Comparison

NerLan vs Shadow Edge

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

Head to head
About

NerLan

Features
Read full description

NerLan is a podcast player built for people learning a language by listening. Subscribe to any show by pasting an Apple Podcasts link or an RSS address, then play it with the controls a learner actually needs: variable speed from 0.5x to 2x, repeat one or repeat all, precise skip, and a lock screen and Control Center that move between episodes rather than nudging fifteen seconds at a time. Then study what you heard. TRANSCRIPTS THAT FOLLOW ALONG Generate a transcript of any episode and the sentence being spoken stays highlighted and centred as the audio plays. Tap a line to jump straight to it, or loop a single sentence until it sticks. TRANSLATION Render the transcript into your language, sentence by sentence, and read it alongside the original. Generated once and kept, so re-reading costs nothing. STUDY HANDOUTS Turn an episode into a review sheet - overview, grammar points, example sentences, and vocabulary - drawn from its own transcript. Examples stay in the language you are studying, glossed in the language you choose. SHADOWING PRACTICE Loop a sentence, record yourself reading it aloud, and play your version back against the original. LISTEN OFFLINE Download episodes for the commute, or let anything you stream to the end be kept automatically. Downloads are grouped by show and language, filterable, and available with no signal. WIDGETS Up Next, Latest Episode, My Shows, and a listening-streak widget for the Home and Lock Screen - all playable without opening the app. SIRI "Play [show] in NerLan", resume where you left off, change the speed, or ask how long you have listened this week. Give a show a nickname Siri can actually hear when its real title is in a script Siri does not speak. YOUR AI, YOUR CHOICE AI features are optional and run on credentials you provide - either an OpenAI API key billed to your own account, or your own OpenAI-compatible server, including one on your own machine. Your key is kept in the device keychain. PRIVATE BY CONSTRUCTION No account, no sign-up, no analytics, no advertising, no tracking, and no third-party SDKs. There is no NerLan server, so there is nowhere for your listening to be sent. Optional iCloud sync writes to your own account so your library survives a reinstall; audio is never synced. NerLan plays podcasts from their own public feeds. All audio content belongs to its publishers.

About

Shadow Edge

Improve your English speaking and pronunciation with AI-powered feedback. Practice with real audio, get detailed scores on accuracy, fluency, and more. Designed for serious learners aiming for natural-sounding English.

Highlights
  • AI-powered pronunciation scoring
  • Detailed feedback on accuracy, fluency, prosody
  • Practice with real English audio/video
  • Shadowing technique support
  • Pronunciation mistake reduction
  • Improve American English accent
Read full description

Speak English with confidence. ShadowEdge helps you improve your pronunciation and speaking skills by practicing with real English audio and getting detailed AI-powered feedback. Practice. Record. Get scored. Improve. ShadowEdge uses advanced speech analysis to evaluate how you speak—not just whether you said the right words. Your Pronunciation Score Get a 100-point score that breaks your speaking performance down into key areas: • Accuracy — How accurately you pronounce the sounds and words • Completeness — Whether you say all the words and sounds clearly • Fluency — Your speaking rhythm, smoothness, and pace • Prosody — Stress, intonation, rhythm, linking, and reductions • Phonemes — Detailed analysis of individual sounds Practice with Real English Import audio or video and practice sentence by sentence using shadowing. Listen to a native speaker, speak along with them, record yourself, and compare your performance. Whether you're preparing for a job interview, improving your workplace communication, or simply trying to sound more natural in English, ShadowEdge gives you measurable feedback every time you practice. Built for Serious English Learners ShadowEdge is designed for learners who want more than vocabulary exercises and grammar quizzes. Use it to: • Improve English pronunciation • Build speaking fluency • Practice natural English rhythm and intonation • Reduce pronunciation mistakes • Improve your American English accent • Prepare for interviews and presentations • Practice real-world English conversations Practice speaking. Get your score. Improve your English.

Screenshots

NerLan4 screens
Shadow Edge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NerLan at none against Shadow Edge's 6. On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Shadow Edge sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. NerLan asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
NerLan versus Shadow Edge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNerLanShadow Edge
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequency—Every 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB19 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperMAO YUAN KAOMacrame, LLC

In-app purchases

None

NerLan

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Shadow Edge

Subscriptions6
  • Silver monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Gold monthly$19.991 Month
  • Platinum monthly$39.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Silver annual$79.991 Year
  • Gold annual$159.991 Year
  • Platinum annual$319.991 Year

Questions

Is NerLan free?
NerLan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shadow Edge free?
Shadow Edge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NerLan or Shadow Edge have ads?
Neither NerLan nor Shadow Edge shows ads.

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