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

Drops vs Memrise Easy Language Learning

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

Memrise is generally a better choice due to its broader range of content, including real native speaker videos, and a more established user base, despite recent issues with AI integration and bugs.

Full reviews: Drops · Memrise Easy Language Learning

Drops and Memrise are both language learning apps with free tiers and in-app purchases, offering vocabulary and some grammar. While Drops is praised for its visual, bite-sized lessons, it faces criticism for recent AI clutter, translation errors, and restrictive free features. Memrise, with a larger user base, is lauded for its comprehensive courses and real speaker videos, but has been impacted by recent updates introducing buggy AI features and performance issues.

Head to head

Features & Content edge: Memrise Easy Language LearningR1R4R5R6
Drops Drops is appreciated for its focus on vocabulary learning through repetition, visuals, and bite-sized sessions, with some users finding it better for immersion than Duolingo R5. However, recent updates have introduced AI art and phrases over pure word learning, which some users dislike R4R6R21. There are also complaints about wrong translations and pronunciation errors R1R12.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise offers a wide variety of languages, including less common ones, and is praised for its use of real native speakers in videos for pronunciation . Users appreciate its effectiveness for vocabulary and overall language acquisition . However, recent updates have heavily integrated AI chatbots, which many users find time-consuming, robotic, and a negative change from the previous experience .
Ease of Use & User Experience tieR2R4R9R12
Drops Drops is generally considered easy to use with an intuitive interface and simple app design R2R29R56. However, recent updates have made navigation significantly harder, with cluttered organization and buried topics R4. Some users also report issues with audio not working or inconsistent pronunciation R9R12.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise is described as intuitive and effective, with features that expedite learning . However, a significant number of recent reviews highlight severe bugs and performance issues, including the app not loading, progress not saving, and lessons repeating . The integration of AI has also made the experience slower and less user-friendly for some .
Reliability & Performance edge: DropsR7R33R40R42
Drops Drops has some reports of persistent bugs, such as difficulty logging in and app crashes after updates R33R42. Some users also experienced their lifetime premium accounts disappearing R7R40.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise has significant and widespread issues with reliability and performance, with many users reporting the app not loading, progress not saving, and lessons breaking after updates .
Price & Value tieR15R16R18R22
Drops Drops offers a free version but is heavily criticized for its restrictive limits, such as only 5 minutes of learning per day or two languages at a time, pushing users towards premium R15R16R18R22. The annual premium is considered hefty (£60-£70 yearly) and some users feel it's not worth the price, especially after completing all available content R15. There are also complaints about manipulative marketing practices regarding free trials auto-setting to annual subscriptions R55.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise also has a free tier, with some users appreciating that many features are not behind a paywall and ads are short . However, some users feel the app has become greedy, removing loved features and making it less valuable . There are also reports of unauthorized billing and difficulty canceling subscriptions . Grammar lessons are listed under the Pro version R120.
Customer Support tieR7R40R61R79
Drops Drops users have reported issues with customer service regarding lifetime memberships, with the company allegedly claiming no records of purchase even with proof R7R40.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise users have experienced horrible customer service, with lifetime memberships not transferring to new phones and requests for receipts for old purchases R61. There are also complaints about automated responses, tickets being closed without human review, and no response to bug reports R79.
Pick Drops if

you prefer a highly visual, bite-sized approach primarily focused on vocabulary and don't mind the recent AI art integration, or if you are a beginner looking for a simple introduction to a language R56R2R29.

Pick Memrise Easy Language Learning if

you want to learn a wide variety of languages, including less common ones, and value learning from real native speakers . You should also pick Memrise if you are willing to tolerate recent app bugs and the integration of AI chatbots, hoping for future improvements R79.

Evidence note: Both apps have a mix of positive and negative recent reviews, with a strong negative skew towards recent updates, particularly regarding AI integration and app performance. Memrise has a larger volume of reviews, which might amplify the visibility of its issues.

Frequently asked

Which app is better for beginners?
Drops is recommended for beginners due to its simple, visual, and bite-sized lessons, making it easy to start learning new words R56R2R29. Memrise is also considered good for complete beginners, teaching everything from the very beginning R86.
Do these apps teach grammar?
Drops primarily focuses on vocabulary, with some users disliking the shift towards phrases over pure word learning, noting it doesn't teach grammar and sentence building R21R55. Memrise lists grammar lessons under its Pro subscription, indicating it's not a core free feature R120.
Are there issues with lifetime memberships?
Yes, both Drops and Memrise users have reported significant issues with lifetime memberships. Drops users experienced their lifetime accounts disappearing or being unable to find records of purchase R7R40, while Memrise users had problems with lifetime memberships not transferring to new devices and poor customer service when trying to resolve these issues R61.
How do the free versions compare?
Drops' free version is highly restrictive, limiting users to 5 minutes of learning per day and only two languages, with constant prompts to upgrade to premium R15R16R18R25. Memrise's free version is generally seen as more generous, offering many features not behind a paywall and having short, skippable ads .

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] Drops 2/5 · US Potential: This app does have potential and with a company like kahoot I’m sure they can make the adjustments. My main issue is the translations are wrong and you may not catch it if you are new to a language. This is important because it can cause misunderstanding it a conversation where it may already be hard to understand each other. I did make a note of this in the improvement comment box befo
  2. [R4] Drops 1/5 · US Too much ai clutter: I have the lifetime membership and have enjoyed the use of this app until I was forced to update due to pop up screens refusing to let me study. Finally update and find that it's changed and for the worse. Ai art at every crevice, organization made a mess with redundant grouping where it's a duplicate of other groups. I can't just go straight to a section, I have to find where
  3. [R5] Drops 5/5 · US Better than duo: Actually immerses me in the language, and not just shoving me into forced limited practice
  4. [R6] Drops 3/5 · US good app but I dislike the AI usage: The AI image looks so off
  5. [R2] Drops 5/5 · US I Like: Very Easy
  6. [R9] Drops 3/5 · US Audio not working: I want to hear tones and reinforce using new words, but it only has audio files for house
  7. [R12] Drops 3/5 · US Good app, but a lot of mistakes: Fun and easy way to learn language, but there are quite a few errors. For example, a word will say “el secreto” but the pronunciation will be “un secreto,” or the word will be “estás” but the pronunciation will be “está.” It’s quite annoying and makes me wonder how much of it is powered by AI.
  8. [R7] Drops 1/5 · US Canceled my permanent membership.. beware: Bought this outright in 2023. They shifted to purely subscription based and told me they couldn’t find any records of my purchase. I sent them the correct email and they said nothing was found. I found my purchase receipt and it was with the email I thought it was. If you had a permanent account, make sure you still have access. They apparently will ask f
  9. [R33] Drops 3/5 · US Good training but persistent bugs: The language training is good. There is a substantial vocabulary in a lot of languages. Using the software can be irritating because there are obvious bugs that the authors have not bothered to fix in the years I have been using the product. Worst is if you get logged out, signing back in can be difficult.
  10. [R40] Drops 1/5 · US My premium lifetime paid account disappeared: I have been using drops for over 3 years and had paid for lifetime premium subscription. Today all my info is gone and I am not on premium any more???
  11. [R42] Drops 3/5 · GB ???: It’s been great but after the recent update it crashes so that I can’t study any seconds. 😢
  12. [R15] Drops 3/5 · US Free is fine but meh: Not worth the hefty price, and it only took me 318 days to learn everything they offered. Kinda pointless after that. Just do Duolingo.
  13. [R16] Drops 1/5 · US WHY IS THERE LGBTQ ON THE INTEREST?: Take that down Update: and blooket is better kahoot it’s to boring I trusted duo for Icelandic they don’t have it. But drops is straight up boring too much stupid ads and you have to pay money just to LEARN? CHOSE BLOOKET! and a different learning app
  14. [R18] Drops 3/5 · US Reasoning for rating: This app only lets you learn 2 languages at a time. What if I want to learn 3 or maybe even 4. I get why you guys would want us to only learn a small number of languages at a time, but I need to learn 3. Thank you for understanding.
  15. [R22] Drops 1/5 · US All about money: It’s basically pay to play at this point. I used to love this app, but now it’s slow, cluttered, restrictive and focused on subscription ads.
  16. [R61] Memrise Easy Language Learning 1/5 · US Horrible Customer Service: A few years ago I paid for the lifetime upgrade and since then I had to buy a new phone. Well guess what? The lifetime membership did not transfer. I emailed customer service about and they asked me if I still had the receipt EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD SEE IT ON THEIR END THAT I HAD PURCHASED IT. And of course I don’t have a receipt for something that I paid for over FIVE ye
  17. [R79] Memrise Easy Language Learning 2/5 · US Great until it's not: This app I can see potential in being more conducive and productive in learning languages. But as of the last update, the entire Learn Words set of modes are broken. By broken, I mean none of the completions are saving for ANY of the languages. To make it worse, the customer support/bug report from memrise is honestly disappointing in multiple ways. Automated responses withou
  18. [R29] Drops 5/5 · US Simple app: Drops is a simple app. I love this app when i first tried the app. Now im obsessed💕💕💕
  19. [R56] Drops 5/5 · US Great App: Simple to use and very helpful! I would recommend for beginners.
  20. [R86] Memrise Easy Language Learning 5/5 · US مجهول: A fantastic and very good app; I recommend using it if you're a complete beginner. It teaches you everything from the very beginning, literally. It's better than the green app.
  21. [R21] Drops 3/5 · US Sigh: I liked this app because it was just vocabulary. I don’t like that it changed to all kind of phrases instead of pure word learning. I promise, I’m never going to order a half pineapple pizza. I’d much rather learn the individual words than how to order one. Grammar and sentence building is a different skill than vocabulary, which is what I liked about Drops initially
  22. [R55] Drops 1/5 · US Listen to this before buying: The company uses the free trial as a way to make you automatically pay for the yearly fee instead of by monthly this is an unethical company. And they do not do grammar, strictly vocabulary do not buy or use or you will have similar issues!
  23. [R120] Memrise Easy Language Learning 3/5 · GB First impressions: I've had this for 2 days now, so far very good, quite a slow pace for beginners which is good. The only thing (so far) I don't like is the fact that "grammar lessons" is listed under pro, I'm not interested in getting pro but I feel grammar lessons for language learning and is very important. grammar lessons should be provided at base level, maybe just have them be slightly mor
  24. [R25] Drops 1/5 · US It doesn’t let me keep going: I like this app but it doesn’t let me keep going if I don’t have premium

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