An owl gently reminding you to revise is motivating. When the urge to speak or understand a TV series takes over, it’s worth knowing the alternatives to Duolingo. Here are 5 apps to try 📖
In brief:
- The 5 best alternatives to Duolingo are: Babbel (14 languages, structured lessons), Rosetta Stone (25 languages, immersion without translation), Memrise (videos of native speakers), Lingopie (subtitled TV series and films), and Mango Languages (more than 70 languages).
- The right choice depends on your goal: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening comprehension, or number of languages.
- Several of these apps can be shared with others, including on Sharesub, which lowers the price per person!
Why look for an alternative to Duolingo?
Most people look for an alternative to Duolingo to complement the app rather than leave it: they want more conversation, more explanations, or a different method. Duolingo is still an excellent app for building a habit, discovering a language, and making progress for free.
Here’s what people who switch or add another app most often say they’re looking for:
- the desire for more conversation : after short lessons, you want to speak out loud in real-life situations
- the need for explanations of grammar or vocabulary in context
- the desire for a different method : structured lessons, videos of native speakers, immersion, or TV series
- the budget, when you want to go beyond the free version, with or without sharing
Good to know: switching apps doesn’t mean giving everything up. Many learners keep Duolingo for their daily routine and add a second app for speaking, grammar, or comprehension.
💡 With Duolingo subscription sharing, enjoy Super Duolingo Premium at a low price. Just share your subscription with other language lovers on the secure Sharesub website!
Duolingo in 2026: what the free version and paid plans offer
Duolingo offers a free version with ads, a Super subscription with no ads or energy limits, a Max plan with AI features, and a Family plan that brings together up to 6 accounts. Before comparing, here’s what you actually get, so the comparison is fair.
Duolingo Free or Super: what’s the difference?
The free version gives you access to the courses, with ads and an energy limit that recharges in about a day, or by watching an ad. Super removes the ads and energy limit.
Super Duolingo is listed at around €110.99 per year (about €9.25 per month) according to the App Store. Check the price in the app, as it varies by device and promotions.
Duolingo Max and Duolingo Family
Duolingo Max adds AI features to Super, such as roleplays and video calls, which may not be available in all countries and languages. The Family plan brings together up to 6 Super accounts for £10.25 per month in total, with each member keeping their own account and progress. The Family Max plan costs £15.00 per month.
The 5 best alternatives to Duolingo in 2026
Babbel, Rosetta Stone, Memrise, Lingopie, and Mango Languages are five alternatives to Duolingo, each suited to a different need: structure, immersion, vocabulary, TV series, or language choice. Here’s what each offers beyond Duolingo, how it works, and what its limitations are.
1. Babbel: the most structured alternative to Duolingo
Babbel offers 14 languages and more than 60,000 lessons, with dialogues, grammar explanations, podcasts, and an AI conversation partner, Babbel Speak. The lessons are still short, but they follow a more progressive path than Duolingo, which appeals to learners who like to understand why a sentence is structured the way it is.
As for plans, Babbel offers subscriptions of different lengths, lifetime access to all languages, and the first lesson free for each language. In May 2026, it also launched a group subscription for up to 6 people, each with their own account.
Choose it if: you want grammar and a clear learning path.
Its limitation: the interface is less playful than Duolingo’s.
2. Rosetta Stone: the Duolingo alternative for immersion and pronunciation
Rosetta Stone offers 25 languages using an immersion method: you match images with native audio without translating. Its speech recognition, TruAccent, gets you to repeat words out loud and tells you whether your pronunciation is accurate.
Rosetta Stone offers 3-month and 12-month plans for one language, as well as lifetime access to all 25 languages, often available on sale. Unlike Duolingo, there’s no permanent free version.
Choose it if: you want to work on your pronunciation or learn several languages over time.
Its limitation: immersion without explanations can be daunting for complete beginners.
3. Memrise: the Duolingo alternative for vocabulary and listening
Memrise focuses on vocabulary : thousands of short videos featuring native speakers, spaced repetition to help you remember words, and AI conversation practice in the Pro version. You hear the language used in real-life situations, which complements Duolingo’s fun lessons nicely.
The free version gives you access to all languages, with ads and one speaking session per day. Pro offers monthly, annual, and lifetime plans, with the annual plan offering the best value.
Choose it if: you want to expand your vocabulary and train your ear.
Its limitation: grammar isn’t explained in much detail, and community-created courses have been removed from the app.
4. Lingopie: the Duolingo alternative for learning with TV series
Lingopie helps you learn by watching real TV series, movies, and songs, with subtitles in two languages. Click on an unfamiliar word to see its translation, and the app adds it to your flashcards for review. It’s the opposite of a game: you learn as you watch, a bit like on a streaming platform.
Lingopie offers 3-month, annual, and lifetime plans, with the latter two working out cheaper per month, as well as a 7-day free trial on its website. It covers around 15 languages, though the number varies by source.
Choose it if: you already know the basics and want to understand dialogue at natural speed.
Its limitation: it’s not a course for complete beginners.
5. Mango Languages: the Duolingo alternative for less common languages
Mango Languages offers more than 70 languages, including rare languages and regional variations, with lessons built around phrases and dialogues, plus short grammar notes. Every subscription gives you access to all languages, so you can try several without paying more.
Mango Languages offers an individual subscription that gives you access to all languages, with a lower price when billed annually. In some countries, libraries and schools also offer free access to their members, so check with yours.
Choose it if: you’re learning a rare language or want to explore several.
Its limitation: the content varies by language, and the depth remains limited for advanced learners.
Which Duolingo alternative should you choose for your goal?
Babbel is a good fit for grammar and structured lessons, Rosetta Stone for immersion and pronunciation, Memrise for vocabulary, Lingopie for understanding TV series, and Mango Languages for less common languages.
Simply put: the right choice is the one that addresses what’s holding you back today, not the best-known app.
| App | Method | Languages | Best for |
| Duolingo | Games and short lessons | Around 40 | Building a daily routine for free |
| Babbel | Structured lessons, dialogues, grammar | 14 | Learning methodically |
| Rosetta Stone | Immersion without translation, speech recognition | 25 | Pronunciation and multiple languages |
| Memrise | Videos of native speakers, spaced repetition | More than 20 | Vocabulary and listening |
| Lingopie | Subtitled TV series and films | Around 15 | Understanding real-life dialogue |
| Mango Languages | Lessons based on phrases and dialogues | More than 70 | Less common languages |
Number of languages stated by each provider or reported in recent guides. It may vary depending on the source language.
Based on your goal, here’s what you should try :
- you want to understand grammar: Babbel
- you want to improve your pronunciation and learn several languages: Rosetta Stone
- you want to expand your vocabulary: Memrise
- you want to understand TV series without subtitles: Lingopie
- you’re learning a rare language or want to try several: Mango Languages
FAQ: alternatives to Duolingo
There isn’t just one: Babbel is good for grammar and structured lessons, Rosetta Stone for pronunciation, Memrise for vocabulary, Lingopie for understanding TV series, and Mango Languages for less common languages. The right choice depends on what’s holding you back today.
Babbel is more structured, with grammar explanations and dialogues, but it’s paid. Duolingo is more playful and free to get started. Many learners keep Duolingo for their routine and add Babbel to understand how sentences are put together.
Rosetta Stone is better suited to pronunciation and immersion, thanks to its TruAccent speech recognition and its 25 languages. However, there’s no permanent free version, and the method without explanations takes some getting used to.
Lingopie is designed for this: you watch real TV series and movies with subtitles in two languages, then review the words you clicked on. It’s a better fit if you already know the basics.
An app can help you build a foundation, learn vocabulary, and establish a routine. To speak fluently, you also need to practise out loud, on your own or with someone else, using tools such as those offered by Rosetta Stone, Memrise, or Babbel.
Share a subscription with other users: on Sharesub, a Duolingo Family slot costs £2.99 per month and a Babbel Group slot costs £3.09 per month.
Sources
Information about languages, plans, and features is based on the providers’ official pages, consulted in november 2026.