Duolingo alternatives

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. [R12] Duolingo 3/5 · US Learning part is good BUT: The learning part of the program is good but even paying for this app, be prepared for CONSTANT annoying ads. Paying for an app used to mean not being constant pestered by ads. We’re looking for an alternative so we can cancel Duolingo. In addition, the insanely loud ding when you get the correct answers make it impossible to do it without disturbing everyone around - i
2. [R16] Duolingo 1/5 · US Too many ads not enough learning: After every lesson there is an ad and the whole battery thing makes no sense. Why is there a limit to learning?
3. [R22] Duolingo 1/5 · US Ads: There are too many ads now. · translated
4. [R25] Duolingo 2/5 · US Unfair: I don’t think it’s fair that you have to pay to get more energy to learn. Each day I do like 1 lesson and half of the time it takes is to watch ads and then I can’t do anymore because I ran out of energy so I either have to watch like 10 more ads, buy more energy, or use my money to buy super Duolingo.
5. [R4] Duolingo 1/5 · US App doesn’t listen well: I will say the word and the app gives me a blue word saying it right. Then I say the next word and it removes the word before it. Very frustrating. I might quit this app for another method
6. [R9] Duolingo 3/5 · US Bad Spelling detection: Need to improve the spelling detection, I said the same thing yet the app got it wrong
7. [R7] Duolingo 1/5 · US deleted progress: my app updated automatically and deleted so much of my progress (said i hadn't done 15 units legendary) and made me use a streak freeze even tho i did my lesson to continue my streak yesterday. this is probably the third or fourth time this app has done this, and it is so frustrating to have to redo a ton of stuff because the app can't ever work normally. ever since they started
8. [R43] Duolingo 1/5 · GB Bug in system: I have been using Duolingo for over 5 years but recently it has been awful, it keeps dropping out all the time. I have reported problems on a number of occasions but it doesn’t get fixed. I have recently renewed my annual family plan. I am disgusted at the lack of communication, and total lack of support. As long as you have my money you don’t care.
9. [R49] Duolingo 1/5 · GB Widget lies: Did my Duolingo lesson, the widget said 274 then woke up the next day to a frozen streak and 273. Broken POS
10. [R15] Duolingo 3/5 · US Energy is bad: Energy is annoying because you only have 25 chances to answer questions. Even if you do all perfect lessons.
11. [R27] Duolingo 3/5 · US Ok: It not bad but i want to learn so i can be smart but i have to buy super Duolingo and my parents said I can’t buy it 😒
12. [R1] Duolingo 1/5 · US Bad Integration w/ App Store and horrible customer service: The app pushes “super” which is fine. It works well enough to teach you a sufficient amount of a language to get around. However, when the trial ended I got billed for the family plan yearly but the app never updated and would only show that I had an individual plan. Sent screenshots to customer service showing the discrepancy and was
13. [R34] Duolingo 1/5 · GB Refuses refunds and underhand and dishonest. Don’t be fooled by that supposedly cute owl.: I did not realise I had signed up for a renewal. The VERY DAY the renewal came out of my account (£90) I contacted them immediately (via Apple) for a refund. I assumed, as I contacted them on the day of the renewal, and because I hadn’t been on the app for months, they’d refund. Refused. I appealed and expla
14. [R6] Duolingo 3/5 · US Advances Too Fast: I have been using the app for over two years. Honestly, I have learned some Spanish for sure. However while I can understand some written Spanish here and there and a bit of conversational, I am far from being able to converse in Spanish. For me the big major issue is the app puts an emphasis on advancing you with words and grammar too quickly rather than reinforcing what on
15. [R13] Duolingo 1/5 · US The last update was terrible.: The latest update is a disaster. They've added a ton of words to the course that I've never practiced and don't even know. I'm fed up with them changing the whole course with every update, but this one is especially bad.
16. [R2] Duolingo 5/5 · US Great (but feels terminal at course completion): I love the app mostly. Just wish it didn’t just end when you score out. More access to even just more review options (not just daily refresh) and more practice options would be great. Maybe even a reward of limited additional options (like one video call with Lily daily maybe) when you “complete” the course would be nice. I have a 656 day streak at
17. [R3] Duolingo 3/5 · US So much tapping: The amount of tapping on this app after a lesson is so annoying.
18. [R10] Duolingo 1/5 · US End Of Course Levels: Please get rid of the flash card end of level tests from my account. It is beyond inaccurate and wastes so much time and effort. I prefer the original end of level tests and would like to see mine updated back to that or I will consider canceling and requesting a partial refund. Thank you.
19. [R46] Duolingo 2/5 · GB content good, ui a bore: I don't care about opening chests or earning lingots to dress an avatar, or you setting learning goals for me. A minute after each lesson clicking through cartoon gifs. 🤮
20. [R53] Babbel 3/5 · US Good, needs improvement: I like the overall layout and scope of the program. The different speaking/listening/writing options are nice. The pacing seems right, but there desperately needs to be a function that generates new sentences to apply what the words and phrases learned. Using the same sentences over and over to review seems cheap given the cost of the program. Similarly, there should also
21. [R54] Babbel 1/5 · US Travel: I wanted to learn basic French for travel, the app is geared more for reading and writing not basic conversation
22. [R58] Babbel 4/5 · US Lifetime of evolving knowledge.: Love that I paid for a lifetime and they still update it. It’s a good investment for people who can’t afford the burden of paying subscriptions. The down side is that it needs to be more visually appealing in comparison to its counterparts like Duolingo. It’s known for being “cool” Babbel needs to increase appeal and interaction.
23. [R62] Babbel 2/5 · US No Asian languages: If all you want to learn are European languages, it’s fine. But they offer no Asian languages at all. No Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Malaysian, etc. Very disappointing
24. [R66] Speak & Learn English 5/5 · US Practicó mi ingles: La verdad estoy probando esta aplicación he probado varias, pero esta me corrige y me ayuda me explica muy bien
25. [R69] Speak & Learn English 5/5 · US Es muy divertido y muy interesante: Es fácil y sencillo
26. [R70] Speak & Learn English 3/5 · US A good app: It’s a good app but you have to sign in and there’s not that many options for languages
27. [R73] Speak & Learn English 1/5 · US Esperaba una app gratis no lo es: “La descargué porque el anuncio decía que era gratuita, pero al abrirla me pidió iniciar una prueba que se convierte en una suscripción de $14.99 por semana. Me hubiera gustado que esto se explicara claramente desde el prin
28. [R79] Rosetta Stone Classic (2024) 1/5 · US DOESN’T WORK!: I have a new headset. The app can’t hear me, it doesn’t even recognize input when I speak. I say something correct and it tells me I am wrong. Very frustrating. How am I supposed to learn? I paid for a lifetime membership of DISAPPOINTMENT.
29. [R80] Rosetta Stone Classic (2024) 5/5 · US So fun and fulfilling!: In the same age where we’re constantly taking things in that are just entertainment when you finish the short fun, easy lesson if you feel good about yourself and it’s one of the only ways to keep your brain renewing and getting better learning, a musical instrument or language and with Rosetta Stone it’s infinite and why not reach out
30. [R81] Rosetta Stone Classic (2024) 3/5 · US Duolinguo is ultimately better: I don’t know, this app is just super boring sometimes. The speech machine is hit-or-miss, the lessons seem all the same, and you can’t access a tutor without paying money. The live lessons are good though. Wouldnt recommend if you prefer something more colorful and complex.
31. [R82] Rosetta Stone Classic (2024) 1/5 · US Very unhelpful and unclear: I'm learning German, and the speaking lessons are the most difficult because of the app's inability to recognize the actual words being spoken. For example, I was in a room of people speaking English while doing my German speaking lesson, and i paused speaking because it was too loud. The app heard the voices and thought that they were saying the words on the screen, so
32. [R95] Memrise Easy Language Learning 3/5 · US Stuck: I think it’s got a bug because I keep going over the same ol’ lessons. It might be because I had to upgrade phones.
33. [R96] Memrise Easy Language Learning 2/5 · US App not working well: I love the app but lately things have not been loading correctly. For example, I’d start studying my words and they do not get recorded as « started » at all. It’s like I haven’t even taken the lesson. The review session also does not get recorded. I’d start out with 76 words, review 10, and it’d still be 76 words. If I press again, it’s the same 10 words I just practiced. Pl
34. [R97] Memrise Easy Language Learning 5/5 · US Best one yet: I have tried so many language apps, but once I got memories, it changed my life forever. Duolingo didn’t work. It kept asking me for subscriptions when it said free and it’s add
35. [R98] Memrise Easy Language Learning 3/5 · US Eee: It no longer works
36. [R109] Praktika 3/5 · US Regarding some issues: The person we are video chatting with blocks the text and conversation. Can you make it so it can be shrunk or closed? · translated
37. [R112] Praktika 3/5 · US Languages: Please add Russian, it is a commonly spoken language and I’d love to learn it. Will update my review once more languages are added
38. [R113] Praktika 2/5 · US Not as advertised: Was advertised as hands free but you have to press the button to speak. Also, they give you all your questions in Spanish, which is not helpful if you are a beginner and do not understand any Spanish. When I asked to translate and no option to hear the translation so you have to read the translation over and over. Also, I was advertise tutor voice, which I found non-intimidating
39. [R114] Praktika 5/5 · US Awesome !: Love it so far
40. [R86] Rosetta Stone Classic (2024) 5/5 · US Great app: Rosetta Stone is a great app for learning any and all different languages and it teaches in different ways to help people understand and remember.
41. [R85] Rosetta Stone Classic (2024) 1/5 · US Content is fine, microphone detection doesn’t work: The content within the app is good and the app is easy to follow however, you are constantly fighting the app to recognize the words you’re saying. The microphone on my iPhone works perfectly fine but the Rosetta Stone app is constantly telling me that the microphone has bad quality and it doesn’t matter how you hold the phone, if you use headpho
42. [R88] Rosetta Stone Classic (2024) 2/5 · US Speaking Questions: I could literally have a native speaker repeat the sentence and it would still mark it as ‘red’ and not let them proceed. the settings are even on low, it’s extremely aggravating.