Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
User consensusAlternativesIs it worth it?
Is it worth paying for

Speak

65
Value score / 100 Worth paying? Depends It depends

Speak is a highly-rated language learning app that excels at conversational practice and real-life phrases, but its aggressive paywall and high subscription costs are major drawbacks.

Free + in-app purchases seen up to $164.99 4.8★ lifetime (52,115) since 2017

Speak offers an immersive and effective way to learn languages, particularly for conversational skills, with many users finding it superior to Duolingo R19R33. However, almost all content is locked behind a paywall after a single free lesson, and the subscription is considered very expensive by many users, leading to frustration and unexpected charges R13R40R44R48.

Free vs paid

The free version of Speak is extremely limited, typically offering only one lesson before requiring a subscription R13R48R87R98. Users report that after this initial lesson, all further content, including core lessons and the voice feature, is restricted to paying subscribers R147R163. The paid subscription unlocks all lessons and features, providing an immersive and conversational learning experience that many find effective for real-life application R11R14R37.

Value complaints

  • The app is heavily monetized, with almost all content locked behind a paywall after just one free lesson.R13R40R48R87
  • Many users find the subscription cost to be very expensive, with some reporting unexpected charges for annual subscriptions after free trials.R13R44R93R104
  • The free trial is often misleading or non-existent, with some users unable to use voice features or access lessons even during a trial period.R13R147R163R186
  • Canceling subscriptions or getting refunds can be difficult, with reports of charges occurring despite cancellation.R46R176R188

Where it delivers

  • Many users find Speak more effective for learning conversational language and real-life phrases compared to other apps like Duolingo.R2R14R18R19
  • The app is praised for its immersive, intuitive, and seamless learning experience, helping users gain confidence in speaking quickly.R11R27R31R32
  • The ability to repeat lessons and phrases is beneficial for memorization and comfortable speaking.R16R36R58
  • The app breaks down language into bite-sized, manageable lessons that can be applied to real-life situations.R37R51
Worth paying if

It is worth paying if you prioritize conversational fluency and real-life language application over grammar-focused learning, and are willing to pay a high price for an app that many users find more effective than alternatives like Duolingo R18R19R33R37. It's also suitable for those who benefit from repeating phrases to speak more comfortably and naturally R36R58.

Skip / stay free if

Skip this app if you are on a tight budget or unwilling to pay for language learning, as most content is behind a paywall R40. Also skip if you are looking for extensive grammar explanations at intermediate levels, as some users report these disappear . Those who need specific language dialects or less common languages like Russian, Dutch, Arabic, or Haitian Creole should also skip, as these are frequently requested but not available R3R5R15.

Evidence note: The lifetime rating is high, but recent reviews are heavily skewed negative due to monetization and technical issues, indicating a potential decline in user satisfaction over time. The positive reviews often praise the learning methodology, while negative reviews overwhelmingly focus on pricing and paywalls.

Frequently asked

Is Speak by Speakeasy Labs, Inc. truly free?
No, Speak is not truly free; it offers only one free lesson before requiring a paid subscription to access further content R13R48R87R98.
How much does Speak cost?
Speak has various in-app purchase price points ranging from $9.99 to $164.99, with users reporting charges like $83.99 or $90.50 for annual subscriptions R13R44R176.
Does Speak offer a free trial?
Speak sometimes offers a free trial, but users report issues where they are still charged for a full year after canceling the trial or that the voice feature is restricted even during the trial R44R147R163R188.
What languages does Speak offer?
Speak offers languages like Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, German, and Japanese R12, but users frequently request additional languages such as Russian, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Dutch, and Sinhala R3R5R15.
Is Speak better than Duolingo?
Many users find Speak to be better than Duolingo for developing conversational skills and learning practical, real-life phrases, with some reporting faster progress R18R19R33R35.
Does Speak use AI or human tutors?
Speak primarily uses AI for its lessons and conversations, and while it previously featured real human tutors, these have largely been phased out in favor of AI R96R133R192.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R13] 3/5 · US Expensive: I had one lesson that was free and then prompted to upgrade or free trial. I was surprised at the cost. The premium plus is more expensive but offered targeted mistake help… like, that’s the point of learning ? It’s not much cheaper to pay a year in advance .
  2. [R40] 2/5 · US Money: Everything costs money. Down download this if you arnt willing to spend money in order to learn to talk to family.
  3. [R48] 1/5 · US Locked behind payment: Was so excited to finally find an app that I can actually learn a language without paying just to get to the second lesson and it asks for money
  4. [R87] 1/5 · US Review: Would have been an actual good app if it didnt cost money to get access to every lesson. Only 1 free lesson and then you have to pay for every other lesson. Might as well make the app cost money as a whole instead of it being free on the app store. Im not paying to speak words.
  5. [R44] 2/5 · US Charged me a crazy amount of money!!: I realized you had to pay to do lessons, and the subscription info said it was 6.99/month. But no, after one week of a free trial, they charged me $83.99. Luckily the support team was very kind and quick with getting me a full refund, but please don’t get this app unless you are really wanting to spend lots to learn a language. Please, for future updates, make
  6. [R93] 2/5 · US So expensive: I love the app, I just wish it was cheaper so it was more widely available
  7. [R104] 1/5 · US Débito bancario sin autorización: Debitaron de mi cuenta 90usd sin haber aceptado la suscripción y solo aceptar la prueba gratuita.
  8. [R147] 3/5 · US Technical issue: The app wouldn’t recognize my voice input on the core lessons. I reported the problem and received initial replies but no acknowledgement that the problem was fixed. Thankfully I was able to cancel my trial before I was billed. I downloaded the app to try again, but the main lessons are all restricted to subscribers. I’m not willing to risk my money to see if it is fixed now.
  9. [R163] 1/5 · US Absolutely not worth it: It is not free. It is a very expensive subscription. They say they offer a free week but they don’t even do that, they stop you from being able to use the speak (voice) feature after one lesson. Then you have to upgrade to an even higher subscription. Not even worth the trial. Seems like an interesting method but I guess we’ll have to wait for a more reasonable app to find
  10. [R186] 1/5 · US Paywall: They offer you a free trial, but I don't choose this option because they might charge you anyway. You can't use it at all unless you accept the trial and subscription. So, I immediately deleted it.
  11. [R46] 1/5 · US Subscription: The subscription doesn’t show in the App Store during the trial period and there is no way to cancel it. It doesn’t show the payment under receipts either. The company directly charges your card , and requesting a refund is difficult at best.
  12. [R176] 1/5 · US Don’t uninstall: Do not get this app I didn’t have a subscription and all of a sudden it said I did and it took $90.50 from my account ima sue
  13. [R188] 1/5 · US Beware of the Free Trial!!!: I did the free trial, and decided to cancel before it was over because I wasn’t using the app like I thought I would. The app confirmed that it was canceled and that the subscription would expire April 8th, 2026. I was still charged for an entire year of the subscription. I took a screenshot of the proof of cancellation hoping to send it in through the support center,
  14. [R2] 5/5 · US Traveling to Spain: I love that I’m getting the reputation. I think it’s stinking better. Gracias
  15. [R14] 5/5 · US Loveeee itt: I like it I mean, it did help me. It just talks too much but generally, I do love it cause then now I can finally learn how to have real conversation
  16. [R18] 5/5 · US Tried a lot of Spanish apps. This is one of the best.: My problem has always been sticking to the program. There’s something about this app. It just hits all the right notes and gets me excited to use it. They’ve put a lot of thought into choosing vocabulary and situations that actually match up with real life. This and dreaming Spanish have become a real powerful combo for me and I can feel my Sp
  17. [R19] 5/5 · US Speak: I’ve learned more Spanish faster using Speak than any other app I’ve tried before. It’s awesome!
  18. [R11] 5/5 · US Speak app is amazing!!: Just downloaded the app and I’ve got to say honest review it’s very seamless and intuitive. I appreciate the level of tact it has and realistic approach at helping you learn a new language, HIGHLY RECOMMEND for those wanting to learn multi languages and experience an immersive experience.
  19. [R27] 5/5 · US Great , i love it!!: Speak is a great app to help learn whatever language you’ve been trying to learn and is very immersive, what i didn’t know is that to have the premium version you have to pay, so just a heads up!
  20. [R31] 5/5 · US NEW TO SPANISH?: Just get it. I have zero complaints. It is amazing at helping to encourage the use of learned vocabulary!
  21. [R32] 5/5 · US Good app: This is so good it’s actually teaching me. I spoke to my friend in Spanish and she actually understand me and said I speak good Spanish and it’s also free and it’s such a good app. Five stars for sure will be keeping this app I will be recommending to some of my friends who want to learn different languages
  22. [R16] 5/5 · US I love it: I love the fact that I can keep repeating the lessons. Really helps before I begin a new lesson. Especially going into the next day.
  23. [R36] 5/5 · US Rolls off the Tongue: Repeating phrases helps me speak more comfortably and naturally.
  24. [R58] 5/5 · US Tuff: I like how you can speak a lot and I feel like it helps
  25. [R37] 5/5 · US This is a great app: it didn't teach me random phrases like duolingo it taught me things i could actually use in rel life experience 5 starts
  26. [R51] 5/5 · US Intelligent, interactive, intuitive!: They really break down language into bite-size lessons that you could apply to real life situations. You can adjust the level you start at comma in the beginning is not redundant if you already know a little bit of the language. Since each lesson is bite-size, you really only need to commit 10 to 15 minutes a day. Very manageable and easy to navigate!
  27. [R98] 1/5 · US only 1 free lesson: you only get 1 lesson then you gotta pay i guess.
  28. [R3] 4/5 · US Number of languages: I would love to learn Haitian Creole through the app
  29. [R5] 1/5 · US No Russian: I saw the ad showing that this app was better than Duolingo, but I was disappointed to find that Russian was not available.
  30. [R12] 5/5 · US Speak: This is the best app to use to learn Spanish, Chinese, or Portuguese or German or any other language
  31. [R15] 4/5 · US Arabic language: Why there is no Arabic native language? Please add it
  32. [R33] 5/5 · US Amazing: This is better than Duolingo by A MILE
  33. [R35] 5/5 · US Spanish so far your app is doing better Dulongo: Thank you for your app
  34. [R96] 1/5 · US AI change: It was much better before they switch everything to AI, I would not have paid for a year subscription if I knew they were going to solely use AI . The native speakers sounded so much better but now it’s too robot for authentic sounding words and it really only understands if you say the things back with the robotic tone. Super disappointing.
  35. [R133] 2/5 · US Used to be a 5: I’ve been using this app daily for a little over three months. Part of what made this effective was the mix of AI assistance and real life tutors. The real life tutors have been completely phased out in favor of the blue blob cartoon which killed the differentiator Speak had vs every other AI app on the market. Still ok…but not top tier anymore. Please bring back Dalma and Andres (
  36. [R192] 2/5 · US Don’t put too much trust in AI, ever: I’ve had my fill of tech companies trying to push AI into every single facet of life, but at least for language I expected, oh I don’t know, A LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL would be able to help facilitate my French learning. I can’t believe I paid so much money for a year’s subscription just to experience such mediocre lessons and conversational ability. AI’s nowhere

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store