12 Best Language Learning Apps for 2024 [Free and Paid] (2024)

Studying a new language doesn’t always have to happen in the classroom. Today, you can learn anywhere, anytime, and any place through a language app at your fingertips.

Here, you will find the list of the best language learning apps for 2024 to take your language journey to the next level. Let’s dive in.

Do language learning apps really work?

The best way to learn a new language is, of course, in the classroom. Nothing beats the time-tested immersion approach.

But many don’t have the time to attend traditional offline classes.

For them, online language learning is fabulous. Technology and the internet have made language education way more straightforward than ever.

While some weaknesses of e-learning languages are apparent, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

Of all varieties of online language courses, smartphone apps and desktop software are getting popular because of their ease of use, studying at their comfort, affordability, variety of options, and versatility.

Despite the many perks offered by language apps, there are some well-known drawbacks linked with it.

For example, smartphone apps are impersonal and provide little to no feedback. You require lots of self-discipline and self-control not to get distracted.

You cannot accomplish any meaningful level of competency. For that reason alone, this should be the start, not the end.

Most organizations gear their software towards the beginner’s level and primarily focus on vocabulary and phrases.

This often gives many inexperienced learners a false sense of success and realism.

The realization of the drawbacks of language apps keeps your expectations low. You can concentrate more on the practical aspects of apps.

And later, continue your adventure with other resources, ranging from books and audio tutoring to teacher and language school.

Free Vs. Paid Language Apps

There are broadly three types of pricing — Free, Freemium, and 100% paid.

Most apps offer the freemium model. This means both the app and the web version are accessible for FREE. Any user download on a whim, check out, and decide if they like.

However, most have a premium service for a price. The cost varies, but you can get a premium plan for a few $ a month in most cases. Some even charge annual and language or level-based pricing.

The premium variant of apps delivers many benefits.

For instance, if you want to get rid of the ads, you can consider them. You also gain full access to extended and bonus characteristics in the process that is otherwise not possible for free.

Some of the best language learning software allows you to download lessons for offline study, stats, and advanced tracking analytics.

And, if you already know some modules, you can also test out unlimited times and skills.

12 Best Apps for Learning a New Language

You can find hundreds of language apps.

Choosing one for your language goal can quickly become overwhelming when comparing some most downloaded, rated, and favorite ones.

Fortunately, if you carefully break down the flexibility, features, available languages, and reviews with each app, you’re interested. Then, it will often become clear which is the most suitable for you.

A word of cautious: This is not a list of recommendations. These are some useful apps in random order, which can be worthwhile per your requirement. Pick the one that suits your goal!

Over the years, I have tested plenty of language education apps. Here’s a collection of the 12 best language-learning apps.

Let’s get started.

1. Duolingo

There cannot be any list of the best language learning apps that don’t mention Duolingo. With more than 500 million users, this is the most prominent and downloaded language app.

Duolingo has successfully combined language learning with gamification, intending to make education simple and more delightful.

This offers fun mini-lessons, making the entire procedure more manageable and enjoyable.

With the help of these lessons, you can practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing. You can also improve your vocabulary and pronunciation of the chosen language.

You can check my complete Duolingo review.

Pros: Duolingo is a perfect example of how to learn a language through games. You can find tons of language combinations.

Suppose you wish to learn two or more languages together. Duolingo permits you to do that.

You will face no limitations. The most notable plus point is that everything is Free on Duolingo!

Cons: The app is somewhat hit-and-miss. There wouldn’t be enough explanation if you were stuck at any part.

The app primarily centers on vocabulary, and other aspects are inadequate. If you desire to learn some basics by playing a mobile game, it’s okay.

Available on: Android, iOS, Web.

Languages Offered: English speakers can select from a comprehensive list of 37 languages, including endangered ones like Hawaiian, Scottish Gaelic, Yiddish, Navajo, and Scottish Gaelic.

You can try fictional High Valyrian (Games of Thrones), Klingon (Star Trek), and artificial Esperanto. The alternatives are, unfortunately, fairly restricted if your first language is not English.

Pricing: Free. Plus at $6.99/Monthly.

2. Memrise

Memrise is the second most known language platform that uses spaced repetition of flashcards and mnemonics to increase learning. It’s the place for those looking for fun vocabulary practice.

You can read my full review of Memrise.

You can find standardized lessons based on popular textbooks or lexicon frequency lists. The app has a unique method that creates funny or peculiar associations with the studied words.

Memrise has a sizeable community of over 35 million language learners.

It helps you develop real-life experiences through multiple easy-to-use games and over 30,000 native speaker video clips in the “learn with locals” pro version.

Pros: Memrise offers you to learn in joyful ways, including memes and gamification; this makes your learning fast-paced and productive.

You can select from different languages, levels, and courses on the platform. You may not find some possibilities elsewhere.

Cons: The quality of user-created content deviates a lot, and the exercises can frequently get repetitive. I didn’t find Memrise convenient.

Memrise mainly focuses on a basic glossary and leaves much to be desired. The format is not suitable beyond that. Like Duolingo, if English is not your primary language, it confines your options.

Available on: Android, iOS, Web.

Languages Offered: The platform offers dozens of languages and amalgams.

From famous French, Italian, and Spanish to rarely taught Polish, Norwegian, and Mongolian to the hardest ones like Korean, Mandarin, and Japanese, you have everything on your palm.

Pricing: Free and Pro – $8.99/Monthly

3. Babbel

Have you searched enough for the best language-learning apps?

You’re guaranteed to see sponsored articles, reviews, and ads for Babbel.

While they are experts in marketing, but the product itself worth it?

While you’re at it, check the answer in my Babbel review. I mean, as soon as I write it. What can I say, I’m lazy.

Babbel is a paid app built explicitly by over 100 language experts and educators. This differs from Duolingo and Memrise, which also include huge user-generated content.

It offers you a few free sessions, which means you can learn some elementary concepts without spending a penny. The app provides a minimalist layout, which makes studying a straightforward task.

Each lesson has translations, and variations of the term or phrase, and pictures for easy understanding. Besides, handy pop-ups keep you revising the subjects you have already learned and act as quick notes.

Pros: If you’re seeking a splendidly crafted language study designed by in-house linguists, Babbel seems nice. At first glance, it looks surely professional with a decent layout.

You have a vast range of opportunities, and the price is pocket-friendly if you intend to go beyond the free account.

Cons: They claim you can become proficient in a new language if you spend 15 minutes of your day. That’s not too much, I believe. But is it even possible?

In two words, I’d say — “pipe dream.” The semantics aside, well, you get the idea. Right?

That’s the most significant shortcoming. Babbel is not bad, but making tall claims is misleading.

The lessons are tedious and sometimes boring. They need to make Babbel more appealing.

Available on: Android, iOS, Web.

Languages Offered: 14 languages and 8 display languages. It comprises Danish, Dutch, French, English, German, Italian, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Spanish, Russian, and Turkish.

Pricing: Babbel’s monthly subscription is $13.95, a three-month subscription is $41.85, six months costs you $83.70, and one year is $167.40. They nearly always offer a 30% to 50% discount.

4. Busuu

Busuu has a community of over 100 million international indigenous speakers who practice and teach at Busuu.

They provide helpful drills to practice new oral lessons, grammar tips, activities, listening/audio samples, and dialogue assignments.

You can also check pronunciation examples, tests, writing practices, and so on.

After signing up for Busuu and selecting the language, it determines your current level.

Based on that, you set a daily study goal. However, apps create the app itself create the proper plan for premium subscribers. So it motivates you to reach your aim by a set date.

Pro: The flashcard’s spaced repetition method is excellent and encourages you to gain unfamiliar words with little effort.

You can get some essential day-to-day conversations and beginner’s sentences within a few days. The UI and UX are also pretty attractive and intriguing.

Cons: Busuu doesn’t fit East Asia languages like Chinese and Japanese. The translation and explanations are also missing in various parts.

The free plan is very much restricted. If you’re a serious learner, pay for one of the two premium plans.

Available on: Android, iOS, Web.

Languages Offered: Busuu covers 12 languages like Arabic, Polish, Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Turkish.

Pricing: They have two paid plans — premium and premium plus. The cost ranges roughly between USD 6 to 13, subject to which plan and duration you opt for (quarterly, yearly, triennial).

5. Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is one of the most popular paid language learning apps. It allows you to flip between languages before deciding which one you want to learn.

Rosetta Stone licenses you to subscribe to unlimited languages.

Rosetta Stone can support you exceedingly whether you want to advance your diction or correct your intonation and accent.

The best part is an ad-free mobile app that benefits your learning with no hindrance.

The app offers scavenger-hunt-style challenges where you can seek and speak.

All you need to do is focus the phone camera on an object and immediately get a translation into the language you’re gaining.

There is one thing that makes Rosetta Stone distinct from other apps. From the start, it only uses your target language.

They don’t translate things. Thinking in your mother tongue and then translating those words won’t take you far.

It may look complicated, but this is the right strategy. It is always better to figure out how to use the terms and expressions in a specific context. To sum up, it would help if you learn to think in your target language.

Pro: The product is quite innovative. Rather than focusing on too much grammar, Rosetta Stone centers on research-based bite-sized tasks and their own proprietary TruAccent™ voice recognition.

They do a superb job of supporting you in the speaking section.

Cons: Their program is pretty structuralist that lacks enthusiasm and engagement. It gets dull quickly. There is scarcely any explanation.

If you encounter something difficult somewhere, you’re on your own. The subscription charges are also expensive.

Available on: Android, iOS, Web.

Languages Offered: Rosetta Stone has 24 languages like Spanish (Spain and Latin America), French, Filipino, Irish, Greek, Korean, Hebrew, Portuguese, Hindi, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, and more.

Pricing: They offer 3, 12-month, lifetime, and lifetime plus subscriptions. The cost ranges from $35.97 to $299, and they often give discounts, but their pricing is still steep.

6. Clozemaster

The gamification and user-friendly are two positive points of the Clozemaster. This helps you learn new vocabulary in the context. This is one of the best free language learning apps.

They have diverse exercises where you fill in the missing information in the sentence. You will understand how to use these words in varying scenarios. Gradually, you learn to write, read, and speak many things.

They also have scoring points, a text-to-speech model, and many language pairings. You can comfortably track your progress on the Clozemaster app.

Both Beginner and advanced-level students can use it to improve their skills further. You can heighten your vocabulary amazingly.

Pro: If you want to learn extra words and use them in sentences, the way natives do it is impressive.

You eventually pick up lots of vocabulary and how to form sentences for varied situations through contexts. You can also drill specific JLPT, TOPIK, and HSK levels.

Cons: Clozemaster is not great if you’re at absolute zero levels or already hold a good command over the language concerned.

There aren’t many selections for distinct purposes, like business, food, and shopping. They have audio lessons, but they are quite insufficient and not high-quality.

Available on: Android, iOS, Web.

Languages Offered: Over 50 languages are on the platform, including less widespread ones like Danish, Icelandic, Romanian, and Welsh.

Pricing: Clozemaster is entirely free. They have a pro version that costs $8 per month or $60 per year. The pro covers advanced specialties like customizing game-plays, extra statistics and identifying sentences for the future.

7. 50Languages

The 50languages is one of those apps where you can pair whatever languages you wish to learn. It means that you can receive instructions in your native language as long as it is available.

Suppose you want to learn two or more languages. In that case, you can receive guidance in any foreign tongue you’re considering while taking lessons in another language.

The app offers both audio and text methods to promote language study. Besides this, it allows you to download audio files you can listen to while traveling, commuting, or during a break at work.

Pro: 50Languages offers tons of study materials to download, and you can use them on any device. You can practice lessons, phrase books, audio files, posters, puzzles, and translation material free of cost.

You can also test your language proficiency in 25 languages and 600 combinations. The recorded voices are from native speakers, which remains a more authentic way to pronounce.

Cons: The quality of the app isn’t satisfying. The user interface and user experience aren’t that good. They have not planned the content systematically, and some parts are a bit off the mark.

Don’t use 50Languages as a standalone language source. Instead, take it as a supplement.

Available on: Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.

Languages Offered: They have a vast collection of foreign languages. From popular German, Arabic, and Russian to less-spoken Belarusian, Estonian, and Slovak, they cover over 50 tongues.

Pricing: 50Languages are 100% free, except for the optional books.

8. LinguaLift

It is one of the easiest and one of best language-learning apps. When you subscribe, you receive a free copy of an e-book – “Language Learning Secrets.”

This e-book comprises different techniques to develop a mindset, habits, and focus, which help you study, learn, and achieve fluency in a language even faster.

LinguaLift offers customized study plans. It sends you a questionnaire so that you can understand your study habits, goals, schedule, and motivation to learn a new language.

Based on all these details, the tutors at LinguaLift prepare a personalized study calendar for you. They even offer regular supervision and assign homework to keep you motivated and help you learn more quicker.

Pro: The texts are easy to understand with a proper structure. It covers extensive cultural aspects, and you can take the help of their tutor, which is the icing on the cake.

The contents are quite humorous to read, and you will surely appreciate it.

Cons: Cost is high. The number of languages is just 3. It means it isn’t helpful for most language enthusiasts.

This is more like a digital textbook and focuses too much on generic knowledge rather than communication ability.

Available on: Android, iOS, and Web.

Languages Offered: Unlike other language learning apps, LinguaLift offers only three languages – Hebrew, Russian and Japanese. They plan to add a few more, like Chinese, French, and Spanish.

Pricing: LinguaLift charges $19.99 for 1 month, $50.97 for 3 months, $89.94 for 6 months, and $155.88 for 1 year.

9. MosaLingua

This is a useful tool for learning several European languages.

The standard lesson program begins with simple phrases and numerals; however, the website provides appropriate topical packs, like people, time, or tourism.

Over 7 million people use MosaLingua. You can start interacting with the choice of your language in a short time. Try it!

Pros: This lovely flashcard app helps you increase your vocabulary. They also pack the web version with extra features, like audiobooks and books, videos, and music.

They also have a wide range of study resource lists that can save you time searching. There are also dialogues illustrating real-life situations that promote faster learning.

Cons: Neither the design is user-friendly, and not all their content is original. Some audio recordings are also not of top quality.

The pricing is also relatively high.

Available on: Android, iOS, and Web.

Languages Offered: MosaLingua provides 5 European languages — English, Italian, French, German, and Spanish for different levels.

Pricing: They have various plans like MosaLingua Web ($59.90/yr), MosaSeries ($58.80/ 6-month), MosaSpeak ($99.00 to $199/lifetime), MosaTraining ($130 to $330), and MosaLingua App ($53.99/year).

10. Mondly

Mondly is a very colorful and fun learning app. You get to enjoy multiple features even without subscribing to a premium. This app equips you with images, translations, and auditory aids that uniquely help your awareness.

Also, the instructors speak the words and phrases that make it more natural for an aspirant to recall them.

Pros: The best part of Mondly is that it keeps offering huge discounts on its Premium subscriptions. Usually, access to premium costs you $480 per annum.

You get access to special kids’ lessons as well upon subscribing to premium features.

Cons: Mondly is for new learners on the fence. Beyond the lower-intermediate level, it is not worthy. There aren’t enough grammar exercises. The audio lessons are fast, and there is no option to slow down.

Available on: Android, iOS, and Web.

Languages Offered: With Mondly, you can study 33 languages. It has much famous Romance, Germanic, Scandinavian, West Asian, East Asia, Indian, and Finno-Ugric languages.

Pricing: The monthly price is $9.99. In comparison, the annual cost is $47.99 for one language. Currently, they are also offering a lifetime deal at $100.

11. Drops

Drops is also one of the best language learning apps to perfect your vocabulary. It clearly explains words through alluring and engaging visuals, making the process more fun.

It provides you with unique minimalist illustrations and fast-paced micro-games that enhance your learning experience.

You can try scripts (to practice alphabets and characters of Asian languages), droplets for kids, and bilingual visual dictionaries.

Pros: Drops’ overall design and gamification elements make it one of the most useful and unique language-learning apps.

You can learn thousands of new words in over 100+ topics on Drops. You can swipe up/down if you already recognize a term. The app will also remind you if you break your streak.

Cons: While Drop has many words, it lacks grammar guidance. Also, the quality fluctuates. You may find it good enough for one language but pointless for others.

You need some elementary knowledge before diving deep into it, as it skips those parts.

Available on: Android, iOS, and Web.

Languages Offered: A total of 42 languages.

You can also study some less spoken and rare languages like Ainu, Bosnian, Croatian, Estonian, Finnish, Hawaiian, Hungarian, Maori, Samoan, Sanskrit, Serbian, Tagalog, and Thai.

Pricing: The Drops price is $8.99/a month, $60/year, or $149.99/lifetime. They offer 15% off on the regular price if you sign up on the web.

You can use the free version of the app only for five minutes per day (or every 10 hours); however, you can get more time with the premium version.

12. FluentU

Last, FluentU is an app that has everything that you need to succeed in your target language.

It uses real-world music videos, movie trailers, news, and inspiring talks to promote learning, the most entertaining way to learn your target language.

Each video has captions, descriptions, and annotations. It gives you a comfortable entrance to any word’s definition, an associate image, and example sentences.

Pros: FluentU also offers a “learn mode” that incorporates pictures, video clips, and sample sentences into interesting exercises and flashcards.

You can personalize according to your knowledge of your target language. And therefore, you can select your speed.

They have a massive number of videos, over 10,000 in total. And they keep adding new ones regularly.

You’ll probably never run out of videos. Just download for offline learning and watch everything with one subscription.

Cons: They mainly impart teaching through videos. In 2024, this is redundant to some extent as one can access infinite videos on online streaming channels, YouTube, Vimeo, and social media.

They don’t have any free plans, and the cost is expensive.

Available on: Android, iOS, and the Web.

Language Offered: You can learn up to 10 languages, i.e., English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Mandarin, Korean, and Japanese.

Pricing: FluentU has two plans: $30/Monthly and $240 if you take the annual package.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of your mother tongue, learning another language is a fantastic way to broaden your personal and professional life.

And if you have been trying to find out which online program to choose, you can consider the apps mentioned above.

Apps have transformed the way people learn a foreign tongue. Use your free time to study a language that you have always wanted to do!

Take these as a supplement and combine them with other resources like a teacher and books.

You can download a few apps and start your favorite language. The choice will depend on your learning style and goal.

And if you like what they offer, you can consider their premium offering for additional studies.

I hope this list of 2024 best language-learning apps will help you out with your goal. Do you use any other apps? Share your views and questions in the comment section below.