Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Drops vs Jicki
Drops vs Jicki: the differences
| Compare |  Drops |  Jicki |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5 | €0 |
| Price per year | $69.99 | €83.40 |
| Money-back period | 14 days | 20 daysHigher |
| Languages | Ainu, American English, Arabic, Basque, Bosnian, Brazilian Portuguese, British English, Cantonese, Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Chti, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Egyptian Arabic, Esperanto, Estonian, European Portuguese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Greenlandic, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Maori, Mexican Spanish, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Sanskrit for Yoga, Serbian, Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Welsh, Yoruba | English, French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Japanese, Russian, Greek, Croatian, German |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 5 | 20 |
| Price per month | $11 | Not confirmed |
| Lifetime price | $150 | Not confirmed |
| Free trial length | 7 days | Not confirmed |
| Kids version | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Markets | Not confirmed | DE, AT, CH |
Same on both: Free tier (Yes), Offline use (Yes).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Money-back period is higher at Jicki: 20 days vs 14 days.
- Support channels: only Jicki offers Phone.
- Languages: only Drops offers Ainu, American English, Arabic.
- Languages: only Jicki offers English, Spanish.
- Learning method: only Jicki offers Audio.
Our verdict on each
Drops
Drops suits self directed learners who want the same app for a whole household, with lessons of 5 minutes and a free starting point. It scores 9.2 overall, and readers who need a phone line or a long refund window will find a narrower offer here.
Jicki
Jicki suits families and busy adults in Germany, AT and CH who want short daily app and audio sessions without a big upfront cost. A free tier plus an annual plan at €83.40 keeps the commitment light, though the DE, AT and CH footprint makes it a regional pick rather than a global one.
Score breakdown
| Area | Drops | Jicki |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4Entry at $5, a yearly plan at $69.99 and a lifetime payment of $150 keep both horizons affordable. | 9.5HigherEntry price of €0 against a €35.08 median, and an annual plan of €83.40 against phase6 at €35.99 to €59.99. |
| Offer | 8.9A free tier leads into a 7 day trial, with a 14 day money-back window on the paid plans. | 9.2HigherA free tier, offline use and a 20 day refund window, with sessions of 20 minutes in the app and audio. |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 8.4Jicki GmbH trading since 2017 in DE, with support on email, phone and help centre and a 20 day refund period. |
How they place
| Ranking | Drops | Jicki |
|---|---|---|
| Language learning apps | 12 of 46 | 15 of 46 |
If neither fits
Fiszki has money-back period at 60 days, against 14 days for Drops and 20 days for Jicki.
Fiszki reviewEvery fact side by side
| Fact | Drops | Jicki |
|---|---|---|
| Learning method | App | App, AudioCovers more |
| Legal entity | PlanB Labs OÜ | Jicki GmbH |
| Headquarters | Estonia | Germany |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2017 |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre | Email, Phone, Help centreCovers more |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Drops | Jicki | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per month | $11below the median | Not confirmed | $13.24 |
| Free trial length | 7 daysat the median | Not confirmed | 7 days |
| Money-back period | 14 daysbelow the median | 20 daysbelow the median | 30 days |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 5lowest quarter | 20lowest quarter | 30 |
Median across 33 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Drops
Pros
- The catalogue runs to Ainu, American English and Arabic, spanning regional variants and smaller languages alongside the major ones.
- Offline downloads are part of the service, so practice works on a flight or a commute.
- A kids version sits in the same app, and family profiles are the most common arrangement on the comparison, at 100% of the brands listed.
Cons
- The introductory price of $5 is a low entry point, but renewal lands on the monthly plan at $11 or the yearly plan at $69.99.
- The trial is short at 7 days against a 7 day median for language apps, and Drops places 8 of 21 brands on trial length.
- The money-back window of 14 days falls short of the 29 day median, and Drops sits 20 of 29 brands on that measure.
Jicki
Pros
- Entry price of €0 ranks 1 of 35 brands compared on price from.
- Offline use is supported, so lessons run on a commute or a flight with no connection.
- A free tier lets a household test the habit across several members before paying.
Cons
- The annual plan runs €83.40 a year, above phase6 at €35.99 to €59.99.
- The catalogue is fixed to English, French and Spanish, so a household studying something outside that set has to look elsewhere.
- The money-back period of 20 days ranks at 18 of 29, leaving the refund offer in the middle of the group.
Who each suits
Drops
Who it suits
- Learners who want to try a language at no cost before choosing a paid plan.
- Households with children, since a kids version runs in the same app.
- People who would rather pay once, at $150, than keep a subscription alive.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for readers chasing a free entry price: one of the compared alternatives lists its entry price at €0.
- Not for buyers who want a long refund window, since the money-back period runs 14 days and the trial lasts 7 days.
- Not for cautious triallers who need longer to decide: the trial runs 7 days, shorter than the 7 day median for language apps.
Jicki
Who it suits
- Families in Germany, AT and CH who want a free tier to try before committing to a year.
- Learners who study where reception is poor, since offline use is supported.
- Short-session learners: sessions run 20 minutes through the app and audio.
Who should look elsewhere
- phase6 first for anyone shopping on the annual bill, since it lists €35.99 to €59.99 a year against €83.40 here.
- Reading Eggs for households happy to pay from the start, at £6.99, rather than beginning at €0.
- Bunpro for learners who want billing in dollars, with an entry price of $0.
Questions about each
Drops
What does Drops cost at the start and at renewal?+
The entry price is $5, an introductory figure. From there the monthly plan runs $11 and the yearly plan $69.99. A lifetime option at $150 replaces both with a single payment, and the money-back window of 14 days covers a change of mind.
Is there a free plan, and how long is the trial?+
A free tier is available, so the opening stretch of a course costs nothing. The paid trial that follows runs 7 days, which is shorter than the 7 day median across language apps. Anyone who upgrades has the money-back window of 14 days as a fallback.
Jicki
Does Jicki have a free version?+
Yes. Jicki runs a free tier, so you can open the app and work through early material without paying, and the entry price is €0. Free access is the quickest way to see whether the short daily sessions match your routine before you commit to an annual plan.
What does Jicki cost to start and over a year?+
Entry is €0, so the first step costs nothing. The annual plan is €83.40 for a year, priced as a single payment rather than a rolling bill. Readers who shop mainly on renewal cost should weight the yearly figure, because the free start and the annual charge are two different numbers.