2 weeks. Most recently, Maktabati was updated on October 28, 2026 and Lisaan on October 24, 2026.

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