A gamified language-learning app that teaches reading, listening, and speaking through short daily lessons.
Duolingo is worth it for beginners and casual learners who want free, daily, gamified practice. It teaches more than 40 languages through short lessons, and the free plan covers every course with ads and a daily energy limit. Super Duolingo from $7.99 per month removes those limits, and Duolingo Max adds GPT-4 conversation for learners who want spoken fluency.
Duolingo is a gamified language-learning application that teaches reading, listening, and speaking through short daily lessons. Duolingo, Inc. operates the platform from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker co-founded Duolingo in 2011, and Duolingo serves 137.8 million monthly active users as of the first quarter of 2026.
Duolingo delivers structured lessons through a gamified skill path. Each lesson is a set of translation, listening, and speaking exercises, and completing a lesson earns experience points that advance the learner along the course path. The learner chooses a target language and a daily experience-point goal, the skill path delivers bite-sized lessons, and the streak system tracks consecutive days of practice to drive the daily habit.
Duolingo teaches more than 40 languages across 280 courses, with Spanish, French, and Japanese among the most studied. It runs in a browser, an iOS app, and an Android app, syncing progress across the connected account. The premium features in Super Duolingo and Duolingo Max extend the free skill path with ad-free practice and GPT-4 AI conversation.
Duolingo is safe and legitimate, with SSL encryption in transit and COPPA-aligned controls for child accounts. Duolingo operates as a publicly traded company under a documented privacy policy and trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker DUOL.
Duolingo applies SSL encryption to protect data in transit and states in its privacy policy that it does not sell personal data. It collects child data under COPPA rules and requires parental consent for users under 13, and Duolingo for Schools removes mature content and disables community features for student accounts.
Visit duolingo.com or install the Duolingo app from the App Store or Google Play.
Create a free account with email, Google, Apple, or Facebook.
Choose a target language and set a daily experience-point goal.
Take the placement test or start the course from the first unit.
Complete each lesson by answering translation, listening, and speaking tasks.
Review flagged mistakes and maintain the daily streak.
Upgrade to Super or Max from the account settings for unlimited practice.
Teaches vocabulary and grammar through short lessons.
Rewards consecutive days of practice.
Caps free lessons and replaces hearts on mobile.
Ranks learners in weekly leagues.
Runs live AI conversation practice on Max.
Practices real-world scenarios with AI feedback on Max.
Certifies English proficiency for admissions.
Gives teachers a free progress dashboard.
Beginners use the skill path to build core vocabulary; gamified lessons keep daily practice short and consistent; the free tier covers every course without a paywall.
Travelers learn practical phrases before a trip and use the streak system to practice daily; the Max Roleplay feature rehearses scenarios like ordering food.
Students use the Duolingo for Schools dashboard for classroom assignments; the Duolingo English Test certifies proficiency for university applications; the free tier gives full course access.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Notes | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babbel | Conversation-focused lessons | from $9/mo | Limited free tier | vs → |
| Rosetta Stone | Full-immersion method | from $15.99/mo | No free tier | vs → |
| Memrise | Native-speaker video clips | from $8.49/mo | Limited free tier | vs → |
| Duolingo — this review | Free gamified practice | from $7.99/mo | Full free tier across every course |
Babbel structures lessons around practical conversation and teaches 14 languages with dialogue-led courses from $9/mo with no free course access. Duolingo structures lessons around gamified repetition, teaches more than 40 languages from $7.99/mo, and keeps every course free with ads. Choose Babbel for dialogue depth; choose Duolingo for free gamified practice.
Duolingo offers a free plan with every language course, ads between lessons, and a daily energy limit. The free plan caps most users at 2 to 3 lessons before a recharge. Unlimited lessons and ad-free practice require a Super or Max plan.
Super Duolingo starts from $7.99 per month and from $83.99 per year. Duolingo Max costs from $29.99 per month and from $168 per year. The Family plan costs $119.99 per year for up to 6 members.
Duolingo, Inc. owns and operates Duolingo from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker co-founded Duolingo in 2011. Duolingo trades publicly on the Nasdaq under the ticker DUOL.
Duolingo is safe to use, with SSL encryption in transit and a documented privacy policy. Duolingo collects child data under COPPA rules and requires parental consent for users under 13. Duolingo states that it does not sell personal data.
Duolingo is a legitimate platform operated by the publicly traded Duolingo, Inc. Duolingo serves 137.8 million monthly active users and 56.5 million daily active users. Duolingo maintains a documented privacy policy and active support.
Duolingo is worth it for beginners and casual learners who want free daily practice across more than 40 languages. Learners who need spoken fluency find the GPT-4 conversation features on the Duolingo Max plan worth the cost.
Start free, or take the trial to explore premium features across all your devices.
Visit Duolingo →
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