Comparison

Kango vs Bao

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

Head to head
About

Kango

Practice speaking English through AI-powered roleplay conversations. Get instant feedback to improve fluency and confidence in various real-world scenarios, from interviews to daily chats. Achieve your language goals faster and more effectively.

Highlights
  • AI-powered speaking tutor
  • Roleplay conversation practice
  • Instant feedback on speaking
  • Real-world scenario practice
  • Boost communication skills
  • Improve fluency and confidence
Features
Read full description

Kango: Learn by reading native content in Chinese or Japanese Learn a language in real context. Kango is a reader app turns your favorite audiobooks, new articles, and videos into an engaging and effective study routine through our personalized recommendation engine. Why learners choose Kango: PERSONALIZED RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR LEVEL - Get daily content tailored to your current learning journey and skill level - Kango tracks the words you know, and your saved words, and recommends the most relevant content to grow your reading skill in incremental progress - Kango's recommendation engine finds and recommends content containing words you saved so you can review and see them again in a different context, at comfortable level - If you're browsing our library, every content is rated with a difficulty level for YOUR skill level so you can determine how comfortably you can read and how much you may have to look up STORIES YOU LOVE TO READ - Import your favorite books, PDF, ePUB, article link, copy and paste text - Take a photo of a book page, study notes, research papers or any text in your target language, and start reading on Kango - Share and import content directly from X, Chrome, or Safari - Browse our massive library of web novels, classics, videos, children's stories and graded readers - Listen to news, blogs, podcasts - Read aloud in the voices you choose with adjustable speed - Quiz yourself based on words you saved, or simulate a HSK or JLPT test based on graded words in the content you just read STUDY TOOLS YOU'LL LOVE - Tap to translate word dictionary with multiple example sentences and detailed breakdown - Save words you don't know, want to learn more about, or find useful - Side by side sentence translations in your native language that can be toggled off or on - Manually select individual characters for phrase lookups - Multiple font options and customizable reader interface - Pinyin, furigana support - Offline listening - download and listen anywhere - Karaoke mode and color-coded sentence breakdown - Text highlight - perfect for dyslexia and ADHD - Easily repeat the audio playback for each sentence and pause for shadowing practice - Track your known words, total read words, and saved words with flashcards and quizzes LEARN ABOUT HISTORY AND CULTURE WHILE LEARNING LANGUAGE - Our library of content makes it fun and rewarding by providing interesting content about Chinese and Japanese history and culture - Gain insights into how locals think by immersing in native content - All content is graded so there is always content suitable for your skill level PERFECT FOR - Serious and advanced language learners who want to level up in business Chinese and Japanese, and to be able to read and converse natively in professional topics spanning technology, finance and entertainment - Beginner learners with some foundational knowledge who want to improve quickly with immersive content - Language learners who want to level up and read a novel in its native language without its translated version - Book lovers who love to read - Audio and visual learners who want to learn with immersive input - Commuters who want to build a daily habit by listening to hands-free audio If you have any ideas or questions please email us at support@kangospeak.com. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage your subscription in Apple Account Settings. DOWNLOAD KANGO TODAY Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://kangospeak.com/privacy

About

Bao

Learn Mandarin by scrolling through fun video clips, similar to social media feeds. Absorb real conversations, slang, and pronunciation naturally. Practice speaking with an AI teacher and save new vocabulary for review.

Highlights
  • Learn through scrolling video clips
  • Natural language absorption
  • Tap-to-translate captions
  • Save and review vocabulary
  • AI speaking practice
  • Bite-sized lessons
Features
Read full description

LEARN CHINESE THE FASTEST WAY — JUST BY SCROLLING FUN CLIPS Stop speaking "Duolingo Chinese" and start absorbing real Mandarin with Bao — just by scrolling short clips. Think TikTok, but every scroll makes you more fluent. Whether you're a student, traveller, drama fan, or busy professional, Bao makes learning Chinese effortless and engaging. Scroll, listen, and watch your Chinese transform — no textbooks, no scripted drills, no gamified busywork. WHY BAO? ▶ Learn Naturally — Absorb real conversations, pronunciation and slang from native speakers. ▶ The Fastest Way to Learn — Use the power of immersion to pick up the language effortlessly. ▶ Tap to Translate — Instantly translate any word in the captions while watching. ▶ Grow Your Vocabulary — Save words instantly and review them with flashcards built from the real content you watched. ▶ Talk with Bao — Practice speaking out loud with your AI Chinese teacher, who listens and actually replies. ▶ Bite-Sized & Flexible — Learn anytime, anywhere, with quick clips that fit into any schedule. WHO IS BAO FOR? ▶ Students — Master Chinese naturally while scrolling engaging content. ▶ Travellers — Pick up real-world Chinese to connect with locals on your next trip. ▶ Drama & Show Fans — Finally understand Chinese dramas, films and songs without subtitles. ▶ Busy Adults — Learn Chinese in minutes a day, no textbooks or character drills required. FEATURES THAT MAKE BAO UNIQUE ▶ The Fastest Way to Learn — No scripted drills, just real Chinese clips that keep you engaged. ▶ Instant Translations — Tap any word in the transcript to get its meaning instantly. ▶ Talk with Bao — Real speaking practice with an AI teacher that listens to you and gives real feedback, not just a green checkmark. ▶ Effortless Immersion — Just scroll, watch, and absorb — learning Chinese has never been this easy. ▶ Smart Review — Words you save come back right before you'd forget them, so they actually stick. *SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION* All features described above require a subscription. Yearly and monthly plans are available, and the yearly plan includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. *TERMS OF SERVICE* https://pcclblxaetlamjhglxpm.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/legal/terms.txt https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Kango4 screens
Bao4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Kango at free with in-app purchases against Bao's subscription. Bao's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.4 vs 4.2). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. Kango sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Bao 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

Bao holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 5 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kango ships an update every 2 days, Bao every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Kango versus Bao: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKangoBao
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (5 ratings)4.4 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings55
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size241 MB43 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKublet Inc.Corentin Martins

Customer experience

Kango

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bao

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Kango

Subscriptions10
  • Weekly Pro Subscription$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Pro Subscription$7.991 Month
  • Max Plan$7.997 Days
Show 7 more
  • Max Weekly$9.997 Days
  • Monthly Max Subscription$14.991 Month
  • Max Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Max Quarterly$39.993 Months
  • Max Quarterly$44.993 Months
  • Yearly Pro$69.991 Year
  • Yearly Pro Subscription$69.991 Year
2 purchases

Bao

Subscriptions2
  • Bao Pro - Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Bao Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Kango free?
Kango is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bao free?
Bao is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Kango or Bao?
Bao is rated higher. Kango averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Bao averages 4.4 from 5 ratings.
Do Kango or Bao have ads?
Kango shows ads; Bao does not.
Which is updated more often, Kango or Bao?
Kango ships an update every 2 days, and Bao every 3 days. Most recently, Kango was updated on October 31, 2026 and Bao on November 10, 2026.

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