Speak is the best Duolingo alternative if your goal is to talk. It has you speaking from the first lesson and costs $83.99 a year for Premium, about half the price of Duolingo Max. The best pick for each need:
Speaking confidently, fast: Speak
Cheap daily AI tutor: Praktika, from $6.99
Intermediate conversation with detailed corrections: Langua
Clear grammar explanations: Babbel
Free, open-ended conversation:ChatGPT voice mode or Gemini Live
Most beginners should still start with Duolingo's free course. The alternatives are best as a next step, or as a partner app once Duolingo's short lessons stop stretching you. See the full best AI language learning apps ranking.
Why people look for Duolingo alternatives
Not enough real speaking
Duolingo's own blog says early Video Calls last about a minute and later ones up to three. Learners who want to hold real conversations find speaking-first apps give far more talk time.
Progress stalls after the basics
A common complaint in Trustpilot reviews is that learning slows after the first few months. Duolingo now has content up to CEFR B2 in its biggest languages, but many intermediate learners want freer conversation and real media.
Too little grammar
Duolingo teaches mostly by example. Reviewers who want the rules spelled out prefer Babbel's teacher-written explanations, even though Explain My Answer now helps.
Game mechanics and ads
Energy, leagues, streak pressure and ads on the free plan bother some learners, who feel the app rewards points over progress.
Uncertainty over Max and AI
Duolingo may retire Max, and its 2025 "AI-first" memo led some users to leave in protest. People paying for AI practice may prefer an app built around it.
Scores come from our category rankings (hover for which one). "n/a" means the tool is not in a ranking yet.
The best Duolingo alternatives, reviewed
#1 · Best for learners whose main goal is to speak
Speak
by Speak · from $17.99/month or $83.99/year (Premium, US App Store)
7.7/10
Speak is built around one idea: you should talk from the first lesson. Most exercises ask you to say sentences out loud, and the AI checks pronunciation and grammar as you go. Role-plays cover real situations, and the AI tutor lets you talk freely or ask questions. Premium costs $17.99 a month or $83.99 a year on the US App Store, about half the price of Duolingo Max. Premium Plus costs $39.99 a month or $164.99 a year. It covers fewer languages, mainly Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and English, and there is no free plan beyond a trial.
Versus Duolingo:Far more speaking time than Duolingo, but fewer languages and no free plan.
Praktika gives you an AI tutor with a face. You pick an animated avatar, set a goal, and hold spoken lessons and free conversations with it, with corrections to your grammar and word choice as you go. It is one of the cheapest ways to get daily AI speaking practice: US App Store prices run from $6.99 up to $139.99 for a one-year plan. The app lists 15 languages, including English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, French and Arabic. Its lesson path is thinner than Duolingo's, so it suits people who already know some basics and want talk time rather than a course.
Versus Duolingo:Cheap, avatar-led speaking practice, but a weaker structured course.
#3 · Best for intermediate learners who want realistic conversation
Langua
by LanguaTalk · from Free trial, then Standard or Unlimited plan
7.3/10
Langua is for learners who have outgrown Duolingo's short lessons. Its AI conversations sound natural, and after each chat you get a list of mistakes with better ways to say things. Words you meet go into flashcards, and you can study real videos and podcasts with clickable transcripts. It covers more than 20 languages. The Standard plan allows up to 75 chat messages and 30 minutes of call mode a day; Unlimited removes the caps. A trial of 5 days (monthly) or 7 days (yearly) needs a card, and there is no step-by-step beginner course.
Versus Duolingo:Deeper conversation and corrections for intermediates, but no beginner path.
#4 · Best for adults who want clear grammar lessons
Babbel
by Babbel · from $17.99/month for one language (US App Store)
7.2/10
Babbel is the most traditional course here: short practical dialogues with clear grammar explanations written by language teachers. It suits adults who want to understand why a sentence works, which is Duolingo's weak spot. Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner with personalised feedback, is included in the app in beta. On the US App Store one language costs $17.99 a month or $89.99 a year, and all languages for 12 months cost $107.99. It covers 14 languages and has 4.7 stars from about 754,000 App Store ratings. It is less motivating than Duolingo's game design and has no free plan.
Versus Duolingo:Better grammar teaching, but no free plan and less game-like.
by OpenAI · from Free (limited); Go $8/month (US) · free plan
7.0/10
ChatGPT is not a language course, but its voice mode is one of the best conversation partners available. It speaks many languages, switches to English when you get stuck, can slow down, and will role-play anything from a job interview to haggling in a market. The free plan includes limited voice chats, and Go at $8 a month in the US raises the limits. What you lose compared with Duolingo: there is no curriculum, no spaced review and no streaks, and you have to ask it to correct your mistakes. Use it alongside a structured app, not instead of one.
Versus Duolingo:Unlimited topics and natural conversation, but no course or progress tracking.
Gemini Live is Google's real-time voice mode, and it is included in the free Gemini plan. That makes it the cheapest way to get open-ended speaking practice: you pay nothing and can talk as long as the free limits allow. You can point your camera at a menu or a street sign and talk about it in your target language, which is handy for travel vocabulary. Like ChatGPT, it has no course, review system or progress tracking, and you need to ask it to correct you and to speak slowly.
Versus Duolingo:Free spoken practice with camera sharing, but no structure.
Many learners do best with two apps: Duolingo or Babbel for structure, plus Speak, Praktika or a free voice assistant for conversation. See our best AI language learning apps and best AI tutors rankings.
Switching tips from our editors
Cancel Duolingo through the store you paid with (Apple, Google or the website) before your renewal date. Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription.
Note your Duolingo Score or unit before you switch, and use the new app's placement test so you do not repeat what you already know.
Keep using Duolingo's free plan for a short daily review while you try a paid alternative, so your vocabulary and streak habit do not slip.
Use the free trials of Speak, Praktika or Langua for real speaking sessions, not just browsing, and cancel the ones you do not keep before they convert.
If you are on a Family Plan, check who else relies on it before cancelling. Every member loses the paid features.
Duolingo's limit on the free plan. Each exercise uses some, correct answers earn some back, and it recharges in about a day. Super gives unlimited Energy.
Streak
The count of days in a row you have done at least one lesson. Super includes a monthly streak repair if you miss a day.
CEFR
The Common European Framework of Reference, a six-level scale of language ability from A1 (beginner) to C2 (near-native). B2 means you can handle most everyday and work conversations.
Roleplay
A Max feature where you act out a short real-world scenario, such as ordering coffee, with an AI-powered Duolingo character.
Gems
Duolingo's in-app currency. You earn them in lessons or buy them, and spend them on Energy refills and other extras.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Duolingo?
For speaking, Speak: you talk from the first lesson, and Premium costs $83.99 a year on the US App Store. For grammar, Babbel. For a cheap AI tutor, Praktika.
Is there a free alternative to Duolingo?
The voice modes in ChatGPT and Gemini are free for conversation practice, but neither is a course. Most dedicated language apps, including Speak, Praktika and Babbel, need a subscription after a trial.
Is Babbel better than Duolingo?
Babbel explains grammar better and suits adults who want to understand the rules. Duolingo is free, covers more languages and is better at keeping you practising daily.
Is Speak better than Duolingo Max?
For speaking, yes: Speak builds almost every lesson around talking and costs about half as much as Max on a yearly plan. Duolingo covers far more languages and has a free plan.
Can I use ChatGPT instead of Duolingo?
For conversation practice, yes; for a structured course, no. ChatGPT has no curriculum, spaced review or streaks, so most learners use it alongside an app like Duolingo.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from public information. Vendor figures are labelled as vendor claims.