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Best Duolingo Alternatives in 2026: 8 Apps Compared

By Filip Kowalski Updated

Most people do not leave Duolingo because it is bad. They leave because, after months of lessons, they still freeze when someone talks to them. The right replacement depends on what you are missing.

For speaking practice, the best Duolingo alternative is Fuego, an AI tutor you talk to by voice or by text (we make Fuego). If you want a structured course with the grammar explained, pick Babbel. If you learn best by ear, on a commute, pick Pimsleur. If you want a real person to talk to, book a teacher on italki or Preply.

  • People give four reasons for leaving Duolingo: too little speaking, grammar that is never explained, no human contact and the free plan's energy system. Pick the app that fixes yours.
  • For speaking practice: an AI tutor such as Fuego, Speak or Langua. Fuego is ours, and it teaches Polish, which few AI speaking apps do.
  • For a structured course: Babbel, or Busuu if you want CEFR levels and corrections from real people.
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Try it now, no download needed. Fuego has no web app, but its word lists are free in your browser: 1,000 common words per language, each with an example sentence, audio and a picture, and a mode that hides the meanings so you can test yourself. Open Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish or English.

The 8 Duolingo alternatives at a glance

As of October 2026. Free access and paid models change, so check the store listing for the price in your country.

AppBest forTalk with an AI?Human teachersFree accessPaid modelPlatforms
Fuego Daily speaking practice Yes, open conversation No First conversation; all study tools Subscription iOS, Android
Babbel A structured course Babbel Speak, set dialogues (beta) Not for individuals First lesson of each course Subscription or lifetime iOS, Android, web
Busuu CEFR levels and human feedback AI Conversations, Premium Plus Community corrections Free plan Premium, Premium Plus iOS, Android, web
Speak A guided speaking method Speak Tutor, Premium Plus None listed 7-day free trial Premium, Premium Plus iOS, Android
Pimsleur Learning by ear Voice Coach for pronunciation None listed 7-day trial, free lesson Subscription iOS, Android, web, car
Langua AI plus human tutors Yes, calls and chat Yes, vetted tutors Small daily allowance Standard or Unlimited iOS, Android, web
italki / Preply A real teacher on video AI tools around lessons Yes, marketplaces Trial lessons Per lesson iOS, Android, web
Memrise Vocabulary with native speakers MemBot, voice or text None listed Free plan Pro: monthly, yearly, lifetime iOS, Android, web

How we picked

We started from the reasons people give for leaving Duolingo: too little speaking, a course that never explains why, no human contact, and the free plan's energy system. Then we chose apps that each fix one of those reasons well. For every app we read the company's own website, help center or US App Store listing on October 6, 2026, and wrote down what it lets you do for free, how you pay, which devices it runs on, whether you can hold a conversation with an AI, and whether a human teacher is part of it. We did not print prices, because they change by country and by sale, and the store shows yours. This compares what each company publishes, not every course in every language. Fuego is ours, so its entry comes from the app itself.

Duolingo today

Duolingo is free to use, it teaches more than 40 languages, and its streaks and challenges are very good at getting you to open it every day. The free plan limits how much you can do in a row with an energy system, which Android Authority's reviewer named as her reason to switch in October 2025. Duolingo Max, its top plan, adds Video Call, an open voice conversation with the character Lily on mobile, and Roleplay. Video Call covers six courses for English speakers, and Polish is not one of them. Explain My Answer, which once needed Max, is now free.

In US reviews of Speak, an AI speaking app, "better than Duolingo" was the most common phrase in four- and five-star reviews when we sampled them in September 2026. Speaking time is what most switchers want.

For what the research says about Duolingo itself, read Does Duolingo work?. For Duolingo next to Babbel alone, read Babbel vs Duolingo.

Fuego best for daily speaking practice

AI tutor, voice and text We make this one

Pick it if
You have done the lessons and still freeze when someone talks to you.
Skip it if
You want a human teacher, exam preparation or offline lessons.
A Fuego chat on an iPhone: the tutor replies in English, corrects a Spanish sentence about living on Mallorca, and asks a question back
What a lesson looks like: a real chat in the app, with the correction inside the reply.

Fuego is an AI language tutor you talk to, by voice or by text. You hold a button and speak, let go, and hear the reply, or you type. The tutor answers like a person, asks you things back, corrects your mistakes and keeps up with your level as you go. You set your level on a slider when you start, and the tutor re-reads it as you talk.

In Fuego's own words:

Fuego

Tell me about your day in whatever Spanish you have. I answer, I keep the conversation going, and I fix the bits that matter.

After every conversation you get a short recap: what went well, the words worth keeping and your corrections. The words you struggled with shape your next flashcards, and your mistakes come back as a quick fix. Around the conversations sit 1,000 core words per language, each with a picture, a sentence and audio, plus flashcards, listening, reading and a daily plan built for you. You can pick the tutor's tone, from warm to sarcastic, and its voice matches it.

Best for: People who have done the lessons and still cannot hold a conversation, people who are shy about speaking to a stranger, and anyone learning Polish, which few AI speaking apps teach. Fuego teaches English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Polish.

Consider: Fuego has no human teachers and no exam preparation, it needs a connection, and it runs only on iPhone, iPad and Android. Fuego is a subscription app. Your first conversation with the tutor is free, and words, flashcards, reading, listening and the daily plan stay free. There is a daily streak, and no XP, leagues, hearts or leaderboards. You do not need an account to start.

Babbel best for a structured course

Course

Pick it if
You want the grammar explained in a course with a clear order.
Skip it if
You want open conversation with an AI; Babbel Speak follows set scenarios.

Babbel is the closest thing on this list to a well-made textbook. Language experts build the lessons, the grammar is explained rather than left for you to guess, and the course moves in a clear order. It teaches 13 languages to English speakers, Polish included. Babbel Speak lets you practice spoken dialogues in Spanish, French, German and Italian; it is in open beta and follows set scenarios rather than open conversation. Babbel's live classes are no longer sold to individuals.

Best for: Learners who like to know why a sentence works and want a course with a beginning and an end.

Consider: The first lesson of every course is free. After that you pay for a subscription or a lifetime plan, and the price at checkout depends on your country and any sale.

Busuu best for CEFR levels and human feedback

Course with community

Pick it if
You want CEFR levels and real people checking your sentences.
Skip it if
You want AI conversation without paying for Premium Plus.

Busuu's courses follow the CEFR levels that schools use, so you can see what "B1" means in practice. Its standout feature is the community: native and fluent speakers correct your written and spoken exercises. AI Conversations, which is scenario-based speaking practice, sits in the Premium Plus plan. Busuu teaches 14 languages, Polish among them.

Best for: Learners who want a recognized level structure and like a real person checking their sentences.

Consider: There is a free plan, then Premium and Premium Plus. Busuu does not publish US prices on its plans page, so you see them in the app.

Speak best for a guided speaking method

AI speaking course

Pick it if
You are a beginner who wants a guided speaking path.
Skip it if
You are learning Polish, or want open AI chat without Premium Plus.

Speak was built around speaking from the start. Its method is to learn the phrases native speakers use, practice them until they come naturally, then use them in conversation with Speak Tutor, its AI. For English speakers it teaches Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, Japanese and Mandarin. It is mobile only.

Best for: Beginners who want speaking practice with more hand-holding and a set lesson path.

Consider: Speak starts with a 7-day free trial, then Premium or Premium Plus, and open chat with Speak Tutor needs Premium Plus. It does not teach Polish.

Pimsleur best for learning by ear

Audio course

Pick it if
You learn by ear, or your free time is in the car.
Skip it if
You want open conversation with an AI.

Pimsleur is audio first. Each lesson is about 30 minutes of listening and answering out loud from memory, which makes it one of the few methods you can do while driving; it works with CarPlay and Android Auto, and on Echo devices. It covers 51 languages, Polish included, and its Voice Coach compares your pronunciation with native speakers.

Best for: Commuters, and anyone who learns better by listening than by reading.

Consider: Pimsleur does not offer open conversation with an AI. You get a 7-day free trial and a free first lesson, then a subscription.

Langua best for AI practice with a human option

AI and human tutors

Pick it if
You want lots of speaking now and maybe a human teacher later.
Skip it if
You want to stay free; the daily allowance is small.

Langua, from LanguaTalk, pairs AI conversation with human teaching. You can call its AI tutor or chat by text, its voices are cloned from native speakers, and corrections come with explanations. The same company runs a marketplace of tutors it vets itself, in 16 languages. Langua teaches more than 20 languages, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese among them.

Best for: Intermediate learners who want lots of speaking and may want a human teacher later without switching apps.

Consider: There is a small free allowance each day, then a Standard or Unlimited plan with a short free trial. Prices are shown in the app.

italki and Preply best for a real teacher

Tutor marketplaces

Pick it if
You want a real person who can explain and adapt.
Skip it if
You cannot book set times or pay by the hour.

If what you miss is a person, these two marketplaces are the honest answer. You pick a teacher, book a lesson and talk over video. Teachers set their own prices. italki lets you take up to three discounted trial lessons. Preply starts with a paid trial lesson, then moves you to a plan that renews every 28 days. Both have Polish teachers, and both now add AI tools around the human lessons.

Best for: Anyone who can schedule lessons and wants a teacher who can explain, adapt and listen the way only a person can.

Consider: A good human teacher is still the best way to practice conversation. The trade-off is the cost of each hour and the need to book a time, which is where an AI tutor fills the days in between.

Memrise best for vocabulary with native speakers

Vocabulary

Pick it if
You want more words and to hear real accents.
Skip it if
You want one app for grammar and conversation too.

Memrise is a strong vocabulary tool with thousands of short videos of native speakers, so you hear words the way people actually say them. MemBot, its AI chat partner, takes voice or text. Its official courses include Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Polish.

Best for: Learners who want to grow their vocabulary and hear real accents, next to another app for grammar or conversation.

Consider: There is a free plan, then Memrise Pro on a monthly, yearly or lifetime basis. Memrise says US-dollar prices vary by region.

Which one should you pick?

Start with the thing you are missing:

  • You can read a menu but cannot order out loud: you need speaking time. Pick an AI tutor such as Fuego, Speak or Langua, and add a human teacher on italki or Preply if your budget and calendar allow it.
  • You forget why a sentence is built the way it is: pick Babbel for a textbook-style course, or Busuu if you want CEFR levels and corrections from real people.
  • Your free time is in the car: pick Pimsleur.
  • You want more words and real accents: pick Memrise.
  • You like Duolingo and only miss speaking: keep your streak and add an AI tutor next to it.

Many learners combine two: one app for the course and one for talking. Whatever you choose, a little practice every day matters more than which logo is on your phone.

Frequently asked questions

Is Duolingo free?

Yes. Duolingo is free to use, and the free plan has an energy system that limits how much you can do in a row. Its top paid plan, Max, adds AI features such as Video Call and Roleplay. Explain My Answer, which used to need Max, is now free. If you want more speaking practice than the free plan gives you, an AI tutor app is the usual next step.

Does Duolingo have AI conversation practice?

Yes, on Duolingo Max. Video Call lets you talk out loud with the character Lily about open topics, on the mobile app, and Roleplay sets up short scenes. Video Call covers six courses for English speakers, and Polish is not one of them. If your language is not covered, or you want conversation as the main lesson rather than an add-on, look at Fuego, Speak or Langua.

Is there anything better than Duolingo?

It depends on what you want from it. Duolingo is excellent at getting you to practice every day for free. Fuego, Speak and Langua give you far more speaking time, Babbel and Busuu give you a more structured course, and italki or Preply give you a human teacher. "Better" means better at the thing you need next, so name that first.

What is the best Duolingo alternative for speaking?

Choose something that makes you talk in full sentences, not just repeat words. An AI tutor such as Fuego lets you hold a real conversation, by voice or by text, whenever you have ten minutes, and corrects you as you go. A human tutor on italki or Preply is the strongest option if you can book lessons and pay by the hour.

Can I use a Duolingo alternative alongside Duolingo?

Yes, and many people do. Keep Duolingo for your daily habit and add an app that covers its gap, such as an AI tutor for conversation or Pimsleur for the car. With Fuego, your first conversation with the tutor is free, and words, flashcards, reading, listening and the daily plan stay free, so you can try it next to your streak.

Which Duolingo alternative teaches Polish?

Fuego, Babbel, Busuu, Pimsleur, Memrise, italki and Preply all offer Polish, and Duolingo has a Polish course too. Among apps that let you speak with an AI, Polish is rarer: Speak does not teach it, Duolingo's Video Call does not cover it, and Babbel Speak covers four other languages. Fuego lets you hold an open conversation in Polish by voice or by text.

Sources checked October 6, 2026

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