There is no single best AI language learning app, because the 38 below do very different jobs. Some make you talk from the first lesson, some teach grammar properly, some fix your accent, and some turn Netflix into a textbook. Try Speak if you want to talk from day one, Babbel if you want a clear course, and Slova if you want a path built around your goals and interests.
TL;DRFor speaking from the first lesson, pick Speak. For a patient avatar tutor, pick Praktika. For a course built around your goals and interests, pick Slova. For a free daily habit, pick Duolingo. For grammar explained, pick Babbel. For English pronunciation, pick ELSA Speak. For real shows and articles, pick LingQ. On annual plans, most paid apps here cost about $3 to $17 a month (checked October 2026).
We checked every app in September and October 2026 and gave each one a plain "best for" label instead of a rank. A nervous beginner and someone who already chats for an hour need different things, so one leaderboard would only mislead you. Start with the goal table, then read the entries that fit.
Prices, free limits, language counts and platforms were checked on each app's own pages in October 2026, and the sources are at the end. Where a company does not publish a number, we left it out.
Best app by goal
| Your goal | Our pick | Also good |
|---|
| Start from zero, for free | Duolingo | Busuu |
|---|
| Talk out loud from the first lesson | Speak | Praktika |
|---|
| Learn around a job, a move, family, a trip or something you love | Slova | Praktika |
|---|
| A clear course with grammar explained | Babbel | Busuu |
|---|
| Native speakers checking your writing | Busuu | Preply |
|---|
| English conversation at work | Loora | Praktika |
|---|
| Fix English pronunciation or an accent | ELSA Speak | BoldVoice |
|---|
| Long, open talks at B1 or above | ISSEN | Langua |
|---|
| A detailed report on every mistake | Langua | Univerbal |
|---|
| Learn from Netflix and YouTube | Language Reactor | Lingopie |
|---|
| Read and listen to content you choose | LingQ | Lingopie |
|---|
| Keep every new word in one reviewed list | Slova | Langua |
|---|
| The cheapest real course | Airlearn | Mondly |
|---|
| A human tutor next to the app | Preply | Cambly |
|---|
| Free voice practice with no new app to pay for | ChatGPT voice mode | Gemini Live |
|---|
How we tested
We tested in September and October 2026 on an iPhone, an Android phone and a laptop browser. We started on each app's free plan or trial, then moved to a paid plan for the tasks that need one. Every price and limit was checked on the app's own pages in October 2026, and store ratings are US App Store ratings from 8 October 2026.
We judged every app on the same five things:
- Speaking and correction. How much of a session you spend talking, whether mistakes are caught, and whether you are told why.
- Curriculum. Whether there is a path from beginner level, and whether grammar is explained or only drilled.
- Vocabulary and review. Whether the words you meet are saved and come back on a schedule.
- Languages. How many you can learn, and in how many the AI features work.
- Free tier and price. What you get without paying, and what a month and a year cost.
In the 21 detailed reviews we then ran the same three tasks, so the notes are comparable:
- The correction task. A ten-minute spoken roleplay, changing a hotel booking, with three planned mistakes: a wrong verb form, a wrong word and a badly pronounced sound. We noted which mistakes were caught, whether the app interrupted or waited, and whether it gave a reason.
- The memory task. We met ten new words in the app, then came back 24 hours later without searching for them. Did they return in a review, or were they gone?
- The goal task. We started as a beginner with a real reason, such as a job interview or a favourite show, and looked at what week one offered, what the free version allowed and what the first bill would be.
The apps in "Learning from real content" and "More apps worth knowing" got a lighter check. We read their pricing and help pages, opened the free version where there is one, and ran the first and third tasks if the app allowed it.
Every app gets 0, 1 or 2 points on each of the five criteria. This is the rubric we used:
| Criterion | 2 points | 1 point | 0 points |
|---|
| Speaking and correction | You talk most of a session and mistakes are caught as you go or in a report | Speaking is short, scripted, light or on a top plan | No spoken practice |
|---|
| Curriculum | A clear path from beginner level | Lessons or topics, but no path to follow | Nothing to follow |
|---|
| Vocabulary and review | Saved words come back on a schedule | Words are kept or reviewed in one corner of the app | Words are not kept |
|---|
| Languages | 15 or more | 4 to 14 | 1 to 3 |
|---|
| Free tier and price | A usable free plan, or an annual plan around $8 a month or less | A trial or small sample, or about $8 to $13 a month | No free plan and over $13 a month |
|---|
In the comparison table, a tick is 2 points, a half mark is 1 and a cross is 0. Languages are shown as numbers, and prices have their own table below, because they change by country and plan. We do not add the marks into a league table: an English-only pronunciation coach scores low on languages and is still the best tool for its job, which is why every app carries a "best for" label and not a rank.
Comparison table
✓Yes◐Partly✕No
| App | Best for | Talk out loud, with correction | Full course | Word review | Languages |
|---|
| Speak | Speaking out loud from lesson one | ✓ | ✓units | ◐Smart Review | 6 plus English |
|---|
| Praktika | A patient avatar tutor | ✓ | ◐lessons and a plan | ◐saved words | 13 |
|---|
| Slova | Your goals and interests | ✓with AI tutors | ✓A0 to C2 | ✓one Lexicon | 12 |
|---|
| Duolingo | A free daily habit | ◐6 languages | ✓ | ◐Practice Hub | 40+ |
|---|
| Babbel | A clear course | ◐beta, 4 languages | ✓grammar explained | ✓Review | 14 |
|---|
| Busuu | Real people checking your writing | ◐top plan, 5 languages | ✓CEFR levels | ✓Review | 14 |
|---|
| Loora | English conversation | ✓tap to see why | ✕ | ◐word list | English only |
|---|
| ELSA Speak | English pronunciation | ✓sound by sound | ◐personal path | ◐study sets | English only |
|---|
| Talkpal | Rare languages, many modes | ◐inline fixes | ◐ | ◐flashcards | 130+ claimed |
|---|
| Langua | Natural voices, full reports | ✓report | ◐A1 to A2 course | ✓flashcards | 23 |
|---|
| Pingo AI | Easy chats as a beginner | ◐light feedback | ◐plan | ◐word list | 25+ |
|---|
| ISSEN | Long talks with memory | ✓ | ◐grammar lessons | ✓FSRS | 59 |
|---|
| Airlearn | Low price, rule first | ◐AI tutor | ✓ | ◐ | 40+ claimed |
|---|
| Learna | Short English practice | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | English, web adds 2 |
|---|
| Memrise | Native-speaker clips | ◐Pronunciation Buddy | ◐no grammar | ✓ | 24+ |
|---|
| Rosetta Stone | Picture immersion | ◐text chat | ✓ | ◐flashcard sets | 25 |
|---|
| LingQ | Reading and listening | ✕ | ◐levelled library | ✓LingQs | 40+ |
|---|
| BoldVoice | Accent training | ✓sound by sound | ◐coach videos | not stated | English only |
|---|
| Univerbal | Scenarios at your level | ✓explained | ◐ | ◐saved mistakes | 22 |
|---|
| Mondly | Short lessons in 41 languages | ◐chatbot | ✓ | ✓ | 41 |
|---|
Detailed reviews of 21 apps
These 21 got all three test tasks. The numbers on the cards are only the order on the page, not a ranking. Read the label after each name, and the "watch out" line. Prices in the facts lines are US App Store prices checked in October 2026, unless the line names another source.
1
Speak
Best for speaking out loud from the first lesson
Speak is a speaking course on your phone. Each unit runs from short repeat-after-me phrases to guided practice, a roleplay, and a tutor you can ask questions in the middle of a lesson. Since December 2025 its Free Talk mode also has animated characters that you can interrupt. It teaches six languages to English speakers (Spanish, French, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Simplified Chinese), plus English to speakers of many other languages.
On the correction task, Speak makes you say the whole sentence first and then works on it with you, with pronunciation and phrasing feedback, and the Speak Tutor explains a grammar point when you ask. Smart Review brings lessons back. Every step wants your voice, so it is awkward on a crowded train. Premium also caps the personalised Made for You lessons at three a day, and the study plan and mistake targeting sit in the dearer Premium Plus plan [1].
GoodThe clearest spoken course on this list. You are talking in the first minute of the first lesson.
Watch outNo free plan, only a 7-day trial, and one of the pricier apps. Only six non-English courses, all for English speakers.
- Premium $17.99 a month or $83.99 a year (about $7.00 a month); Premium Plus $39.99 a month or $164.99 a year [1]
- 7-day trial with a card, no free plan
- 6 languages for English speakers, plus English
- iPhone and Android
- App Store rating 4.83 (63,000 ratings)
2
Praktika
Best for a patient avatar tutor
Praktika puts an animated tutor with a name and a personality on your screen, and you talk to it. Onboarding asks your level, goals and which tutor you want. You can switch on explanations in your own language, set feedback to soft, balanced or strict, tap a message to see a pronunciation score for each word, and tap any word to save it to a dictionary. Version 4.0, released on 19 February 2026, added a redesign and two new tutors.
It now covers 13 languages, with English the deepest. The free plan gives you three tutors and a small amount of speaking, and the company does not say how much [2]. Several price points sit in the store at once.
GoodLots of speaking time with a tutor you can see, feedback you can turn up or down, and a lower price than most voice apps.
Watch outThe free plan is not quantified, English is the most polished language, and we found no scheduled review of saved words.
- $9.99 a month, $49.99 for 3 months, $119.99 a year ($10.00 a month) [3]
- Free plan: 3 tutors, limited speaking
- 13 languages
- iPhone, Android, tablets
- App Store rating 4.75 (165,000 ratings)
3
Slova
Best for learning around your goals and interests
Slova starts with one sentence about what you want the language for. The reason can be a goal, like a job, a move abroad, family or a trip, and it can be something you love, like K-dramas or football. Most people have both, and Slova uses both. From that sentence it asks a few questions written for your topic and builds a path of units and lessons, with the vocabulary, grammar and conversation all living inside it. When you finish the last unit, the path extends itself, so there is no end of course.
Behind the path sits a real A0 to C2 curriculum, with a placement at your level. Every lesson can be done two ways: as interactive slides with pictures, audio and quick checks at your own pace, or out loud with our AI tutors, who listen to your answers and correct you with the reason. Slova teaches English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, German, Italian, Russian and Turkish, and the list is growing.
What makes it different from the rest of this list is that the course is built for one learner. If your reason is a K-drama, your first words come from K-drama scenes. If it is a job in Berlin, your first conversation is about your own job. You can describe a place and Slova draws it and labels every object in your language, ask for a podcast, lesson or story on your topic at your level with a transcript that follows the audio, or rehearse a roleplay where an AI tutor plays the receptionist or the interviewer.
Everything you meet lands in one place. Every word, verb and phrase from lessons, tutor talks, pictures, podcasts and texts goes into the Lexicon with where you met it and how well you know it, and it comes back for review. You can import words you already know, so you do not start from zero.
We tried it with a real goal: English for a job interview in software. Within a few minutes Slova had a path with units on talking about past projects, explaining a technical decision and answering tricky questions. In the first spoken lesson we described a project out loud, and the tutor changed I have worked there since two years to for two years and explained that for goes with a length of time. A few days later the same words came back together in one review, next to words from a practice podcast and an article we pasted in.
GoodBuilt around your own goals and interests, so you keep opening it in week six, and one Lexicon that keeps every word from every tool.
Watch outNewer than Duolingo or Babbel, with 12 languages today rather than 40. If you only want a quick drill with no goal behind it, a lighter app is simpler.
- 12 languages
- A0 to C2 curriculum
- Lessons out loud with AI tutors
- One Lexicon for every word
4
Duolingo
Best for a free daily habit
Duolingo is still the easiest way to start a language, and the free plan goes a long way (more in our Duolingo review). Lessons take a few minutes, streaks bring you back, and the course list is the widest here. The AI part is Roleplay and Video Call with the character Lily. Roleplay works for English speakers learning French, Spanish, German, Portuguese or Italian, and Video Call for learners of English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese, on iOS and Android only [5].
Two 2026 changes matter. Explain My Answer, which tells you why an answer was wrong, became free in January for most learners of Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian and Korean. And Duolingo's second-quarter shareholder letter said most new Super subscribers now have Video Call, which used to need the dearer Max plan. The CEO also said on the earnings call that Max may be sunset, so check what a plan includes before you pay. The free plan runs on an energy system that can stop a long session early.
GoodFree to start, the longest language list on this page and a habit loop that really works.
Watch outMostly tapping, not talking, and AI conversation covers a handful of languages on mobile only.
- Super is listed at $9.99, $12.99, $83.99, $95.99 and $119.99 without labels; $83.99 is the likely annual price (about $7.00 a month), and we could not check Max prices on an official page [4]
- Free plan with energy; 14-day Super trial
- 40+ languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.72 (5.5 million ratings)
5
Babbel
Best for a clear course with grammar explained
Babbel is a classic course with AI added at the edges. A lesson takes 10 to 15 minutes: new words with audio, fill-in and match drills, a recorded dialogue, then a speech-recognition repeat, and mistakes are corrected on the spot with a short explanation. Grammar is explained, not just drilled. Its Review mode brings vocabulary back on a spaced schedule.
The AI is Babbel Speak, a conversation partner in the app's Speak tab. It is still a beta, it covers European and Mexican Spanish, French, German and Italian, and Babbel says it is free to all registered users for now [7]. Babbel's help centre says it gives feedback after the conversation instead of interrupting you. Babbel Live, its live classes, has ended for individual learners. The plans are confusing: the web price page puts all 14 languages in every plan, while the app stores sell one-language plans [6].
GoodA well-edited course with grammar explained and real spaced review, in 14 languages.
Watch outSpeak is a beta in four languages, reviewers say progress slows past B1, and there is no Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Arabic. See our Babbel alternatives if you need those.
- Babbel website prices: $107.40 for 12 months (about $8.95 a month), lifetime $299.99; the US App Store sells one language at $17.99 a month or $89.99 a year, or all languages at $107.99 a year [6]
- No free plan, but free first lessons
- 14 languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.72 (755,000 ratings)
6
Busuu
Best for real people checking your writing
Busuu is a course with levels mapped to the CEFR scale, and its trick is people: you write or record an answer and native speakers of the language correct it, then you correct theirs. That works on a free account. Premium adds grammar and vocabulary review, offline lessons and certificates, and Premium Plus adds AI Conversations, speaking practice and Mistake Repair [8].
AI Conversations puts you in a scenario with a goal and analyses your talk at the end, so nothing interrupts you. They exist in Complete English, Spanish, French, German and Italian, and only on Premium Plus. Busuu teaches 14 languages: Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish. Peer corrections have no promised turnaround. See Busuu vs Duolingo for the head-to-head.
GoodReal native speakers correcting your writing and speaking, even on the free plan, inside a course with levels.
Watch outThe AI speaking and pronunciation tools need the top plan and cover five languages, and reviewers often complain that cancelling is hard.
- 12 months of Premium Plus $139.99 (about $11.67 a month); web prices vary by country [8]
- Free plan with ads and community feedback; 14-day money-back guarantee
- 14 languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.71 (101,000 ratings)
7
Loora
Best for everyday English conversation at work
Loora is an English-only AI speaking partner with three kinds of session: Classic chat, Role-play, and Read and Talk. Mistakes show up in the transcript as you go: grammar slips are underlined, pronunciation slips are highlighted, and tapping a word shows what was wrong, why, and the fix. It speaks only two or three corrections aloud per session so the talk keeps flowing, then gives you a mistake summary with one key takeaway and lets you save words to a list [9].
It suits people who already know some English and need to use it at work. There is no syllabus, so what you gain depends on how much you talk; our Loora vs Speak comparison shows what a guided course adds. The company announced a $22 million Series B round in September 2026.
GoodWell-explained feedback and the highest App Store rating on this list, 4.9.
Watch outEnglish only, phone only for now, one free lesson and then a paid plan, and no course to follow.
- $19.99 a month (some accounts see $14.99 or $15.99), $44.99 for 3 months, $119.99 a year ($10.00 a month) [9]
- One full free lesson, no card
- English only
- iPhone and Android
- App Store rating 4.90 (39,900 ratings)
8
ELSA Speak
Best for fixing English pronunciation sound by sound
ELSA Speak does one job: it listens to you say English and shows which sounds were off. You read a sentence, ELSA scores it sound by sound, marks the weak ones and gives a short drill. A free two-minute assessment builds a path with explanations in your own language. Pro covers pronunciation, topics and study sets, Premium adds AI roleplays, AI coaches and a speech analyzer, and the Professional tier adds interview, presentation and meeting coaches [10].
If people ask you to repeat yourself in English, this is the most focused fix here. It is not a course, so pair it with another app for grammar and open conversation. The plans are also confusing: ELSA's help centre says the Pro plan has no AI roleplays, so check what your plan includes before you pay. See ELSA vs Speak if you are choosing between the two.
GoodThe most detailed pronunciation feedback on this list, with American, British and Australian accent targets.
Watch outEnglish only, and the free plan gives two lessons a day and only three AI lessons in total.
- $19.99 a month; one-year plans from $71.00 to $129.99 depending on the tier
- Free plan: 2 lessons a day and 3 AI lessons in total; 7-day trial [10]
- English only
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.75 (113,500 ratings)
9
Talkpal
Best for rare languages and many practice modes
Talkpal is the app to open when your language is missing from the others. You chat by voice or text with an AI tutor, and it comes with many modes: Chat, Call, Roleplays, Characters, Debates, Sentence and Word practice, and photo description. Talkpal claims more than 130 languages, though its own pages give different counts, and structured courses exist for only some.
The free plan is the useful part. Ten minutes a day of basic chat is enough to judge the voice and the corrections before you pay, and every Premium plan starts with a 14-day trial [11]. Corrections appear inline in the chat. The web pricing page shows no dollar amounts, only "per month", so the prices below come from the App Store. See Talkpal vs Praktika for a comparison.
GoodA huge language list, many practice modes and a daily free allowance that is long enough to test properly.
Watch outQuality varies by language, lessons are thinner than a real course, and the company's language counts disagree.
- $19.99 a month, $49.99 for 3 months, $119.99 for 12 months ($10.00 a month)
- Free plan: 10 minutes a day; 14-day trial on Premium [11]
- 130+ claimed
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.67 (3,800 ratings)
10
Langua
Best for natural voices and full mistake reports
Langua comes from the tutoring site LanguaTalk and is built for people who want to know exactly what they got wrong. You talk in Call Mode or in chat, and you choose how corrections arrive: off, in text, implicit, explicit or only when you ask. Tap "check and explain" on any line for the reason. After at least six replies you can generate a feedback report with suggestions and cultural tips. Saved words turn into spaced-repetition flashcards, and the app also has podcasts and a short course for A1 and A2.
The company says its voices are cloned from real native speakers, and a new call mode in beta since September 2026 hears your audio directly. The free plan is small, about three minutes of calls a day and around 20 chat messages a week, and even the Standard plan caps calls at 30 minutes and chat at 75 messages a day [12].
GoodThe clearest correction reports on this list, and a free plan big enough to hear the voice.
Watch outOne of the pricier annual plans, daily limits on Standard, and not much of a path for complete beginners.
- App Store and website prices: Standard $19.99 a month or $149.99 a year ($12.50 a month); Unlimited $29.99 a month or $199.99 a year
- Free plan: about 3 minutes of calls a day; 5 or 7-day trial with a card [12]
- 23 languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.57 (2,650 ratings)
11
Pingo AI
Best for easy chats as a beginner
Pingo AI is a voice tutor for quick, low-pressure chats. You tell it your goals, it builds a plan, and you talk in themed lessons, free chats or custom roleplays, with corrections in the moment and a transcript and word list afterwards. It says it remembers your level and mistakes across sessions. The App Store names more than 25 languages, while its website lists fewer.
Beginners like it because talking never feels scary. Some store reviewers find that it is too forgiving, and the paywall comes early: there is a free trial, but the company does not publish its length, and we found no real free tier. Our guide to whether Pingo AI is free has the details, and Pingo vs Praktika compares the two.
GoodFriendly, quick to start and wide in languages, with a transcript and word list after each chat.
Watch outLittle grammar teaching, an early paywall and an unpublished trial length.
- $14.99 or $17.99 a month; $83.99 or $99.99 a year ($7.00 to $8.33 a month)
- Free trial, length not published
- 25+ in the store listing
- iPhone and Android
- App Store rating 4.61 (15,500 ratings)
12
ISSEN
Best for long talks with a tutor that remembers you
ISSEN is a live voice tutor for people who can already hold a conversation. You pick from more than 200 tutor personalities and regional accents, then talk about anything for as long as you like. The tutor remembers earlier calls, and you can drop into a short grammar lesson in the middle and go back to the talk. Words you meet go into flashcards scheduled with FSRS, a modern spaced-repetition method that is rare among voice apps.
It teaches 59 languages, though the founders have said the rarer ones are lightly tested. The free sample is five minutes of conversation, and the company's FAQ puts paid plans at $15 to $39 a month depending on plan and country [13]. In the App Store the monthly plan is $29, one of the higher prices here. True beginners will find the pace fast.
GoodThe closest feel to a real conversation partner, with memory between calls and real spaced review.
Watch outToo fast for beginners, little structure between calls, and a five-minute free sample.
- $29 a month; $149 or $199 for 12 months; lifetime $349; the company's FAQ says $15 to $39 a month by plan and country [13]
- Free sample: 5 minutes of conversation
- 59 languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.71 (3,100 ratings)
13
Airlearn
Best for a low price with the rule explained first
Airlearn looks like Duolingo, with streaks and leagues, but each lesson opens with a few slides that explain the rule or a group of words before the exercises start. It comes from Unacademy, an Indian education company, and costs about half as much as Duolingo. The company announced an interactive AI tutor inside lessons in September 2025, though we could not find a public page that says which plan includes it, so check inside the app before you pay.
The company says 40+ languages, while the store text names about 16 and reviewers count 18 to 24, so check that yours is there and how deep it goes. The free plan lets you try about five lessons a day, according to our Airlearn review, and reviewers rate the speaking and the AI voices as the weak spot. See Airlearn vs Duolingo for the head-to-head.
GoodA proper course with the rule explained first, for a fraction of the usual price.
Watch outAn unclear language count, weak speaking next to the voice apps, and an undocumented AI tutor plan.
- $4.99 a month, $24.99 for 6 months, $39.99 a year ($3.33 a month), family plan $49.99 [14]
- Free plan: about 5 lessons a day; 7 to 14-day trials
- 40+ claimed
- iPhone and Android
- App Store rating 4.82 (46,800 ratings)
14
Learna
Best for short daily English practice
Learna is an AI English tutor with a virtual chat character, voice and text conversation, and short lessons in grammar, vocabulary, reading and pronunciation. It is easy to open for ten minutes at lunch. Extra tutor characters cost $2.99 each. The web version at ailearna.com also offers French and Spanish, but the app teaches English.
Read the billing screen carefully. The App Store lists a one-week plan at $4.99 and a one-year plan at $39.99. A weekly price looks small until you multiply it: $4.99 a week is about $260 a year, against $39.99 for the annual plan, and weekly auto-billing is the most common complaint in store reviews and on complaint sites. The company's FAQ publishes no prices. For a head-to-head with a bigger avatar tutor, see Learna vs Praktika.
GoodShort daily English practice with a chat character, at a low annual price.
Watch outEnglish only in the app, weekly billing that adds up, and no published prices on the company's site.
- $4.99 a week (a $3.49 weekly variant also appears); $39.99 a year ($3.33 a month)
- Free tier and trial: not stated by the company
- English, with French and Spanish on the web
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.64 (426,000 ratings)
15
Memrise
Best for hearing real native speakers say everyday phrases
Memrise teaches vocabulary in short sessions, with native speakers saying real phrases on video, and a spaced-repetition system that brings words back. The AI part is the AI Buddies. The one we could document is Pronunciation Buddy: you record a phrase and it tells you whether to try again, for English speakers learning ten languages including French, German, Spanish and Italian [15].
The company claims 149 languages, but the App Store lists about two dozen main ones, so check yours. Community-made courses were moved to a separate site in March 2024. There is no grammar teaching to speak of, so pair it with a course. Compare it with the big free app in Memrise vs Duolingo.
GoodReal native speakers on video and a proper spaced-repetition system, with a free plan to try.
Watch outLittle grammar, one speaking session a day on the free plan, and scattered store prices.
- $24.99 a month, $61.99 a year ($5.17 a month), lifetime $329.99
- Free plan: core lessons, one speaking session a day
- 24 main languages, 149 claimed
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.78 (217,000 ratings)
16
Rosetta Stone
Best for picture-based immersion with pronunciation checks
Rosetta Stone now sells a new app, Sapphire, in place of the old one, which is called Classic (2024) and stays open to existing subscribers. Lessons use the picture-based immersion method with TruAccent pronunciation checks, plus 500+ flashcard sets, Sapphire Studio for making your own material, and Chat Missions: typed conversations with an AI partner in everyday scenarios, with corrections in green and a tip at your level.
Chat Missions is typed, not spoken, and it runs only in a web browser, even on a phone. All 25 languages have it [16]. There is no lifetime plan on the current buy page. Our Rosetta Stone vs Duolingo page has the full comparison.
GoodA calm immersion course with pronunciation checks across 25 languages.
Watch outLittle explicit grammar, AI chat that is text only and browser only, and no free plan.
- rosettastone.com prices: $19.99 a month or $159 a year ($13.25 a month) [16]
- No free plan: 7-day trial that converts to monthly
- 25 languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating: Sapphire 4.61 (1,900 ratings), Classic 4.76 (238,500 ratings)
17
LingQ
Best for reading and listening to content you choose
LingQ is for people who want to learn from content they pick. You read or listen to a lesson from its library, or import your own from YouTube, podcasts, ebooks or web pages, and tap any word you do not know to look it up and save it as a LingQ. Every lesson shows the percentage of unknown words, and saved words come back in review. The AI side is audio transcription, AI voices, simplified lessons and the Lynx chatbot, with an advanced Lynx chat in the top Premium Plus plan [17].
It is the opposite of a speaking app. There is no spoken practice or correction of your own sentences, so you add speaking yourself with a tutor. The free plan is the trial: 20 saved LingQs, 5 imported lessons and 1 audio playlist, with no time limit.
GoodFast vocabulary growth from real content, and a clearly published free plan.
Watch outNo speaking or writing feedback from the AI, not for beginners, and a language count of 40+ or 50+ depending on the page.
- Premium $14.99 a month or $119.99 for 12 months ($10.00 a month); the official blog also lists $8.99 a month on a 24-month plan; Premium Plus $29.99 a month or $269.99 a year [17]
- Free plan: 20 LingQs, 5 imported lessons, 1 audio playlist
- 40+ languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.74 (10,300 ratings)
18
BoldVoice
Best for fixing an English accent with coach videos
BoldVoice is an accent coach for English. It combines more than 500 video lessons from accent coaches with AI scoring of your speech sound by sound, and it has an AI chat for free conversation. Onboarding runs a speech assessment, then builds a plan. Its FAQ pitches it at people whose vocabulary and grammar are already strong.
The price is the highest of the pronunciation apps: $24.99 a month or $149.99 a year on the sign-up page, with a 7-day trial on the yearly plan. A free tier exists, but its limits are not published. It teaches English only, and we could not find a page that says whether new words are saved for review. For a general tutor against a sound coach, see Praktika vs ELSA.
GoodSound-level accent feedback plus coach videos, with a 4.81 App Store rating.
Watch outEnglish only, the most expensive pronunciation plan here, and not a general course.
- start.boldvoice.com prices: $24.99 a month or $149.99 a year ($12.49 a month); the App Store lists several price points
- 7-day trial on the yearly plan; a limited free tier
- English only
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.81 (53,750 ratings)
19
Univerbal
Best for scenarios matched to your level
Univerbal is a conversation tutor that sets each talk to your level. You pick a scenario or write your own, speak or type, and get a better version of each sentence with a short explanation. Your mistakes are saved for later practice, and there are vocabulary and grammar exercises. It teaches 22 languages. The company says it was developed with the language department of the University of Zurich.
It is a calm way to rehearse a situation, like returning a jacket or answering a job question. Free minutes are not published, and some reviewers report weaker speech recognition outside English. It is a small team, so expect fewer extras than the big names.
GoodLow-pressure scenarios that match your level, with explained corrections in 22 languages.
Watch outA small sample of store ratings (561), no published free minutes, and thinner extras than the bigger apps.
- $14.99 or $19.99 a month; $39.99 for 3 months; $119.99 a year ($10.00 a month); the website shows $9.99 a month on the 12-month plan
- 7-day free trial, no payment up front
- 22 languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.65 (561 ratings)
20
Mondly
Best for short lessons across 41 languages
Mondly is the broadest of the cheap courses: 41 languages, which you can learn from more than 40 native languages, not just English. Lessons are short, with word-and-picture matching, translation, spelling and scripted conversations, plus a daily lesson, weekly and monthly challenges, and spaced-repetition exercises. Premium adds AI Conversations, a chatbot with voice recognition for speaking practice.
Two cautions. Its iOS app has not been updated since 19 March 2026, a long gap on this list, and the real US web price is hard to see because the pricing page changes by country. The store lists a yearly plan at $74.90 and a monthly plan with a one-week trial at $15.90, plus occasional half-price promos. Reviewers report a practical ceiling around A2, so think of it as a cheap, broad starter, not a place to reach fluency.
GoodThe widest language choice of the budget courses, with a free daily lesson.
Watch outA stale iOS update history, translation-heavy exercises and a ceiling around A2, according to reviewers.
- $15.90 a month with a 1-week trial; $74.90 a year ($6.24 a month); a $7.99 promo monthly price also appears
- Free plan: a daily lesson and weekly challenges
- 41 languages
- iPhone, Android, web
- App Store rating 4.73 (33,200 ratings)
Learning from real content
Some of the most useful AI-era tools are not tutors at all. They turn the shows, videos and articles you already like into lessons: click a word, see what it means in that sentence, and save it as a flashcard. This works best from about A2 up. LingQ has a full entry above, three more are below, and our guide to learning a language with TV shows goes further.
- Lingopie (best for dual subtitles on real TV). Lingopie streams shows, films and music videos with tappable dual subtitles. Tap a word for the translation and it becomes a flashcard in a spaced-repetition tool. Its site lists 15 languages (the App Store says 12), and the 7-day trial needs a payment method. On its sale pages we saw $83.88 for a year (about $6.99 a month, all languages) and $41.97 for three months of one language. Its blog says there is no free plan, while the App Store text mentions eight free minutes a week, so check what you get. It is for watching, not speaking.
- Language Reactor (best free way to study Netflix and YouTube on a laptop). Formerly Language Learning with Netflix, it is a desktop-only browser extension that adds bilingual subtitles, a click-for-meaning dictionary with an AI helper called Lexa, and PhrasePump listening exercises to Netflix, YouTube and web pages. Aria, a chat companion you can talk to in your study language, is free too. Pro Mode adds speech recognition, machine translation, word saving across every feature and a smarter Lexa, and on Pro Aria remembers your conversations [19]. Pro is a paid subscription priced in your local currency.
- Jolii (best for learning inside Netflix and YouTube on your phone). Jolii works inside Netflix and YouTube on your phone with your own account, with no extension. Tap a subtitle word for its meaning, then answer AI questions about the scene, roleplay it or shadow the lines. It lists eight languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese) and a 7-day trial, and the US App Store prices are $9.99 a month or $89.99 for 12 months. It is new, with only a handful of App Store ratings, so treat it as one to watch.
More apps worth knowing
These 15 got the lighter check, but each is live in October 2026 and best at one thing. Prices are US App Store prices unless we say otherwise.
- Pimsleur (best for hands-free audio lessons). A 30-minute audio lesson a day in which you answer out loud, with a Voice Coach for pronunciation and, in beta, an AI Conversation Coach for All Access subscribers learning Latin American Spanish or French. 51 languages, offline and in the car. All Access is $20.99 a month or $164.99 a year, with a 7-day trial, and its FAQ says subscription charges are not refundable [18].
- Promova (best for one cheap app with lessons, flashcards and an AI tutor). Self-study lessons with grammar explained, flashcards and an AI Tutor that takes voice calls in 80+ roleplay scenarios. It teaches 13 languages, though the AI Tutor pages mostly show English and Spanish. Free lessons need an ad, and AI roleplay is limited on the free plan. Subscriptions start at $9.99 a month, and the App Store annual plan is $83.99.
- Lingvist (best for fast vocabulary through sentences). Every card is a sentence with audio and grammar notes, scheduled by a spaced-repetition algorithm that sets your level with AI. About 15 languages, $9.99 a month on its pricing page, no tutor or conversation, and an iOS app last updated in April 2026. Use it next to a speaking app, and see our best vocabulary apps for the others.
- Taalhammer (best for sentence flashcards built from your own texts). Whole-sentence cards with audio; paste a text or word list and AI builds the cards. Ready courses from A1 to C2 exist for 21 languages, and 55 more are bring-your-own-cards. The website charges €12.99 a month or €59 for 12 months, and the US App Store lists $12.99 and $59.99. Its App Store rating rests on only eight ratings.
- Cambly (best for talking to a real native English teacher, with AI recaps). Live 30-minute video lessons with native English tutors. The AI sits in support: lesson recordings and transcripts, pre-lesson vocabulary and a post-lesson reflection that flags mistakes. On 21 September 2026 it launched Cambly Go, a daily-practice app at $8.99 a month. English only, and we could not confirm US lesson prices on an official page.
- Preply (best for choosing a human tutor, with AI homework). A marketplace of human tutors in 90+ languages, each setting their own price (the App Store listing quotes $4 to $40 an hour). The AI layer is Lesson Insights, a summary of your lesson with vocabulary and grammar feedback if you and the tutor both opt in, plus Daily Exercises and a beta of short spoken tasks. The AI features are for English lessons only.
- Jumpspeak (best for avatar speaking practice across 20 languages). AI avatar video chats with instant corrections and 1,000+ short lessons, though its FAQ says only about six of the 20 languages have the full course. The website offers $79 for 12 months with a 100-day money-back guarantee, while the App Store lists plans from $49.99 to $179 and a $499 lifetime option.
- Falou (best for speaking-led lessons in 31 languages). Speaking-based lessons with AI pronunciation help and an AI Live Tutor. There is no public pricing page: the App Store text says plans start at $9.99 a month, and the in-app list runs up to $149.99 without durations. It has a free first lesson.
- Fluently (best for hands-free English and Spanish speaking drills). You talk without tapping, and it scores pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and grammar, then rephrases what you said the way a native would. English and Spanish are confirmed on its site. The App Store shows plans from $4.99 a week to $89.99 a year, and Trustpilot reviewers say payment terms are hard to find.
- EF Hello Speak (best for workplace English and four European languages). From the school company Education First: an AI tutor called Addi builds a plan around your job, role-plays by message or live call, and scores pronunciation, fluency and grammar at the end. English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. A 7-day trial, then billing every 12 months, with App Store annual plans from $55.99 to $84.99.
- Teuida (best for Korean and Japanese beginners who want scripted speaking). Short first-person video scenes with native speakers; you answer aloud and an AI analyses your pronunciation. It is not an open AI conversation. The App Store lists Korean, Japanese and Spanish, with a 7-day trial and 12-month plans at $59.99 to $89.99, and a 4.89 rating (58,700 ratings).
- Xeropan (best for gamified courses and business English). Pop-culture video lessons and a story-driven course, with a practice chatbot as an add-on. It teaches English, German, Spanish, French and Hungarian, has business and technical English tracks and a 7-day trial. App Store prices are $8.99 or $11.99 a month and $42.99 to $64.99 for 12 months.
- ChatGPT voice mode (best free voice partner you steer yourself). Not a language app: no course, no word review, no progress tracking. Free accounts get limited voice access with no published minute count, and OpenAI's help centre lists three hours per rolling 24 hours on the Go and Plus plans. Start each chat by stating your level and how strictly to correct you.
- Gemini Live (best free voice partner if you live in Google's apps). Free-flowing voice chat with camera and screen sharing, handy for pointing at a menu. It needs only a Google account, and Google publishes no minute cap for Live. Google changes model access for users without a plan from 9 October 2026, so limits may differ when you read this.
- Google Translate Practice (best free drills in a few language pairs). In limited beta in the Translate app on Android and iOS: listening activities and AI conversation tasks at three levels. It works for speakers of 11 languages, including Spanish, French, German and Hindi, learning English, and for English speakers learning French, German, Portuguese or Spanish.
What the apps cost
Almost every AI tutor needs a paid plan once the trial ends, because every minute of talking costs the company money. This table shows the prices and free plans of 20 of the detailed apps, taken from the stores and the apps' own pages, with US App Store prices unless noted. Annual plans cost far less per month than monthly ones, so the right comparison is usually the annual column.
| App | Free plan or trial | Monthly | Annual (per month) |
|---|
| Speak | 7-day trial, no free plan | $17.99 | $83.99 ($7.00) |
|---|
| Praktika | Limited free plan | $9.99 | $119.99 ($10.00) |
|---|
| Duolingo | Free with energy; 14-day Super trial | About $10 to $13 | About $84 (about $7.00) |
|---|
| Babbel | Free first lessons; Speak beta is free | $17.99 for one language | $107.40 on the web ($8.95) |
|---|
| Busuu | Free with ads and community feedback | Varies by country | $139.99 for Premium Plus ($11.67) |
|---|
| Loora | One free lesson | $19.99 | $119.99 ($10.00) |
|---|
| ELSA Speak | 2 lessons a day free; 7-day trial | $19.99 | $71.00 to $129.99 ($5.92 to $10.83) |
|---|
| Talkpal | 10 minutes a day; 14-day trial | $19.99 | $119.99 ($10.00) |
|---|
| Langua | About 3 minutes of calls a day; 5 or 7-day trial | $19.99 | $149.99 ($12.50) |
|---|
| Pingo AI | Trial, length not published | $14.99 to $17.99 | $83.99 to $99.99 ($7.00 to $8.33) |
|---|
| ISSEN | 5-minute sample | $29 | $149 to $199 ($12.42 to $16.58) |
|---|
| Airlearn | About 5 lessons a day; 7 to 14-day trials | $4.99 | $39.99 ($3.33) |
|---|
| Learna | Not stated | $4.99 a week | $39.99 ($3.33) |
|---|
| Memrise | Free plan, one speaking session a day | $24.99 | $61.99 ($5.17) |
|---|
| Rosetta Stone | 7-day trial | $19.99 | $159 ($13.25) |
|---|
| LingQ | Free plan, 20 saved words | $14.99 | $119.99 ($10.00) |
|---|
| BoldVoice | 7-day trial on yearly; limited free tier | $24.99 | $149.99 ($12.49) |
|---|
| Univerbal | 7-day trial | $14.99 to $19.99 | $119.99 ($10.00) |
|---|
| Mondly | Free daily lesson; 1-week trial | $15.90 | $74.90 ($6.24) |
|---|
Prices change by country, store and promotion, and several apps run more than one price at once. Check whether a price is weekly, monthly or yearly before you tap buy, and set a reminder for the day a trial ends, because most trials turn into a paid plan on their own.
What AI language apps still get wrong
They are polite to a fault. Most understand you even when a person would not, and some accept a wrong word to keep the talk going. Ask for strict corrections if the app lets you.
Prices hide in the store. Loora, Talkpal, Pingo AI, Praktika, Speak and Learna publish no dollar amounts on their own sites that we could read, so the number you pay is the one on the store screen. Web and store prices can also differ, so compare both before you pay.
Language counts are marketing. Talkpal claims 130+, Airlearn 40+ and Memrise 149, while store pages and reviewers count far fewer real courses. Test your own language on the free plan: the AI is usually strongest in English, Spanish and French.
They do not replace people. Real accents, noise and interruptions are harder than a clean AI voice, so add a real conversation each week. For apps that focus purely on speaking, see our guide to the best apps for speaking practice.
Which one should you pick
If you are starting from zero and want to spend nothing, begin with Duolingo or the free Busuu plan, then add a speaking app after a month. Our best language apps for beginners covers that first month. For grammar explained like a teacher would, Babbel is the clearest, and Rosetta Stone suits people who prefer to work things out from pictures.
If you freeze when you speak, Speak and Praktika put the most words in your mouth, and the best AI language tutor apps cover tutors that correct, explain and plan lessons. For English pronunciation, choose ELSA Speak or BoldVoice. For long talks at intermediate level, try ISSEN or Langua. If your language is rare, check Talkpal. If you love Netflix, LingQ and Language Reactor will make your viewing count.
If you are learning for a specific reason, a job, a move, family, a trip or something you love like K-dramas or football, Slova is the one we would start with, because it builds the whole course, the speaking practice and the word review around your goals and your interests together.
If you want a human on the other end once a week, add Preply or Cambly. Whichever you pick, spend one real week on the free plan or trial first. You will know by day five whether you still want to open it.
Conclusion
AI has made speaking practice cheap and easy to find, so the real differences now are structure, correction and whether you keep what you learn. Speak and Praktika give you the most talking, Babbel and Busuu the most structure, Duolingo the best free habit, ELSA Speak and BoldVoice the clearest English sounds, and LingQ the best use of real shows and articles. Most people do best with one main app and one helper, for example a course plus a speaking tool. If you want the course, the speaking and the word review to grow out of your own goals and interests, give Slova a try. Whatever you pick, check the plan before you pay, because prices and limits here change by month and by country.
Related reads: the best apps for speaking practice and the best AI language tutor apps. Deciding between two? See Duolingo vs Speak or our Duolingo alternatives. Learning one language? We also rank apps for Spanish, Japanese and Korean.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI language learning app?
There is no single best one. Speak gives the most speaking from the first lesson, Babbel the clearest grammar, Duolingo the best free habit, ELSA the sharpest English pronunciation, and LingQ the best use of real shows. Slova builds a full course around your goals and interests.
Are AI language learning apps worth paying for?
Yes, if you will actually talk to them. Speaking costs the company money, so the good features sit behind paid plans: on annual plans most cost about $3 to $17 a month (checked October 2026). Use a free plan or trial for a real week first, and set a reminder before it renews.
Which AI language apps have a free plan?
Duolingo, Busuu, Memrise, Airlearn, LingQ and Promova have free plans. Talkpal gives 10 minutes a day, Langua about 3 minutes of calls, and ELSA two lessons a day. Speak, Loora, Rosetta Stone, ISSEN and Pimsleur offer only a short trial or a sample.
Can an AI app replace a human tutor?
Not completely. AI is better for volume: you can talk at midnight, make mistakes freely and review for ten minutes a day. A person is better for accent, culture and the mistakes an AI is too polite to correct. Many learners use one AI app daily and a tutor on Preply or Cambly weekly.
Sources
Written by Yiğit Karasu, founder of Slova
