Comparison
Passage vs Readlang
Readlang is the better fit if you read web articles or your own texts on a computer, learn a language Passage doesn't cover, or want a generous free plan. Passage fits better if you want a native app for iPhone, iPad or Mac with a ready library of classics, and a full explanation of any sentence with one tap.
Readlang and Passage both help you read in a language you're learning, and both explain words in context. They're built for different readers, though: Readlang for the web and your own texts, Passage for books in a native app. Readlang facts below come from readlang.com, checked on 24 October 2026.
At a glance
| Passage | Readlang | |
|---|---|---|
| What you read | About 450 public-domain books in the app | Any web page or text you upload, plus an article library |
| Languages to learn | 6: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Turkish | Spanish, German, French, English, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, Swedish and 100+ more listed |
| Help while reading | Tap a sentence: translation, grammar note and key words | Click a word or phrase to translate; AI context explanations |
| Explanations in | English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Turkish, Portuguese | Translations into your chosen language |
| Review | 8 practice games with spaced review | Flashcards, with practice from specific books on Premium |
| Audio | On-device Read Aloud | Voices for words and phrases on Premium; whole texts on Premium Plus |
| Platforms | Native apps: iPhone, iPad (iOS 26+), Mac with Apple silicon | Web, Chrome extension, bookmarklet; home-screen web app on phones |
| Free plan | Start any book; try explanations, Read Aloud and the first games | Unlimited single words; 10 phrases and 10 context explanations a day |
| Paid | $2.99/month or $24.99/year (7-day trial) | Premium $6/month or $48/year; Premium Plus $15/month or $120/year |
Where Readlang is better
- Read anything. News sites, blogs, Wikipedia, your own documents. The extension works on any page. Passage only shows its own books.
- More languages. Readlang lists over 100. Passage has six reading languages.
- Any computer. It runs in a browser, so Windows, Linux, Chromebook and Android all work. Passage needs an Apple device.
- A generous free plan for single-word lookups, which are unlimited.
Where Passage is different
- Books are ready to read. About 450 classics, each marked beginner, intermediate or advanced, so you don't have to hunt for a text at your level.
- One tap explains the whole sentence: translation, grammar and key words together, without selecting the right span of words first.
- A native app on iPhone, iPad and Mac, with page turns, adjustable text, a two-page spread on iPad and a home-screen widget. Reading a novel on a phone is more comfortable in an app than in a browser tab.
- Practice games built from your saved words, including Context Recall, which blanks the word out of the line it came from.
- Lower yearly price: $24.99 against $48.
Reading the same line
Here's the opening of Galdós's Marianela, marked beginner in Passage's Spanish library:
Se puso el sol. Tras el breve crepúsculo vino tranquila y oscura la noche, en cuyo negro seno murieron poco a poco los últimos rumores de la tierra soñolienta…
“The sun set. After the brief dusk, the night came, calm and dark, and in its black depths the last sounds of the drowsy land died away little by little…”
Benito Pérez Galdós, Marianela, 1878
With Readlang you'd paste or upload the text (it's public domain, so it's easy to find), then click crepúsculo, seno and soñolienta one by one, or select a phrase for a phrase translation. In Passage, you tap the sentence once. The explanation covers what word lookups miss: why vino tranquila y oscura la noche puts the verb before the subject, and how en cuyo negro seno (“in whose black bosom”) hangs on to the night, alongside the key words.
If you already know the grammar and just need words, Readlang's word clicks are quick. If the structure is what loses you, a sentence explanation saves time.
Try it on a real bookPassage is free to start on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Pick a classic at your level and tap any sentence you don't get.
Download on theApp StoreWho should choose which
Choose Readlang if…
- you mostly read online: news, blogs, your own documents;
- you study on a computer, or on Android or Windows;
- your language isn't one of Passage's six;
- you want to keep costs to a minimum.
Choose Passage if…
- you want to read whole novels;
- you read on iPhone, iPad or Mac and want a proper app;
- you want each sentence explained, grammar included, in your own language;
- you'd like practice games and a daily goal to keep the habit going.
Sources
- readlang.com: features, languages, plans and prices, platforms. Checked 24 October 2026.
- forum.readlang.com, “Install Readlang on your iPhone, iPad or Android home screen”, linked from readlang.com as “Readlang for iOS and Android”. Checked 24 October 2026.
- Passage: pricing and FAQ on this site.
Questions
Does Readlang have an iPhone app?
Readlang's website links its “Readlang for iOS and Android” page to a guide for adding the Readlang web app to your home screen, so on phones it runs in the browser. There is an App Store app called “Readlang Mobile” from an individual developer, but we found no link to it on readlang.com.
Is Readlang free?
Readlang has a free plan with unlimited single-word translations, 10 phrase translations a day and 10 context explanations a day (readlang.com, checked 24 October 2026). Premium costs $6 a month or $48 a year.
Is Passage cheaper than Readlang?
Per year, yes: Passage Pro is $24.99 a year and Readlang Premium $48. Per month they're close: $2.99 for Passage, $6 for Readlang. Readlang's free plan is more generous for single-word lookups.
Can I read my own texts in Passage?
No. Passage has its own library of about 450 public-domain books. If you want to read articles or your own documents, Readlang is the better tool.