# HiNative vs Korean Reading

The clearest difference is ads: HiNative at none against Korean Reading's shown. HiNative also leads on ratings volume (9.1K vs 502). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HiNative sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month and Korean Reading sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $16.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for HiNative against 4.6 for Korean Reading. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HiNative has 9.1K ratings behind it against 502, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of HiNative's written reviews are positive against 66% of Korean Reading's.

HiNative ships an update fortnightly, Korean Reading every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HiNative | Korean Reading |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hinative-language-learning/id923920480/reviews)** | [4.6 (502 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/korean-reading-ttmik-stories/id1659613381/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 502 |
| Positive reviews | **68.3% of reviews** | 66.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 66 MB | 182 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lang-8, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/923920479) | [G9](https://appshunter.io/developer/1573217833) |

## 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


### Korean Reading

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/korean-reading-ttmik-stories/id1659613381)

Learn Korean naturally by reading over 1,000 original stories tailored to your level. Immerse yourself in the language with integrated reading, listening, and writing exercises. Track your progress and earn certificates as you build fluency.

**Highlights:** 1,000+ graded Korean stories, Tap to translate words instantly, Sentence-by-sentence translations, Professional audio narration, Writing practice exercises, Vocabulary review with quizzes, Progress tracking and certificates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| monthly subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $16.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| yearly subscription | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent progression and narration
- 🚀 Engaging and interesting content
- 👍 Helpful for improving reading, listening, and vocabulary
- 👍 Convenient for practicing on the go
- 👍 Effective for learning Korean

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Bugs and technical issues
- 👎 Limited vocabulary lookup and translation options
- 👎 Inconsistent or confusing quiz/review functionality
- 👎 Not suitable for absolute beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Audio not working consistently
- Quizzes have incorrect grading
- Vocabulary review feature has bugs
- Navigation and UI issues

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve vocabulary review system with spaced repetition
- Allow highlighting and translation of any word, not just bolded words
- Provide English translations or summaries of stories
- Offer discounted subscription for existing TTMIK members


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HiNative free?

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

### Is Korean Reading free?

Korean Reading is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HiNative or Korean Reading?

HiNative is rated higher. HiNative averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Korean Reading averages 4.6 from 502 ratings.

### Do HiNative or Korean Reading have ads?

Korean Reading shows ads; HiNative does not.

### Which is updated more often, HiNative or Korean Reading?

HiNative ships an update fortnightly, and Korean Reading every 3 weeks. Most recently, HiNative was updated on October 29, 2026 and Korean Reading on October 27, 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.*