What is the best free alternative to Duolingo?

Memrise has the strongest free tier and adds real native-speaker video; Busuu's free tier includes community correction. Both are credible free swaps depending on whether you want vocabulary drilling or conversation.

Which Duolingo alternative is best for actually speaking?

For open spoken practice, Speak (AI conversation) and ELSA (pronunciation) go further than Duolingo's roleplay; Busuu adds correction from native speakers.

The best Duolingo (Max) alternatives

Duolingo's alternatives split by what you want: a free gamified habit (Memrise), structured linguist-built lessons (Babbel), or real conversation and correction (Busuu, Speak).

An independent read. Our publisher also builds learning software, so we never rank by ad spend or our own interest. Each option is scored through the Four Mismatches Test.

For a student in

Tool	Curriculum	Language	Price	Device	Pricing
Duolingo (Max)United States	–	✓	✓	✓	Freemium; Super Duolingo and higher 'Max' tiers
BabbelGermany	–	✓	?	✓	Subscription (+ Babbel for Business)
BusuuUnited Kingdom	–	✓	✓	✓	Freemium subscription + B2B
MemriseUnited Kingdom	–	✓	✓	✓	Freemium subscription
SpeakUnited States	–	✓	?	✓	Subscription
LingvistEstonia	–	✓	?	✓	Freemium subscription

Checked for a student in the United States, from each maker’s own facts: ✓ fits · ~ partly · ✕ doesn't fit · – no exam claimed · ? not verified · – bought by schools. How it’s worked out

Which alternative fits your exam

Duolingo names no school exam, so its curriculum mark is neutral and the language row matters most. Its interface skews English-first and local-language pairs are uneven; a learner whose target is a specific national language exam may need a specialist.

Where Duolingo (Max) genuinely wins

Duolingo's free tier is genuinely free, it is the most mobile-first and habit-forming of the set, and its 40+ languages and gamified streaks keep beginners coming back — the hardest part of language learning.

The alternatives

BabbelGermany
Practical lessons plus AI conversation practice.
BusuuUnited Kingdom
Structured courses, AI tutor, and native-speaker feedback.
MemriseUnited Kingdom
Vocabulary with the MemBot AI chat companion.
SpeakUnited States
Speaking-first AI tutor for spoken fluency.
LingvistEstonia
Adaptive vocabulary built on spaced repetition.

Head-to-head

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Duolingo?: Memrise has the strongest free tier and adds real native-speaker video; Busuu's free tier includes community correction. Both are credible free swaps depending on whether you want vocabulary drilling or conversation.
Which Duolingo alternative is best for actually speaking?: For open spoken practice, Speak (AI conversation) and ELSA (pronunciation) go further than Duolingo's roleplay; Busuu adds correction from native speakers.