The best Duolingo alternatives in 2026

Babbel is the best Duolingo alternative for most learners: where Duolingo is a free game with streaks, Babbel is a paid course written for speakers of your native language, with grammar explained inside each lesson and plans from $17.99 for one month on the US App Store in November 2026. The best free alternative is HelloTalk, which lets you chat with native speakers at no cost, something Duolingo's exercises cannot give you. If speaking is what Duolingo left you missing, Speak and Praktika put a microphone at the center of every lesson.

Quick answer

• Best overall alternative: Babbel. A structured course with grammar notes and lessons built for your native language, instead of a game.
• Best for native speaker feedback: Busuu. A course plus a community of native speakers who correct your exercises.
• Best for speaking out loud: Speak. Every lesson is spoken, with an AI tutor commenting on pronunciation and grammar.
• Best for screen-free learning: Pimsleur. 30-minute audio lessons you answer out loud, hands-free, in 50+ languages.
• Best AI tutor: Praktika. Open conversations with animated AI tutors that correct you in real time, in 13 languages.
• Best for Japanese and Korean: LingoDeer. Duolingo-like lessons with more grammar notes and character tracing for Asian scripts.
• Best low-cost alternative: Airlearn. A Duolingo-style app that teaches the rule before the quiz, with plans from $4.99.
• Best with human tutors: Preply. One-on-one video lessons with a real teacher in 90+ languages.
• Best free alternative: HelloTalk. Free chat, voice rooms and livestreams with native speakers of 260+ languages.

Comparison table

How to choose a Duolingo alternative

Duolingo is not a bad app. It has 5.6 million ratings averaging 4.7, its description says every course is free, and it covers 40+ languages. People look elsewhere for specific reasons: the free version has ads and an energy limit, Super Duolingo is listed at $9.99 to $119.99 on the US App Store, the privacy label declares 8 data types used to track you, and its exercises are short, so some learners want more grammar explanation or open conversation. Pick the alternative that fixes your reason.

• If you want to understand the grammar, switch to Babbel or, for Asian languages, LingoDeer. Both explain rules inside lessons.
• If you can read but cannot speak, use Speak for guided speaking drills or Praktika for open conversation with an AI tutor.
• If you want corrections from real people, Busuu adds community feedback to a course, and Preply gives you a paid human tutor.
• If you want something that feels like Duolingo but costs less to unlock, try Airlearn, whose plans start at $4.99.
• If you are tired of looking at a screen, Pimsleur's audio lessons work while you drive, walk or cook.
• If you want to keep paying nothing, keep Duolingo for the daily habit and add HelloTalk for free conversation practice.

Babbel: Best overall alternative

What it does differently: Babbel is a course, not a game. Its description says lessons are built by language experts for speakers of your native language, so an English speaker learning Spanish gets different lessons than a French speaker. Grammar is explained in context when it comes up, and speech recognition plus Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner marked beta, add speaking practice. The screenshots show a "listen, then say it out loud" exercise and a start screen that also advertises live online classes, podcasts and games.

There is no free course like Duolingo's. The description offers one free lesson; full courses need a subscription. On the US App Store in November 2026, single-language items such as "Spanish 1 month" are $17.99, 3-month plans $45.99, and an All Languages 12-month plan $107.99.

Better than Duolingo for: grammar, a clear course order, choosing Latin American or Spain Spanish and American or British English.

Limits: 14 languages against Duolingo's 40+; nothing substantial for free; tracking declared for purchases, identifiers and usage data.

Busuu: Best for native speaker feedback

What it does differently: Busuu pairs expert-written lessons with feedback and tips from a community of native speakers, and you can help learners of your own language in return. The description also lists a personalized Study Plan with reminders, a Smart Review that stores the grammar and words you met, video flashcards with real people and official Busuu certificates. The screenshots show a video exercise asking whether "¡Buenos días!" is said in the morning.

The description says many features are free and a subscription unlocks all of them. On the US App Store in November 2026, monthly items are listed at $6.99, $9.99 and $23.49, and 12-month items from $70.00 to $139.99, including Premium Plus.

Better than Duolingo for: human corrections and a study schedule that tells you when to learn.

Limits: 14 languages; requires iOS 18.0, the newest requirement on this page; the privacy label links location and purchases to you; rated 13+.

Speak: Best for speaking out loud

What it does differently: Where Duolingo spreads practice across reading, writing, listening and speaking, Speak makes you talk in nearly every step. The description describes learning phrases with a teacher, repeating them until they come without thinking, then practicing with an AI tutor that gives feedback on pronunciation, grammar and fluency. The screenshots show a "Speak now" prompt over a sentence to complete in Spanish.

Courses cover a short list of languages, including Spanish, English, French, Italian, Japanese and Korean. On the US App Store in November 2026, the price list shows Monthly Premium at $17.99, Annual Premium at $83.99, and Premium Plus at $39.99 (monthly) and $164.99 (annual). The listing does not say how much you can do for free.

Better than Duolingo for: getting over the fear of speaking and building automatic phrases.

Limits: far fewer languages; a subscription is needed for real use; tracking declared for contact info, identifiers and usage data; rated 13+.

Pimsleur: Best for screen-free learning

What it does differently: Pimsleur replaces taps with your voice and your ears. Each core lesson is a 30-minute audio conversation that prompts you to answer out loud, so it works offline and hands-free in the car. Duolingo lessons last a few minutes; Pimsleur asks for one longer block a day. The app adds reading, flashcards and quick-match games, and the listing and release notes say an AI conversation coach now exists for Spanish and Japanese.

The course list is long, over 50 languages including European and Brazilian Portuguese, Latin American and Castilian Spanish, and rare ones such as Ojibwe and Twi. On the US App Store in November 2026, single-language Premium items are $19.99, All Access $20.99, and annual All Access $131.99 or $164.99. A first lesson is free.

Better than Duolingo for: pronunciation, listening and learning while doing something else.

Limits: little written grammar; 30 minutes is a real commitment; the privacy label lists five data types used to track you, including location.

Praktika: Best AI tutor

What it does differently: Praktika is built around open conversation with animated AI tutors, each with a personality and an accent (American, British, Latin American and more, according to the description). The tutor explains things in your native language and corrects you as you go; one screenshot shows a tutor turning "I'm bad to speak English" into "I'm bad at speaking English". You can also upload photos, PDFs or a resume and turn them into a lesson, and the description lists 1,000+ lessons, including IELTS and TOEFL prep.

It covers 13 languages, with both European and Brazilian Portuguese. The in-app purchase list on the US App Store in November 2026 shows single scenario lessons at $1.99 each (a job interview, a doctor visit, renting a car) and a Premium 3-month promo at $19.99. The listing says the app is free to download but does not say what the free tier includes.

Better than Duolingo for: free-form speaking about topics you choose.

Limits: requires iOS 18.0; AI feedback is not a human teacher; the price list does not show the regular Premium price.

LingoDeer: Best for Japanese and Korean

What it does differently: LingoDeer looks like Duolingo at first glance, with short lessons and gems, but its description stresses teacher-made courses with grammar tips inside lessons and studio-recorded native audio. Recent release notes add "Tell Me Why" mistake explanations. For Asian languages it goes further: the screenshots show hiragana line tracing and a Korean speaking exercise with a score, and a Character Drill covers kanji and Chinese characters. Lessons work offline.

The 20 courses include Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Thai, Vietnamese, Spanish (Latin American or European) and Brazilian Portuguese. The description says subscriptions start at $14.99 per month; the price list also shows $95.99 (annual pass) and lifetime passes from $119.99 to $299.99 on the US App Store in November 2026.

Better than Duolingo for: learning a new writing system with grammar explained.

Limits: full access needs a subscription; its "Fluent" conversation mode exists for only five languages; 28,100 ratings, far fewer than Duolingo.

Airlearn: Best low-cost alternative

What it does differently: Airlearn keeps Duolingo's weekly leagues, XP and streaks but changes the order of things. Its description calls the approach "learn first, practice next": short slides teach the grammar, vocabulary and cultural context, then quizzes test it. It also promises a clean screen without "overblown gamification" and uses spaced repetition for review. The screenshots show a Spanish course set to an advanced level and a course list that, like Duolingo, now includes chess.

Plans are the cheapest among the paid courses here: $4.99 monthly with a 7-day trial, $24.99 for 6 months, $39.99 or $79.99 yearly, and a family plan at $49.99 on the US App Store in November 2026. The description says you can start free.

Better than Duolingo for: getting the rule explained before you are tested on it, at a lower subscription price.

Limits: released in April 2024; the headline says 40+ languages but the description details 12; the listing does not say what stays free; rated 13+.

Preply: Best with human tutors

What it does differently: Preply is not a self-study app at all. It connects you with human tutors for live one-on-one video lessons in 90+ languages, filtered by price, ratings, availability or specialty. A tutor adapts each lesson to your goals, whether travel, work or an exam, and can correct you directly. The screenshots show a video call between a learner and a tutor.

The app is free and lists no in-app purchases; tutors set their own prices and the listing does not give a range.

Better than Duolingo for: real conversation, accountability and personal correction.

Limits: you pay per lesson, so cost grows with practice; you need to schedule sessions; the privacy label lists four data types used to track you.

HelloTalk: Best free alternative

What it does differently: HelloTalk replaces exercises with people. You chat with native speakers who want to learn your language, and the app adds translation, transliteration, captions and grammar help inside the chat. Voicerooms, livestreams with hosts and a social feed called Moments add group practice. The screenshots show a chat list with Translate and "AI Grammar" shortcuts.

The description says practicing with native speakers is free. VIP Membership is listed at $12.99 (monthly) and $79.99 (yearly), and HT Coins from $0.29 to $149.99 on the US App Store in November 2026.

Better than Duolingo for: real, unscripted conversation at no cost.

Limits: no structured course, so it complements rather than replaces a course; partner quality varies; rated 13+.

What we left out

• Memrise: a strong video-based course, but its free plan is limited and its monthly plan is listed at $24.99; see our guide to apps for learning languages.
• Rosetta Stone Classic: its listing says the app is only open to current Classic subscribers and enterprise or education users.
• Mondly: a gamified course close to Duolingo, but its description says 41 languages while a screenshot says 33, and a subscription is needed for all courses.

Frequently asked questions

What app is better than Duolingo?

It depends on what you miss. Babbel is better for grammar and structure, Speak and Praktika for speaking, Pimsleur for listening and pronunciation, and Preply for human feedback. None of them is free in the way Duolingo is.

Is there a free alternative to Duolingo?

HelloTalk is free for chatting with native speakers, and Busuu says many of its features are free. For a full free course, Duolingo itself remains the most complete option, so you can keep it and add a free conversation app.

Is Babbel better than Duolingo?

Babbel is better if you want grammar explained and lessons written for your native language, and you are willing to pay; single-language plans start at $17.99 for one month on the US App Store in November 2026. Duolingo is better if you want a free daily habit in more languages.

Which Duolingo alternative is best for speaking?

Speak if you want guided drills with AI feedback on every answer, Praktika if you want open conversations with an AI tutor, and Pimsleur if you want to practice by ear without a screen. Preply is the option with a human on the other side.

Can I use Duolingo and another app at the same time?

Yes, and the apps here are often more useful as a second app. One useful split is Duolingo for vocabulary and habit, plus one app for what it lacks: Babbel for grammar, HelloTalk for conversation, or Pimsleur for listening. For Spanish-specific picks, see apps to learn Spanish.