Duolingo is still free to download, but the free version keeps getting tighter. On the US App Store, Super Duolingo is $12.99 a month, with yearly plans listed at $83.99 to $95.99. Duolingo Max costs more on top of that.
The biggest reason people look elsewhere is the Energy system. Duolingo began replacing hearts with Energy in 2025. Free users get a daily Energy pool that drains as you answer, and Super members get unlimited Energy. Some accounts still have hearts, since the change rolled out in stages. Either way, free users hit a wall, see ads, and get nudged to pay. Many learners also feel the streaks and leagues reward tapping more than learning.
The good news: plenty of apps teach languages for free, or close to it. This list covers 10 of them. For each one we note the price, the free tier limits, whether it shows ads, whether it works offline and whether you need an account. Every detail comes from the official website, help pages or app store listing. We have not run our own tests.
Last checked: September 26, 2026. Prices are US App Store or official US prices. In-app prices can differ by country and by account.
- Best structured course: Busuu has 14 languages and a free plan with ads. Offline mode is Premium only.
- Best for many languages: Memrise lists 139+ languages with native speaker videos. The free plan is limited and shows ads.
- Best fully free audio course: Language Transfer has no ads, no sign-up and no paid tier.
- Best free with a library card: Mango Languages is free through many public libraries, with 70+ languages and offline downloads.
- Best for real conversation: HelloTalk and Tandem match you with native speakers for free. Translations are capped daily.
- Best for vocabulary: Anki with shared decks is free on desktop and Android. Clozemaster caps free users at 30 sentences a day.
- Watch out: Drops gives free users 5 minutes of learning at a time, and LingQ free only saves 20 words.
All 10 Duolingo alternatives at a glance
Search by app, platform or price.
Tap any name in the table to jump to its full entry below.
| App | Price | One-time vs subscription | Platforms | Ads | Daily limits on free | Works offline | Account needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo (for comparison) | Free, Super $12.99 a month | Subscription | Android, iPhone, iPad, web | Yes | Yes, Energy or hearts | Limited | Yes |
| Busuu | Free, Premium from $6.99 a month in-app | Subscription | Android, iPhone, iPad, web | Yes, before lessons | Some lessons and features locked | Premium only | Yes |
| Memrise | Free, Pro $24.99 a month or $61.99 a year | Subscription or $329.99 lifetime | Android, iPhone, iPad, web | Yes | Limited lessons, videos and conversations | Not stated for free | Yes |
| Drops | Free, Premium from $9.99 | Subscription | Android, iPhone, iPad, web | Yes | 5 minutes, refreshes about every 9 hours | Premium only | Not stated |
| LingQ | Free, Premium $14.99 a month | Subscription | Web, Android, iPhone | Not stated | 20 saved words and 5 imports in total | Premium only | Yes |
| Clozemaster | Free, Pro $8.99 to $12.99 a month | Subscription or lifetime | Web, Android, iPhone | Not stated | 30 sentences a day | Pro only | Yes |
| HelloTalk | Free, VIP $12.99 a month | Subscription | Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1 or later) | Yes | Translation and AI correction capped | No | Yes |
| Tandem | Free, Pro from $14.99 in-app | Subscription | Android, iPhone, iPad, web | Yes | 3 translations, 10 new chats a day | No | Yes |
| Language Transfer | Free | Free (donations) | Web, Android, iPhone | No | No | Yes, in the app | No |
| Mango Languages | Free with a library card, else about $10 a month billed yearly | Free via library or subscription | Web, Android, iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire | No | No | Yes, in the app | Library card |
| Anki | Free, AnkiMobile $24.99 | One-time (iPhone only) | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone, web | No | No | Yes | Only for sync |
Free course apps like Duolingo
Busuu
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Busuu teaches 14 languages, including Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Arabic. Lessons are grouped by level, and the free plan includes core lessons, basic vocabulary and grammar practice, and community feedback from other learners.
Free lessons come with ads. Premium removes them and adds offline mode, grammar and vocabulary review, certificates and specialty courses. Premium Plus adds AI conversations and pronunciation feedback. Busuu is owned by Chegg.
What you lose vs Duolingo: a much smaller language list, and offline learning on the free plan.
- Replaces
- Duolingo course path
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone, iPad, web
- Licence
- Free with ads, optional Premium or Premium Plus
- Skip if
- You need offline lessons without paying
- Price
- Free (Premium from $6.99 a month, yearly from $70 in-app)
Memrise
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Memrise is known for short clips of native speakers saying real phrases. The App Store listing now says it covers 139+ languages, including newer ones like Irish, Latin, Esperanto and Cantonese. It also has AI conversation partners for speaking practice.
The free plan gives limited vocabulary lessons, limited native speaker videos and limited conversations, with ads. Pro unlocks everything. The $329.99 lifetime price is often discounted in the app, so check before you pay monthly.
What you lose vs Duolingo: full lesson access. Memrise's free plan runs out faster.
- Replaces
- Duolingo for vocabulary and listening
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone, iPad, web
- Licence
- Free plan with ads, optional subscription or lifetime
- Skip if
- You want unlimited speaking practice for free
- Price
- Free (Pro $24.99 a month, $61.99 a year or $329.99 lifetime)
Drops
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Drops, from the makers of Kahoot, teaches vocabulary with pictures and swipe games. The App Store listing says it covers 55+ languages, including Hindi, Hebrew, Cantonese and regional dialects.
The free plan is built around a timer. You get a 5-minute session that refreshes about every 9 hours, and the app shows ads. Premium gives unlimited, ad-free time, offline learning and the full word library.
What you lose vs Duolingo: grammar and sentence building. Drops is a word trainer, not a full course.
- Replaces
- Duolingo as a quick daily habit
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone, iPad, web
- Licence
- Free with a time limit and ads, optional Premium
- Skip if
- You want grammar lessons, not just words
- Price
- Free (Premium from $9.99, yearly around $69.99 in-app)
Before you pay for any app, check your public library. Many libraries in the US and Canada give members free access to Mango Languages, and some offer other learning apps too. Students should also look at our list of free apps and deals for students.
Mango Languages
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Mango is a paid course, but many public libraries and schools pay for it so members get full access for free. You search for your library in the app or on the website, then enter your library card number.
It covers 70+ languages. Lessons show a phrase in English and the target language, a native speaker says it, and you record yourself to compare. The mobile apps let you download lessons for offline study, and your progress syncs between devices. There are no ads.
What you lose vs Duolingo: access for everyone. It is only free if your library or school has it.
- Replaces
- Super Duolingo
- Runs on
- Web, Android, iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire
- Licence
- Full access through libraries and schools, or a paid plan
- Skip if
- Your library does not offer Mango
- Price
- Free with a participating library card (individual plan about $10 a month billed yearly)
Language Transfer
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Language Transfer is a set of audio courses where a teacher talks a student through how the language works. You think out loud and build sentences yourself, instead of tapping word tiles. The site says there are no price tags, no adverts and no sign-ups.
The app lets you download tracks for offline listening and keeps your progress. Courses include Complete Spanish, Complete Greek, Complete Swahili and Complete German (in progress), plus introductions to Arabic, Turkish, Italian and French, and English for Spanish speakers.
What you lose vs Duolingo: game features, streaks and a long list of languages.
- Replaces
- Duolingo for understanding grammar
- Runs on
- Web, Android, iPhone
- Licence
- Free, no ads, runs on donations
- Skip if
- You need a language outside its short list
- Price
- Free
Free apps for reading and vocabulary
LingQ
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
LingQ is built around reading and listening to content you like, such as podcasts, articles and videos. You tap unknown words to save them, and the app tracks your vocabulary. It covers 50+ languages on both free and paid plans.
The free plan is tight. LingQ's own comparison says it caps you at 20 saved words and 5 imported lessons in total, with one audio playlist. Premium removes those caps and adds offline access, flashcard quizzes and full sentence translations.
What you lose vs Duolingo: a usable free plan. Treat LingQ free as a test drive.
- Replaces
- Duolingo stories and reading
- Runs on
- Web, Android, iPhone
- Licence
- Free trial-style plan, optional Premium
- Skip if
- You are a total beginner who wants guided lessons
- Price
- Free (Premium $14.99 a month or about $10 a month billed yearly)
Clozemaster
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Clozemaster shows you real sentences with one word missing, and you fill the gap. It is great once you know the basics and want to see words in context. It covers 50+ languages on the web and in the apps.
Free accounts are limited to 30 sentences a day. Pro removes the cap and adds listening practice, sentence search, extra stats and offline downloads on mobile. A lifetime Pro option is also sold.
What you lose vs Duolingo: a beginner path. Clozemaster assumes you already know some of the language.
- Replaces
- Duolingo practice for intermediate learners
- Runs on
- Web, Android, iPhone
- Licence
- Free with a daily cap, optional subscription or lifetime
- Skip if
- You are just starting a language
- Price
- Free (Pro $8.99 to $12.99 a month or $69.99 to $79.99 a year in-app)
Anki with shared decks
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Anki is a flashcard app that shows each card right before you are likely to forget it. It does not teach a language on its own, but the AnkiWeb shared deck library has ready-made decks for dozens of languages. Download one and start reviewing.
Anki is free on Windows, Mac and Linux, and AnkiDroid is free on Android. The iPhone app, AnkiMobile, is a one-time $24.99 with no ads, and the money funds Anki's development. You only need a free AnkiWeb account to sync between devices. If Anki feels too plain, see our list of Anki alternatives.
What you lose vs Duolingo: a guided course and any game elements. You bring the discipline.
- Replaces
- Duolingo vocabulary review
- Runs on
- Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone, web
- Licence
- Open source; iPhone app is a one-time purchase
- Skip if
- You want someone else to plan your lessons
- Price
- Free on desktop, Android and web (AnkiMobile $24.99 one-time)
Free apps to talk with native speakers
HelloTalk
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
HelloTalk matches you with native speakers who want to learn your language. You chat by text or voice, correct each other, post in a public feed and join voice rooms. HelloTalk says exchange chats and posts have no caps on the free plan.
Translation, AI correction and voice-to-text do have daily caps, and the app shows ads. VIP removes the caps and ads and lets you contact more partners a day.
What you lose vs Duolingo: a lesson plan. You need some basics before chats become useful.
- Replaces
- Duolingo speaking practice
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1 or later)
- Licence
- Free with ads and daily tool caps, optional VIP
- Skip if
- You are not ready to chat with strangers
- Price
- Free (VIP $12.99 a month or $79.99 a year in-app)
Tandem
- Android
- iPhone and iPad
Tandem works like HelloTalk. You find native speakers, chat by text, voice notes or video calls, and help correct each other. It lists 300+ languages, including 12 sign languages such as ASL. A web version is available after you register on mobile.
Tandem's own overview says free users get three translations a day, 10 new conversations a day and 60 minutes of group audio rooms a day, with ads. Pro removes the ads and those limits.
What you lose vs Duolingo: structured lessons. Pair Tandem with a course app for grammar.
- Replaces
- Duolingo speaking practice
- Runs on
- Android, iPhone, iPad, web
- Licence
- Free with ads and daily limits, optional Pro
- Skip if
- You want to learn alone
- Price
- Free (Tandem Pro from $14.99 in-app)
Who should still pay for Super Duolingo
Super Duolingo still makes sense for some learners:
- Daily streak fans who run out of Energy or hearts and do not want to stop mid-lesson.
- Families, since one Family plan covers several people and can cost less per person than separate apps.
- People who learn best with games, and would not stick with a plainer app like Anki or Language Transfer.
For everyone else, Busuu, Memrise, Language Transfer, Mango through a library, and HelloTalk or Tandem cover most of the same ground for free.
What is the best free alternative to Duolingo?
How much does Super Duolingo cost?
What is Duolingo Energy?
Which language apps work offline for free?
Is Mango Languages really free?
Are HelloTalk and Tandem free?
Sumit
ContributorHi, I'm Sumit, Being an introvert I have always been obsessed with technology-computers and reading dozens of posts to learn, find answers out of my curiosity. I love to write as I explore more.
