Comparison

MyScribe Russian vs Miaru

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

Head to head
About

MyScribe Russian

Features
Read full description

MyScribe is a calm, complete way to begin Russian — built for adults who want to learn properly, not chase a streak. Most apps turn language into a game of points and pressure. MyScribe doesn't. There are no scores, no levels, no leaderboards and no timers. What there is: a quiet count of the days you showed up, and — only if you ask for it — one reminder a day, always about something real: a lesson left in the unit, an episode waiting for the commute. The rest is a course you move through at your own pace, the way you'd work through a good book. Every lesson is checked by a native Russian teacher before it reaches you. It's built on four things you actually do with a language: READ — Meet each phrase in print, with a clear English gloss and a note on the sounds that surprise you. WRITE — Write it back by hand. MyScribe is named for the scribe in you: tracing the words yourself is how they stick, and it's the one thing screens usually skip. Prefer the keyboard? You can type instead. LISTEN — Hear everything spoken by real Russian voices — Katya and Maxim, your native hosts — with Sarah to guide you along in English. Or let any lesson read itself to you, hands free, and put the phone in your pocket. UNDERSTAND — And it tells you what the Russian literally says. «У меня есть брат» is, word for word, "at me there is a brother" — because Russian has no verb for "have". Once you can see that, the grammar stops being a set of shapes to memorise. Every phrase in the course carries its literal reading, checked by a Russian teacher. SPEAK — Say it yourself, out loud, in every lesson. Then step into short guided conversations with your hosts and take your turn. WHAT'S INSIDE • A full A1 beginner's course — 23 units, from the Cyrillic alphabet to saying where you're from • The alphabet taught letter by letter — all 33, with stroke-order tracing and a real Russian teacher's own recordings • Real spoken audio throughout — over 1,500 clips, all human-warm • Handwriting practice on every phrase (or type, your choice) • A Practice room for every unit: recognise words, identify sounds, choose the right reply, rebuild a phrase from memory, and hold a short conversation • A Grammar bank that lays out the patterns you've been using, in plain language — including the six cases • Shadowing — 22 episodes made for headphones and a screen-off pocket: the unit's conversation in Russian, then in English, then a gap to say each line back • Lessons on the go — any lesson read aloud, hands free, carrying on through the course while the screen is off • The literal reading of every phrase — what the Russian actually says, word for word, beneath the translation • A fourteen-day rhythm on the home screen — the days you showed up, never a chain that breaks PRIVATE BY DESIGN MyScribe works fully offline — the whole course lives on your device. An account is optional: sign in with Apple or Google only if you want your progress to follow you to another phone, and delete it from the app whenever you like. Your microphone is used only so you can practise speaking; what you say is kept just long enough to play it back to you, and is never sent anywhere. We never ask to track you, and never read your advertising identifier. What the app does report is anonymous: that it was opened, how far through the course somebody got, and whether a purchase happened — so we can tell which of our own ads work and where the course loses people. Nothing is attached that identifies you or your device. TRY IT, THEN DECIDE The first four units are free — the Cyrillic alphabet among them, no sign-in, no time limit. Then choose: one purchase that opens every remaining unit for good, or a weekly or monthly plan that starts with three days free and renews until you cancel. A2 is included either way. No ads. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://drawbridgestudio.com/myscribe#privacy Здравствуйте — let's begin.

About

Miaru

This app makes language learning a consistent habit with short, practical lessons. It focuses on reading, listening, and building sentences from the start, using native audio and smart review techniques. Interactive conversations and gamified elements like streaks and daily goals keep users engaged.

Highlights
  • Bite-size lessons
  • Native-quality audio
  • Smart review system (SRS)
  • Interactive conversations
  • Streaks and daily goals
  • Learn Japanese, Spanish, English
Features
Read full description

Miaru turns language learning into a daily habit you actually keep. Every lesson is short, focused, and hands-on — you read, listen, and build real sentences from day one. No filler. No endless flashcard grind. WHY IT WORKS • Bite-size lessons that fit a coffee break • Native-quality audio on every word, sentence, and conversation • Smart review (SRS): what you miss comes back at exactly the right moment • Interactive conversations that teach how the language is really used • Streaks, daily goals, and XP that keep you coming back LEARN JAPANESE — PROPERLY • Master hiragana and katakana from zero • Every Jōyō kanji with animated stroke order • Everyday Japanese: real conversations for real situations • 300+ lessons from your first character to confident reading MORE LANGUAGES • Spanish — practical, everyday Spanish from zero • English — built for speakers of 30+ languages • Learn in your language: Miaru speaks 35 locales FREE TO START New lessons free every day. Unlock everything with Miaru Premium — unlimited lessons across all courses. $19.99/month or $179.99/year. Subscriptions auto-renew until canceled; manage anytime in your App Store account settings. Privacy: https://miaru.co/privacy • Terms: https://miaru.co/terms Meet Luffy, your study buddy — and make today day one of your streak.

Screenshots

MyScribe Russian4 screens
Miaru4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Miaru at every 3 days against MyScribe Russian's weekly. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MyScribe Russian sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Miaru sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MyScribe Russian ships an update weekly, Miaru every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
MyScribe Russian versus Miaru: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMyScribe RussianMiaru
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size490 MB74 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSteven DeciaMiaru LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MyScribe Russian

One-time1
  • Full Course$49.99
2 purchases

Miaru

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly$179.991 Year

Questions

Is MyScribe Russian free?
MyScribe Russian is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Miaru free?
Miaru is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MyScribe Russian or Miaru have ads?
Neither MyScribe Russian nor Miaru shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MyScribe Russian or Miaru?
MyScribe Russian ships an update weekly, and Miaru every 3 days. Most recently, MyScribe Russian was updated on October 6, 2026 and Miaru on October 7, 2026.

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