Duolingo Alternatives: 10 Best Apps to Learn a Language at Your Own Pace

Duolingo is the most popular platform for learning a new language. It offers courses and content related to 30+ languages, including the most popular languages such as Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Italian.

It provides a gamified approach to language learning, making it fun and engaging for users. It also offers listening exercises, speaking practice, reading comprehension, and writing exercises to develop language skills.

It is the perfect platform for those who want to learn a new language for free. It also offers a premium version for advanced learners. Its courses effectively teach reading, listening, and speaking skills. Its Bit-sized lessons and gamification learning technique help you to learn the new language quickly.

Why should you consider a Duolingo Alternative?

Duolingo is best for those who are:

• Students who want to learn basic language skills for free.
• Best for reading, listening, and speaking skills.
• Learners who are interested in gamification learning techniques.
• Best free platform for School teachers.

It is less suited to those who are:

• Learners who are interested in Live classes.
• Students who want to improve their writing skills.
• Not good for more Advanced learners.
• Learners who want to become fluent quickly.

Duolingo Alternative & Competitors

There are many alternatives to this platform. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Memrise, Busuu, Babbel, Rosetta Stone, and LingoDeer are popular alternatives to Duolingo. Memrise uses mnemonics, humor, and games to teach vocabulary and grammar, while Busuu offers interactive lessons, quizzes, and social networking. Babbel focuses on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, while Rosetta Stone uses multimedia content for an immersive experience. LingoDeer focuses on learning Chinese characters through interactive lessons, quizzes, and games.

1. LingQ

LingQ is the best online language-learning platform that offers a huge course library related to 40+ languages, including the most popular languages, such as English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese.

Its Spaced Repetition System is an excellent feature for memorizing the most difficult or most popular words. You can manage your content and track everything you do. It has a large community of learners for Meaningful communication in your new language. 

PROS

• Offers huge course library related to 40+ languages
• It offers a Spaced Repetition System for practice.
• It offers thousands of words for practice
• Get auto-generated audio for imported lessons.
• The best platform to improve vocabulary skills.
• You can import their communications privately.
• Effective combination of reading and listening.

CONS

• Less common languages don’t have much content
• Not good for writing skills.

LingQ premium plan offers monthly and annual plans. Its monthly cost is $12.99, the 6-month cost is $71.94 ($11.99 per month), the annual cost is $107.88 ($8.99 per month), and the 24-month cost is $191.76 ( $7.99 per month).

Learn more About LingQ.

2. Mango Languages

Mango Languages is the best app to learn a language. It offers content related to 70+ languages. This platform offers a huge library of listening and reading activities so that you can make sense of written and spoken contexts.

This platform offers a huge library of listening and reading activities so that you can make sense of written and spoken contexts. If you want to improve your language skills to become fluent from the beginning, this is the best platform to get started.

PROS

• It offers content related to 70+ languages.
• It offers a library of listening and reading activities.
• It also offers a conversation-based methodology.
• Best app for grammar and pronunciation skills.
• It offers high-quality native speaker recordings.
• It offers live lessons related to all languages.
• It is the best app for Businesses and Schools.

CONS

• Not very useful for advanced learners
• Less popular languages have less content.

Mango Languages offers 3 subscription plans (Single Language, All Languages, and Enterprise plan). Its signal language monthly cost is $7.99 per month ($79.99 annually). Its All Languages access plan cost is $17.99 per month ($179.99 annually).

Learn More About Mango Languages.

3. Rocket Languages

Rocket Languages offers content to learn 14 languages, such as French, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Portuguese, and English.

You will get the complete knowledge you need to understand the language and the culture like a local. If you want to improve your pronunciation skills, this is the best app to start.

PROS

• It offers content to learn 14 languages.
• Learn the language and the culture like a local.
•  It also offers a free version.
• Practice and review words effectively
• It also offers a one-Time Payment plan.
• Its courses are divided into 3 levels.

CONS

• The courses use a lot of English
• No speech recognition technology

If you are interested in the languages such as Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish, then level 1 cost is $149.95, levels 1& 2 costs$299.90, and Levels 1, 2 & 3 cost $449.95.

Learn More About Rocket Languages.

4. FluentU

Fluentu is the best language-learning platform that offers 20000+ videos, music videos, and movie scenes to learn the new language with interactive captions.

Fluentu is the perfect platform for those who want to learn a new language quickly in a fun way. It offers video and movie clips to learn a language. Its videos are categorized into 6 difficulty levels, from ‘Beginner 1’ to ‘Advanced 2’.

PROS

• Offers content related to 10+ languages.
• It also offers 14-day free access to all content.
• Offers 20000+ videos and movie scenes to learn a language.
• All captions are subtitled and translated.
• Its content comes with transcription & translation.
• The best app to improve your comprehension skills.

CONS

• Not good for an absolute beginner or advanced.
• Not good for practice.
• The monthly Price is high.

Learn More About FluentU

5. Busuu

Busuu is the best language learning platform that offers courses and content to learn 14+ languages, such as English, Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Korean, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Turkish, Portuguese, Dutch, and Polish.

It is the perfect platform for those who want to learn a new language quickly because you will get regularly updated content, video flashcards with real people, and helpful cultural insights.

PROS

• It offers content to learn 14+ languages.
• Native speakers teach all language courses.
• It offers an interactive community for practice.
• It offers a smart technology review section.
• It offers Live Lessons through certified teachers.
• It is the best platform for Businesses and institutes.
• 500+ global organizations trust Busuu.

CONS

• The language certificates (A1-B2) aren’t official
• Quality varies between languages.
• No Lifetime access plan like others.

Busuu offers 3 subscription plans. Its monthly cost is $13.95 per month. Its 6-month cost is $50.70 ($8.45 per month). If you join the annual plan, then you will get a 50% discount. Its annual plan cost with a discount is $41.70 (original price $83.40).

Learn More About Busuu.

6. Mondly

Mondly is the best language learning platform because it offers courses and content related to 41+ languages, including the most popular languages, such as English, Spanish, French, and German. Language experts design its courses. 

It offers virtual reality (VR) lessons where users can practice their language skills in simulated real-life scenarios. It also offers gamified lessons for kids to keep them engaged in the learning process.

PROS

• Offers content related to 41+ languages.
• It offers 50+ topics for each language.
• Best for pronunciation and speaking skills.
• It follows the CEFR principles in the lectures.
• Learn through certified tutors.
• Provide practices for real-life conversations.
• Get instant feedback on your pronunciation.

CONS

• No writing practice
• Not suitable for advanced learners.
• It doesn’t have a lot of grammar help
• Sometimes feels repetitive

Mondly offers 3 subscription plans (Monthly, Annual, and Lifetime plan). Its monthly cost is $9.99, and its annual cost is $47.99 with one language access.

Learn More about Mondly.

7. Lingopie

Lingopie is the best language learning platform that offers content and shows related to 9 languages, such as Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and English.

It uses real TV shows and movies to learn a new language. Every word, phrase, or slang is clickable to give you an instant translation in real-time to improve your vocabulary skills.

PROS

• Offers TV Shows related to 9 languages.
• It also offers built-in flashcards.
• Best for vocabulary, listening, and reading skills.
• All videos come with dual interactive subtitles.
• It is suitable for all level learners.
• Learn from Netflix TV shows.
• Its lifetime subscription cost is $199

CONS

• Not suitable for Advanced learners.
• Covers limited Languages.
• No good refund policy.

Lingopie offers different payment plans (Monthly, Yearly, and Lifetime). Its 3-month plan cost is $36 ($12 per month) with one language access. Lingopie annual cost is $71.88 ($5.99 per month) with all language access.

Learn More About Lingopie.

8. Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is the best platform to learn a new language. It offers courses & Lessons related to 25+ languages. It is an excellent resource for building a strong foundation in the language.

It offers audio and images to teach you words and phrases. It also offers live coaching with a native speaker and provides immediate feedback on your pronunciation.

PROS

• Offers Lessons related to 25+ languages.
• Offers audio lessons from native speakers.
• Provides immediate feedback on pronunciation.
• Offers speech recognition technology.
• It is also available for Business.
• 12,000+ organizations trust it.

CONS

• No writing practice
• No good content for less popular languages.

Rosetta Stone offers 3 Subscription plans. Its 3-month cost is $35.97 ($11.99 per month). Its 12-month cost is $95.88 ($7.99 per month). In the monthly plan, You need to select the language and start your learning journey.

Learn More about Rosetta Stone.

9. Babbel

Babbel is the perfect platform for those who want to build a strong foundation in their target language. It is the best platform to improve the listening, speaking, and reading skills related to a new language.

Babbel also offers live classes related to limited languages, such as German, Spanish, French, and Italian. World-class teachers teach live classes.

PROS

• Offers courses related to 14 languages.
• It also provides live virtual classes.
• Offers podcasts to learn the new vocabulary
• A certified language teacher provides all classes.
• Best App for listening, speaking, and reading skills.
• It is also suitable for Business.
• Offers a 20-day money-back guarantee.
• Its Lifetime plan provides access to all languages.
• Offers 2-Minute Stories for Practice.
• Easy-to-use and attractive design.

CONS

• Content quality varies between languages
• Live classes are available for limited languages.

Its 1-month cost is $13.95. Its 3 monthly cost is $50.70. Babbel’s 6-month subscription plan costs $50.70, and the 12-month plan costs $83.40.

Learn More About Babbel Review.

10. Pimsleur 

Pimsleur is a language-learning platform that offers audio-based lessons related to 50+ languages. If you want to improve your listening and speaking skills in any language, then Pimsleur is the best way to start because it only offers audio lessons.

Learners can easily access the lesson anytime or any place. However, this platform is not perfect for advanced learners. It also provides free access to all new users.

PROS

• Offers 50+ languages to learn.
• Offers 30-minute free access to all new users
• Offers Digital Flash Cards for Practice.
• It is available for all devices.
• Offers a 7-day free trial for a monthly subscription.
• Its content quality is high.

CONS

• Not much reading or writing practice
• Not suitable for advanced learners.
• It offers only audio-based lessons.

Pimsleur offers 2 subscription plans: Monthly and individual course costs. Its monthly cost ranges from $14 to $20. Pimsleur also offers an upfront payment plan, and its cost starts from $30 to $550. 

Learn More About Pimsleur.

Conclusion: Duolingo Alternative

Duolingo is the most popular platform for learning a new language. It offers listening exercises, speaking practice, reading comprehension, and writing exercises to develop language skills. It is unsuitable for advanced learners, so other alternative apps are required to become fluent in the language.

There are many alternatives to this platform. Overall, Babbel, Memrise, Rosetta Stone, and Mondly are the best Alternatives and competitors of Duolingo.

FAQs