Best Language Learning Apps
The best language learning apps depend on the skill you need: Busuu or Babbel for a structured course, Lingopie or LingQ for real listening, italki or Preply for speaking, and Anki or Clozemaster for vocabulary.
Every listing says who the app suits, what it costs and what it does not do. Filter by skill, level, price and platform, or pick your language.
Checked November 2026 · 45 apps and courses taught in many languages
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Showing 45 of 45 apps, our picks first
The most course-like app; a good spine for A1 to B1, light on real listening.
Huge amounts of real native content with text and audio; a tool, not a course.
Real video with clickable subtitles and quizzes; paid after the trial.
Thousands of fill-the-gap sentences, free, good for volume from A2.
A classic daily dialogue method for patient self-learners; cheap to own.
Parallel-text audiobooks with narration; easy reading-plus-listening practice.
Watch, copy and chat with AI, 15 minutes a day, in five courses on one plan.
Speak-from-lesson-one phrases for beginners and travellers; paid after a free lesson.
A witty 10-minute daily lesson that adapts to your mistakes, in five languages; paid.
Free, donation-funded audio courses that teach you to build sentences by thinking, not memorising.
Duolingo-style games for beginners; built for rarer languages, fine for the basics.
Check your library first: free there, and a solid beginner course.
Audio-only, no homework, in 19 languages; a quick way to start building sentences.
A huge library of short lessons in 40+ languages; a free account lets you sample it.
An all-in-one beginner app with AI speaking practice; the core is free.
Quick flashcards for a class word list; not a way to learn a language on its own.
One-time-purchase audio courses in 14 languages; try the free lessons first.
Frequency-ordered vocabulary with speaking drills; there is a lifetime plan.
Record sentences, get a human coach's pronunciation notes; free to start.
- Nothing matches these filters.
How we rank
We rank apps by who they genuinely suit, what they cost, and how much they help with the skill learners neglect most: understanding the real spoken language. Every price and fact was checked on the product's own site or app store listing on the date shown; where a price is not published we say so and what is free. There are no affiliate links. More about this site.
What apps cost
Across 63 language apps, the median plan costs $15 a month or $95 a year. Language app prices 2026 has every price and the CSV.
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Head to head
Guides
- Is Duolingo free? What the free version gives you (2026)
- Babbel cost: every plan and what it works out per month (2026)
- Is Babbel free? Trial, free lessons, what's locked
- How much is Duolingo? Super and Max prices (2026)
- Is Anki free? (iPhone vs everything else)
- Duolingo energy and hearts: how to keep learning without the limits
- Is Duolingo effective? What it teaches and what it skips
- Quizlet alternatives for learning vocabulary
Questions
Which language learning app should I start with?
For a structured start, Busuu or Babbel; Busuu has a usable free tier. Duolingo is the easiest free daily habit. Whichever you pick, add real listening early.
How much does a language learning app cost?
From nothing to about $20 a month. Duolingo is free, with Super from $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year; Busuu Premium is €57.99 a year; Babbel starts at €8.99 a month on the 12-month plan; Pimsleur starts at $19.99 a month. Tutors on italki and Preply charge per lesson, set by each tutor (Preply from $3, average $21). Each app page shows its price and the date we checked it.
Can an app make me fluent?
No app on its own will. Apps are good at vocabulary, grammar drills and habit, and weak at real-speed listening and unscripted speaking. Combine one app with listening and a weekly conversation.
Are there good free language learning apps?
Yes: Duolingo, Anki (free on desktop and Android), Clozemaster, Memrise's free plan, Busuu's free tier and language exchanges such as Tandem. See the free apps page for what each one keeps behind a paywall.