Last Updated on April 3, 2024 by ETC Team
Duolingo
This free language learning app includes more than 30 languages and is set up like a game, with users earning points for lessons. You can choose to start as a beginner or take a placement test, and decide how much time you want to dedicate to learning each day. After you learn the basics, you can learn vocabulary for topics like travel and food.
Download it: Duolingo
Memrise
This language learning app first asks you to choose your level and then repeats key words and phrases with videos and text. You earn points for things like accuracy and speed and set a goal for how long you want to spend working on the language each day. There’s even a leaderboard for competitive learners. To access all language courses and features, pay for a monthly, quarterly, annual, or lifetime subscription — a yearlong subscription costs $89.99.
Download it: Memrise
Rosetta Stone
This is one of the oldest language-learning programs on the market, and it offers a subscription-based model that starts at about $11.99 per month for access to one language during a 3-month subscription. The app doesn’t use any English, conducting the lessons in the language you are learning (there’s around two dozen on the iOS app) with pictures to help. If you’re going to opt for this app, set aside some time each day as core lessons tend to take about 30 minutes each.
Download it: Rosetta Stone
Babbel Language Learning App
This subscription-based language learning app offers lessons that take between 10 to 15 minutes each and focus on matching up phrases as well as correct spelling. Users are asked to repeat basic phrases and fill in the blanks to make sure they really grasp the vocabulary. Subscriptions start at $6.95 per month for 12 months with over a dozen languages available.
Download it: Babbel
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Busuu Language Learning App
This language learning app has only 12 languages, but they are some of the most common: think Spanish, French, and Chinese. Busuu promises to teach you the language in just 10 minutes a day and prompts you to determine your goal: do you want to feel like a local when you travel, or are you hoping to communicate better with friends and family? The app encourages learners to pick a regular time of day to practice (and will even send you a notification when the time comes) and provides you with a study plan. You can study one language for free with limited access, or pay for a subscription to access more features.
Download it: Busuu
Drops Language Learning App
This free language learning app offers users five minutes of learning every day. Why only five minutes? The app says that it helps people maintain a “laser focus” and is an easy habit to maintain (users who want longer lessons can upgrade to a premium package). The app offers over 35 different languages and includes exercises like dragging words to a matching photo and connecting letters like a word search. The basic app is free to use, but you’ll want to upgrade to the premium version to unlock an ad-free, unlimited experience.
Download it: Drops
Pimsleur Language Learning App
This language learning app offers a whopping 50 languages (including variations on certain languages), and the Pimsleur method has been around for decades. The app asks learners to commit to 30 minutes a day but the lessons are done over audio, making it easy to tune in during your commute or while at the gym. This app offers monthly subscriptions or packs of courses to purchase.
Download it: Pimsleur
