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Parroto vs S English: two dictation and shadowing apps for English

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

Parroto logoParroto6.8/10Freemium · FreeS English logoS English6.8/10Freemium · ≈ $3.86/mo (₫99,000/mo)

Quick verdict

Parroto and S English both teach English through dictation and shadowing on real videos with AI pronunciation feedback; AppDuo gives both an overall 6.8/10.

Parroto: suits learners who also want IELTS and TOEIC mock tests and voice chat with other learners, and who prefer an app with a longer rating record (4.79/5 from 3,760 ratings on the Vietnamese App Store). Watch for a confusing in-app price list and an App Store privacy label that declares data used for third-party advertising.

S English: suits learners who study with YouTube videos, want instant lookup and translation in the browser, AI conversation, and a stated 30-day limit on keeping voice recordings. Watch for its youth (launched May 2026), only 31 App Store ratings, and self-reported figures that run higher than the store numbers.

Head-to-head

Parroto leads on 2, S English on 2, 6 even

FeatureParrotoS English
Exercises and video content[1],[4],[9],[13]Dictation and shadowing on film clips, cartoons, TV shows, news, songs, and business and travel English in several accents (US, UK, Australian, Canadian…), levels A1–C2. Adds spaced-repetition vocabulary cards, vocabulary games and stories retold by level.Dictation and shadowing on real YouTube videos. Adds spaced-repetition flashcards, an English-Vietnamese dictionary (UK and US audio) and progress stats.
→ Both rest on the same two methods. Parroto curates content by genre and accent; S English builds on YouTube videos.
AI feedback on speaking[1],[4],[7],[9],[13]Per the homepage, AI scores pronunciation, intonation and rhythm in real time during shadowing. One US App Store reviewer says the app missed their mistakes after about 10 minutes of use.AI pronunciation feedback during shadowing, plus topic-based AI conversation and the Sila AI tutor to ask during practice (added in version 1.3.0). App Store reviews include complaints that voice recognition is weak and AI errors are frequent on the web version.
→ Neither app's AI accuracy has been independently evaluated. Parroto is more specific about what it scores; S English adds ways to talk to and ask the AI.
Exam prep[1],[9]IELTS and TOEIC mock tests (all 7 TOEIC parts); the homepage says the TOEIC mock tests are free.The website lists AI writing-feedback pages for IELTS, TOEIC and VSTEP; no mock tests are recorded.
→ If you want mock tests inside the app, Parroto has them. If you want writing feedback, or are preparing for VSTEP, look at S English.
Talking with other learners[1],[2],[9],[13]1-on-1 voice chat with learners at the same level. Private chat requires age 13+, messages are deleted after 24 hours and call audio is not recorded.No peer chat feature is recorded; speaking practice is with the AI.
→ Only Parroto lets you practise with real people; in S English you talk to the AI.
Platforms: app, web, browser extension[1],[4],[6],[9],[10],[13],[15]Web, iOS and Android. The App Store listing names 14 languages without saying whether they cover the interface or the content. No browser extension is recorded.Web, iOS (iOS 17 or later), Android and Chrome and Edge extensions; progress follows the account and one subscription unlocks both app and extension. Interface in English and Vietnamese only.
→ If you read English in a desktop browser, S English's extension lets you look up and translate words on the page you are reading.
Paid prices for individuals[4],[5],[9],[13]The official site lists no prices. US App Store: weekly $0.99, monthly $2.99 or $4.99, annual $24.99 or yearly $19.99, lifetime $59.99 or $79.99; the list does not say which entry belongs to which tier.Vietnam App Store (prices in VND): Premium 99,000 VND/month (≈ $3.86/month), 199,000 VND (≈ $7.76)/3 months, 599,000 VND/year (≈ $23.35/year) (49,917 VND/month (≈ $1.95/month)). The website FAQ quotes 100,000, 200,000 and 600,000 VND (≈ $23.39) for QR-code payment.
→ Neither has a pricing page. Parroto's duplicate entries make the tier hard to identify; S English's web and in-app prices differ. Check the checkout screen.
What you get for free[1],[3],[9],[13]Free to download; the homepage only says the TOEIC mock tests are free and gives no free-plan limits or list of Premium features. Accounts revert to Free when Premium expires.The website says you can start free with no card. The app's free limits are not published; the browser extension's free tier offers AI lookup, unlimited AI translation and up to 50 saved words.
→ Neither app says what its free tier covers inside the app, so you only find out after installing it.
Refunds[3],[4],[11]Per the terms: request within 30 days, only for Premium unused or used under 7 days, none once more than 50% is used; processing takes 5–10 business days. App Store purchases follow Apple's policy.Per the terms, Apple or Google handles refunds under each store's policy. No refund policy is stated for QR-code payments on the website.
→ Store purchases follow Apple's or Google's process for both. QR payments to S English have no stated refund terms. One US App Store reviewer says Parroto refused a refund; it is a single account, and the developer replied offering help by email.
Privacy declarations[2],[4],[5],[10],[13],[14]The policy says data is not shared with advertisers, yet the App Store label lists identifiers (user ID, device ID) used for tracking and third-party advertising. The policy has no update date, names no AI vendor, gives no retention period for learning data and does not explain how voice is handled during shadowing.The policy (updated 18 October 2026) says voice recordings are deleted within 30 days, data is not sold or used for advertising, and accounts can be deleted in the app. The App Store label says no data is collected, contradicting the policy and the Google Play declaration; the speech-processing provider is not named.
→ Both have store declarations that do not match their policies. S English states how long voice is kept; Parroto's mismatch concerns tracking and advertising.
Ratings and how much is verified[1],[4],[5],[6],[9],[13],[14],[15],[16]4.79/5 from 3,760 ratings on the Vietnamese App Store and 4.87/5 from 193 in the US; on the App Store since 15 September 2025.4.84/5 from 31 ratings on the Vietnamese App Store; the Chrome extension has 4.5/5 from 8 ratings and 2,000 users; Google Play shows 500+ downloads. The homepage claims a 5.0 Chrome Web Store rating and 100,000+ learners. On the App Store since 7 May 2026.
→ The scores are close, but Parroto's rests on far more ratings (3,760 against 31), while S English's self-reported figures run higher than the store numbers.

Prices marked ≈ are converted to USD at the reference rate of Nov 12, 2026 (ExchangeRate-API) so they can be compared. What you pay follows the vendor's price and exchange rate.

Choose Parroto if…

  • IELTS or TOEIC candidates who want mock tests in the same app as their listening and speaking practice
  • Learners who want 1-on-1 voice chat with peers at their level, not only with an AI
  • Learners who want ready-made content by genre (film, news, songs) and accent, from A1 to C2

Choose S English if…

  • Learners who study with YouTube videos and want word lookup and translation in Chrome or Edge
  • Learners who want AI conversation or an AI tutor while practising, or AI writing feedback for IELTS, TOEIC or VSTEP
  • People who want a policy that deletes voice recordings within 30 days and allows in-app account deletion

What they share and where they differ

Parroto (from Parroto Company Limited, on the App Store since September 2025) and S English (from individual developer Dat Nguyen, on the App Store since May 2026) both teach English the same two ways: listen and type back each sentence of a real video, and repeat after native speakers for AI pronunciation feedback. The difference is in what comes with it. Parroto adds IELTS and TOEIC mock tests and voice chat with other learners. S English adds AI conversation, the Sila AI tutor, an English-Vietnamese dictionary and a lookup extension for Chrome and Edge. AppDuo scores both 6.8/10 overall, so pick by the extras you actually need.

Exercises and AI feedback

Parroto offers curated content: film clips, cartoons, TV shows, news, songs, and business and travel English in several accents, for levels A1 to C2; its App Store description says content is added weekly. During shadowing, AI scores pronunciation, intonation and rhythm; vocabulary is reviewed with spaced repetition, alongside vocabulary games and stories retold by level. S English centres on YouTube videos, with spaced-repetition flashcards, progress stats and the Sila AI tutor to ask during practice. Neither app's AI accuracy has been independently evaluated. On the App Store, one Parroto user says the app missed their pronunciation mistakes, while S English reviews include complaints of weak voice recognition and frequent AI errors on the web version.

Prices, free use and refunds

Both are free to download and neither has a pricing page. On the US App Store, Parroto lists weekly $0.99, monthly $2.99 or $4.99, yearly $19.99 or annual $24.99, and lifetime $59.99 or $79.99, but the duplicate names make it hard to tell which tier you are buying. S English sells Premium on the Vietnam App Store at 99,000 VND/month (≈ $3.86/month), 199,000 VND (≈ $7.76)/3 months or 599,000 VND/year (≈ $23.35/year), while its website FAQ quotes QR-code prices of 100,000, 200,000 and 600,000 VND (≈ $23.39). Neither publishes what the in-app free tier covers. On refunds, Parroto's terms set their own rules (within 30 days, for packages unused or used under 7 days); S English leaves refunds to Apple or Google and states no policy for QR payments.

Privacy and how far the numbers hold up

Both have App Store declarations that do not match their own policies. Parroto's label lists identifiers used for tracking and third-party advertising, while its policy says data is not shared with advertisers. S English's label says no data is collected, while its policy and Google Play list several data types. In their favour, S English states voice recordings are deleted within 30 days, and Parroto states chats are deleted after 24 hours and calls are not recorded. On the numbers, Parroto has 3,760 ratings on the Vietnamese App Store; S English has 31, and its homepage figures (a 5.0 Chrome Web Store rating, 100,000+ learners) run higher than the store numbers. AppDuo's records list no breach, penalty or controversy for either app as of 12 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Parroto or S English?

They are hard to compare directly. Parroto's US App Store list has yearly entries at $19.99 and $24.99 plus weekly and lifetime options; S English sells Premium in VND on the Vietnam App Store (599,000 VND/year (≈ $23.35/year), or 199,000 VND (≈ $7.76) for 3 months). Neither has a pricing page, so check the price at checkout.

Which app scores pronunciation more accurately?

No independent evaluation answers this. Parroto says its AI scores pronunciation, intonation and rhythm; S English offers AI pronunciation feedback and AI conversation. On the App Store, one Parroto user says the app missed their mistakes, and S English reviews include complaints of weak voice recognition.

Can I use them on a computer?

Both have a web version. S English also has Chrome and Edge extensions for looking up and translating words on the page you are reading, and one subscription covers both app and extension.

Have either of them had incidents or controversies?

As of 12 November 2026, AppDuo's records list no breach, penalty or controversy for either. The point to note is that both apps' App Store privacy declarations do not match their own policies.

Sources

Numbers in the table refer to these sources, read on the dates shown.

  1. 1.Official homepage · Vendor-provided · Nov 12, 2026
  2. 2.Official privacy policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 12, 2026
  3. 3.Official terms of service · Vendor-provided · Nov 12, 2026
  4. 4.App Store listing (United States) · store · Nov 12, 2026
  5. 5.App Store listing (Vietnam) · store · Nov 12, 2026
  6. 6.iTunes Lookup API (Vietnam) · store · Nov 12, 2026
  7. 7.iTunes Lookup API (United States) · store · Nov 12, 2026
  8. 8.Official authors page · Vendor-provided · Nov 12, 2026
  9. 9.Official homepage (EN) · Vendor-provided · Nov 12, 2026
  10. 10.Official privacy policy · Vendor-provided · Nov 12, 2026
  11. 11.Official terms and conditions · Vendor-provided · Nov 12, 2026
  12. 12.Official About page · Vendor-provided · Nov 12, 2026
  13. 13.App Store listing (Vietnam) · store · Nov 12, 2026
  14. 14.Google Play listing · store · Nov 12, 2026
  15. 15.Chrome Web Store listing · store · Nov 12, 2026
  16. 16.iTunes lookup API (App Store Vietnam) · store · Nov 12, 2026

Prepared by the AppDuo Editorial Team from the sources cited in this article. AI assists with organising and cross-checking data; editorial responsibility remains with AppDuo.

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