When comparing HelloTalk vs Readlang, the Slant community recommends Readlang for most people. In the question“What are the best sites for learning foreign languages?” Readlang is ranked 4th while HelloTalk is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Readlang is:
You can read any content in your target language using the browser extension, and translate any words/sentences you don't know quickly.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Very large, active community
The community is very large, meaning you'll never have a problem finding someone to chat with.
Pro Text, Voice, and Video
Chat with language partners via text, voice recordings, voice calls, video calls, and even doodles.
Pro Free
The app is free to use. There are some in-app purchases, but the app is very helpful without them.
Pro Grammar correction
It allows users and native speakers to correct each other's grammar mistakes.
Pro Allows you to share "memories" with the whole community
"Memories" act similar to a Twitter feed. You can post pictures, ask questions, or let the community know what kind of chat partner you are looking for (for example: maybe you want to discuss a specific topic with someone).
You can "love", and comment on memories.
Pro The interface is very intuitive/easy to use
Despite being feature-rich, the app is very easy to use. It provides a tutorial which you can revisit at any time if you can't remember what certain icons are.
It has a very clean, uncluttered design.
Pro Translates native content quickly
You can read any content in your target language using the browser extension, and translate any words/sentences you don't know quickly.
Pro Creates flashcards from words you don't know
Readlang takes the words you translate most often and turns them into flashcards for you to practice.
Pro You can import long texts, including whole books
This is impossible or very annoying with other similar services.
Cons
Con chinese company with lacking privacy rules
Con The number of messages can get overwhelming
Because it is such an active community, you may find yourself getting 20+ messages an hour when you are online. It can quickly get overwhelming. However, there is a setting that allows you to hide your profile from search.
Con Keyboard can't be used in landscape
The app doesn't let you rotate to landscape, instead you're stuck with portrait. Using the condensed keyboard when writing long messages can be a pain for some.
Con Free version has restricted search
On the free version, it won't let you change the language of the people you can search, though you can still access the profiles of other language speakers. For example, if they comment on a memory you made a comment on, you can access their profile through that. Even if you can still send them friend requests and chat with them, being able to just search for them would've been so much easier.
Con Not a good way to learn a language by itself
It's not your standard learning website with structured courses. Instead, it helps you get more familiar with your target language by translating content when needed.
This can be really beneficial for someone trying to improve their fluency, but isn't going to directly teach you grammar. Readlang is better used to supplement your learning while learning from structured courses.