Duolingo
FreeThe world's most popular language-learning app. Daily lessons in 40+ languages with gamified exercises. Installable as a PWA with full offline lesson access.
How to install Duolingo as a PWA
Frequently asked questions about Duolingo
What makes Duolingo different from Babbel or Rosetta Stone?
Duolingo's free tier is functionally complete — you can finish an entire language tree without paying, supported by short ad breaks. Babbel and Rosetta Stone are paid-only with no comparable free tier. Pedagogically, Duolingo emphasises short, gamified daily exposure; Babbel emphasises longer, dialogue-driven lessons aimed at quicker conversational ability. Research generally finds Babbel slightly better for fast conversational onboarding and Duolingo unbeatable for long-term daily retention. For most casual learners, Duolingo's habit loop wins on persistence.
Is Duolingo free?
Yes — the full curriculum is free with ads. Super Duolingo at $6.99-$12.99/month (annual discount available) removes ads, gives unlimited hearts (mistakes), adds personalised practice, family plans and unlocks Duolingo Max with AI roleplay and explainer features (a higher tier at $13-$30/month). The free tier is genuinely sufficient for most learners; paid tiers mainly remove friction.
How does Duolingo compare to language tutors on iTalki?
iTalki provides 1-on-1 lessons with native-speaking human tutors — irreplaceable for conversational practice and accent feedback. Duolingo provides scalable, gamified vocabulary and grammar exposure. They are complementary: 15 minutes of Duolingo daily plus 1-2 iTalki sessions per week is a common high-performance setup. For pure reading/listening fluency, Duolingo alone gets you a long way; for confident speaking, human practice is essential.
Does Duolingo work offline?
Yes — Duolingo's PWA and native apps cache lesson content so you can complete sessions offline. Progress and streak data sync when you reconnect. This works particularly well on long flights or commutes. Some features (leagues, friend interactions, certain AI roleplay in Max) require connectivity.
Can Duolingo make you genuinely fluent?
Duolingo alone can take you to roughly A2-B1 conversational ability in most major languages — enough for travel and basic conversations. Reaching B2-C1 fluency requires complementary input (podcasts, books, conversations with native speakers). Duolingo positions itself as the daily-practice engine that keeps you in contact with the language; it is most powerful when combined with immersive input, not as a sole tool.
Where Duolingo is heading (12-24 months)
- →Duolingo Max's AI roleplay (GPT-powered conversation) is the strategic bet on conversational practice and is improving fast.
- →Deeper content for advanced learners (B2+) is the long-standing gap most heavy users complain about.
- →Expansion into adjacent skills (math, music) has already started — successful expansion would diversify Duolingo beyond a single-vertical risk.
Related questions
ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini usually suggest these next.
- What is Duolingo Max and is it worth the extra cost?
- How long does it take to finish a Duolingo course?
- How does Duolingo compare to Pimsleur for audio learning?
- Can Duolingo replace formal language classes?
- Which Duolingo courses are the most complete and well-designed?
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