A LingQ alternative built around using what you read

LingQ made reading real content the center of language learning, and it still does that well. People look elsewhere for a few reasons: the interface, the price, or the feeling that their known-word count keeps growing while their speaking stays put.

Spark is a web app for learning a language from articles, ebooks and YouTube videos you choose, so it shares LingQ's starting point. The difference is what happens next: Spark follows each word from "I recognize it" to "I can use it" and gives you a chat about the piece you just read to practice in.

Facts about other tools last checked October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page.

Try Spark freeFree to start. No card needed.

The short version

LingQ is the bigger tool, with 40+ languages, Netflix and podcast import, and apps on phone and web. Spark does less, and focuses on one path: read something you chose, keep the words you met, then use them in a chat about that same piece. If you want the most sources and languages, LingQ fits. If you want reading to turn into speaking, try Spark. Your LingQ vocabulary can come with you.

Spark and LingQ side by side

Feature	Spark	LingQ
What you can read	Articles, PDFs, EPUBs, and YouTube videos through the Chrome extension	Articles, YouTube videos and Netflix episodes through its extension, plus podcasts and books
Word lookup	Tap a word for its meaning in that sentence, plus a short AI explanation	Click words to save them as LingQs; Lynx, its AI assistant, helps while you read
Word tracking	Each word is unknown, passive (you recognize it) or active (you can use it)	Four levels (New, Recognized, Familiar, Learned) and then Known
Review	Spaced repetition on the words you met in your own reading	Spaced repetition review, and export to Anki
Conversation	Text chat about the piece you imported. Type or speak; replies are text	Lynx AI chat; an advanced chatbot comes with Premium Plus
Languages	18	40+
Price	Free plan. Core $12/mo or $99/yr. Plus $19/mo or $149/yr. 7-day Core trial, no card.	Free plan saves 20 words and 5 imported lessons. US App Store: Premium $14.99/mo or $119.99/yr; Premium Plus $29.99/mo or $269.99/yr

LingQ details from its own site, help center and US App Store listing, as of October 2026. LingQ's web prices can show in your local currency.

Where LingQ is strong

LingQ supports 40+ languages and can pull in more kinds of content than Spark: Netflix episodes, plus podcasts and audiobooks through its AI transcription. It runs on the web, on iOS and Android, and as an extension in Chrome, Firefox and Safari. If you learn a less common language, or you mostly learn from audio, LingQ has more for you today.

Its word tracking is detailed. Each saved word moves through four levels before it becomes known, and you can export your words to Anki.

Where Spark is different

Spark asks a different question about each word. LingQ's levels measure how well you know a word when you see it. Spark also tracks whether you can produce it, splitting your vocabulary into passive words you recognize and active words you can use. That second group is what lets you hold up your end of a conversation.

The chat is built on the piece you just read. After an article or a video, you talk about it in your target language, with the words you met fresh in your head. You can type your replies or say them out loud. Spark answers in text; it cannot speak its replies yet.

Spark also looks calmer. The reader is clean and quiet, and your progress is shown as words moving from passive to active rather than as points or coins.

Who should stay with LingQ

You learn a language Spark does not support. Spark covers 18; LingQ lists 40+.
You learn mostly from Netflix, podcasts or audiobooks.
You need a native phone app, or you rely on Anki export.

Who should try Spark

You learn Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese or English. These are Spark's most developed languages.
You read and watch plenty but struggle to say what you understand.
You want to practice on the article or video you just finished, instead of a made-up scenario.

Bringing your LingQ words to Spark

You do not have to start your vocabulary from zero. Open LingQ in Chrome while signed in, then click the Spark extension. It reads your saved vocabulary from your LingQ account and imports it into Spark. Large accounts take a few minutes to finish in the background.

After that, Spark colors those words in everything you read, so your first article already reflects what you know.

How Spark works, in three steps

1
Bring in what you want to read or watch
Import an article, a PDF, an EPUB, or a YouTube video with the Spark Chrome extension. You pick the material, so it is about something you care about.
2
Read it with help on every word
Tap any word for its meaning in that sentence and a short AI explanation. Spark keeps track of which words are new to you, which you recognize, and which you can use.
3
Practice the words you met
Review your own words with spaced repetition, then chat about the piece in your target language. Type or speak your replies. Spark answers in text for now.

Other LingQ alternatives worth a look

Different tools fit different habits. A few others people compare with LingQ:

Readlang

Best for: low-cost reading help on any website

A web reader and browser extension that translates words and phrases on the page, with AI explanations and spaced-repetition flashcards. Premium is $6 a month or $48 a year.

Language Reactor

Best for: watching Netflix and YouTube with two sets of subtitles

A Chrome extension that adds dual-language subtitles, a pop-up dictionary and finer playback controls to Netflix and YouTube. The Chrome Web Store lists it at 2,000,000 users.

Dreaming Spanish

Best for: hours of video made for learners, sorted by level

A library of videos entirely in Spanish, sorted into seven levels from superbeginner to native, that counts your hours of watching. A French version exists too.

Duolingo

Best for: a short daily lesson that builds a habit

Structured lessons in 40+ languages on phone and web. The free version shows ads; Super removes them, and Max adds AI features such as Video Call.

Questions people ask

Can I import my LingQ vocabulary into Spark?

Yes. With the Spark Chrome extension installed, open LingQ while signed in and click the extension. It imports your saved words into Spark, one language at a time.

Is Spark cheaper than LingQ?

Spark Core is $12 a month or $99 a year. LingQ Premium is listed at $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year on the US App Store (as of October 2026). Both have a free plan, and Spark gives every new account a 7-day Core trial with no card.

Does Spark come with ready-made lessons?

No. Spark is built around content you bring in yourself: articles, PDFs, EPUBs and YouTube videos.

Does Spark work on my phone?

Spark runs in the browser, so you can read on a phone. Importing YouTube videos and LingQ vocabulary uses the Chrome extension on a computer.

Which languages does Spark support?

18 languages. The most developed are Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese and English.

Facts about other products were checked on their public websites as of October 2026. Prices and features change, so check their site before you decide. If something here is out of date, tell us at matt@learnwithspark.io and we will fix it.

Bring your LingQ words and see them in Spark

Import your vocabulary, open an article you want to read, and start a chat about it.

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