Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone: What’s Effective To Use?

13 min readOct 28, 2021

Original blog post: https://ling-app.com/tips/lingvist-vs-rosetta-stone/

With a mind-blowing number of language learning apps in present times, it’s hard to choose which is the best. Are you ready to unlock Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone?

Because of the pandemic, the whole world adjusted, and almost everything relied on technology and the internet to continue what are they doing during normal times. Because of this sudden switch in education, many learning platforms have been developed and improved thoroughly to satisfy users’ needs.

The advances in technology gave birth to the existence of different platforms used in different fields such as business, to provide the remote workforce with the tools and knowledge needed. In education, these learning platforms are used to learn different subjects, courses, and languages.

Indeed, the opportunity for career development had become limitless because of the internet. We are not just talking about opportunities from your own country but opportunities from all over the world. This is the reason why most people nowadays want to learn a new language.

Learning languages and language acquisition is not an overnight process. It is continuous learning. A human cannot learn languages easily through reading books and watching videos online. There are different factors to be considered like vocabulary, grammar, syntax, semantics, writing skills, reading skills, and of course, speaking skills which will be one of the primary bases to measure your success.

There are different language learning apps or language resources that you might be familiar with, like Mondly, Busuu, Duolingo, and Babbel. Some may even claim that they are a powerful workforce success platform, but it is still nice to discover it yourself. So, in this blog, we will unlock the differences between Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone. Before we go further with the comprehensive assessments, let’s first discover what these apps are all about.

Lingvist Overview

Lingvist is another product of frustration in language learning. Lingvist history will tell you why it is also one of the most popular language-learning apps today.

It all started in a French-speaking part of Switzerland. Co-founder Mait Müntel was a member of the CERN Higgs boson discovery team. He struggled to learn the local language because of a tight schedule and lack of digital language resources that would provide what he needed.

Thanks to his experience and essential resources from searching the boson particle and cognitive Science theory and basic language statistics, he was able to solve his problem on his own. It took him 200 hours to learn French, and surprisingly, he got a positive result because he passed a high school level French exam.

Mait took the concepts he had used to teach himself and began developing them for others to utilize, with the goal of dramatically speeding up language acquisition and lowering inefficiencies. From this, you can imply that Lingvist roots are backed with Science and experimentation, making a difference in the language learning world.

Rosetta Stone Overview

When we talk about language apps, it is impossible that you haven’t heard of Rosetta Stone. It is one of the most popular language-learning apps for language learners, and it actually holds awards and recognition. But, what exactly is Rosetta Stone? How did it start?

Rosetta Stone is a product of one man’s eagerness to learn a new language despite the failure he experienced. Allen Stoltzfu founded Rosetta Stone at 1992. The vision is simple, reinvent language learning. He envisioned employing computer technology to reinvent language teaching for learners of all ages by simulating how people learn their native language — with graphics and sounds in context and no translation.

Do you know what’s interesting? The name itself has significant meaning because the artifact Rosetta Stone of the Egyptians unlocked a lot of secrets when it was discovered. It suits the vision of the Rosetta Stone app because it unlocked doors for multiple opportunities and the success of users worldwide.

Today, Rosetta Stone is continuously serving their clients and has bagged different awards and recognition; that’s why if you’re an OG language learner, it is impossible not to know Rosetta Stone.

Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone: Which Is Best For Learning Languages?

After discovering the origin and visions of these two language learning apps, let us proceed to our main goal: comparing Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone.

But, you should remember that all these apps have their unique features, which make them different from the others, and language learners also have different effective learning styles and paces.

In this comparison, let me walk you through the different factors to consider in choosing the best app for you.

I. Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone: Design

Let’s be honest. Customers are easily attracted to a platform that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Some prefer it minimalist, while other people prefer it to be creative and animated. It’s up to the user. Aesthetic provides motivation and engagement to the users. The use of color palettes, pictures, and icons contributes to the learning of users. For these language learning platforms, design and user-friendly interface also build portal branding. So, in terms of design, which is better between Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone?

Lingvist

Lingvist is way more minimalist than Rosetta Stone.

The entire app uses more colors, black and white, and a little pop of colors for the icons. If you want a minimalist but still aesthetically pleasing app, this app is a good choice.

Rosetta Stone

Blue and yellow are the main colors you will see in Rosetta Stone’s app.

There are simple pictures and icons that you will see, but it doesn’t appear too much for the eye. The fonts can be read easily, and the words that need emphasis are written bigger and bolder than others.

II. Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone: Languages Offered

Of course, the main purpose of this review or comparison is the apps’ features for language learning so let’s start with the languages offered.

Remember, more doesn’t always mean better. Think about it, even if there’s a lot of languages that an app offers if your target language is not available, it is useless for you. So, between Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone, what are the languages they offer?

Lingvist

Lingvist offers 8 languages to learn.

These languages can be learned through cloze style lessons that are divided into three categories: Grammar, Listening, and Reading. Here are the 8 languages offered by Lingvist.

Rosetta Stone

With the 25 languages available, you can have access to different lessons, learning modules, and exercises.

These activities and resources will help you build your vocabulary and improve your reading, writing, and speaking skills if you are a beginner.

III. Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone: Features And Language Resources

Most apps develop their unique features based on Science, learning theories, and researches.

There is a lot of suggested software that you can find online, but which of these software has features that will accommodate your need? Technology plays a big role in improving the software’s features. So, if you want to find software that suffices your needs as language learners, let’s take a look at Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone when it comes to features.

Lingvist Features

Lingvist also has a lot of features that can support your learning. The main feature, of course, is the Cloze-Type lessons, but there are other features to consider. It also uses algorithms that will monitor your progress. Lingvist uses big data and artificial intelligence to make language learning 10 times faster.

Feature # 1: Learn (Cloze-Type Lessons)

Cloze-style learning by filling in blanks with words is Lingvist’s primary study mode. This type of learning measures your background knowledge about the language you are learning. If you are a total beginner, it will be hard for you, but don’t worry because you can enable the English translation below and hear an audio recording from the native speaker. If you really can’t guess the word, you can simply click the button “Reveal” to finally see the answer.

Feature #2: Challenges

Lingvist also has challenges that will enrich and strengthen your learning. These challenges are divided into Speak, Grammar, Listen, and Read. Mastering your language skills holistically is really important in language learning.

Feature #3: Custom Decks

Lingvist will also let you create your own deck to customize your learning. Lingvist really did a great job including this feature. Fully customizable decks are perfect for learners who want to design their own set of vocabulary for learning based on their needs. But, you have to subscribe to a plan before accessing this feature.

Feature #4: Grammar Tips

Grammar tips provide short lessons and readings. It will widen your knowledge in terms of grammar that is essential in both written and spoken language. Although it has this feature, it still lacks grammar explanations for beginners.

Feature #5: Classroom

Teachers can use Lingvist Classroom to build classrooms and track their students’ progress. But, this is still in the process of testing. You’ll be asked to confirm if you’re an educator if you want to try this feature.

Rosetta Stone Features

Rosetta Stone developed six features on its app that will make the most out of your language journey. Here are the six features:

Feature #1: Rosetta Stone Courses

The Rosetta Stone Courses are the soul of your language learning journey. These online courses will take you through a series of fundamental lectures and activities in pronunciation, listening, and grammar. Here are some additional advantages of Rosetta Stone Courses:

Bite-size lessons with mostly 5–10 minutes practice time.
You can download units for offline use.
High-quality audio recording.
Phone or headphone microphones are used to recognize speech.

Even if you feel like you have learned a lot through Rosetta Stone Courses, do not limit yourself and try additional features as well. Others also find Rosetta Stone Courses a bit repetitive, which makes it boring for other people, but if you’re into mastering the material, you may find it useful.

It also doesn’t provide explanations in the core material, which is essential in learning a language. Rosetta Stone also uses your target language, not your native language, right from the very beginning. If this is an advantage or disadvantage, it will depend upon the language learners. Lastly, it uses images that are not culturally related to the target language.

Rosetta Stone doesn’t give direct focus on the grammar rather;, they value immersion. Rosetta Stone never uses L1 translations or explanations, forcing the user to rely completely on intuition while gradually learning the linguistic content required for the next level. So, if you are an English speaker, do not expect that the language will be used in Rosetta Stone will also be English.

Feature #2: Phrasebook

Learning words and phrases that can be used in daily interactions is helpful, especially in businesses or even just in traveling. Connecting with the locals is one of the main reasons people learn languages so, Phrasebookoffers a lot of categories. These categories include greetings, shopping vocabulary, dining, and more. You can simply choose whatever category you want to learn at your own time.

Phrasebook uses a flashcard-flipping method in learning new words and phrases, which is similar to other apps for language learning. What’s nice about this feature is that you can learn new vocabulary and you can also hear the right pronunciation professionally recorded by native speakers.

Here’s more. You can practice the pronunciation through Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent speech recognition, but this feature still needs a lot of improvement. This is also what others say in their review.

Feature #3: Stories

With bite-sized narratives that keep you captivated and help you fine-tune your listening abilities, Rosetta Stone’s Stories captures our universal love for storytelling. the variety of stories to choose from will give you a glimpse of the culture of the language you’re learning. There are different ways to use this feature. You can read it aloud yourself, let a native speaker read it, and record yourself while reading it to practice your speaking skills at the same time.

Feature#4: Live Lessons

With the Live Lesson feature, you’ll have the chance to participate in interactive 25-minute lectures that focus on themes specific to your unit. This feature promotes interactive learning. You can answer polls, practice your pronunciation, and chat with other learners. It will also provide cultural information about your target language.

Feature #5: Audio Companion

Audio Companion feature is similar to the traditional language learning process wherein it will ask learner responses by repeating the phrases spoken by the native speaker. Audio lessons will take you through the terminology, concepts, and questions covered in the course.

Feature #6: Seek and Speak

This is like a scavenger hunt wherein you’ll start with “collecting” items by taking pictures using your camera. After collecting, you will then use it in conversational statements and questions. In the end, you will be able to utilize those phrases in a tailored chat with native speakers using audio recorded by them.

IV. Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone: Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition system is an approach for language learning that is proven effective by language experts. With this approach, Lessons are retaken at increasing intervals until long-term memory is fully ingrained.

Luckily, both Lingvist and Rosetta Stone uses spaced repetition. This is, with Rosetta Stone, lessons are frequently repeated, making it dull to some learners.

V. Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone: Gamification

Gamifiying a language learning app is very trendy nowadays. Who doesn’t love games? It keeps the learners motivated while learning.

Rosetta Stone has a gamification feature while Lingvist doesn’t have. But, despite the lack of a gamification aspect in Lingvist, the challenges will keep you engaged and inspired.

VI. Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone: Pricing

One of the most important things to consider in choosing the best language learning app for you is the pricing or subscription plan.

If you are still a student and you’re still asking for money from your parents, better choose wisely to make your money worth it. Other language learning apps can be too pricey, but you can get what you have paid for. Prices vary depending on the plan you will choose so, let’s take a look at the prices of Lingvist and Rosetta Stone.

Lingvist

For Lingvist, you can select whether to subscribe for monthly or yearly subscriptions. If you don’t cancel, it will automatically renew. You may unlock all of Lingvist’s features by purchasing the premium version.

$9.99 / month (with 7-day free trial)
$79.99 / year (with 14-day free trial)

All reading, listening, and speaking challenges are available to you at any time.
You can learn as many new words as you wish each day.
Select a course emphasis that relates to your interests.
Priority assistance is available.
The word list allows you to keep track of everything you’ve learned at a glance.

Rosetta Stone Pricing

Rosetta Stone offers a lot of subscription plans to choose from. As a beginner, you can try the most basic subscription plan to test if you’re okay with the app and you think it will help you achieve your goal.

US$35.97–3 Months (One Language Only)
US$119.88–12Months (All Languages)
US$ 167.76–24 Months (All Languages)
$199 Lifetime (All Languages)

Subscriptions will automatically renew at the then-current full retail price (plus tax, if applicable). At any time, you can turn off auto-renewal.

VII. Platform

Both language learning apps have a web version and mobile app version available for iOS and Android users. The difference is that Rosetta Stone has many resources that you can download so that you can learn it offline. Lingvist, on the other hand, offers offline learning but for a very limited time only.

Lingvist Pros And Cons

Now that we are done exploring the different features of Lingvist, and Rosetta Stone, let us make a short summary of their Pros and Cons, starting from the Lingvist.

Rosetta Stone Pros And Cons

Final Thoughts

Let’s wrap this comparison between Lingvist VS Rosetta Stone out by saying every learner is different. The purpose of this transparent language learning app comparison is to give you a clearer view of their unique features. Both apps require you to have at least basic knowledge about your target languages because. But for Lingvist, it has English translation that you can use as a guide while Rosetta Stone doesn’t. You will really have to figure out everything to the use of context and pictures.

Both apps are also interactive in their own way, but Rosetta Stone offers more interactive features. But, there are the speech recognition system of Rosetta Stone still needs improvement. When it comes to software and technology, Rosetta Stone has more advanced features than Lingvist. But, learners don’t always need that kind of advancement as long as the app is giving you what you need.

Lingvist offers cloze-type learning while Rosetta stone offers immersive learning, which can be hard for beginner learners. The lack of beginners lesson for Lingvist and the lack of grammar explanations for Rosetta Stone makes it hard for beginner learners to fully grasp what they are learning.

I can say that Rosetta Stone has already improved compared to its old price, which is way too pricey for pricing. But if you compare the two apps, you can notice that Lingvist is cheaper. Before subscribing to a plan, make sure to access their free trial first to assess if it is worth your money.

At the end of the day, you still know what you need as a language learner. As you try these apps, make sure to gather deep user insights and assess if the teaching method of the app works for you. Remember, language learning is a long process, so choose an app wisely and choose the one that will help you in achieving your outcomes.

Language Learning Made Easy With Ling App

Still, looking for alternatives? We got your back. Ling App can be your language learning partner in your journey. Backed with linguistic research, Ling App was developed to respond to the needs of language learners. It also uses gamification, spaced repetition systems, images, audio recordings from native speakers, and quizzes to make learning engaging and interactive. With this, you can learn any of the languages available in no time. You can also try other apps developed by Simya Solutions like Simply Learn and Write Me.