# Penguin vs Shadow

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Penguin at 15.0 against Shadow's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penguin sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month and Shadow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Penguin ships an update every 3 days, Shadow every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penguin | Shadow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-learn-languages/id6776519291/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 4 days |
| Size | 33 MB | 422 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AYKUT ARSLANTAS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1776624321) | [Natalia Kosianova](https://appshunter.io/developer/6801043040) |

## What reviewers say

### Penguin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-learn-languages/id6776519291)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penguin Premium Monthly | $5.99 | per month |


### Shadow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadow-english-shadowing/id6801043038)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shadow Premium | $24.99 | per month |
| 30 generations | $4.99 | one-time |
| 100 generations | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penguin free?

Penguin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Shadow free?

Shadow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Penguin or Shadow have ads?

Neither Penguin nor Shadow shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penguin or Shadow?

Penguin ships an update every 3 days, and Shadow every 4 days. Most recently, Penguin was updated on October 24, 2026 and Shadow on October 20, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*