The best apps for learning a language by reading

Last updated: September 11, 2026

Reading real content and saving the words you meet is one of the most reliable ways to learn a language. A handful of apps are built around it. Here is an honest look at the main ones, and who each one fits. I built one of them, Language Lit, and I have tried the rest.

The idea behind all of these is the same, and it is a good one: instead of drilling flashcards in a vacuum, you read something you actually want to read, tap the words you do not know, and let the app help you remember them. Linguists call the underlying principle comprehensible input. In plain terms, you learn a language by understanding messages in it, and reading is the easiest place to get a steady supply.

Where these apps differ is everything after that first tap: how good the translation is, how they decide what you review, what you are allowed to read, and how much they cost. I will go through them one by one. I made Language Lit, so treat me as a biased but informed guide, and I have tried to be fair about where the others win.

How to choose

What actually matters when you learn by reading

Translation quality is the thing you feel first. A dictionary gives you every possible meaning of a word and leaves you to guess which one the sentence needs. A translation written for the exact sentence hands you the one that fits, which matters most with idioms and common words that mean five different things.

Review is the thing that decides whether any of it sticks. Spaced repetition schedules vocabulary practice over time. Algorithms such as FSRS and modified SM-2 adapt their intervals to review performance, using different models.

Then there is what you can read (your own imports, a graded library, the open web), whether you can hear it read aloud, and the price. No single app is best at all of these, which is why the right pick depends on which ones you care about.

The shortlist

The apps, one by one

1.

Language Lit

Made by us

A language reader with contextual lookups and FSRS reviews built in.

Best for
Readers who want the translation that fits the sentence, and who want the words they read to actually stay learned.
Price
Free: 200 saved words and 3 lifetime imports. Paid prices are shown in available local currencies.

This is the one I built. Language Lit connects contextual word lookups to FSRS reviews in one reader. Save a word with its sentence, then practice it when due. Your answers update its schedule. Due words are highlighted when they appear in reading; the highlight reflects estimated memory, not proof that a word has been forgotten.

Import YouTube videos, articles, EPUB, PDF or web pages, or start with shared lessons and Gutenberg classics. Book availability varies by language. Lessons support read-along audio and images, with usage allowances by plan. Language Lit has no browser extension for translating websites in place, and its graded library and community are smaller than LingQ’s.

Strengths

  • Free contextual word lookups; paid plans add detailed explanations and AI images.
  • FSRS reviews connected to the vocabulary saved in your reader.
  • A big built-in library plus wide imports, and the whole app is native in 33 languages.

Watch-outs

  • No browser extension for the open web.
  • Smaller graded-lesson catalogue than LingQ, and a newer community.
2.

LingQ

The deepest graded library and the biggest community in the category.

Best for
Learners who want a huge catalogue of made-for-learners lessons and an active community, with contextual AI translations and community hints.
Price
Limited free tier and paid subscriptions. Check current prices for your currency and billing term.

LingQ has been at this for years, and it shows in the library. If a big catalogue of graded, levelled lessons and stories is what you want, nothing here matches its depth, and its community and forums are the most active in the category. Its model is the classic one: tap a word, get contextual AI translations alongside dictionary entries and community hints, and set each word’s status yourself as new, learning or known.

LingQ uses status-based review intervals. Language Lit uses FSRS. Both offer contextual AI translation, so compare their reading, saving and review workflows rather than assuming only one understands context.

Strengths

  • The largest graded, levelled library and the most active community.
  • Mature apps on iOS and Android with years of polish.

Watch-outs

  • Free saved-vocabulary limits can matter for regular reading.
  • Uses status-based review intervals rather than FSRS.
Language Lit vs LingQ, in depth
3.

Readlang

A lightweight reader with a browser extension.

Best for
Readers who want inline translations on webpages, with vocabulary practice in the same service.
Price
Free tier, Premium and Premium Plus. Check current prices and allowances on Readlang.

Readlang combines an in-app reader with a browser extension for inline webpage translations. It offers contextual AI explanations, read-aloud and vocabulary practice. Free and paid plans have different allowances.

Its scheduler uses modified SM-2 with a per-word easiness factor that adapts to review performance. Its reader can highlight words ready to learn. For an FSRS-based workflow, compare Language Lit; for reading webpages in place, Readlang’s extension may be the stronger fit.

Strengths

  • Free word translations with paid upgrades for additional features.
  • Browser extension that translates almost any webpage in place.

Watch-outs

  • Phrase translation and AI explanation allowances depend on your plan.
  • Uses modified SM-2 rather than FSRS.
Language Lit vs Readlang, in depth
4.

Language Reactor

Learn from Netflix and YouTube subtitles, free.

Best for
People who learn best from video and want to turn shows and YouTube into study material without paying anything.
Price
Free features and a paid Pro plan. Check current prices and feature limits.

Language Reactor (once Language Learning with Netflix) is a browser extension that turns Netflix and YouTube subtitles into a study tool: dual subtitles, click any word for a translation, and slow, controllable playback. For learning from video specifically, it is excellent, and the core of it is free.

It is especially useful for learning from video. Its PhrasePump tool also provides sentence-based vocabulary practice. Anki export is an option, not a requirement for all practice.

Strengths

  • Best-in-class for Netflix and YouTube, with dual subtitles and click-to-translate.
  • Video study tools with sentence-based practice through PhrasePump.

Watch-outs

  • Built for video, not long-form reading.
  • Check whether PhrasePump fits the review routine you want.
5.

Migaku

An immersion toolkit with its own spaced repetition.

Best for
Learners who want to turn words from video and webpages into cards with sentences, audio and images.
Price
Paid plans with different features and billing options. Check current prices on Migaku.

Migaku turns words from videos and webpages into flashcards with context sentences, audio, images and explanations. It also offers its own courses and study tools.

Migaku has built-in spaced repetition. It does not require Anki, although Anki integrations are available. Compare its capture tools and review experience with Language Lit’s reader and FSRS workflow.

Strengths

  • Capture words and sentences from video and webpages.
  • Rich cards with audio, images and readings.

Watch-outs

  • Check supported languages, browsers and devices before choosing a plan.
  • Its capture and review workflow differs from a dedicated reading app.

Common questions

Questions people ask

What is the best app for learning a language by reading?

There is no single winner, because it depends on what you want. For the deepest graded library and the biggest community, LingQ leads. For the cheapest, leanest way to click-translate the open web, Readlang is hard to beat. For learning from Netflix and YouTube, Language Reactor is excellent and free. For a reader with contextual lookups and built-in FSRS reviews, try Language Lit, which is the one I built. Most have a free tier, so trying two or three costs nothing.

What is the best free app for reading in a foreign language?

Readlang offers free word translations, and Language Reactor offers free video-study features. Language Lit includes reading, contextual word lookups, FSRS reviews for 200 saved words, read-along audio within free limits and 3 lifetime imports. LingQ also has a limited free tier. Check the limits that matter for your reading habit.

What are the best LingQ alternatives?

Compare Readlang for reading webpages in place, Language Lit for a reader with built-in FSRS, Language Reactor for video study and PhrasePump practice, and Migaku for capturing vocabulary into rich cards with built-in spaced repetition. The best fit depends on your content, language and preferred review workflow.

Is reading actually an effective way to learn a language?

Yes, when the material is at roughly the right level for you. Reading gives you a large, steady supply of comprehensible input: words and grammar met in real context rather than in isolation. The apps here help by making unknown words one tap away and by scheduling review so the words you meet do not slip away. Reading pairs well with listening, so tools that also read the text aloud let you build both at once.

Want to try the one I built?

Read anything, tap any word for a translation made for that exact sentence, and let spaced repetition make sure it sticks.

Start reading free

200 saved words. 3 lifetime imports. No credit card.