Comparison

Bopomofo Master vs TONGUES

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

Head to head
About

Bopomofo Master

This app helps users learn Traditional Chinese characters and Zhuyin (注音) through interactive mini-games. It offers practice in reading, typing, and listening, with features to track progress and maintain learning streaks. A dedicated Kids Playroom provides a playful environment for young learners to develop listening skills.

Highlights
  • Learn Zhuyin and Traditional Chinese
  • Interactive mini-games
  • Reading, typing, and listening practice
  • Progress tracking and streaks
  • Dedicated Kids Playroom
  • Tap and explore Zhuyin sounds
Features
Read full description

Learn Zhuyin (Bopomofo / 注音) step by step with guided lessons, listening, typing, Traditional Chinese characters and games. Bopomofo Master helps you go beyond memorising the symbols. Start with Bopomofo Foundations, a structured course that introduces Zhuyin in small steps, combines symbols into real syllables and reinforces what you learn through listening, review and checkpoints. Then practise at your own pace with games designed to build recognition, listening, reading and typing skills. Learn step by step - Guided Lessons — follow structured courses with clear progress, review and checkpoints - Bopomofo Foundations — start from zero and learn how Zhuyin symbols combine into real Mandarin sounds and syllables - Practice what you learn anytime through the app’s games and exercises Practise in different ways - Sound Master — hear a word and choose the Zhuyin you heard, with slow playback when you need a closer listen - Character Master — connect Traditional Chinese characters with their Zhuyin pronunciation - Sentence Typer — practise typing complete Chinese sentences with a Zhuyin keyboard - Symbol Match — build speed and confidence recognising Bopomofo symbols - Rocket Master — test your knowledge in a fast-paced challenge - My Words — save characters you encounter, organise them into collections and practise them anytime - Symbol Library — review Zhuyin symbols, sounds and examples whenever you need them Stay motivated Build a daily streak, earn XP, improve your scores and compare your progress on the leaderboards. Hard Mode gives experienced learners a tougher challenge with more similar-looking and similar-sounding answers. Made for different learners Whether you are starting Zhuyin from zero, learning Traditional Chinese, improving your Mandarin listening, or practising the Bopomofo keyboard, you can move between guided lessons and free practice depending on what you want to work on. There is also a dedicated Kid Mode with simple, colourful activities for younger learners. Kids can explore Zhuyin sounds, match what they hear and play in the Kids Playroom without needing to read Chinese first. From your first symbols to reading, listening and typing with Zhuyin, Bopomofo Master gives you a structured way to learn and plenty of ways to keep practising.

About

TONGUES

This app lets you learn vocabulary relevant to your life, starting with words you care about. You can create custom lessons based on detailed prompts, making language learning personalized and engaging.

Highlights
  • Personalized vocabulary learning
  • Custom lesson generation
  • AI-driven learning
  • Hobby and profession-specific terms
  • User-driven curriculum
Features
Read full description

It takes 40,000 words to be fluent in a language. Most language apps leave you at 5,000 or less. Instead of leaving your vocab in a chat with an LLM, save them here. TONGUES is the most comprehensive language app available, including every language and for the first time, every dialect. Acquire vocabulary by recording everyday conversations, generating lists based on your favorite topics with AI, or through your camera. Study with FSRS flashcards, audio playlists, generated stories and conversations, and home/lock screen widgets. Whereas most language apps limit you on the vocabulary you are able to acquire, spending up to a few months with colors, farm animals, and basic foods and greetings, TONGUES gives you vocabulary related to you profession first, slang, or any other interests and queries you might have. ______ TONGUES Pick a word. Any word. Most language apps hand you the same tired curriculum — colors, farm animals, "the boy eats an apple." TONGUES does the opposite. You choose what you learn, starting with the words you already care about: the jargon from your job, the slang from your hobbies, that phrase you've been dying to drop at a dinner party. Learn vocabulary that's actually relevant to your life, not a textbook's Start from your profession, your hobbies, your obsessions Give elaborate prompts and get lessons tailored to them Study what sticks, because you picked it. Studying a language should feel like learning to say the things you want to say. With TONGUES, it finally does. Download Tongues and pick your first word. EVERY LANGUAGE AND DIALECT TONGUES features every single language and dialect varying degrees. It is on average 90% accurate depending on how rare the language and dialect is. AUDIO PLAYLISTS With TONGUES, everything is automatically an audio playlist. Every word that you encounter on vacation, during a conversation, or found in an artifact, can be read out loud using state-of-the-art voice models. For commonly used language, ElevenLabs is used, and for rare languages, Forvo is used. ARTIFACTS With TONGUES, you can generate artifacts which are conversations stories that can be read out loud. You can generate their prequels and sequels while testing your reading comprehension for them. CONVERSATIONS When conversing with the AI, get valid responses in real time. Break down grammatical structures coming from the chat, and save words you don't understand back to your flashcard deck. TONGUES remains the only true language learning application that harnesses top frontier models

Screenshots

Bopomofo Master4 screens
TONGUES4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TONGUES at 4.8 against Bopomofo Master's 4.4. TONGUES also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). Bopomofo Master's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 5) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.6). On price, review sentiment, 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. Bopomofo Master sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and TONGUES sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TONGUES holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bopomofo Master ships an update every 3 weeks, TONGUES every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bopomofo Master versus TONGUES: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBopomofo MasterTONGUES
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (15 ratings)4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.6
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB145 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperFlorent PORROTOlympian Hourglass LLC

Customer experience

Bopomofo Master

All ratings14 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

TONGUES

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Bopomofo Master

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • 6-month Premium Subscription$9.996 Months
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$14.99
6 purchases

TONGUES

Subscriptions6
  • Standard$8.991 Month
  • Pro$14.991 Month
  • Max$29.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Standard (Yearly)$83.001 Year
  • Pro (Yearly)$155.991 Year
  • Max (Yearly)$299.991 Year

Questions

Is Bopomofo Master free?
Bopomofo Master is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TONGUES free?
TONGUES is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bopomofo Master or TONGUES?
TONGUES is rated higher. Bopomofo Master averages 4.4 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while TONGUES averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.
Do Bopomofo Master or TONGUES have ads?
Neither Bopomofo Master nor TONGUES shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bopomofo Master or TONGUES?
Bopomofo Master ships an update every 3 weeks, and TONGUES every 3 days. Most recently, Bopomofo Master was updated on November 5, 2026 and TONGUES on October 31, 2026.

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