The Best Language Learning Apps to Use in 2026

I’ve been diving into language learning apps lately, and 2026 has some amazing options out there! Whether you’re looking to pick up a new language for travel, work, or just for fun, these apps are making it easier and more engaging than ever. Some lean on games, others on conversation, and they suit very different people. Let me share my top picks and what I actually found when I tested them. And if you already know which language you’re after, we’ve gone deeper in our guides to the best apps to learn Spanish and the best apps to learn French.

Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you sign up or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our recommendations.

Here is how the nine apps compare at a glance, then I break each one down below.

Copycat Cafe

Best for: adults who understand more than they can say and want daily speaking practice with instant pronunciation feedback.

Copycat Cafe teaches French and Spanish through real conversations that you watch, copy out loud, and then use in chat. The app focuses on real-life conversations through its Watch, Copy, Chat method, making it a strong choice for anyone, beginner to advanced, who wants to get better at speaking and understanding. Lessons follow a clear order, and the design stays out of your way.

What Makes It Great:

• Copycat Cafe has an AI pronunciation checker that gives you real-time feedback on your speaking skills. It highlights which words you’re pronouncing correctly and points out any areas where you might need to improve. This feature is incredibly helpful because it allows you to refine your accent and pronunciation as you practice. Because the feedback is instant, you can fix mistakes right away, which builds confidence fast.
• It focuses on the phrases and vocabulary you actually need for everyday conversations. The app incorporates authentic dialogues across 200 lessons spanning A1 to B2, designed to build your confidence for the real-life situations you’re likely to come across.
• The app has a very simple design, making it easy for users of any age to navigate.

• The app features clear, natural audio in the lessons, helping you hear how words are really pronounced. It also includes cultural tips to help you understand the language better and its unique details.
• You can adjust the speed of the dialogue, which makes it easier to understand everything clearly.
• Copycat Cafe offers structured lessons that align with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
• It explains how to use the words and phrases correctly.

What’s Not So Great:

• The app runs in your web browser, and mobile apps are coming soon.
• The app currently offers French and Spanish. More languages are in development.
• No gamification features like streaks or leaderboards.

Languages: French and Spanish

Cost: You can give the app a try with a 7-day free trial. We also offer three subscription plans, all backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pimsleur

Best for: learning by ear, with hands-free audio lessons you can do on a commute or a walk.

The Pimsleur app is a language learning platform that uses the Pimsleur method, which focuses on audio-based learning. It emphasizes listening and speaking skills through spaced repetition and conversational practice. Users engage with interactive lessons that typically include vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, all designed to help them learn a new language effectively and naturally. The app offers a variety of languages and is suitable for beginners as well as those looking to improve their skills. Like many audio-first apps, it’s convenient for on-the-go learning; you can practice while commuting or doing chores.

What Makes It Great:

• Their approach stands out, even next to apps with similar features. Integrating a voice coach was a brilliant idea; it’s like having a teacher with you. It was very helpful to hear an audio that explained the basics of the language and provided tips on pronouncing each syllable and word, as well as translations for each word. I decided to check out the Tagalog course to see how well it was presented, considering that Tagalog is not widely known globally. To my surprise, I was impressed. The voice sounded very natural and authentic.
• I really like the simple design. It’s nice because it lets you focus on just listening to the audio without any distractions.
• Available on the web, App Store, and Google Play.
• One of the best things about it is that they offer so many different languages to choose from.
• Pimsleur also gives a nice introduction to the language, covering a bunch of interesting stuff like its history, intonation, and stress patterns. It’s really cool because it helps you understand not just the words, but also the nuances of how the language works.
• Best for those who want to prioritize speaking and conversational skills.
• Pimsleur has also started testing an AI Conversation Coach (in beta) for more open-ended speaking practice, currently available only for All Access Latin American Spanish learners.
• Just like Copycat Cafe, it points out which words you pronounced correctly or failed to pronounce well. I like that you can also replay your voice to review how you pronounced it, which is a feature that most apps don’t have.

What’s Not So Great:

• Pimsleur is one of the pricier options out there, with a subscription-based model that may not suit everyone.
• They have very limited practice formats. The focus is primarily on listening and speaking, with less emphasis on reading, grammar, and writing, which might not appeal to more academically minded learners.
• I noticed a translation mistake in some of the phrases. For instance, “Good day” shouldn’t be translated as “Magandang tanghali” since tanghali actually means “noon.” It would be more accurate to say “Magandang araw” for “Good day.”

Languages: 51 languages including Chinese, Italian, Russian, Vietnamese, Tagalog, German, Romanian, Finnish, and more.

Cost: Pimsleur has a free lesson plus a 7-day free trial. To unlock all the lessons and features, you can either upgrade to a monthly subscription ($20.95) or buy a longer-term plan (pricing varies by language and level).

Langua

Best for: open-ended conversation practice with an AI that talks back, at any level.

Langua is one of the coolest apps I use. It helps you get better at real conversations. Instead of just drilling vocab or grammar, it focuses more on speaking and listening, so you can practice having actual conversations, even if you don’t have anyone to talk to. They use AI to simulate dialogues, which is handy if you’re shy or just need more speaking practice.

What Makes It Great:

• Great for talking practice. It’s awesome for getting comfortable with everyday conversations—perfect if you want to improve your speaking and listening skills.
• Call Mode lets you have hands-free voice conversations (handy on a walk or commute), and the voices are cloned from real native speakers, so they sound more human than typical text-to-speech.
• Now works across levels: there’s a structured A1 to A2 course for beginners, plus open AI practice that’s especially strong for intermediate and advanced learners.
• Langua has a feature that’s pretty similar to our very own Copycat Cafe’s flashcards. These are fantastic for boosting your vocabulary and really help you remember new words more easily.
• Has more tools and in-app resources such as YouTube videos and podcasts.
• I love their Communicate With AI tool! You can chat with an AI character by typing or recording your voice. It even plays back the AI’s replies, shows the text on screen, and lets you slow it down or translate it if needed.
• With the chatbot feature, you’ve got a couple of options. You can either choose a specific topic to talk about, so you can practice having a more natural conversation, or you can dive into a role-play scenario, which makes it feel like you’re in a real-life situation.
• You can select either a male or female voice for the chatbot, which is a nice touch. Listening to both voices helps train your ear to understand different tones and accents, making it easier to follow conversations in real-life situations.

What’s Not So Great:

• Langua’s design is pretty basic and feels kinda old-school. If you’re someone who gets motivated by sleek visuals or more interactive layouts, this app might not be the best fit. It’s really more about function over visuals—they’ve put all the focus on making sure the app works well and helps you learn, but it doesn’t have that modern, polished look you might find in other apps.
• Langua’s Communicate with AI is still being developed, so you might run into some bugs. One issue I had was it kept telling me to “listen and try again,” but didn’t highlight which words I mispronounced.

Languages: 20+ languages including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and more.

Cost: With the free version, you can have limited usage of some of Langua’s features. If you want to unlock everything and really get the most out of it, you’ll need to upgrade to enjoy the tools without any restrictions.

Busuu

Best for: learners who want a structured course plus feedback from native speakers.

Busuu combines organized lessons with a fun social aspect, letting you interact with native or fluent speakers who can provide helpful feedback. The app features a range of learning techniques, covering everything from vocabulary and grammar to reading and listening practice. Busuu’s lessons are tailored to fit your personal goals, whether you’re learning for travel, business, or just for fun, making it a flexible choice for everyone.

What Makes It Great:

• The courses are thoughtfully structured and progressive, taking you step by step from beginner to advanced levels in a logical sequence. They also follow the international standard “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages” (CEFR), so you always know roughly what level you’re working toward.
• I love the videos of native speakers included in the lessons, because they provide a chance to see someone speaking the words and phrases, making it easier to grasp pronunciation and context.
• Busuu has also added AI-powered Conversations for speaking practice, on top of feedback from its community of native speakers.
• Busuu is accessible on the web as well as on Android and iOS devices.
• Allows you to choose your daily study goal between 5 and 30 minutes, and you can adjust it whenever you like.
• I like that it provides an estimated number of days until you finish each level.
• Busuu features a sleek, modern, and minimalist design. I also like that it doesn’t rely heavily on gamification, so you can concentrate on your learning goals rather than getting distracted by rewards like some other apps.
• Busuu also uses a spaced repetition system, which is great for helping you remember things by going over the words/phrases you’re struggling with at ideal intervals for better long-term retention.
• The community is incredibly supportive. You can share your exercises for feedback from other users or even native speakers, which is a fantastic way to enhance your writing and grammar skills. You can also record your voice speaking the language you’re learning, and the community members will give you tips and feedback to help you improve.

What’s Not So Great:

• The app offers a pretty limited selection of languages to choose from.
• Busuu has less conversational practice. While you can interact with the community, the focus is more on structured lessons than on real-life conversational practice.
• The quality of the courses really depends on the language you’re learning. For some of the less popular ones, the courses aren’t as strong and definitely feel like they need more development. It’s like they put all their focus on the big languages, and the others just don’t get the same attention.
• If you’re a beginner, Busuu doesn’t have a ton of activities in each course. So if you get bored easily with the same types of exercises, it might be hard to stay motivated, especially for the longer lessons.

Languages: 14 languages including Spanish, Japanese, English, German, Italian, Portuguese and more.

Cost: You can use the Busuu app for free, but you’ll have limited access. If you want all the features, no ads, and the option to skip lessons, you’ll need to upgrade to the Premium plan.

Mondly

Best for: casual learners who want short, gamified lessons that fit a busy schedule.

Mondly is designed to make language learning fun and interactive, with a big focus on short, bite-sized lessons that fit easily into a busy schedule. Each lesson is structured to cover key skills—speaking, listening, and writing, so you get a well-rounded learning experience. Similar to Copycat Cafe and Langua, it also has voice recognition technology, which helps you improve your pronunciation by giving you immediate feedback on how close you are to sounding like a native speaker. This is especially helpful if you’re nervous about speaking aloud in a new language.

What Makes It Great:

• The graphics are vibrant and look fun. Mondly shows you a clear visual representation of your learning journey, resembling a map that guides you through each step and milestone along the way.
• They offer a broad selection of languages to choose from.
• It’s very engaging, and I like the order of the activities in each lesson. Although they are repetitive, the structure keeps it interesting because they have several short activities included in each lesson. You’ll encounter multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blanks, spelling exercises, and sentence-building translations with word options.
• You can access Mondly directly through your browser or download the app from the App Store or Google Play.
• There’s also an activity where you can either choose your answer from the options by clicking on it or record your voice to read your answer.
• They also feature an impressive leaderboard that not only displays the overall rankings of all users but also shows how you rank among others in your country learning the same language.
• Mondly incorporates images and audio that match the words, which really helps you grasp the concepts better during the activities.

What’s Not So Great:

• The free version allows access to only a limited number of lessons.
• Mondly does a good job displaying translations of what the chatbot says, but it doesn’t translate your responses. For instance, when you record your voice to reply in Japanese, your answer appears in the chat using Japanese characters, which can be tricky for those learners who aren’t familiar with them yet. I even tried to copy the Japanese text to translate it elsewhere, but it wouldn’t allow me to do that.
• I like that the chatbot gives you suggested responses to pick from, but it would be cooler if you could reply in your own words too. Other chatbots, like the one in Copycat Cafe, let you say whatever you want even if it’s off topic, which makes the conversation feel way more real.
• I’m not sure if it’s a bug or just how the chatbot functions, but if you mispronounce something or give a different answer outside their suggested responses, it responds with phrases like “I can’t hear you,” “I don’t understand,” or “Please repeat,” no matter if you record your voice or type your answer in Japanese or English. As you can see, I typed in my reply, but the chatbot still says it can’t hear me.

• It’s also a bit confusing since there are different plans. I’m not sure if the plans vary by language or if it’s a bug. When I log into my account, it offers me a 12-month plan for $47.99 with access to 33 languages, but at checkout, it shows 41 languages. However, if you’re not logged in and visit their Pricing page, it lists a one-time payment of $99.99 for 41 languages, which is unavailable when I try to upgrade my account.

Languages: 41 languages including Chinese, Russian, English (UK and US), Romanian, Thai, Hindi and more.

Cost: Mondly offers a free version, but with limited access to lessons and features. If you want more lessons, extra features, and access to a wider range of languages, you can upgrade to the paid version.

Babbel

Best for: adults who want clear grammar explanations and practical, real-world dialogues.

Babbel takes a more traditional approach to language learning with a strong focus on grammar and sentence structure. The app provides lessons that are broken down into manageable chunks, with a focus on practical conversations and vocabulary that you’ll use in real life. Babbel also offers cultural tips to help you understand the context behind the language.

What Makes It Great:

• Babbel teaches vocabulary and grammar in a detailed, structured way that progresses naturally from beginner to advanced levels. They also follow the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), which is the standard framework for measuring language proficiency across Europe and many other parts of the world.
• Lessons are designed around practical conversations that you’re likely to encounter in real life, making it highly relevant.
• The app offers insights into the culture behind the language, helping you understand how it’s used in different contexts.
• Available on the web, App Store, and Google Play.
• Similar to Mondly, the app uses a combination of images and audio in each lesson to make learning more engaging and effective.
• I find their image-based multiple-choice questions a bit more challenging than other apps, which I really like. They give you similar options for the answers, which makes it a bit harder to figure out the correct one right away. Because the choices look alike or have closely related meanings, you really have to think it through.
• It gives you instant tips randomly while you’re going through the activities. For example, when you come across a new word, a little bubble pops up with a tip on how to pronounce it. It’s a nice way to get helpful hints right when you need them.
• In each lesson, you’ll get a set of words or phrases to study, and you’ll see them in various activities like multiple choice, matching translations, arranging syllables to form words or phrases, and many more. There’s also a fun dialogue activity where you fill in the blanks using those words. Once you finish, you can listen to the entire dialogue.
• Babbel has a very simple and straightforward interface, making it easy to navigate. You won’t get lost in complicated menus or overwhelming options, and you can focus on learning without any distractions.
• Babbel now has Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner for low-pressure speaking practice. (Its older Babbel Live group classes were discontinued for individual learners in 2025 and are now offered only through Babbel for Business.)

What’s Not So Great:

• Babbel has a pretty limited selection of languages compared to other apps, especially when it comes to Asian languages.
• Babbel only gives you one free lesson per language, so beyond that you’ll need to pay for a subscription. Even though Babbel offers a 20-day money-back guarantee, I’m still not a fan of being charged upfront for something you’re not sure will work for you. If you’re not happy with it, you have to go through the whole process of requesting a refund, which can be a hassle.

For our in-depth review of Babbel, click here

Languages: 13 languages including Spanish, Indonesian, French, German, Dutch, Turkish, Danish, and more.

Cost: Babbel gives you one free lesson per language, but to unlock the full course you’ll need to upgrade to a premium account.

Duolingo

Best for: building a free daily habit and growing your vocabulary.

Duolingo’s been around forever when it comes to language learning, and honestly, it’s super popular for good reason. The whole gamified vibe keeps you hooked, and it’s awesome if you prefer learning in small, manageable chunks. With over 40 languages to choose from, it mixes up vocabulary, grammar, and some conversation practice in a way that’s really easy to follow. They’ve even added cool extras like Duolingo Stories and DuoRadio. In 2026 they also expanded the top courses, Spanish included, to reach B2 (upper intermediate), and Duolingo Max layers on AI features like Roleplay and Video Call.

What Makes It Great:

• Great for beginners and anyone who likes quick, daily lessons.
• Suitable for practicing speaking, reading, listening, and writing to boost your vocabulary, verb conjugation, and grammar skills.
• It is way more fun and easier than boring grammar exercises from textbooks.
• The gamification keeps me motivated and helps me stay consistent.
• Adding a couple of lessons a day can really help reinforce what you’re learning and keep things moving along, especially if you’re trying to stay consistent with your progress.
• You can use it on the web and download the app from Google Play and the App Store.
• Duolingo Stories is a fantastic feature for everyone who loves having fun while practicing. They make learning feel more immersive and practical by putting language skills into context. It’s not just about vocabulary because you’ll also get to see how phrases and grammar work in real-life situations. Plus, the storytelling aspect keeps it engaging and fun. It’s a great way to improve your listening while enjoying a little story.

What’s Not So Great:

• It probably won’t make you fluent or conversational to any significant level, so you’ll need to use other resources if you’re aiming to speak the language fluently.
• The quality can vary a lot depending on the language, and some of the translations aren’t always accurate or are poorly done.
• You might lose sight of your actual language goals and get more focused on earning awards instead of learning the language.

Languages: Over 40 languages including Spanish, French, Japanese, Italian, and more.

Cost: Free, but you can pay for premium if you want to ditch the ads. The price will show up in your local currency.

Memrise

Best for: picking up real vocabulary and phrases from videos of native speakers.

Memrise is pretty awesome for learning languages in a way that feels fresh and engaging. Unlike the usual rote memorization techniques, Memrise really takes it up a notch by blending mnemonics with real-world content.

One of the coolest things about it is the big library of short videos of native speakers built right into the lessons. This means you can actually hear slang, colloquialisms, and even those quirky regional dialects that textbooks often skip over. It’s like getting a taste of the language as it’s really spoken.

The app also uses spaced repetition just like Pimsleur and Busuu, which is a game-changer for memorizing vocabulary. It helps you remember words and phrases in a way that feels fun rather than tedious. If you’re all about expanding your vocabulary or picking up commonly used phrases, this is a great choice.

What Makes It Great:

• I’d say it’s especially perfect for anyone who wants a bit of cultural and contextual immersion.
• Memrise now includes MemBot, an AI chatbot you can practice conversations with, on top of the vocabulary tools.
• You can access it on any device. You can use the web app when you’re on a computer or download the mobile app from the App Store and Google Play.
• I like that Memrise gives you the option to mark a word as difficult or known. If you come across a tricky word, you can flag it, and the app will make sure to bring it back up in your next lessons. When you mark a word as known, it disappears from your lessons.
• Memrise is one of those fun, gamified language learning apps that really keeps you engaged.
• If you’re short on time and want to streamline your learning, you can adjust your settings to customize the number of words and phrases you want to learn and review.
• After each lesson, it gives you a summary of the words you’ve fully mastered, the ones you’ve started learning, and those you haven’t tackled yet.

What’s Not So Great:

• Memrise is really geared more toward beginners and intermediate learners, so if you’re already at an advanced level, you might find it less suitable for your needs.
• Because Memrise now relies on its own official content rather than the community-created courses it offered in the past, there’s less variety than there used to be.
• While I was working through my lessons, I noticed that a few words I marked as “known” kept popping up again. It kind of defeats the purpose of marking them, since I thought I wouldn’t have to review them anymore.
• Memrise focuses more on vocabulary and phrases rather than in-depth grammar instruction. While you might pick up some grammatical structures through example sentences, it’s not designed as a comprehensive grammar resource.
• Memrise is a great tool, but it probably won’t make you fluent right away. If you’re looking for something more comprehensive, it’s a good idea to try other methods.
• Monthly plan is a bit more expensive compared to other apps.

Languages: around 23 languages including Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, French, Greek, Japanese, Swedish, and more.

Cost: They offer both a free plan and a pro plan, which gives you some great options depending on how deep you want to dive into your language learning.

Preply

Best for: learners who want personalized one-on-one lessons with a real tutor.

Preply is a bit different from most language learning apps because it’s built around live one-on-one lessons with real tutors. Instead of just tapping through exercises or chatting with AI, you actually meet with a teacher who adapts every lesson to your goals. If your main focus is becoming fluent and confident in speaking, this platform feels much more direct. What stood out to me is how structured the learning feels. You start with a trial lesson to meet your tutor and talk about your goals. After that, you choose a subscription plan that locks in consistent lessons, which honestly helps build momentum. The platform also uses AI-powered tools to match you with the right tutor and suggest practice activities between sessions. Because lessons are personalized and conversation-heavy, it feels less like “studying” and more like actively using the language. That makes a big difference if you’re trying to build real speaking fluency instead of just memorizing vocabulary.

What Makes It Great:

• Preply focuses heavily on speaking and real-life communication. If your goal is fluency, this is one of the most practical setups because you’re actively talking from day one. Preply describes itself as the largest online language-learning marketplace, so you get access to a huge range of tutors across different accents, specialties, and price points. That makes it easier to find someone who really fits your learning style. The subscription model encourages consistency. Since you’re booking regular lessons in advance, it removes that “Should I practice today?” hesitation and helps you stay on track. The progress can be surprisingly fast. Learners who commit to regular lessons have been shown to improve their English level up to 3× faster than average, based on Preply’s 2025 study of learners who took 24+ lessons over 12 weeks. The platform includes AI-powered tools for smart tutor matching and extra practice between lessons, so it’s not just live sessions, it’s supported learning.

What’s Not So Great:

Because it’s built around live lessons, you need a stable internet connection. It’s not gamified like Duolingo or some other apps, so if you’re motivated by streaks, badges, and mini-games, it might feel less playful.

Languages: Preply offers 90+ languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Portuguese, and many more.

Cost: Lessons typically range from about $5 to $40+ per hour, depending on the tutor’s experience and rate. You start with a separate, usually discounted trial lesson, then subscribe by choosing how many lessons per week you want (billed every four weeks), so you can find options that fit different budgets.

Which language learning app is the best?

Choosing the best language learning app really hinges on several key factors, including your specific goals, your preferred learning style, and the language you want to learn.

First, consider your goals: Are you looking to achieve conversational fluency, prepare for a trip, or gain a deeper understanding of grammar? Different apps cater to different needs, so identifying your primary objective can help narrow down your options.

Next, think about your learning style. Some people thrive with visual aids, while others might prefer auditory lessons or hands-on practice. For instance, if you learn best through interactive games, an app like Duolingo or Memrise might be ideal. On the other hand, if you prefer structured lessons and real-life conversations, Copycat Cafe or Langua could be more suitable.

Finally, the specific language you want to learn can also influence your choice. Some apps have a broader range of languages available, while others focus on specific ones. Additionally, the depth and quality of content can vary significantly between apps depending on the language.

Weigh those three things and you’ll land on the right app much faster.

My top three picks are Pimsleur, Copycat Cafe, and Mondly. Pimsleur is the pick if you learn best by ear: it drills conversation and pronunciation through audio. Copycat Cafe combines practical lessons with cultural insights, focusing on conversational skills to help beginners build a solid foundation in French and Spanish. Mondly keeps things light with short, game-like lessons. Between the three, most learning styles are covered.

What are the best free language learning apps?

If you want to learn for free, Duolingo is the best fully free option. Its core course is free (you just get ads) and covers more than 40 languages. Memrise, Busuu, Mondly, and Langua all have free tiers you can start with, but their strongest features sit behind a paid plan. Copycat Cafe, Pimsleur, and Babbel are paid apps, though each lets you try before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best language learning apps?

It depends on your goal. For speaking practice, Copycat Cafe. For a free daily habit, Duolingo. For open-ended AI conversation, Langua. For grammar and structure, Babbel. For hands-free audio, Pimsleur. For 1-on-1 tutoring, Preply. Most people get the best results by combining two: one app to learn, another to practice speaking.

What is the best free language learning app?

Duolingo. Its core course is free (with ads) and covers more than 40 languages. Memrise, Busuu, Mondly, and Langua also have free tiers you can start with, though their best features are paid.

Is Babbel or Duolingo better?

They fit different people. Babbel is stronger for structured grammar and practical conversation, and it is paid. Duolingo is free, gamified, and great for building a daily habit, but lighter on grammar. Choose Babbel if you want structure, Duolingo if you want a free, low-pressure start.

Which language learning app is best for speaking?

For real speaking practice, Copycat Cafe, Langua, and Pimsleur are the strongest. Copycat Cafe has you copy native lines and scores your pronunciation, Langua offers open AI conversation with hands-free Call Mode, and Pimsleur drills speaking through audio. Tapping-based apps like Duolingo teach you to recognize words more than to say them.

Do free language learning apps actually work?

Yes, for building vocabulary, a daily habit, and basic comprehension. Where they fall short is speaking practice and deeper grammar, so most learners pair a free app with a paid one or a tutor once they want to hold real conversations.