We make one of the apps in this comparison, so take that as it is — but a comparison that only flatters the app making it isn't useful to anyone, including us. Here's what each app is actually built for, based on their own listings, with the honest tradeoffs of ours included.
| App | Ages | Platforms | Pricing | Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korean for Kids: Learn Hangul(this app) | 3-9 | iOS only | Free, subscription unlocks full content | Hangul-first with guided tracing, plus Math, Science, Computers, General Knowledge and English in one bilingual app |
| Pinkfong Learn Korean: Hangul | Not explicitly stated; content geared to early Hangul learners | iOS (incl. Mac) | Free with subscription or one-time unlock | 16 animated letter videos with pronunciation, then tracing/writing practice and flashcard-style games |
| Dinolingo | 2-12 (stated) | iOS, Android, web | Subscription, family plan | Broad multimedia across 50+ languages — videos, songs, games, printables; Korean is one language among many, not a standalone product |
| LingoDeer (Korean course) | Not marketed for young children — grammar-first content aimed at teens/adults | iOS, Android, web | Subscription or lifetime option | Structured, TOPIK-aligned grammar lessons — closer to a traditional language course than a kids' app |
| Sojunghangeul (소중한글) family | "All ages" rating; content geared to roughly 6-8 | iOS, Android | Freemium/subscription | Phonics-based, AI-adaptive curriculum with voice-recognition pronunciation feedback — built primarily for Korean-speaking families, not for parents who don't read Korean |
Pricing and availability change — check each app's current listing before deciding. Duolingo's Korean course and Duolingo ABC aren't included in the table above; see is Duolingo good for teaching kids Korean? for why — in short, Duolingo's Korean course is a general-audience translation-drill course, not built for young children, and Duolingo ABC is an English-only literacy app that doesn't teach Korean at all.
Where each one is actually a good fit
- Pinkfong Learn Korean: Hangul is a reasonable pick if your child already responds well to Pinkfong's video-first style and you want letter recognition specifically, without the broader subjects.
- Dinolingo makes sense for a family already using it for another language, or wanting one subscription that covers many languages loosely rather than depth in one.
- LingoDeer is a strong choice for an older child or teen who's ready for structured grammar study — it's not really built for a 3-9 year old just starting out.
- Sojunghangeul is worth a look specifically for Korean-speaking families, since it's built around literacy instruction in Korean rather than bilingual pairing for non-Korean-speaking parents.
Where Korean for Kids: Learn Hangul is a better fit — and where it isn't
Better fit if: you want Hangul taught deliberately and first (not folded into another format), your family doesn't necessarily speak Korean at home and needs bilingual pairing throughout, and you'd rather have one app covering Hangul plus Math, Science, Computers, General Knowledge, and English than several separate apps.
Not the right fit if: you're on Android — it's iOS only. It's also a newer app without a long review history yet, so if you weigh App Store reviews heavily in a decision, that's a fair thing to factor in. And if your child is a teen or adult wanting structured grammar and conversational fluency, LingoDeer's approach is closer to what you're looking for than ours.
How to actually decide
Match the approach to your situation rather than picking by star rating alone: video-first vs. tracing-first vs. grammar-first are genuinely different teaching styles, not just different brandings of the same thing. If you're not sure, most of these offer a free tier or trial — the fastest way to know if it's right for your child is a few real sessions, not a comparison table.
See the full feature list or FAQ for Korean for Kids: Learn Hangul, or read how to teach Hangul to a preschooler for a general approach that works regardless of which app you pick.