Alternatives to Duolingo
A language-learning app with short game-like lessons, plus courses in subjects such as chess. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Duolingo
A language-learning app with short game-like lessons, plus courses in subjects such as chess.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Duolingo.
Babbel
A subscription language learning app built around structured lessons focused on everyday conversation.
Babbel offers structured conversation-focused lessons with clear progression, but it requires a paid subscription and covers languages only.
Busuu
A language learning app with short expert-made lessons and feedback from native speakers.
Busuu adds corrections from native speakers and pronunciation feedback within short lessons, though full course access requires payment.
Memrise
A language learning app with courses built around spaced repetition and videos of native speakers.
Memrise uses spaced repetition courses with native speaker videos and many rare languages, but it is web only and has no chess or other subjects.
Rosetta Stone
An immersion-based language-learning app with pronunciation feedback, conversation practice and flashcards.
Rosetta Stone is paid beyond the free trial lesson and uses immersion without translation, adding speech recognition feedback and conversation practice.
Drops
A visual, game-like vocabulary trainer for over 55 languages, built around five-minute daily sessions.
Drops is a mobile-only freemium app with five-minute visual sessions in over 55 languages, focusing on vocabulary more than full courses.
Lingvist
A language-learning app that teaches vocabulary with adaptive algorithms and short daily sessions.
Lingvist teaches vocabulary through adaptive placement and review, with more than 50 courses in one subscription, but it does not offer full grammar courses.
Pimsleur
An audio-first language-learning app built around 30-minute spoken lessons for conversational practice.
Pimsleur is a paid audio-first app with 30-minute spoken lessons that work offline and hands-free, covering 51 languages for up to four users.
Speak
A language learning app that uses an AI tutor for spoken conversation practice.
Speak centres on spoken conversation practice with an AI tutor on Android and iOS, covering a limited set of languages with a paid tier for full access.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Duolingo as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Clozemaster
A language-learning game that builds vocabulary through fill-in-the-blank sentences in over 50 languages.
Duolingo is a freemium app on web, Android and iOS with short game-like lessons aimed at beginners, whereas Clozemaster suits learners who already have basics.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
HelloTalk
A language exchange app for chatting with native speakers, with built-in translation and correction tools.
Tandem
A language exchange app that pairs you with native speakers who want to learn your language.
LingQ
A language learning service built around reading and listening to real content such as books and podcasts.
Language Reactor
Browser extension and toolbox for learning languages from native videos on Netflix and YouTube.
Lichess
A free, open-source, ad-free chess server for playing, solving puzzles and studying chess online.
