Zuan vs ALC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Zuan
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1. On-Device AI Transcription Transcribe any audio or podcast episode directly on your device using whisper.cpp — no cloud, no subscription, complete privacy. Supports multiple model sizes and parallel chunking for speed on modern devices. 2. Real-Time Synchronized Transcript Follow along with segment-by-segment highlighting that stays perfectly in sync with playback. GPU-accelerated rendering on iOS 18+ for buttery-smooth highlighting. 3. A/B Repeater & Loop ("The Repeater") Select any transcript segment and loop it for focused listening. Perfect for language learners, shadowing practice, dictation, or catching hard-to-hear passages. 4. Instant Dictionary Lookup Long-press any word or phrase in the transcript to instantly look up its definition, pronunciation, and translation using the iOS system dictionary. A game-changer for building vocabulary while listening. 5. Accessibility-First Font Options Switch between four curated fonts — System (San Francisco), OpenDyslexic, Lexend, and Atkinson Hyperlegible — to match your reading comfort and accessibility needs. 6. Transcript Export (SRT / VTT / TXT) Export your AI-generated transcripts in SRT, WebVTT, or plain TXT format. Perfect for language learners who want to create flashcards, import text into study apps like Anki, or keep a personal archive of their favorite podcast segments. 7. iCloud Subscription Sync Podcast subscriptions sync seamlessly across all your devices via CloudKit. Subscribe on your iPhone, and it appears on your iPad automatically. 8. Share Extension & AirDrop Intake Send audio files to Zuan from any app via iOS Share Sheet or AirDrop. Files are deduplicated by content hash and imported to your library, where they can be transcribed on-demand. 9. Apple Watch Companion App Control playback, browse your podcast subscriptions, and listen to episodes directly from your wrist. 10. Chapter Navigation Browse and jump between chapters embedded in podcasts (via JSON Chapters or embedded media metadata). See chapter titles, timestamps, and durations at a glance. 11. Podcast Search & Discovery Search for podcasts by name using the iTunes Search API. Browse trending shows and discover new content, then subscribe with one tap. 12. Podcast Subscriptions Subscribe to any podcast via search. Episodes are fetched, sorted, and displayed with artwork, duration, and playback progress. 13. Offline Downloads Download podcast episodes for offline listening. Background downloads continue even when the app is in the background, with progress tracking. 14. Smart Storage Management View detailed storage breakdowns (downloads, cache, free space). Configure auto-delete rules for played episodes with customizable grace periods and storage limits. 15. Variable Playback Speed Adjust playback speed from 0.5× to 3.5× with a tactile scroll-dial UI and quick-access preset buttons. Speed persists across sessions — essential for adjusting difficulty. 16. Sleep Timer Set a sleep timer for 5 to 60 minutes, or have playback stop at the end of the current episode. 17. Local Media Library Import and replay audio files from your device. Library persists across sessions with deduplication by content hash. Swipe to delete individual items or clear all. 18. Playback Position Memory Resume exactly where you left off. Playback position is saved per podcast episode and per library item, persisted across app launches. 19. Dark Mode & Theming Full dark mode support with a cohesive design system. Semantic colors and consistent typography throughout the app.
ALC
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ALC يجمع بين رحلة تعليمية منظمة وبودكاست تعليمي في تطبيق واحد لتعلّم اللغة الإنجليزية، بواجهة عربية بالكامل. المنهج التعليمي (ALC Journey) - كتب ودروس مرتبة تصاعديًا بحسب المستوى. - بطاقات تعلّم تفاعلية لكل درس. - نظام مراجعة متباعدة (بطاقات لايتنر) يعيد الكلمات اللي تحتاج تثبيت في الوقت المناسب. - اختبار قصير لكل درس، واختبار شامل لكل كتاب. - تتبّع تقدّمك: نقاط الخبرة، الأيام المتتالية، والكلمات المستحقة للمراجعة. البودكاست المصاحب (ALC Podcast) - حلقات صوتية تواكب محتوى كل كتاب، تبدأ غالبًا بالعربية وتقلّ العربية تدريجيًا حتى تصبح بالإنجليزية الكاملة. - نص الحلقة الكامل يظهر أثناء الاستماع مع تمييز الفقرة الحالية. الدرس الأول من كل كتاب مجاني بالكامل، بدون حاجة لأي حساب. الاشتراك المميز يفتح بقية دروس كل كتاب والاختبار الشامل، ويضيف تحميل الحلقات للاستماع بدون إنترنت. لا تحتاج حساب لاستخدام الميزات المجانية — يمكنك المتابعة كضيف مباشرة. إنشاء حساب اختياري، ويُستخدم فقط لحفظ تقدّمك. شروط الاستخدام: https://alcjourney.com/terms سياسة الخصوصية: https://alcjourney.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zuan at none against ALC's 2. Zuan also leads on device support (3 vs 1). ALC's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and iOS requirement 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. ALC sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Zuan asks for nothing beyond the download.
Zuan ships an update every 6 days, ALC weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Zuan | ALC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 265 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 传阳 李 | Turki Alfaifi |
In-app purchases
Zuan
No in-app purchases
ALC
- ALC بريميوم شهري$2.991 Month
- ALC بريميوم سنوي$29.991 Year









