MandaGlow vs Recabulary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MandaGlow
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MandaGlow turns Mandarin learning into an artistic journey through the world of Van Gogh and the literary icons from different times both in China and West. Each level is paired with an iconic Van Gogh painting — from the warm Sunflowers of Level 1 to the luminous Irises of Level 6. As you progress, the world around you transforms. LEARN YOUR WAY - Master Pinyin from scratch with 10 structured lessons covering initials, finals, tones and special rules - Build vocabulary, grammar and phrases through HSK 1–6 - Practice speaking with voice recognition exercises - Read and listen with real dialogue scenes STAY MOTIVATED - Earn XP and climb through ranks with every lesson - Build daily streaks and collect badges - Track your progress across all 6 HSK levels YOUR PERSONAL GUIDE - Choose from 6 literary avatars — Eileen Chang, Li Bai, Lu Xun, Dante, Camus, and Jane Austen - Your guide accompanies you through every lesson with wisdom and encouragement BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED - Each level brings a new Van Gogh masterpiece as your learning backdrop - Warm, artistic interface designed to make studying feel like a pleasure, not a chore Whether you are a complete beginner or building toward fluency, MandaGlow grows with you — one brushstroke at a time. Start your journey. 开始吧。 Terms of Use: Apple's Standard End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Recabulary
Master new languages with smart flashcards and authentic native speaker audio. This app uses spaced repetition to help you retain vocabulary efficiently, with word lists based on real-world frequency and exam frameworks. Learn Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, German, Turkish, and English with customizable learning algorithms.
- Native speaker audio recordings
- Spaced repetition algorithm
- Frequency-based word lists
- Adjustable learning algorithm
- Progress tracking statistics
- Multiple language support
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Learn languages with smart flashcards and real native audio. Every single recording in Recabulary is spoken by a human native speaker. No AI voices, because we prefer to listen to real humans. Recabulary is built on memory science. A spaced repetition algorithm schedules every review right before you would forget, so vocabulary moves into long-term memory with the least possible effort. Our word lists come from real-world frequency data and major exam frameworks like JLPT and HSK, so you always study words that actually matter. One deck per language, designed to be the only flashcard deck you will ever need. We are two friends and language enthusiasts who built the app we always wanted but never found. It isn't perfect yet, but with your feedback we will get there. LEARN JAPANESE, CHINESE, SPANISH, GERMAN, TURKISH & ENGLISH Study Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, German, Turkish, or English today. Korean is coming very soon, and you can vote in the app on which languages we add next. REAL NATIVE AUDIO, NO AI VOICES Every word and every example sentence is recorded by a real native speaker, and some languages let you choose between several voices. Not a single recording in the app is AI generated. Learn authentic pronunciation, accent, and speech rhythm from day one. LEARN FOR FREE Recabulary is free to download and free to use. Every core study feature is available without payment, because we do not believe in paywalling the things that matter. Recabulary Premium is nice to have, but you never need it to reach your learning goals. SPACED REPETITION THAT WORKS Built on spaced repetition and active recall, two of the most researched techniques for long-term vocabulary retention. Each flashcard returns at the moment reviewing it helps most, so you stop wasting time on words you already know. AN ALGORITHM YOU CAN ADJUST Most apps hide their algorithm. We let you tune ours. Adjust review intervals and fine-tune the spaced repetition settings until the app fits how you learn, or simply keep our recommended defaults. THE RIGHT WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER We build every vocabulary list in three stages. We compare multiple frequency lists to find the words you are most likely to encounter in real life. We cross-reference exam vocabulary such as JLPT, HSK, and equivalent frameworks, so our decks work for everyday learners and exam takers alike. Then we refine everything by hand with language teachers and our community, because some words matter to beginners long before frequency data would suggest them. We keep expanding every deck, with the goal of covering all the vocabulary you need for complete fluency. FOR BEGINNERS AND ADVANCED LEARNERS Start from the alphabet or jump straight into advanced vocabulary. Recabulary meets you where you are. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Few things motivate like visible progress. Every study session feeds into clear statistics that show your retention and vocabulary growth over time. Download Recabulary for free and learn your first ten words today. Privacy Policy: https://www.recabulary.com/privacy-policy/ Terms and Conditions: https://www.recabulary.com/terms-and-conditions/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: MandaGlow at none against Recabulary's shown. Recabulary's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, device support 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. MandaGlow sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month and Recabulary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
MandaGlow ships an update monthly, Recabulary every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MandaGlow | Recabulary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 141 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | JINQIU LI | Spaceive |
In-app purchases
MandaGlow
- MandaGlow Premium$5.991 Month
Recabulary
- Monthly Premium$5.991 Month
- Yearly Premium7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Lifetime Premium$84.99









