Language Reactor 2026: Pricing, Features & Linglass Comparison

Language Reactor has been the go-to browser extension for learning languages from video since 2019 — it set the standard for dual subtitles on YouTube and Netflix.

Linglass is a newer alternative that takes a different bet — instead of trying to cover every platform, it goes deeper on the learning loop: pronunciation, phonetics, AI grammar and a built-in spaced repetition system.

We built Linglass, so we're obviously biased. We'll do our best to be honest about where each tool wins.

Quick Comparison

Dual Subtitles on YouTube and Netflix

Both extensions show two subtitle tracks simultaneously — see our full guide to Netflix dual subtitles for how the feature works and the alternatives. This is the core feature that makes video-based language learning work.

Language Reactor has supported YouTube and Netflix since the rebrand from "Language Learning with Netflix" in 2021. Its UI is mature but reviewers describe it as "outdated, like early 2010s" — the player overlay hasn't changed much in years.

Linglass also works on YouTube and Netflix. On Netflix, the two language tracks almost always break subtitles into different chunks — lines start and end at different moments. That's why many extensions show one original line paired with two different translation lines back-to-back, or shift the translation behind the audio. Linglass takes each line in your translation track and locks it to whichever original line it overlaps with the most, time-wise. What you see on top always matches the translation below — nothing slides out of sync over the course of an episode.

Linglass's subtitle display is also more customizable — font size, color, opacity and position are all adjustable.

Winner: essentially a tie on platform coverage — both support YouTube and Netflix. Linglass edges ahead on Netflix sync precision and visual customization.

Word Translation

When you click a word in the subtitles, both extensions show a translation. But the approach is fundamentally different.

Language Reactor uses a built-in dictionary. You get a definition, sometimes with examples. It's fast and reliable for common words. Machine translation (full-sentence translation in the popup) is a Pro-only feature — on the free plan you get dictionary lookups, not contextual translation.

Linglass uses contextual AI translation for every clicked word, on the free plan — it analyzes the full sentence to translate the word based on how it's actually used.

Why does this matter? Many English words change meaning depending on context. A dictionary gives you all possible translations and leaves you to figure out which one fits:

• "kind" in "She's a kind person" → "добрый" (adjective, character trait)
• "kind" in "What kind of music?" → "какой" (type, variety)
• "kind" in "That was kind of weird" → "как бы" (colloquial softener)

A dictionary shows all three meanings every time. Contextual translation shows only the one that applies in the sentence you're watching — which helps build correct associations from the start, rather than memorizing the wrong meaning and having to unlearn it later.

Winner: Linglass — contextual translation is free and resolves polysemy in-sentence.

Pronunciation and Phonetic Transcription

This is where the two extensions diverge significantly.

Language Reactor shows basic phonetic transcription from its dictionary when you click a word. It does not offer audio playback for clicked words — if you want to hear how a word sounds, you need a separate tool.

Linglass plays back every clicked word out loud (text-to-speech) right inside the translation popup. Next to it you also see the phonetic spelling (IPA) — how the word actually sounds, before you even press play. Both the audio and the phonetics are free.

For Chinese specifically, Linglass also splits Chinese text into words (Chinese has no spaces between them) and plays each one back in a native voice — something LR's dictionary approach doesn't address with the same depth.

For learners who care about pronunciation — and you should, accent calcifies fast — hearing the actual sound is a significant advantage over reading transcription alone.

Winner: Linglass — built-in pronunciation for every word, free.

AI Grammar Explanation

Language Reactor doesn't offer structured grammar analysis. You get a dictionary entry, and that's it.

Linglass has AI grammar explanation: pick a subtitle line or select text, and the extension returns a breakdown — the construction's name, its CEFR/JLPT/HSK/TOPIK level, and a clause-by-clause walkthrough of how the sentence is put together. Useful when you can translate every word but can't quite explain why the sentence works. Free plan includes 5 explanations per month; Premium raises this to 200 per day.

Winner: Linglass — LR doesn't offer this at all.

Flashcards and Vocabulary Review

Saving words is easy in both extensions. The real question is what happens after.

Language Reactor lets you save words and export them to Anki. If you already have an Anki workflow, this is convenient. But there's no built-in review system — if you don't use Anki, your saved words just sit in a list. Users on Chrome Web Store frequently describe the Anki export workflow as "clunky".

Linglass has a built-in FSRS — a modern spaced repetition algorithm that Anki itself adopted in 2025. It adapts to how your memory actually behaves with each specific word, and brings the word back for review right when you're about to forget it — not earlier (reviewing too often wastes your time), not later (if you've already forgotten, you're relearning from scratch).

But the biggest difference is what goes into each flashcard. When you save a word in Linglass, the extension captures:

• A screenshot of the video frame — the exact scene where you heard the word
• An audio clip of the phrase — the actual speaker's voice from the subtitle
• The full sentence with your word highlighted
• Translation and phonetic spelling
• A link back to the video with the exact timestamp

When you review later, you don't just see a word and its translation on a blank card. You see the scene, hear the original voice, and read the sentence — your brain reconnects with the moment you first encountered the word. This activates visual and auditory memory together, which significantly improves retention compared to text-only flashcards.

Winner: Linglass — built-in FSRS review with rich-media flashcards is a fundamentally different experience from text-only Anki export.

Where Language Reactor Wins

To be fair, LR has real advantages worth naming:

• CEFR-grouped video catalog. LR ships a curated library of videos sorted by difficulty (A1 / A2 / B1 / B2 / C1). Nothing else in the category does this. If you're a beginner who doesn't know where to start, this is genuinely useful.
• Lexa AI dictionary (Pro) — an enriched dictionary view with deeper definitions and examples than the default popup.
• Brand recognition since 2019. Most "how to learn from video" guides on the internet recommend LR by default. That's not a small thing.

The trade-off: LR's roadmap hasn't been publicly updated since 2022. Pro feels minimal — most users stay on the free plan because the Pro features are easy to live without. Reviews mention recurring "Failed to fetch translations" and "Problem fetching ASR subs" errors that the team is slow to fix.

Language Reactor Pricing and Features in 2026

Language Reactor pricing (2026): the free plan is genuinely generous — dual subtitles, dictionary lookups, and the CEFR-graded video catalog are all free. Pro is $5/month or $28/year (≈ $2.33/month) and adds machine translation, unlimited word/phrase saving, Anki export, and the Lexa AI dictionary. There is no separate "Plus" or higher tier — Pro is the only paid plan.

Linglass pricing (2026): the free tier includes 15 contextual AI translations per day, 50 saved words, audio playback and phonetics on every clicked word forever, plus 5 AI grammar explanations per month. Premium is $4.19/month — it removes the translation and word-count limits and raises grammar to 200 per day.

Comparing free plans: LR is more generous on unlimited dictionary lookups; Linglass is more generous on what's included free (audio playback, phonetics and contextual AI in every popup). Different shapes of "generous" — depends on whether you care more about volume of lookups or quality of each lookup.

Comparing paid plans: Linglass monthly ($4.19) is cheaper than LR monthly ($5). LR annual ($28) is the cheapest path overall if you commit for a year.

Who Should Choose What

Choose Language Reactor if:

• You want a free CEFR-graded video catalog to discover content at your level
• You already have an Anki workflow and don't want to leave it
• You don't care about hearing pronunciation or seeing phonetic spelling
• You want the most established, widely-recommended tool

Choose Linglass if:

• You watch YouTube and Netflix and want stable, drift-free dual subs on both
• You want to hear pronunciation for every word and see the phonetic spelling alongside it
• You want rich flashcards with screenshots and audio clips from the exact video moment
• You want built-in FSRS review without setting up Anki
• You prefer contextual AI translation over dictionary definitions
• You want AI grammar explanation for sentences you can read but don't fully understand
• You're learning Chinese and want proper word splitting, audio playback and phonetic spelling
• You want a more affordable monthly paid plan

Try Linglass free →

The Bottom Line

Language Reactor is the established, widely-known option. Its free plan is genuinely generous, its CEFR catalog is unique, and for many casual learners it's all they need.

Linglass is newer and goes deeper on the learning loop. It doesn't have LR's video catalog or its brand recognition — but it gives you free audio playback and phonetic spelling on every word, contextual AI translation that resolves polysemy, AI grammar explanation, and FSRS-powered flashcards with the screenshot + audio + sentence from the exact moment you saved the word.

Both extensions cover YouTube and Netflix now, and both are free to start with. If you're not sure, install both and see which workflow you actually return to after a week. If you want a wider comparison across the whole category, see our Language Reactor alternatives roundup.