Comparison

HiNative vs Hilokal

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

Head to head
About

HiNative

Connect with native speakers worldwide to ask questions about languages and cultures. Get pronunciation help, writing corrections, and cultural insights. Learn and help others in over 110 languages.

Highlights
  • Ask questions via audio or text
  • Get writing corrections from natives
  • Post pictures for context
  • Connect with speakers from 170+ countries
  • Supports over 110 languages
  • Premium features for enhanced learning
Features
Read full description

**Over 5,000,000 Users Worldwide!!** HiNative is a global Q&A community for language learners and people that are curious about the world. Ask questions, get answers, and connect with native speakers from over 170 different countries! FEATURES Audio Uploads - Want to check your pronunciation? Curious about a certain region's accent? Need some handy phrases for your upcoming trip? Just record your questions and ask: let the world hear you! Correction Function - Have your writing corrected by native speakers!When you post in your target language, native speakers will show you natural ways to say what you want to say. You can receive corrections to your messages with friends, work emails, journal entries, speeches, etc. Pictures - Not sure how to write something? No problem! It's easier to ask some questions by posting a picture: signs, menus, labels, and even that rad Chinese character you're considering getting a tattoo of--just snap a picture and ask away. Unlike a dictionary or web search, HiNative gives you customized example sentences, responses to your follow-up questions, and tips to improve your pronunciation. With HiNative, you also get access to the best resource for language learning: native speakers. And as a native speaker yourself, you can help out too! HiNative supports over 110 languages, bringing the entire world to your fingertips. It's never been this easy to connect, help, and learn. ------ HiNative is run by the creators of Lang-8, one of the most successful and popular language learning websites around, with over a million users worldwide. ------ HiNative PREMIUM Premium features include the following. 1: Play every voice answer, even those posted in response to other users' questions. This gives you even more opportunity to hear native speakers pronounce the language you're learning. 2: Use bookmarks to gather your favorite questions and answers into a simple, searchable list. Never lose track of important questions. 3: Receive 10 Premium tickets per month to help your questions stand out. Questions asked with a ticket stick to the top of the question feed, get highlighted, and receive more answers on average. 4: Search. Everything's better with search. Search your old questions and bookmarks to find the information you want, faster. 5: Follow any question that you're interested in. You'll receive notifications when anyone responds to a question you follow. This makes it easier to stay up-to-date with the questions you really care about. 6: If a feature you want isn't listed above, email us at support@hinative.com, and we'll see what we can do :) Payment information: Premium Subscriptions cost $11.40 USD per month. - Payment will be charged to a user's iTunes Account upon confirmation of purchase. - Subscription will renew automatically unless Auto-Renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. - A user's account will be charged for the following month if their subscription is not cancelled 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user, and Auto-Renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - Subscriptions for the current month cannot be canceled. Premium Terms of Use: https://lang8.notion.site/HiNative-Premium-Service-Terms-of-Use-183a44cf58b1800f81abfb35bd68470b Privacy Policy: https://lang8.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-183a44cf58b1802c851acddb39445b95?pvs=74 FAQ about Premium: https://lang8.notion.site/Tell-me-about-the-features-included-with-a-HiNative-Premium-subscription-13ea44cf58b180a9afa4ef6414b11914 How to cancel a Premium subscription: https://lang8.notion.site/How-do-I-cancel-my-Premium-subscription-13ea44cf58b18044acfce96b11c71473

About

Hilokal

Learn languages like Korean and English with an AI tutor and a global community of learners. Practice speaking, writing, and listening with real-time feedback and interactive tools. Engage in themed chats and games to make learning fun and practical.

Highlights
  • AI-powered language tutoring
  • Real-time grammar and pronunciation correction
  • Interactive transcripts with AI insights
  • Word tracking and pronunciation analysis
  • Global language exchange community
  • Themed chat rooms and language games
  • Community-led learning sessions
Features
Read full description

Learn a new language like Korean or English with Hilokal—your AI language tutor paired with the opportunity to practice with an active community of 1.5 million real language learners worldwide. Whether you’re advancing your career, planning your next adventure, or diving into K-pop and international cinema, Hilokal combines the power of AI tutoring with authentic human interaction to make language learning practical, educational, and fun. ▶ AI-Powered Language Tutoring ◀ [Goguma: Your Advanced AI Tutor] • Practice speaking, writing, and listening in 26 languages, including English and Korean, with our low-latency, GPT-4o powered AI tutor that provides real-time text and audio conversations. [Real-Time Language Mastery] • Receive immediate corrections on grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, ensuring you sound like a local and grasp nuanced expressions. ▶ Learning Tools ◀ [Interactive Transcripts with Insights] • Record your learning sessions to get text and audio transcripts; analyze your pronunciation with heat maps and leverage AI insights for targeted improvement. [Word Tracking & Analysis] • Monitor every word you speak, analyze pronunciation accuracy, and review your speaking speed. [Performance Leaderboards] • Compare your language progress with others on a weekly leaderboard to motivate and enhance your learning experience. ▶ Community-Driven Language Practice ◀ [Language Exchange] • Connect with over 1.5 million users learners worldwide, practicing and refining your language skills through real conversations. [Interactive Language Games & Themed Chats] • Engage in fun games and themed chats about popular topics like K-pop, travel, or international cinema, enhancing your language skills in a context you love. [Community-Led Sessions] • Participate in sessions led by experienced speakers and tailored to all skill levels—from beginners to advanced learners. [Instant Audio Chat Rooms] • Jump into audio chat rooms at any time, perfect for spontaneous practice sessions with native speakers and fellow language enthusiasts. ▶ Subscription Options ◀ [Access Full Features with Subscription] • Start with a 7-day free trial and continue your language learning journey with our Premium Plus subscription for full access to AI features and community interactions. [Exclusive Subscriber Benefits] • Enjoy advanced learning materials, detailed analytics, and personalized feedback to accelerate your path to language proficiency. Hilokal isn’t just an app—it’s your gateway to global fluency. Embrace a new language with tools designed for young adults seeking career growth, cultural immersion, and personal connections. Join Hilokal today and start speaking like a native! For more information and support, visit https://www.hilokal.com/. To see Terms of Service: https://www.hilokal.com/en/app/terms.html

Screenshots

HiNative4 screens
Hilokal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: HiNative at none against Hilokal's shown. HiNative also leads on review sentiment (68% vs 45%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. HiNative sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month and Hilokal sells 26 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HiNative holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HiNative has 9.1K ratings behind it against 768, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of HiNative's written reviews are positive against 45% of Hilokal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HiNative ships an update fortnightly, Hilokal every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
HiNative versus Hilokal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiNativeHilokal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (9.1K ratings) — better4.4 (768 ratings)
Positive reviews68.4% of reviews — better44.6% of reviews
Number of ratings9.1K — better768
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB219 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperLang-8, IncHilokal

Customer experience

HiNative

All ratings9,087 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews1,022 reviews
Positive68.4%
Neutral8.1%
Negative23.5%

Hilokal

All ratings768 ratings
Positive82.3%
Neutral7.0%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews168 reviews
Positive44.6%
Neutral10.1%
Negative45.2%

User reviews

HiNative

From 9.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful for language learning
  • 🤝 Friendly and welcoming community
  • ⚡ Quick response times
  • 💡 Ability to help others learn languages

Room to improve

  • 💰 Excessive paywalls and premium features
  • 🔍 Limited free question templates
  • 🗣️ Inability to listen to audio responses without premium
  • 🗑️ Outdated or incorrect answers from users

Hilokal

From 768 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent for language exchange and practice
  • 👍 Diverse community of users from around the world
  • 🌟 Helpful and knowledgeable teachers/tutors
  • 💡 Innovative features like AI tutor and role-playing
  • 🤝 Great for making new friends and cultural exchange

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent bugs, crashes, and connection issues
  • 🔊 Volume control problems, echo, and audio distortion
  • 🤖 Inconsistent performance of AI tutor feature
  • 🔒 Weak security and moderation, allowing harassment
  • 💰 Expensive subscription, lack of affordable options

Bugs and requests

HiNative

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Frequent app crashes or freezes
  • Inconsistent notification behavior
  • Issues with landscape orientation
  • Difficulty changing language settings

Requested features

4 requests
  • Private messaging or chat functionality
  • Ability to filter or search past questions
  • Moderation system to ensure quality answers
  • More language options and dialects

Hilokal

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to log in or create account
  • Sudden loss of audio/voice functionality
  • Incompatibility with older iOS/Android devices
  • Disappearing user profiles and conversation history
  • Inconsistent performance after recent app updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow selecting multiple target languages
  • Add option to save/review conversation transcripts
  • Implement better filtering and search for tables
  • Improve moderation system to address harassment
  • Provide more affordable subscription plans

In-app purchases

10 purchases

HiNative

Subscriptions8
  • HiNative Premium Monthly plan7 Days trial$4.491 Month
  • HiNative Premium Monthly plan1 Month trial$4.491 Month
  • HiNative Premium Monthly plan7 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • HiNative Premium Monthly plan1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • HiNative Premium Yearly plan7 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • HiNative Premium Yearly plan1 Month trial$34.991 Year
  • HiNative Premium Yearly plan7 Days trial$83.991 Year
  • HiNative Premium Yearly plan1 Month trial$83.991 Year
One-time2
  • Hinative Coin$0.99
  • Hinative Coin$8.99
26 purchases

Hilokal

Subscriptions14
  • Hilokal Premium$2.991 Month
  • Hilokal Premium$4.991 Month
  • Hilokal Premium7 Days trial$4.991 Month
Show 11 more
  • Premium Plus 1 month$10.991 Month
  • Premium Plus 1 month7 Days trial$10.991 Month
  • Premium Plus 1 month$19.991 Month
  • Premium Plus 1 month7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Hilokal Premium 1 year$24.991 Year
  • Hilokal Premium7 Days trial$24.996 Months
  • Hilokal Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Premium Plus 6 months7 Days trial$41.996 Months
  • Premium Plus 12 months7 Days trial$64.991 Year
  • Premium Plus 12 months$73.001 Year
  • Premium Plus 12 months7 Days trial$73.001 Year
One-time12
  • Hilokal 140 Beans$1.99
  • Hilokal Premium bundle 1$2.99
  • Hilokal Premium(1mo) Gift Card$4.99
Show 9 more
  • Hilokal 500 Beans$6.99
  • Premium Plus bundle 1$10.99
  • Premium Plus bundle 1$11.49
  • Hilokal 1500 Beans$18.99
  • Hilokal Premium bundle 5$24.99
  • Premium Plus bundle 3$37.00
  • Hilokal Premium(1yr) Gift Card$39.99
  • Hilokal 5000 Beans$64.99
  • Premium Plus bundle 10$110.99

Questions

Is HiNative free?
HiNative is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hilokal free?
Hilokal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HiNative or Hilokal?
HiNative is rated higher. HiNative averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Hilokal averages 4.4 from 768 ratings.
Do HiNative or Hilokal have ads?
Hilokal shows ads; HiNative does not.
Which is updated more often, HiNative or Hilokal?
HiNative ships an update fortnightly, and Hilokal every 9 days. Most recently, HiNative was updated on September 21, 2026 and Hilokal on September 4, 2026.

Other comparisons