What this site does today
Language App Reviews is an independent comparison project. Our launch articles evaluate public product information and selected, attributed learner accounts. We have not yet completed hands-on product testing or original learning-outcome studies. We label that limitation rather than presenting desk research as personal experience.
Recommendations are editorial judgments about fit: the language you study, the skill you want to practise, your budget and the routine you can sustain. We do not award numerical ratings without a published scoring method.
Five kinds of evidence
- Provider claim
- What an app’s current documentation says. Suitable for checking a listed price or feature; not independent proof that the app makes learners fluent.
- Independent finding
- A third-party study or measurement. We look at its sample, methods, funding, dates and whether it actually applies to the course being discussed.
- Direct observation
- Something tested and recorded with the app version, language, plan and date. We only use this label when the work has been done.
- Derived calculation
- Arithmetic with the inputs shown—for example, annual cost divided by twelve. Estimated lesson runtime is labelled as an estimate.
- Learner account
- A dated, linked personal experience. Useful for identifying trade-offs to investigate, but not a representative survey.
What we count—and what we don’t
Vocabulary: we distinguish words, inflected forms, word families, phrases and characters. Words encountered or marked “known” are not automatically words someone can recall and use.
Content: we separate unique lesson runtime, repeated practice, user-upload allowances and a provider’s total catalogue. Ten hours of storage is not ten hours of supplied instruction.
Proficiency: a CEFR-aligned curriculum is not a guaranteed CEFR outcome. Where outcome evidence exists, we describe the tested skills and participants. We do not equate completing an app with fluency.
Price: comparisons identify currency, billing period and checked date. Upfront annual charges appear alongside monthly equivalents. We do not assume the same offer is available in every country or app store.
When a number cannot be defended, it stays unknown. For tools with open-ended user-selected material, a fixed course word count may not apply.
How articles get updated
Before publication, we check primary product sources, separate assertions from interpretation and link the evidence near the relevant claim. Our working schedule is to recheck prices at least every 30 days, features every 60 days and course-size evidence every 90 days. Material changes can trigger earlier updates.
An article’s checked date reflects an actual review, not an automatic freshness stamp. Corrections should explain what changed when the change affects the recommendation. Conflicting or outdated sources are recorded in our research notes.
Money, brands and independence
There are currently no paid placements or affiliate links on this site. If that changes, affected pages will disclose the relationship and paid links will be marked appropriately. Payment will not determine the editorial verdict.
Product names identify the apps being discussed. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by these providers. The Babbel, Busuu and LingQ artwork is sourced from their official media resources and is used to identify the products in editorial comparisons. Other products are identified with plain text.