Language Lit vs Readlang
Last updated: September 11, 2026
Two apps built on the same good idea: learn a language by reading things you actually want to read, saving words as you meet them. Here is where they differ, written by the person who made one of them. I will also tell you when Readlang is the better pick.
The short answer
Both combine reading, word lookups and spaced repetition. Readlang offers a browser extension, contextual AI explanations and a modified SM-2 review scheduler. Language Lit brings contextual lookups and FSRS reviews into one reader, with shared lessons, Gutenberg classics and an interface in 33 languages.
Consider Readlang if you want to translate webpages in place. Try Language Lit if you want FSRS connected to the words you save in your reader. Both have free versions; compare current paid plans for the features you need.
I should be upfront: I built Language Lit, so I am not neutral. But I have used Readlang and I rate it. It is the minimalist of this corner of the market. A fast reader and a browser extension, a few dollars a month, no clutter, and for a lot of people that restraint is exactly the appeal.
This is not a takedown. Readlang and Language Lit start from the same habit, read something real and save the words you meet, then part ways on almost everything after that. Here is the honest version, including the parts where Readlang wins.
How you get a translation
Readlang offers inline word and phrase translations and contextual AI explanations. Its free plan has daily limits for phrase translations and AI explanations; paid allowances depend on the plan.
Language Lit gives you a translation written for that exact sentence when you select a word or phrase. Word lookups are free and unlimited.
Paid Language Lit plans add detailed word explanations, grammar notes, examples and AI images. These extras have plan-specific allowances.
Try the same sentence in both readers and compare the lookup workflow.
Review your saved vocabulary with FSRS
Readlang uses modified SM-2, with a separate easiness factor for each word that changes with review performance. It adapts its intervals too. The scheduler comparison is modified SM-2 versus FSRS.
Language Lit uses FSRS to estimate memory and schedule the next review. Practice shows due vocabulary. Try to recall the meaning, reveal the answer, then choose Again or Good to update the schedule.
When a due saved word appears in your reading, it is highlighted. Highlight strength reflects estimated memory stability. Reading or looking up a word does not count as a successful review, and due words can also be practiced outside the current lesson.
Your reading and FSRS reviews share the same vocabulary history.
Sources: Cepeda et al. 2006 · Ye, Su & Cao 2022 (KDD) · Open SRS benchmark
What you can read
Both let you bring your own text. Readlang leans on its browser extension, and it is genuinely handy: you can click-translate your way through almost any website in the wild, and if reading the open web is what you want, that extension alone is a fair reason to use it.
Language Lit has its own reader. Bring in YouTube videos, articles, EPUB, PDF or web pages, or start with shared lessons and Gutenberg classics. Book availability varies by language. Free includes 3 lifetime imports; ongoing imports are part of paid plans.
Read webpages in place, or bring content into a dedicated reader.
A thin reading layer, or a place to read
Readlang supports read-aloud and word pronunciation. Voice choices depend on your browser and plan, including higher-quality generated voices on Premium Plus.
Language Lit combines read-along audio with lessons that can include images. You can slow down narration and replay it. Audio, narrator and AI image allowances depend on your plan.
Both offer audio. Try the voices and reading controls that suit you.
It speaks your language, not just English
Readlang translates into your language, but you navigate the app itself in English. That is fine if English is second nature to you, and a quiet tax if it is not.
In Language Lit the whole app is translated into all 33 of its languages, and every contextual translation comes back in the language you actually speak. So if your first language is not English you read, learn and review inside your own language, instead of routing the app through English the way most reading tools quietly expect.
The menus, the grammar notes, the explanations and the translations all land somewhere you already think. For people who are not native English speakers, that is often the whole reason a tool sticks.
The whole app in your language, not just the translations.
Side by side
The short version
| Side by side | Language Lit | Readlang |
|---|---|---|
| Translations | AI, written for the exact sentence, on every tap with no daily cap. Words, phrases and idioms. | Inline translations and contextual AI explanations, with free-plan limits. |
| What you review | Due vocabulary, scheduled by FSRS from your review history. | Modified SM-2 with a per-word easiness factor that adapts to review performance. |
| Reading highlights | Due saved words are highlighted; strength reflects estimated memory stability. | Highlights can show translated words or words its scheduler considers ready to learn. |
| Content | YouTube, articles, EPUB, PDF and web imports, shared lessons and Gutenberg classics. | Bring your own text, plus a browser extension that translates almost any website in place. |
| Narration | Read-along in voices that sound human. | Read-aloud and word pronunciation; generated voices available on Premium Plus. |
| Images | Images in lessons; paid AI generation with monthly allowances. | A reader focused on text and web content. |
| Your language | Fully native in all 33 languages: interface, explanations and translations. | Interface is in English; translations come back in your language. |
| Price | Free reading and lookups, FSRS for 200 saved words and 3 lifetime imports. No credit card. | Free tier, plus Premium and Premium Plus with different feature allowances. |
Which one is for you
Pick honestly
When Readlang is the better choice
- You want to click-translate your way across the open web, any site, through a browser extension.
- You want a free reader for quick word lookups, with paid upgrades for additional features.
- You already export your cards to Anki and just want a fast reader that feeds it.
- You prefer a lightweight reader with inline translations and read-aloud controls.
When Language Lit fits better
- You want translations that read the whole sentence, not just the word, on every tap and with no daily cap.
- You want to read, save vocabulary, and review it with FSRS in the same app.
- You want shared lessons and Gutenberg classics alongside your own imports.
- You want lessons you can hear read aloud in a voice that sounds human, and fill with images, not text alone.
- Your first language is not English, and you want the whole app and every translation in your own language.
200 saved words. 3 lifetime imports. No credit card.
Questions
Before you decide
Readlang or Language Lit, which is better?
Choose based on your reading habit. Readlang has an extension for translating webpages in place and its own review system. Language Lit connects contextual lookups, saved vocabulary and FSRS reviews in its reader. Both have free tiers you can try before paying.
What is the difference between Readlang and Language Lit?
Both offer reading, translations, contextual AI help and spaced repetition. Readlang uses modified SM-2 with a per-word easiness factor; Language Lit uses FSRS. Both adapt review intervals to your answers. Language Lit connects due-word highlights to its FSRS schedule, while Readlang also has an option to highlight words ready to learn.
Is Readlang free, and is Language Lit?
Both have free tiers. Readlang includes word translations and limits some phrase and AI features. Language Lit includes reading, word lookups, FSRS reviews for 200 saved words, read-along audio within free limits and 3 lifetime imports. No credit card or expiry. Paid Language Lit plans add unlimited saved vocabulary, ongoing imports and higher allowances.
Does Readlang use AI for translations?
Yes. Readlang offers contextual AI explanations as well as inline translations. Language Lit also uses AI for contextual word and phrase lookups. Its basic lookups are free; detailed explanations and AI images are paid features with plan-specific allowances.
Does Language Lit have a browser extension like Readlang?
No. Readlang has an extension for translating webpages in place. Language Lit has its own reader, with imports from YouTube, articles, EPUB, PDF and web pages, plus shared lessons and Gutenberg classics. Free includes 3 lifetime imports; ongoing imports require a paid plan.
Try it on something you actually want to read
A single article or video is enough to tell whether it clicks for you.
200 saved words. 3 lifetime imports. No credit card.