# HiNative vs Hilokal

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | HiNative | Hilokal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hinative-language-learning/id923920480/reviews)** | [4.4 (768 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hilokal-language-exchange-app/id1537500613/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 768 |
| Positive reviews | **68.4% of reviews** | 44.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 66 MB | 219 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Lang-8, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/923920479) | [Hilokal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537500615) |

## What reviewers say

### HiNative

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hinative-language-learning/id923920480)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HiNative Premium Monthly plan | $4.49 | per month |
| HiNative Premium Monthly plan | $4.49 | per month |
| HiNative Premium Monthly plan | $9.99 | per month |
| HiNative Premium Monthly plan | $9.99 | per month |
| HiNative Premium Yearly plan | $34.99 | per year |
| HiNative Premium Yearly plan | $34.99 | per year |
| HiNative Premium Yearly plan | $83.99 | per year |
| HiNative Premium Yearly plan | $83.99 | per year |
| Hinative Coin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hinative Coin | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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- 🗑️ Outdated or incorrect answers from users

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Hilokal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hilokal-language-exchange-app/id1537500613)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hilokal Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $10.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $10.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $19.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium 1 year | $24.99 | per year |
| Hilokal Premium | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| Hilokal Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus 6 months | $41.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $64.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $73.00 | per year |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $73.00 | per year |
| Hilokal 140 Beans | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium bundle 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium(1mo) Gift Card | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal 500 Beans | $6.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 1 | $10.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 1 | $11.49 | one-time |
| Hilokal 1500 Beans | $18.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium bundle 5 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 3 | $37.00 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium(1yr) Gift Card | $39.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal 5000 Beans | $64.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 10 | $110.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*