Barolingo Korean vs HangulNova
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Barolingo Korean
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Stop memorizing random words. Start speaking Korean like you actually watch it. Barolingo Korean teaches you meaningful 3-8 word chunks — the way native speakers really talk. Whether you're obsessed with K-drama, K-pop, or just want to chat at Korean cafes, you'll learn phrases you'll actually use, not textbook sentences that feel weird. WHY ENGLISH LEARNERS LOVE BAROLINGO KOREAN - Chunk-based learning: Master natural phrases, not isolated vocabulary - AI explanations in your language: Get 4-layer breakdowns in English, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Indonesian, Thai, Portuguese, Chinese, Hindi, or Korean - K-content first: Rotating daily chunks from K-drama, K-pop, greetings, food, travel, and everyday life - Streak rewards: Hit 3, 7, and 30-day milestones to stay motivated WHAT YOU GET - 30 starter chunks covering the essentials (greetings, ordering coffee, K-drama phrases, travel basics, daily conversation) - New chunks every day across rotating categories - Cheer other learners and invite friends — both of you earn bonus XP - Global ranking with country flags — see how many countries are learning Korean right now - Clean, ad-supported experience (Pro version coming soon with no ads and deeper content) PERFECT FOR - K-drama and K-pop fans who want to understand without subtitles - Travelers planning a trip to Seoul or beyond - Anyone tired of boring grammar apps - Language learners who want natural, conversational Korean Start with chunks. Build real fluency. Learn Korean the way it's actually spoken. Download free today.
HangulNova
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HangulNova is a Korean learning app that covers TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) from Level 1 to Level 6 in one place. ■ 9,472 study words Every TOPIK 1–6 study word is included. Each word has a romanization, part of speech, English meaning, and an example sentence with its English translation. You can listen at normal speed or slowly. ■ Korean–English dictionary with 9,472 entries (offline) The dictionary is built into the app and searched on your device. It uses no network connection and no AI. ・Search in Hangul (학교) ・Search by romanization (hangugeo or han guk eo) ・Search by initial consonants only (ㅎㄱㅇ → 한국어) ・Search in English (promise → 약속) Save words you want to remember to your word list and review them with flashcards. ■ 310 grammar points and 413 reading passages Grammar is organized by level and explained with example sentences and romanization — from the past tense -았어요 / 었어요 and the honorific -(으)시- to -는데 for background and lead-ins. Each reading passage comes with questions and English notes. ■ Listening Plays the podcasts published by VOA 한국어 (a public-domain broadcast provided by the U.S. government) directly from VOA's servers. Episodes can also be saved for offline listening. ■ AI Korean conversation (Premium) Korean conversation practice, reading answer checks and pronunciation feedback are powered by Claude by Anthropic. Before you use these features, the app explains what data is sent and asks for your consent before sending anything. If you don't consent, the AI features stay off and no data is sent. You can withdraw your consent at any time in Settings. The AI replies in English. [About Premium] ・Monthly and yearly plans (auto-renewing) ・Payment is charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. ・You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your device's Settings after purchase. ・Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ・Privacy Policy: https://ars-sys.github.io/hangulnova-legal/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barolingo Korean at none against HangulNova's 2. Barolingo Korean also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). HangulNova's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price 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
Both are free to download. HangulNova sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Barolingo Korean asks for nothing beyond the download.
Barolingo Korean ships an update every 2 months, HangulNova every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Barolingo Korean | HangulNova |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 55 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | BongJun Park | 株式会社ARS |
In-app purchases
Barolingo Korean
No in-app purchases
HangulNova
- 月額プラン$3.991 Month
- 年額プラン$29.991 Year









