Duolingo alternatives 9 European language apps
For a free alternative, pick Busuu: complete courses are free with an ad before each lesson, and native speakers correct your exercises. Pick Babbel for grammar explained step by step, Lingoda for live classes with a teacher, and Tandem to talk with native speakers for free. Memrise and Lingvist train vocabulary, Promova trains speaking with an AI tutor, and Lingvano teaches sign language.
9 alternatives to Duolingo at a glance
| Name | Best for | Price | Free plan | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busuu | Free courses with native-speaker corrections | Free; Premium €57.99/yr, Premium Plus €69.90/yr | Yes: complete courses and community corrections, a short ad before each lesson | 4.7 on the App Store (101.1K) |
| Babbel | Grammar explained before the exercises | From €8.99/mo on the 12-month plan; Lifetime €299.99 | Partly: the first lesson of every course, up to 80 lessons per language | 4.7 on the App Store (755.2K) |
| Tandem | Talking with native speakers for free | Free; Pro $69.99/yr (US App Store) | Yes: partner search, chats, voice notes and corrections, with ads | 4.6 on the App Store (38.3K) |
| Lingoda | Live classes with a teacher | From €54.99 per 4 weeks for 5 group classes (English) | No, 7-day trial with 3 group classes or 1 private class | 4.8 on the App Store (177) |
| Memrise | Words from native-speaker videos | Free; Pro €69.99/yr, US $61.99/yr | Partly: limited lessons and videos, one speaking session a day, with ads | 4.8 on the App Store (217.2K) |
| Mondly | Many languages with chatbot practice | $15.90/mo or $74.90/yr (US App Store) | Partly: Daily Lessons, the Hello category and one chatbot lesson; 7-day trial | 4.7 on the App Store (33.2K) |
| Promova | Speaking practice with an AI tutor | Free; Premium $19.99/mo or $83.99/yr (US App Store) | Yes: self-learning courses after a short ad, limited AI Tutor calls and role-play | 4.6 on the App Store (62.9K) |
| Lingvist | Most frequent words first | €9.99/mo or €79.99/yr; US App Store $9.99 and $79.99 | No, 14-day trial on the yearly plan | 4.6 on the App Store (3.7K) |
| Lingvano | Sign language from Deaf teachers | ASL $17.99/mo or $119.99/yr (US App Store) | Partly: a few lessons; 7-day trial for Premium | 4.9 on the App Store (118.6K) |
- Free courses with native-speaker corrections
Busuu
🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom · founded 2008Busuu teaches 14 languages in lessons of 3 to 5 minutes on the CEFR scale. Learners send written and spoken exercises to the community, and native speakers correct them. Like Duolingo, it opens complete courses for free with ads.
Pros
- English, French, German and Spanish go up to C1
- Native speakers correct your answers on the free plan
- Premium costs €57.99 a year in the EU
Cons
- 14 languages against Duolingo’s 42
- Live lessons with tutors only on business accounts
- Price
- Free; Premium €57.99/yr, Premium Plus €69.90/yr
- Free plan
- Yes: complete courses and community corrections, a short ad before each lesson
- Rating
- 4.7 on the App Store (101.1K)
- Grammar explained before the exercises
Babbel
🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany · founded 2007Babbel sells a structured course in 14 languages, with lessons of about 15 minutes that explain grammar and check pronunciation. Babbel Live adds online classes with human tutors. Duolingo has no human teachers.
Pros
- Grammar explanations in every course
- Live classes with tutors for every learner
- European Spanish goes up to C1
Cons
- Full courses need a paid plan
- Russian stops at A1, Polish and Turkish at A2
- Price
- From €8.99/mo on the 12-month plan; Lifetime €299.99
- Free plan
- Partly: the first lesson of every course, up to 80 lessons per language
- Rating
- 4.7 on the App Store (755.2K)
- Talking with native speakers for free
Tandem
🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany · founded 2015Tandem pairs you with a native speaker who wants to learn your language. You chat, send voice notes and correct each other’s messages. Duolingo has no exchange with real people.
Pros
- 300 languages to exchange, including 20 sign languages
- Corrections and translation inside the chat
Cons
- New members need Pro for audio and video calls
- Negative reviews mention scammers and flirting
- Price
- Free; Pro $69.99/yr (US App Store)
- Free plan
- Yes: partner search, chats, voice notes and corrections, with ads
- Rating
- 4.6 on the App Store (38.3K)
- Live classes with a teacher
Lingoda
🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany · founded 2012Lingoda is an online school from Berlin. Teachers run 60-minute classes on Zoom around the clock, in groups of 3 to 5 or one to one. It suits learners who want a teacher and fixed class times.
Pros
- English and German go from A1 to C1
- Sprint returns 50% or 100% of the fee if you attend every class
Cons
- Six courses: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Business English
- Languages other than English cost more: 12 German group classes cost €159.99
- Price
- From €54.99 per 4 weeks for 5 group classes (English)
- Free plan
- No, 7-day trial with 3 group classes or 1 private class
- Rating
- 4.8 on the App Store (177)
- Words from native-speaker videos
Memrise
🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom · founded 2010Memrise teaches words and phrases through more than 72,000 videos of native speakers. Spaced review brings each word back after 4 hours, then up to 6 months later. MemBot, an AI partner, runs written and spoken conversations.
Pros
- Native speakers say every word on video
- Practice tests for IELTS, GCSE, A-Level and IB
- Lifetime costs €254.99 once in the EU
Cons
- Free plan has daily limits
- Focus on vocabulary and phrases, less on grammar
- Price
- Free; Pro €69.99/yr, US $61.99/yr
- Free plan
- Partly: limited lessons and videos, one speaking session a day, with ads
- Rating
- 4.8 on the App Store (217.2K)
- Many languages with chatbot practice
Mondly
🇷🇴 Brașov, Romania · founded 2013Mondly teaches 41 languages, close to Duolingo’s 42, and pairs them in 1,320 combinations. A chatbot with speech recognition runs practice conversations. The company comes from Brașov, Romania, and Pearson has owned it since 2022.
Pros
- App interface in 32 languages
- Mondly VR for Meta Quest and Steam
Cons
- Courses stop at B2
- The trial bills automatically, and many complaints are about these charges
- Price
- $15.90/mo or $74.90/yr (US App Store)
- Free plan
- Partly: Daily Lessons, the Hello category and one chatbot lesson; 7-day trial
- Rating
- 4.7 on the App Store (33.2K)
- Speaking practice with an AI tutor
Promova
🇺🇦 Kyiv, Ukraine · founded 2019Promova teaches 13 languages, including ASL, in lessons of 3 to 5 minutes. The AI Tutor runs voice calls of 5 to 10 minutes for levels A1 to C1, and AI Role Play has 80+ scenarios such as job interviews and doctor visits. The company comes from Kyiv.
Pros
- AI voice calls with feedback on pronunciation and grammar
- Free Dyslexia Mode with the Dysfont typeface
Cons
- Live tutoring and the Conversation Club are discontinued
- A weekly plan costs $9.99 in the US App Store
- Price
- Free; Premium $19.99/mo or $83.99/yr (US App Store)
- Free plan
- Yes: self-learning courses after a short ad, limited AI Tutor calls and role-play
- Rating
- 4.6 on the App Store (62.9K)
- Most frequent words first
Lingvist
🇪🇪 Tallinn, Estonia · founded 2013Lingvist ranks words by how often they appear in real texts and teaches the most common ones first. Each card shows a sentence with one word missing. Custom Decks turns any text you upload into a course.
Pros
- One subscription opens 16 courses in 15 languages
- No ads
- Students get 50% off on request
Cons
- No free plan
- Grammar comes only as notes on cards
- Price
- €9.99/mo or €79.99/yr; US App Store $9.99 and $79.99
- Free plan
- No, 14-day trial on the yearly plan
- Rating
- 4.6 on the App Store (3.7K)
- Sign language from Deaf teachers
Lingvano
🇦🇹 Vienna, Austria · founded 2018Lingvano teaches American, British and Austrian Sign Language in video lessons. Deaf native signers record every lesson, and a slow-motion button replays any sign. Live Signing Practice sessions run with Deaf tutors.
Pros
- 600+ interactive lessons in the ASL course
- No ads
Cons
- Three sign languages and no spoken ones
- No lifetime or family plan
- Price
- ASL $17.99/mo or $119.99/yr (US App Store)
- Free plan
- Partly: a few lessons; 7-day trial for Premium
- Rating
- 4.9 on the App Store (118.6K)
What Duolingo costs in 2026
Every Duolingo course is free, with ads and limited energy for lessons. Super Duolingo removes ads, gives unlimited energy and a monthly streak repair, and starts with a 14-day free trial. The US App Store lists Super items at $9.99, $12.99, $83.99, $95.99 and $119.99 and does not label the billing periods. In the German store a year of Super costs €89.99 to €110.99.
Duolingo Max adds Roleplay and Video Call with Lily, an AI character, for English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese. Max works only in the iOS and Android apps, and Duolingo does not publish its price on the web. Duolingo for Business costs $75.09 per seat a year at 500 seats.
Duolingo stays ahead on two points. It teaches 42 languages, more than any app on this list except Tandem’s exchange. Its free plan opens whole courses, which only Busuu matches here.
Which app is better than Duolingo, by goal
For grammar and a clear course, Babbel and Busuu explain rules and follow CEFR levels up to C1. Busuu is free, Babbel charges after the first lesson.
For speaking, Tandem connects you with native speakers, Lingoda puts you in a class with a teacher, and Promova runs voice calls with an AI tutor. Duolingo Max offers AI calls in six courses only.
For vocabulary, Memrise plays every word in a native-speaker video, and Lingvist sorts words by frequency. For sign language, Lingvano teaches ASL, BSL and ÖGS with Deaf teachers.
How we picked
Every app on the list comes from a company founded in Europe and teaches languages to individual learners. Some now have owners outside the EU: Chegg (US) owns Busuu, Pearson (UK) owns Mondly, and US parent companies hold Memrise and Lingvist. Prices and plans come from the companies’ pages and the App Store, checked in October 2026, and from the profiles in this catalog.
More on the EdTech map
Comparisons
- Busuu vs Duolingo
- Babbel vs Duolingo
- Memrise vs Duolingo
- Mondly vs Duolingo
- Babbel vs Busuu
- Babbel vs Rosetta Stone
- Babbel vs Pimsleur
- Tandem vs HelloTalk
Other lists
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- Best app to learn German
- Best app to learn English
- Best app to learn Spanish
- Best app to learn Italian
- Best app to learn Portuguese
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Categories
Sources, checked on 7 October 2026
- Duolingo on the US App Store
- Duolingo App Store lookup, US
- Duolingo on the German App Store
- Duolingo courses
- Duolingo Help Center: Super, Max, refunds
- Super Duolingo
- Duolingo for Business
- Busuu Premium plans
- Busuu help center
- babbel.com/prices
- Babbel help center: languages and levels
- Tandem FAQ
- Tandem on the US App Store
- lingoda.com/pricing
- Lingoda Sprint prices
- Lingoda FAQ
- Memrise plans
- Memrise FAQ
- Mondly free vs Premium
- Mondly on the US App Store
- Pearson press release on Mondly
- Promova FAQ
- Promova FAQ: tutoring discontinued
- Promova on the US App Store
- lingvist.com/pricing
- Lingvist on the US App Store
- Lingvano help centre: cost
- Lingvano on the US App Store
Duolingo alternatives: FAQ
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