LingQ vs Lute

LingQ is a language-learning service built around reading and listening to real-world content, with new words learned in context. It offers 52 languages, a placement test, personalized review and offline lessons. Its browser importer can turn content from YouTube, Netflix, TikTok, Spotify, Apple TV, Disney+ and Amazon Prime into lessons. LingQ is available on the web, Android and iOS, with a browser extension for Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge. The free membership allows 20 saved words and phrases, five lessons made from imported content and one audio playlist. Premium membership provides unlimited saved words and imported lessons, full sentence translations and offline access. Premium is listed at $215.76 per year, billed upfront for the selected duration and recurring until canceled; Premium Plus is $269.99 per year on the same billing basis. Paid membership is also noted from $8.99/mo (annual). Users can change or cancel plans at any time, and trial or subscription auto-renewal can be canceled.

Lute is a standalone web application installed on your computer for learning languages through reading. Users import or create texts, read them, and save definitions and associations that build a personal dictionary. The application lets users define languages and dictionaries, edit texts, and create single-word or multi-word terms while reading. Parent terms can share definitions with child terms, and sample sentences can include related terms. Readers can add images to words and use hotkeys to set statuses such as New, Learning, Well-known, or Ignore, including bulk updates. Lute supports 66 languages; its manual lists more than 50 predefined languages with sample stories and dictionaries, though some need plugins. Languages can use multiple term and sentence dictionaries, displayed embedded or in pop-up views. Lute can export terms to Anki note types, and AnkiConnect enables communication with Anki. Supported content includes text, TXT, EPUB, web pages, and book audio. Installation options are pip, Docker, or source code; Android use through Termux is also documented. Lute is free, uses the MIT license, and runs locally so users control their data.