What are the best free apps for learning a language?

The quick answer

For most people, Duolingo is the best free start. The core course is free with ads, covers more than 40 languages, and builds the daily habit for you. It will not make you fluent on its own, so add HelloTalk or Tandem for speaking: both are free exchanges where you talk with real people. For stubborn vocabulary, choose Anki. It is free on desktop and Android and uses spaced repetition, the most reliable memory technique we know. One app will not do it all. Pick one core app and one practice app. Keep it simple.

Duolingo

What it is: a gamified course app with bite-size lessons, a streak system, and exercises covering vocabulary, grammar, listening, and simple speaking.

Advantages:

• The whole core course is free. You pay with your attention to ads, not your money.

• More than 40 languages, the largest free catalog anywhere.

• The streak and reminders actually work. Consistency beats intensity. Disadvantages:

• It teaches recognition more than production. You tap the right answer instead of saying it.

• Grammar explanations are thin. Around A2 the lessons start to repeat.

• The free version has an energy limit in some countries and languages.

Memrise

What it is: a vocabulary and phrase app built around short videos of native speakers. It also has an AI speaking tutor called MemBot.

Advantages:

• You hear real people at real speed from day one. That is rare in free apps.

• Mnemonic tricks ("mems") connect words to images and jokes. They work for tricky words.

• The free tier covers lessons and videos. Enough to judge it. Disadvantages:

• The strongest features sit behind the paid plan. Free learners hit walls.

• It is not a full course. Grammar and structure are thin.

• Multiple-choice practice can feel like recognition, not recall.

Anki

What it is: an open-source flashcard program that schedules reviews for the moment you are about to forget a word. You build the decks or download shared ones.

Advantages:

• Completely free on desktop and Android. No ads, no subscription, no catch.

• The algorithm is the gold standard for spaced repetition. Nothing free beats it for retention.

• Fully customizable. Text, images, audio, example sentences. Disadvantages:

• The design looks dated and the setup asks a lot of you at first.

• The iPhone app is a paid download, the developer's own choice, not a subscription.

• You do the content work. A deck of someone else's words is weaker than a deck of yours.

HelloTalk and Tandem

What they are: free language exchanges. You match with native speakers, trade messages and voice notes, and correct each other.

Advantages:

• Real people. Nothing else in this price range gets you that.

• Voice notes and calls are free. You can speak from week one.

• Corrections from natives beat any app's grammar check. Disadvantages:

• Partner quality varies. Some people flake. Some just want to chat in your language.

• Translation and search extras are partly paid.

• You need enough basics to hold a simple conversation first.

Busuu

What it is: a structured course app with CEFR levels, and a free tier that includes selected lessons plus writing corrections from native speakers.

Advantages:

• The free corrections are genuinely useful. Real humans fix your sentences.

• Lessons follow a real syllabus, not random games.

• The free tier is enough to learn its style. Disadvantages:

• Most of the course needs the paid plan.

• Correction quality varies by language and hour.

• Fewer languages than Duolingo.

Language Transfer

What it is: a set of full audio courses, completely free, that teach you to think in the language instead of translating.

Advantages:

• Entirely free. No tiers, no ads, no account games.

• Excellent for understanding how a language fits together. Disadvantages:

• Only a handful of languages, mostly popular ones.

• Audio only. No reading, writing, or review scheduling.

• The style is slow and deliberate. Not everyone likes it.

At a glance

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4
App	Best for	Free tier	Main limit
Duolingo	Daily habit	Full course, ads	Weak on speaking
Memrise	Real voices	Lessons and videos	Best features paid
Anki	Memory	Free (desktop, Android)	You build the decks
HelloTalk	Real conversation	Messaging, voice	Partner quality varies
Tandem	Speaking practice	Conversations	Discovery extras paid
Busuu	Structured study	Selected lessons	Full course paid
Language Transfer	Grammar intuition	Everything	Few languages, audio only

One fact worth knowing

In 2006, Cepeda and colleagues published a large meta-analysis covering decades of memory research. The conclusion: spacing your practice over days beats cramming every time. It is one of the most reliable findings in learning science. That is why Anki's review schedule and Duolingo's streak both work: they bring you back day after day. When you pick a free app, pick one that schedules your reviews for you.

A 20-minute daily routine

1. Ten minutes on your core app. One Duolingo lesson, or one Memrise session. Say every answer out loud, even when the app only asks you to tap.
2. Five minutes of Anki review. Clear your due cards. No new cards when you are behind.
3. Five minutes of speaking. Open your phone's voice recorder. Describe your day in the language using three words you learned today. Listen back once. Do this for a month and you will feel the difference in your mouth, not just on your screen.

FAQs

Is Duolingo enough to learn a language?

No. It builds vocabulary and reinforces the habit, but real conversation and deep grammar will not come from it. Use it as the base, not the whole house.

Can I reach B1 without paying?

Yes, with discipline. Duolingo or Busuu for structure, Anki for words, HelloTalk or Tandem for speaking. What you cannot buy, with money or apps, is the speaking time. You still have to put that in yourself.

Which free app is best for speaking?

HelloTalk and Tandem because they connect you to other people. AI speaking tools are developing, but a person can actually hear your hesitation and push back.

Why do free apps keep pushing subscriptions?

Because servers and staff cost money. The free tiers are real, but companies nudge you toward paid plans. Use the free tier with clear eyes and ignore the pressure.

When you are ready for people

Apps teach you words. People teach you to speak. When your basics are in place, try practicing with real humans. SpeakDuo runs short speaking sessions with real people, and it is honest about being young: the community is still small, so partner choice is limited. But every minute is real conversation, which is the part no free app can fake.

Freshness: checked and updated on 2026-10-17.