Terms of Use
Last updated: September 2, 2026
These terms cover the Cognate app for iPhone and Apple Watch and the website getcognate.app. Both are made by Tanzi Labs LLC, Wyoming, United States (“Tanzi Labs”, “we”). By installing the app or using the site you agree to them.
Apple's standard EULA
Cognate is distributed through the App Store and licensed to you, not sold, under Apple's Licensed Application End User License Agreement: apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula.
That agreement is between you and Tanzi Labs; Apple is a third-party beneficiary of it. The sections below add to it. If the two conflict, Apple's agreement governs the app and these terms govern everything else.
Apple's role
Apple requires these points for every app sold through the App Store:
- The license is between you and Tanzi Labs. Apple is not a party to it and has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for Cognate; ours is at getcognate.app/support and [email protected].
- If the app fails to conform to a warranty that applies to it, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price. Beyond that refund, Apple has no warranty obligation for the app.
- Tanzi Labs alone is responsible for product claims, for the app's compliance with applicable law, and for any claim that the app infringes a third party's intellectual property. Apple carries no responsibility for them.
- You confirm that you are not located in a country subject to a US Government embargo, and that you are not on any US list of prohibited or restricted parties.
- Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these terms and may enforce them against you.
Free tier and Cognate Pro
The free tier is a complete product: one language, 50 words in study, the widget, the whole dictionary and search. Cognate Pro removes the limits: every language, unlimited words, and on-device intelligence. Nothing you learned on the free tier is taken back if a subscription lapses.
Subscriptions
Cognate Pro is available as an auto-renewing subscription or as a one-time purchase. Prices shown here are in US dollars; the App Store shows the price for your country before you buy, and it may differ.
| plan | price | notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly | $29.99 per year | 14-day free trial for new subscribers |
| Monthly | $4.99 per month | |
| Lifetime | $79.99 once | one payment, no renewal |
- Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase, or when a free trial ends.
- A subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Renewal is charged within the 24 hours before the period ends, at the price shown in the App Store at that time.
- You can manage or cancel a subscription in Settings › Apple Account › Subscriptions. Canceling stops the next renewal; the current period runs to its end.
- The free trial is for Apple Accounts that have not subscribed to Cognate Pro before. Any unused part of a trial is forfeited when you buy a plan during the trial.
- Lifetime is a single payment that opens Cognate Pro on your Apple Account for as long as Cognate is offered on the App Store. It does not renew.
- All three plans support Family Sharing.
- Purchases can be restored on a new device from the Cognate Pro screen in the app. Restoring uses your Apple Account and needs no login with us.
Refunds
Purchases are made through Apple, and refunds are decided by Apple under its rules. Request one at reportaproblem.apple.com. We cannot issue refunds ourselves, because we never receive your payment details.
Dictionary content
The dictionaries in Cognate are derived from open sources under their licenses, mainly Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Among those sources are Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), Tatoeba, FrequencyWords, Lingua Libre, JMdict and the Diorisis corpus. Cognate extracts, filters and reformats this data; card definitions are shortened from the originals.
The dictionaries are derived works, and the full list of sources and licenses is in the app under Sources. You may reuse dictionary content under the same licenses. The app's software, design, name and icon belong to Tanzi Labs.
Your words and your data
Everything you build in Cognate — words, answers, your measured vocabulary — stays on your device and, if you are signed in to iCloud, in your own private iCloud database. We never receive it. How the app handles information is described in the privacy policy.
What the numbers mean
Cognate's vocabulary estimate is a statistical estimate from your answers. It is a range that sharpens as you study, and it is not a certified test result. It must not be relied on as proof of proficiency for an exam, a job or a visa.
Acceptable use
Do not interfere with the dictionary download service, attempt to extract purchase entitlements, or misrepresent the app or its content as your own. The dictionary data may be shared under its open licenses; the software may not be redistributed.
No warranty and limitation of liability
To the extent permitted by law, the app and the website are provided as they are, without warranty of any kind. To the same extent, Tanzi Labs is not liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from their use. Nothing here limits rights you have as a consumer under the law of the country where you live.
Changes
We may update these terms. A material change appears on this page with a new “last updated” date, and continued use after that date means you accept it.
Governing law and contact
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming, United States, where Tanzi Labs LLC is formed, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.
Consumer law in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Türkiye or elsewhere may give you rights that cannot be waived. Those rights are unaffected, including the right to bring a claim where you live. Before any formal step, write to us first; most problems are solved in one exchange.
Questions: [email protected]