Simply Fluent
The short answer
Simply Fluent is made for reading books on your phone or tablet, also offline. It has a library sorted by level, the translation reads the whole sentence, and the words you save keep their translation above them in every book. Readlang is made for reading in the browser, on web pages and on texts you upload. It costs less, and its free plan translates single words without a limit. If you read mostly on a computer or on the web, Readlang is the better fit.
Choose Simply Fluent if
- you want books ready to read, sorted by level from A1 to C2
- you want each saved word's translation shown above it, in every book
- you read on a phone or tablet, also without a connection
- you want any book read aloud, including your own
Choose Readlang if
- you want to read web pages in the language you are learning
- you read mostly on a computer
- you want to translate single words without paying
- you want a lower price: Premium is $48 a year
Simply Fluent is a reading app
Everything in it is built around reading a book page by page. These screens are from the app, reading in Portuguese.
Made for books
The library has short stories, and classic novels by writers such as Jane Austen and Jules Verne rewritten in modern language, sorted by level from A1 to C2. You can add your own EPUB, TXT and Markdown files too. You read page by page, and the app keeps your place in every book.
The translation reads the sentence
When you select a word, the app reads the whole sentence and highlights the meaning that fits it, with the other meanings below. Select an expression and it is translated as one unit, so you see what the phrase means and not each word on its own.
Saved words keep their translation
A word you save stays highlighted with its translation above it, in every book you read in that language. When you mark it memorized, the translation is hidden and you read the word on its own. Every saved word also becomes a flashcard, with your favorites first.
Side by side
What each app offers today. The small numbers point to the Readlang page each fact comes from. The Simply Fluent column describes the current app; the questions page has more detail.
| Simply Fluent | Readlang | |
|---|---|---|
| What you read | A library of short stories, and classic novels rewritten in modern language, filtered by level from A1 to C2. | Articles on its site in genres such as fiction, non-fiction and songs, web pages through its browser extension, and texts you upload.2,3 |
| Looking up a word | Select a word, or up to 5 words (15 with Premium). The meaning that fits the sentence is highlighted, with the other meanings below. Expressions are translated as one unit. | Click a word or phrase to translate it. Phrases can be up to 6 words, or 12 with Premium. Context-aware translations.2,1 |
| Words you save | Stay highlighted with their translation in every book in that language. Mark one memorized and the translation is hidden. | Every word you translate is saved to your word list. A setting underlines saved words when they appear in other texts.2,10 |
| Review | Every saved word becomes a flashcard. Favorites first, then the words you meet most often. Spaced repetition. | Flashcards from the words you translate, the most common words first. Spaced repetition. Words can be exported to Anki.4,3 |
| Listening | Any book read aloud with your phone's voices, offline, at three speeds. Pages can turn with the audio. | Readlang's own voices read words and phrases with Premium, and whole texts with Premium Plus. Audio upload and transcription, with 10 hours of storage on Premium and 200 on Premium Plus.1 |
| AI | Insights: what a word means here, grammar, the words it is often used with, and example sentences. | Explanations of a word or phrase in its context. Ami, a conversation partner that corrects your writing. Premium Plus uses its advanced AI model.3,1 |
| Progress | Words and pages read, reading time and speed, words saved, practiced and memorized. A streak and achievements, which you can turn off. | A streak. Premium includes 2 streak repairs a month.1 |
| Your own content | EPUB, TXT and Markdown files, or pasted text. PDF with Premium. | DRM-free EPUB and TXT files, pasted text, and almost any web page. PDF isn't supported.6,7,4 |
| Languages | Books in 45 languages. Translation in 131, so you can read your own books in 85 more. | Its home page lists ten languages and "+ 100 More Languages".2 |
| Where it runs | iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. | A website, with a Chrome extension and bookmarklets. On a phone, you add the website to your home screen. Its creator is considering an app.4,5,9 |
| Offline | Free. | Doesn't work offline, according to its creator.8 |
| Free plan | Every book in the library, flashcards, statistics, offline reading and read-aloud. 150 translations and insights in total, which don't reset. One book of your own. | Unlimited single-word translations. 10 phrase translations and 10 context explanations a day. Word highlighting for 200 words in total.1 |
| Price | €7.99 a month or €59.99 a year. | Premium $6 a month or $48 a year. Premium Plus $15 a month or $120 a year.1 |
| Free trial | 30 days of Premium, for everyone. | Its pricing page doesn't mention one.1 |
Readlang's prices are from its pricing page, in US dollars, the only currency it shows. Simply Fluent's are in euros, as its website shows them.
Where Readlang is stronger
It reads the web
With Readlang's Chrome extension or a bookmarklet, you can translate words on almost any web page, or import the page to read later.4,3 If most of what you read is online, that covers more than a book app.
It runs in a browser
Readlang is a website, so it works on any computer with a browser.4 On a phone, you add it to your home screen.5
Single words are free
On Readlang's free plan, single-word translations have no limit. Phrases are limited to 10 a day.1
It costs less
Readlang Premium is $6 a month or $48 a year.1 That is less than Simply Fluent Premium.
It exports to Anki
Readlang can export your words and phrases to Anki, if that is where you already review.3
What it costs
Without a subscription, Simply Fluent gives you every book in the library, flashcards, statistics, offline reading and read-aloud, plus 150 translations and insights that don't reset. Readlang's free plan has unlimited single-word translations and 10 phrase translations a day.1 Simply Fluent Premium is €59.99 a year, with an optional 30-day trial. Readlang Premium is $48 a year.1 Each price is shown as the app's website shows it, checked on Oct 10, 2026.
Simply Fluent
- Free plan
- €0
- Premium, monthly
- €7.99
- Premium, yearly
- €59.99
- Free trial
- 30 days
Readlang1
- Free plan
- $0
- Premium, monthly
- $6
- Premium, yearly
- $48
- Premium Plus, monthly
- $15
- Premium Plus, yearly
- $120
Readlang Premium Plus adds Readlang's voices for whole texts, 200 hours of audio storage and its advanced AI model, for $15 a month or $120 a year.1
Questions
Can I read my own books?
Yes. Import EPUB, TXT or Markdown files, or paste in text; PDF works with Premium. The free plan includes one book of your own, and Premium has no limit. Books with DRM, such as Kindle books, can't be imported.
What happens to my words if I stop paying?
You keep every saved word, flashcard and statistic, and you can still open every book in the library. Translations and insights then come from your allowance of 150.
Can I use both?
Yes. Some people read web pages in Readlang on a computer and books in Simply Fluent on their phone. The words you save in one don't carry over to the other.
Can I use Simply Fluent on a computer?
Simply Fluent is an app for iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. There is no web version, so if you want to read in a browser, Readlang runs in one.
Sources
- Readlang, pricing. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Readlang, home page. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Readlang, features. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Readlang, about. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Readlang forum, Install Readlang on your iPhone, iPad or Android home screen (June 2024).
- Readlang forum, Upload novels to read (including ones with DRM) (June 2024, links updated February 2026).
- Readlang forum, Can I import pdfs? (June 2024).
- Readlang's creator on its forum, Anyone here use/used LingQ or any other alternatives? (April 2025).
- Readlang's creator on its forum, Readlang App possibility (March 2026).
- Readlang's creator on its forum, Bug: Words don't stay highlighted in Chinese (August 2026).
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