8 Best Language Learning Apps of 2026: Which One Is Right for You?

Are you learning a foreign language and wondering which app is actually worth your time? We compared eight of the most popular language learning apps of 2026 (Duolingo, DuoCards, Memrise, Busuu, Babbel, Anki, Pimsleur and italki) and summarized what each one does best, how many languages it offers and who it suits. Read on and pick the one that fits you!

Short answer: Duolingo is best for a fun daily habit, DuoCards for building and remembering vocabulary, Memrise for speaking and listening, Busuu for a school-like course with feedback, Babbel for grammar through real-life dialogues, Anki for full control over your own flashcards, Pimsleur for learning to speak with audio lessons, and italki for lessons with a real teacher.

Updated November 2026. We checked each app's features, languages and free plan on its official website and store pages. Full disclosure: this article is published by DuoCards, one of the apps in the comparison. We have tried to describe every app fairly, including what the others do better.

Quick comparison: best language apps in 2026

Prices vary by country, platform and plan length, so check each app's store page for current pricing.

Duolingo: best for building a daily habit

Duolingo is one of the most widely used language apps in the world. Its motto, "free. fun. effective.", sums it up well: short, game-like lessons, streaks, leaderboards and reminders from Duo, the famous green owl, keep you coming back every day.

• Languages: more than 40, with lessons for every level from complete beginner up.
• Free version: the full course is free, with ads and a limited amount of "energy" for mistakes on mobile.
• Paid plans: Super Duolingo removes ads and adds unlimited energy, among other extras. A Family plan covers up to six accounts. Higher tiers add AI features such as Video Call, a spoken conversation with an AI character.
• Beyond languages: Duolingo now also teaches math, music and chess.
• For kids: Duolingo ABC is a separate free app that teaches children aged 3 to 8 to read and write in English.

Who it's for: beginners and anyone who needs motivation to practice a little every day. If you want deeper grammar or a lot of real conversation practice, you will probably want to combine it with another app. See our detailed Duolingo vs DuoCards comparison.

DuoCards: best for learning vocabulary from real content

DuoCards is a flashcard app built for growing your vocabulary. It works as a translator too: look up any word and it is saved as a flashcard straight away. The app then uses spaced repetition, showing each card again at the right moment, from a few minutes to a few months later, until the word sticks.

• Languages: more than 100, from widely spoken ones like Spanish or Japanese to Welsh, Swahili or Yoruba.
• Learn from real content: a library of articles and videos with subtitles, and you can learn from YouTube videos. Tap an unknown word to translate it and save it.
• Browser extension: save new words while you browse the web.
• Ready-made sets: community card sets reviewed by the DuoCards team, sorted by level and popularity. Teachers can create public or private sets for their students.
• AI features: AI-generated personalized stories, grammar explanations and roleplay conversations.
• Automatic listening: let the app play your words aloud and learn hands-free, for example while driving or cooking.
• Free version: free for up to two languages, with up to 20 new cards in learning at a time. When you learn them, you can add more. Premium removes the limits and, since spring 2026, lets you learn offline. Invite a friend and you both get a month of Premium for free. A Family plan covers up to six people.
• Mascot: Memo, a friendly mammoth, guides you through the app.

Who it's for: learners at any level who want to remember the words they actually meet in movies, articles and conversations, and anyone who wants a smart flashcard system without making cards by hand.

Try DuoCards for free: save words from YouTube, the web or the translator and learn them in a few minutes a day. Get it on the App Store or Google Play, or learn in your browser.

Memrise: best for speaking and listening

If your main goal is to understand people and speak, for example before a trip, Memrise is a good choice. Its lessons are built around short videos of native speakers in everyday situations, so you hear real accents and the phrases people actually use.

• Languages: Memrise now advertises more than 140 languages, though the depth of the courses varies a lot between popular and less common languages.
• Real-life scenarios: lessons are grouped into practical topics such as ordering food, checking into a hotel or shopping.
• Speaking practice: chat with AI conversation partners to practice what you learned.
• Review: a smart review system brings back words before you forget them.

Who it's for: beginners and travelers who care more about listening and speaking than about grammar.

Busuu: best for structured courses and feedback

Busuu feels the closest to a language school. Its courses follow the CEFR levels, from A1 (beginner) to B2 (upper intermediate), and combine grammar, vocabulary, writing and pronunciation. Its biggest strength is the community: you can send writing and speaking exercises to native speakers and get feedback from them.

• Languages: 14, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Arabic. That's fewer than some competitors, but it covers the main world languages.
• Review: vocabulary and grammar review based on spaced repetition.
• Premium Plus: adds AI conversations, extra speaking practice, specialty courses and Mistake Repair.
• Certificates: Busuu certificates for completed levels in selected languages.

Who it's for: beginner and intermediate learners who want a clear, structured path and real feedback on their writing and speaking.

Babbel: best for grammar and real-life conversations

Babbel takes a more academic approach. Its courses are created by language experts and cover grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking and culture, always through dialogues you could really use.

• Languages: 14 in total (13 for English speakers): Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Danish, Dutch, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish and Turkish, plus English.
• Short lessons: around 10 to 15 minutes each, easy to fit into a busy day.
• Speaking: speech recognition for pronunciation and AI conversation practice. Babbel Live online classes with real teachers are available as a separate paid option.
• Extras: podcasts and games to keep practicing outside lessons.
• Free version: you can try the first lesson of every course for free; the full course needs a subscription.

Who it's for: beginner and intermediate learners who like a clear structure, explanations of grammar and visible progress tracking.

Anki: best for full control over your flashcards

Anki is a classic among flashcard apps, popular with medical students and language learners alike. It uses spaced repetition like DuoCards, but you build everything yourself: you write your own cards or download decks that other people have shared.

• Languages: any. Anki has no courses of its own, so it works for whatever you put into it.
• Customization: you can change card templates, review settings and add-ons, which makes it very flexible.
• Sync: the free AnkiWeb service keeps your cards in sync across devices.
• Price: free on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android (AnkiDroid) and the web. The iOS app, AnkiMobile, is a paid one-time purchase.

Who it's for: learners who don't mind spending time on setup and want full control over every card. If you'd rather not make cards by hand, a language-focused flashcard app like DuoCards is quicker to start with.

Pimsleur: best for learning to speak with audio lessons

Pimsleur is built around listening and speaking. Each lesson is a conversation of about 30 minutes: you hear a phrase, are asked to recall it from memory and say it out loud, and the lesson keeps bringing it back at growing intervals.

• Languages: more than 50.
• Hands-free learning: the audio lessons work well while driving, walking or doing chores.
• Plans: a subscription for one language, or All Access for every language. Some courses can also be bought for life.
• Free trial: 7 days.

Who it's for: learners who want to start speaking quickly and like to learn with their ears rather than with a screen. It teaches less reading and writing than course apps.

italki: best for lessons with a real teacher

italki is different from the other apps on this list: it is a marketplace where you book one-to-one video lessons with a teacher of your choice. Nothing beats a real conversation for getting confident in a language.

• Languages: more than 150, with tens of thousands of teachers.
• Teachers: choose between community tutors (native or fluent speakers) and professional teachers with teaching qualifications.
• Price: you pay per lesson, with no subscription needed. Teachers set their own prices, and many offer a cheaper trial lesson.
• italki Plus: an optional subscription with AI study tools such as lesson summaries, vocabulary lists and practice exercises.

Who it's for: anyone who wants real speaking practice and personal feedback. It works great together with an app for vocabulary between lessons.

Looking for a flashcard app? DuoCards vs Anki vs Quizlet

If you mainly want to learn vocabulary with flashcards, these are the three apps people compare most often:

• Anki: very powerful and flexible, but you make your own cards and it takes time to set up (see above).
• Quizlet: study sets for every school subject, not only languages. Good for quick revision before a test. The free version shows ads; Quizlet Plus is paid.
• DuoCards: made for languages. You don't make cards by hand: translate a word in the app, on YouTube or in your browser and it becomes a flashcard with spaced repetition, ready to learn.

Best language app for families, commuters and travelers

• Families: Duolingo and DuoCards both have a Family plan for up to six people. Duolingo ABC is made for young children.
• Commuters and busy people: DuoCards automatic listening plays your words aloud hands-free, Pimsleur has 30-minute audio lessons, and Babbel has podcasts and 10 to 15 minute lessons.
• Travelers: Memrise teaches the phrases you need for hotels, restaurants and shops, with videos of native speakers.
• Gamers: Duolingo's streaks, leagues and rewards make learning feel like a game.

So which language app should you pick?

There's no single "best" app. It depends on your goal:

• Want a fun daily habit? Start with Duolingo.
• Want to remember the words you meet in real life? Try DuoCards.
• Want to speak and understand native speakers quickly? Go for Memrise.
• Want a school-like course with feedback? Choose Busuu.
• Want solid grammar with practical dialogues? Pick Babbel.
• Want to build every flashcard yourself? Use Anki.
• Want to learn to speak while driving or walking? Listen to Pimsleur.
• Want lessons with a real teacher? Book them on italki.

Many learners combine two apps, for example a course app (Duolingo, Busuu or Babbel) or lessons on italki with a flashcard app like DuoCards for the vocabulary they pick up along the way. Whichever app caught your eye, we hope it helps you improve your language skills. Good luck with your progress!

Keep reading:

• How to Use AI and ChatGPT for Language Learning in 2026
• 10 Language Learning Mistakes You Might Be Making (And How to Fix Them!)
• New Year's Resolutions: Create a Language Learning Habit

FAQ

What is the best language learning app in 2026?

It depends on your goal. Duolingo is best for a fun daily habit, Babbel and Busuu for structured courses and grammar, Memrise and Pimsleur for speaking and listening, DuoCards for building and remembering vocabulary, and italki for lessons with a real teacher.

Which language learning app is free?

Duolingo offers its full course for free with ads, and Anki is free everywhere except iOS. DuoCards, Memrise and Busuu have free versions with limits, Babbel lets you try the first lesson of each course, and Pimsleur has a 7-day free trial.

Are language apps worth it?

Yes, if you use them regularly. A few minutes a day builds vocabulary and listening skills, and spaced repetition helps you remember what you learn. Apps work best together with real conversations and content in the language you are learning.

Is DuoCards free?

Yes. You can learn up to two languages for free, with up to 20 new cards in learning at a time. Premium removes these limits, and you can get it for free by inviting friends: each friend who joins gives you both a month of Premium.

Is DuoCards part of Duolingo?

No. The names sound alike, but DuoCards is an independent app made by a Czech company founded in 2020. It is not related to Duolingo. Read how the two apps differ in our Duolingo vs DuoCards comparison.

Which app offers the most languages?

italki has teachers for over 150 languages and Memrise advertises over 140. DuoCards supports more than 100, Pimsleur more than 50 and Duolingo 40+, while Busuu and Babbel focus on 14 major languages each.

Can you become fluent using only a language app?

Apps are great for vocabulary, grammar and daily practice, but fluency also needs real conversations, listening to native content and speaking regularly. Use an app as one part of your routine.

Is it worth using more than one language app?

Yes. A course app gives you structure, while a flashcard app with spaced repetition helps you remember the new words long term.