Comparison

Lahja vs Parallel Arabic

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

Head to head
About

Lahja

Learn authentic spoken Arabic dialects through short lessons featuring native audio and practical phrases. Focuses on regional variations like Moroccan, Egyptian, and Emirati, unlike traditional apps. Build confidence in everyday conversation for travel, culture, or family.

Highlights
  • Native speaker audio pronunciation
  • Dialect-specific lessons
  • Practical phrase learning
  • Intuitive learning flow
  • Progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Learn Arabic the way people actually speak it. Lahja teaches 11 spoken Arabic dialects, not Modern Standard Arabic, with every word recorded by a native speaker. PICK YOUR DIALECT Moroccan Darija, Egyptian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Jordanian, Emirati, Saudi, Iraqi, Algerian, Tunisian and Libyan. Each one is its own course with its own words, its own voices and its own tips, because "how are you" is kidayr in Casablanca and izzayak in Cairo. HEAR IT FROM A LOCAL No robot voices. Every phrase is spoken by someone from that country, so you learn the real sound, not a textbook version of it. Tap Listen, then say it back. FIVE MINUTES A DAY Short lessons, practice rounds and a test per section. Daily goals, streaks and achievements keep you coming back. Sections 1 to 3 are free in every dialect and stay free. LEARN WITH FRIENDS Join a league, climb the weekly leaderboard, chat with your league, and challenge friends to battles. Send a nudge, gift dinars, or save a friend who ran out of hearts. MADE FOR Heritage speakers who understand their parents but freeze when they reply. Travellers heading to Marrakech, Cairo, Beirut or Dubai. Partners and in-laws who want to join the conversation. Anyone who tried Standard Arabic and was still lost at the dinner table. LAHJA PRO Pro unlocks every section, every practice round and test, and unlimited hearts, across all 11 dialects. Try it free for 7 days. Join 15,000 learners on TikTok at @lahjaapp and start speaking your Arabic today. Privacy Policy: https://www.learnlahjaapp.com/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Parallel Arabic

Learn spoken Arabic dialects like Egyptian, Levantine, and Moroccan, alongside Modern Standard Arabic. Practice conversations with an AI tutor, read stories with side-by-side translations, and reinforce vocabulary with games and spaced repetition.

Highlights
  • AI-powered pronunciation feedback
  • Parallel text for reading comprehension
  • Interactive vocabulary games
  • Spaced repetition for memorization
  • Dialect comparison tool
  • Structured lessons from alphabet to advanced
Features
Read full description

Most Arabic apps teach the formal language that almost nobody speaks at home or on the street. Parallel Arabic teaches the Arabic people actually use: Egyptian, Levantine and Moroccan Darija, plus Modern Standard Arabic. Pick your dialect and start speaking from the first lesson. SPEAK FROM DAY ONE Practise real conversations with the AI Tutor in your dialect. Say it out loud, get scored on your pronunciation, and try again until it sounds right. READ IN PARALLEL Every story and lesson shows Arabic script, transliteration and English side by side, so you can follow along whether or not you can read Arabic yet. Tap any word for its meaning, audio and example sentences. A CLEAR PATH Follow step-by-step lessons from the alphabet upwards, or create your own lessons, stories and practice sentences on any topic you care about. GAMES THAT MAKE WORDS STICK Short rounds for vocabulary, letters and listening: Word Scramble, Odd One Out, Memory Pairs, Speed Round and more, with a fresh daily challenge. NEVER FORGET A WORD Save words as you go. Spaced repetition brings each one back just before you would forget it, in new sentences and stories, not the same flashcard every time. COMPARE DIALECTS See how the same word or phrase changes between Cairo, Beirut, Casablanca and the newsroom. STAY ON TRACK Daily streaks, reminders, a weekly leaderboard, and a vocabulary map that grows with every word you learn. WHAT YOU GET • 4 varieties: Egyptian, Levantine, Moroccan Darija, Modern Standard Arabic • Structured lessons from the alphabet to advanced • Stories with tap-to-translate • AI Tutor with pronunciation feedback • Speaking, writing and sentence practice • Verb conjugation drills • Word games and a daily challenge • Spaced repetition review of your own vocabulary • Word of the Day Whether you're starting from zero, reconnecting with family, or getting ready for a trip, Parallel Arabic meets you where you are. Parallel Arabic Premium is an auto-renewing subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.parallel-arabic.com/privacy

Screenshots

Lahja4 screens
Parallel Arabic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lahja at every 9 days against Parallel Arabic's every 2 months. Lahja also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (16 vs 2). On price, rating, 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. Lahja sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Parallel Arabic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Parallel Arabic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lahja has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lahja ships an update every 9 days, Parallel Arabic every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lahja versus Parallel Arabic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLahjaParallel Arabic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (16 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.114.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB389 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZayd Touhami ChahdiSherif Elmetwally

Customer experience

Lahja

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Parallel Arabic

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Lahja

Subscriptions2
  • Lahja Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Lahja Pro Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time5
  • 300 dinars$0.99
  • Starter pack$1.99
  • 1,000 dinars$2.99
Show 2 more
  • 2,000 dinars$4.99
  • 5,000 dinars$9.99
2 purchases

Parallel Arabic

Subscriptions2
  • Parallel Arabic Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Parallel Arabic Premium Annual7 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Lahja free?
Lahja is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Parallel Arabic free?
Parallel Arabic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lahja or Parallel Arabic?
Parallel Arabic is rated higher. Lahja averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Parallel Arabic averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Lahja or Parallel Arabic have ads?
Neither Lahja nor Parallel Arabic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lahja or Parallel Arabic?
Lahja ships an update every 9 days, and Parallel Arabic every 2 months. Most recently, Lahja was updated on October 31, 2026 and Parallel Arabic on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons