🇮🇹 Italian · checked 21 October 2026
Best apps to learn Italian by reading (2026)
5 apps whose own sites list Italian, and what each is good for.
At a glance
| App | Type | Italian | Audio | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReadNative (ours) | Graded books | Yes — 3 books | No narration for Italian | Free first book | Beginners who want whole stories from A1 |
| LingQ | Library + import | Yes | Yes | Yes | importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio |
| Beelinguapp | Curated library | Yes | Yes | Yes | side-by-side translation and audiobooks |
| Readlang | Read anything (web, uploads) | Yes | Voices for words and phrases | Yes | reading real web pages with click-to-translate and flashcards |
| Clozemaster | Sentence drills | Yes (depends on your base language) | — | Yes | fill-in-the-blank vocabulary drills (not a reading app) |
The apps
ReadNative (ours)
Graded retellings of real stories that start at absolute beginner and get harder chapter by chapter. Tap a word for an English gloss, tap a sentence for its translation; words you meet are counted automatically. Italian books:
- The Adventures of Pinocchio (Pinocchio) — A1–B1, 44 chapters, free
- The Tales of Giufà (Le storie di Giufà) — A1–A2, 16 chapters, Pro
- From the Apennines to the Andes (Dagli Appennini alle Ande) — A2–B1, 18 chapters, Pro
Try it: the first lines of The Adventures of Pinocchio
C’è una piccola città in Italia.
There is a little town in Italy.
Nella città c’è un falegname.
In the town there is a carpenter.
Il falegname si chiama Mastro Ciliegia.
The carpenter is called Master Cherry.
Ha il naso rosso, come una ciliegia.
He has a red nose, like a cherry.
Nella bottega ci sono molti pezzi di legno.
In the workshop there are many pieces of wood.
Mastro Ciliegia vuole fare una gamba di tavolo.
Master Cherry wants to make a table leg.
| Italian | Gloss in the reader |
|---|---|
| C’è | there is |
| una | a |
| piccola | little |
| città | town |
| in | in |
| Italia | Italy |
| Nella | in the |
| un | a |
| falegname | carpenter |
| Il | the |
| si | himself |
| chiama | calls ('si chiama' = is called) |
| Mastro | Master |
| Ciliegia | Cherry |
Read the whole of chapter 1 free →
Strong at: whole stories written for beginners. Weaker at: variety beyond its 3 Italian books; no narration in Italian. Price model: first book free; Pro unlocks the rest and EPUB imports.
Your Italian reading path in ReadNative
The Adventures of Pinocchio Pinocchio: ch. 1–15 ≈A1 (from Capitolo 1: Il pezzo di legno — Chapter 1: The Piece of Wood); ch. 16–30 ≈A2 (from Capitolo 16: La medicina amara — Chapter 16: The Bitter Medicine); ch. 31–44 ≈B1 (from Capitolo 31: Lucignolo — Chapter 31: Lucignolo).
The Tales of Giufà Le storie di Giufà: ch. 1–8 ≈A1 (from Capitolo 1: La porta di Giufà — Chapter 1: Giufà's Door); ch. 9–16 ≈A2 (from Capitolo 9: Il giudice — Chapter 9: The Judge).
From the Apennines to the Andes Dagli Appennini alle Ande: ch. 1–9 ≈A2 (from Capitolo 1: Nessuna lettera — Chapter 1: No Letter); ch. 10–18 ≈B1 (from Capitolo 10: La Stella d’Italia — Chapter 10: The Star of Italy).
Other apps that list Italian
LingQ — importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio. Italian is listed (lingq.com/en/learn-italian-online). ReadNative vs LingQ →
Beelinguapp — side-by-side translation and audiobooks. Italian is listed (beelinguapp.com). ReadNative vs Beelinguapp →
Readlang — reading real web pages with click-to-translate and flashcards. Italian is listed (readlang.com). ReadNative vs Readlang →
Not a reading app, but useful alongside
Clozemaster — fill-in-the-blank vocabulary drills (not a reading app). Italian is listed (clozemaster.com). ReadNative vs Clozemaster →
What matters in a Italian reading app
Italian is phonetic and close to Spanish and French in vocabulary, so early reading moves fast. The useful help is controlled grammar — articles that merge with prepositions, pronoun combinations, several past tenses — and stories long enough to build momentum.
Questions
What is the best app to learn Italian by reading?
It depends on your level and what you want to read. For a complete beginner who wants a story written for their level, ReadNative’s The Adventures of Pinocchio starts at A1 and is free. To import and read your own Italian content with audio, LingQ supports Italian. If audio on everything matters most, look at LingQ, Beelinguapp.
Is there a free app to read Italian?
Yes: The Adventures of Pinocchio is free in ReadNative and readable here in your browser (46 chapters online); LingQ, Beelinguapp, Readlang, Clozemaster also start free.
Is Pinocchio too old-fashioned to learn from?
The original is 19th-century prose. A graded retelling keeps the story and characters but uses modern, simple Italian, so you learn the language you will actually meet.
Sources
Every statement about another app on this page comes from that app’s own website, checked on 21 October 2026. Features and plans change; check their sites for the latest.
- LingQ: lingq.com/en · lingq.com/en/learn-georgian-online
- Beelinguapp: beelinguapp.com
- Readlang: readlang.com · readlang.com/features
- Clozemaster: clozemaster.com
ReadNative facts: about ReadNative and the book catalog. We make ReadNative.
More Italian: learn Italian by reading · Italian graded readers · Italian short stories · how long it takes to learn Italian