# BilinGO vs Sixth Tone

The clearest difference is rating: Sixth Tone at 4.9 against BilinGO's 2.0. Sixth Tone also leads on ratings volume (146 vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). BilinGO's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Sixth Tone holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sixth Tone has 146 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of BilinGO's written reviews are positive against 82% of Sixth Tone's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BilinGO ships an update every 5 months, Sixth Tone every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 21, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BilinGO | Sixth Tone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bilingo/id691071426/reviews) | **[4.9 (146 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sixth-tone/id1462612037/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **146** |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 81.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 13 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 9.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [China Daily](https://appshunter.io/developer/330543701) | [上海东方报业有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/878962721) |

## What reviewers say

### BilinGO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bilingo/id691071426)

This news app helps you improve your Chinese language skills by providing access to the latest news. It offers features like text translation, TTS audio news, and offline reading, making learning engaging and convenient.

**Highlights:** Bilingual news content, Vocabulary building, Text translation, TTS audio news, Offline reading, News reports videos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sixth Tone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sixth-tone/id1462612037)

Access in-depth news, features, and visual storytelling about contemporary China. Explore diverse perspectives, expert opinions, and multimedia content. Stay informed with daily highlights and special projects.

**Highlights:** Daily news highlights, In-depth features, Commentaries and opinions, Visual storytelling, Interviews with key figures, Collaborative projects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BilinGO free?

BilinGO is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sixth Tone free?

Sixth Tone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BilinGO or Sixth Tone?

Sixth Tone is rated higher. BilinGO averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Sixth Tone averages 4.9 from 146 ratings.

### Do BilinGO or Sixth Tone have ads?

Sixth Tone shows ads; BilinGO does not.

### Which is updated more often, BilinGO or Sixth Tone?

BilinGO ships an update every 5 months, and Sixth Tone every 2 months. Most recently, BilinGO was updated on August 21, 2026 and Sixth Tone on September 29, 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.*