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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Duolingo vs Memrise Easy Language Learning

Duolingo 4.7★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Memrise Easy Language Learning
Memrise Easy Language Learning 4.8★ · Free + IAP 70

Memrise has a slight edge over Duolingo due to its focus on real native speaker videos and a wider variety of less common languages, despite both apps facing recent issues with AI integration and app stability.

Full reviews: Duolingo · Memrise Easy Language Learning

Duolingo and Memrise both offer language learning, but recent updates have introduced frustrations for users of both apps, particularly regarding AI integration and app stability. Memrise is praised for its real native speaker videos and broader language selection, while Duolingo is noted for its gamified approach and widespread use, though many users are unhappy with its aggressive monetization and frequent, disruptive course changes.

Head to head

Features and Learning Content edge: Memrise Easy Language LearningR1R7R16R34
Duolingo Duolingo offers a gamified learning experience with features like streaks and leaderboards, which some users find motivating . However, many users report issues with the learning content itself, including nonsensical AI sentences, incorrect translations, and a lack of proper grammar explanations R7R40. Recent updates have also been criticized for changing entire courses, losing user progress, and introducing random, unneeded words R1R16R34. Some users also dislike the app's 'childlike games' and 'unnecessary video game like qualities' .
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise is praised for its use of real native speaker videos, which users find effective for learning natural speech R74. It also offers a significantly wider range of languages, including less common ones like Lakota, Urdu, and Toki Pona . However, recent updates have heavily integrated AI chatbots, which many users find time-consuming, irrelevant, and prefer to avoid . Some users also report that the app no longer allows downloading courses for offline use and has become slow .
Ease of Use and User Experience tieR1R5R6R7
Duolingo Many Duolingo users find the app frustrating due to frequent, unannounced changes to the interface and lesson structure R1R7R16R34. The app is also criticized for being glitchy, not registering progress, and having issues with voice recognition R22. Aggressive notifications and intrusive app icon changes also detract from the user experience R5R6.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise users report significant issues with app stability and progress saving. Many describe the app as 'broken,' with lessons not recording completion, streaks being lost, and the app failing to load or crashing frequently . Some users also find the review mode difficult to use effectively .
Reliability and Performance tieR15R18R22R24
Duolingo Duolingo users frequently report app crashing after updates R15. There are also complaints about glitches where the app doesn't register points or progress correctly R22. The energy system on the free tier is seen as unreliable, often cutting lessons short or not refilling correctly even after using gems R18R24.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise suffers from widespread reliability issues, with many users stating the app doesn't load, crashes, or fails to save progress . These problems are often linked to recent updates, making the app unusable for some .
Price and Value edge: Memrise Easy Language LearningR7R9R10R19
Duolingo Duolingo is free with in-app purchases, but many users feel the free experience has become severely limited and 'predatory,' forcing them to pay for premium to avoid constant ads, pop-ups, and an energy system that restricts learning R9R10R19. Some users appreciate the family plan option R7.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise also offers a free tier with in-app purchases, and some users praise its value compared to Duolingo, noting fewer ads and more features available without payment R74. However, there are serious complaints about billing issues, with users being charged without approval and ignored by support when trying to resolve these issues . Some users also feel that important features like grammar lessons are locked behind the Pro subscription .
Customer Support tieR1R7R15R16
Duolingo Reviews do not directly mention Duolingo's customer support, but the frequent complaints about unaddressed bugs, disruptive updates, and aggressive monetization suggest user dissatisfaction with how issues are handled or communicated R1R7R15R16.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise users report extremely poor customer support. Complaints include automated responses, tickets being closed without human review, and a complete lack of response to billing inquiries or critical bug reports, even for paid users .
Pick Duolingo if

You prefer a highly gamified, structured learning path and enjoy competitive elements like streaks and leaderboards, and are willing to tolerate frequent, sometimes disruptive, updates and aggressive monetization tactics .

Pick Memrise Easy Language Learning if

You prioritize learning from real native speakers and want access to a wider variety of languages, including less common ones, and are comfortable with the app's current integration of AI chatbots, or hope for an option to disable them R74.

Evidence note: Memrise has a much smaller review base than Duolingo, leading to less extensive evidence for some dimensions. Both apps have a significant number of recent negative reviews related to AI integration and app stability, despite their high lifetime ratings.

Frequently asked

Does Duolingo force you to pay?
Duolingo offers a free version, but many users feel it has become increasingly restrictive and 'predatory,' with constant ads, pop-ups, and an 'energy' system that limits daily learning unless you pay for Super Duolingo R9R10R19R39.
Is Memrise better than Duolingo for learning languages?
Many users consider Memrise better than Duolingo, particularly for its use of real native speaker videos and a broader selection of languages, though both apps have faced recent criticism for AI integration and app stability issues R65R71R74R77.
Are there issues with AI in Duolingo and Memrise?
Yes, both Duolingo and Memrise users report issues with AI. Duolingo is criticized for 'nonsensical AI sentences' and 'verifiably incorrect' translations R7R40R45. Memrise users dislike the forced integration of AI chatbots, finding them time-consuming, irrelevant, and preferring to learn from real people R61.

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. [R1] 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.
  2. [R7] Duolingo 1/5 · US Frustration: I hate this app. Why stick with it? I have a spot in my family plan and they enjoy it so I value the connection with them. Also, I get daily language practice. But beyond that, the constant tweaking of how the lessons work is irritating. The inconsistent rewards in all the game points are distracting. The nonsensical AI sentences border on unhelpful. Learning a language is tough, but
  3. [R16] Duolingo 1/5 · US Why do they keep changing things?: I have been learning German for over two years now, and randomly this week they changed the entire interface. On top of that I don’t speak any of the words this new program expects me to know. It’s very upsetting and I’ve been struggling to learn anything new or pass my lessons :(
  4. [R34] Duolingo 1/5 · US Japanese course update: This update is a failure! First of all, everything changed completely. The order of the lessons, vocabularies, and everything I’ve learned. It saved my progress but what’s the point if you’re going to change everything even the lessons before where I left off? I opened the app and find all new vocabularies and new expressions I’ve never learned. It’s like skipping ahead of
  5. [R5] Duolingo 4/5 · US Updated: Update 7/8/26: thank you for making the app icon normal again. Why does this app send me push notifications at 1am when I’m sleeping to “do your Duolingo?” Don’t do that. Original: 1 star because they keep changing the app icon to look sick or disgusting. 1 star review is staying until their dev team decides to put the original app icon back. Otherwise, Great app. The sick Duo icon is re
  6. [R6] Duolingo 3/5 · US Demonic evil eyes: I like this app quite a bit, but I’m considering uninstalling it or at least turning off all notifications most of which I do appreciate but some nights these evil demonic eyes will pop up on my screen and it’s terrifying to me let alone my young daughter who also uses the app with me please consider removing that was terrifying eyes
  7. [R15] Duolingo 3/5 · US App Crashing After Update: The app has started crashing and refusing to open after the most recent update. It’s really frustrating, especially when the goal is to make learning languages easy and through small quick lessons. Please fix this.
  8. [R18] Duolingo 3/5 · US Doulingo what?: When I was learning on it I saw that I was out of energy so I used gems to refill but when I tried to do a lesson it said that I need more energy and like what I paid the gems and it says I need energy pls help me understand why my gems did not work
  9. [R22] Duolingo 2/5 · US Glitchy: The app is very glitchy, at best. I really wanted to like this app, but it can be very discouraging an demotivating to use it. For example, I do a flash card frenzy that is supposed to give me 68 points, then I complete two triple point exercise exercises, each worth 105 points. That is 278 point. The app doesn’t register that I’ve done one of the two 105-point exercises so I have to do it
  10. [R24] Duolingo 3/5 · US Good. One issue: Overall, I enjoy the app learning style and it’s helped me with my Spanish and Japanese. One thing absolutely RUINS my experience! The ENERGY. I’ll be in the middle of a Japanese lesson, learning the characters and how to write them and what they sound like and then- “Oh no! You ran out of energy! Upgrade to Super Duolingo or pay 600 gems for a refill!” I have to lose all of my pr
  11. [R9] Duolingo 3/5 · US Fun but frustrating: I’ve been using duolingo for years and just got back into it after a hiatus, only to find I can complete 1-2 lessons before running out of energy. It feels like the app is now just trying to make the experience less enjoyable to force people to pay for premium, even though it worked perfectly fine before. It’s annoying to have to wait or watch ads when I used to be able to gri
  12. [R10] Duolingo 1/5 · US so many pop ups: holy unless you wanna pay don’t get it, one lesson then 5 minutes of ads and pop ups, seems very predatory
  13. [R19] Duolingo 1/5 · US Subscription Central Now - Worthless: Without a subscription or plus or premium you can barely complete a lesson anymore. This app used to be great for learning but is a cash cow (or cash owl) that doesn’t actually let you learn a language.
  14. [R39] Duolingo 3/5 · US What's happening?: The app used to be better. Now, to complete even one lesson, I have to watch ads about 5 times to get energy. Why is the whole app now centered around a premium subscription? · translated
  15. [R65] 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
  16. [R71] Memrise Easy Language Learning 5/5 · US Hmm: Better than duolingo
  17. [R74] Memrise Easy Language Learning 5/5 · US Really nice app: It’s convenient and effective with showing actual speech. Far superior to Duolingo and far fewer ads
  18. [R77] Memrise Easy Language Learning 5/5 · US Helped me so much!l: I used too be a Duolingo user but it hasn’t helped me with much Italian. I was looking through the App Store and found memrise! This app has helped me with so much Italian already and I’ve only had it for a month!
  19. [R40] Duolingo 1/5 · US AI is lying to you about the languages you learn with this app: I used to enjoy duolingo. Then they openly adopted their stance on AI. Since then, I've seen them deliver sentences and translations that are just straight-up verifiably incorrect, and in extreme cases, literally mean the opposite of what was intended. People are going to get gaslit into thinking they know a language by using this app
  20. [R45] Duolingo 3/5 · US Duolingo: I don’t really like how the voices sound really ai and how you have to pay to get super Duolingo you don’t have to give everyone super Duolingo but at least have people watch one ad to get a re charge on there battery in Duolingo
  21. [R61] Memrise Easy Language Learning 2/5 · US Booooo AI: Used to be my favorite app for language learning 10 years ago. If I were able to opt out of using AI to advance (like it used to be!) then I wouldn’t mind still using it, but since I can’t, it’s bye-bye. GenAI is killing the planet. Do better.

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