# AU SPARK vs Basic English

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Basic English at 91% against AU SPARK's 47%. Basic English also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (5.9K vs 37). AU SPARK's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Basic English sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. AU SPARK asks for nothing beyond the download.

Basic English holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Basic English has 5.9K ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of AU SPARK's written reviews are positive against 91% of Basic English's.

AU SPARK ships an update every 5 weeks, Basic English every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AU SPARK | Basic English |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/au-spark/id741393939/reviews) | **[4.7 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-english-esl-course/id1225114836/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 37 | **5.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.9% of reviews | **90.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 82 MB | 198 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GREEN MOONS COMPANY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685146068) | [Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1321248741) |

## What reviewers say

### AU SPARK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/au-spark/id741393939)

Access your academic information, including courses, schedules, and the university calendar, all within a convenient mobile app. This tool is designed specifically for students of Assumption University.

**Highlights:** Access academic information, Check courses offered, View schedule, Access AU calendar, Mobile application access

**In-app purchases:** none


### Basic English

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-english-esl-course/id1225114836)

Learn to speak English fluently and confidently with interactive lessons, audio, and quizzes. Improve speaking, listening, and vocabulary through step-by-step instruction and real-world conversation practice, even offline.

**Highlights:** Offline learning support, Interactive lessons with audio and quizzes, Real-world conversation practice, Vocabulary and grammar expansion, Speaking practice with recording, Listening practice via radio

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Month | $6.99 | per month |
| Year | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Excellent learning tool
- 💡 Helpful for improving English
- 🤩 Great app
- 🥰 Love the app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Ads disrupt usage
- 🤔 Incorrect quiz answers
- 🤷‍♀️ Premium not connected

**Reported bugs**

- Audio issue during use
- Repeated audio lessons

**Requested features**

- Option to speak slowly
- Desktop version for online classes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AU SPARK free?

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

### Is Basic English free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AU SPARK or Basic English?

Basic English is rated higher. AU SPARK averages 3.3 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while Basic English averages 4.7 from 5.9K ratings.

### Do AU SPARK or Basic English have ads?

Neither AU SPARK nor Basic English shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AU SPARK or Basic English?

AU SPARK ships an update every 5 weeks, and Basic English every 3 weeks. Most recently, AU SPARK was updated on October 13, 2026 and Basic English on October 19, 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.*