The 10 best language learning apps in 2026, and what each is actually good for

By the Language Tutor team · October 14, 2026

There is no best language app. There are apps that are good at one job, and the trouble starts when you ask one of them to do another’s. An app that brings you back every day will not necessarily get you speaking. A tutor will not drill your vocabulary at midnight. So this list is sorted by job. For each app: what it is for, where it stops, and what its maker says it costs.

1. 1Duolingo

   Best for: Starting, and coming back every day

   Short lessons, streaks and reminders make it the easiest app on this list to open daily, and every course can be used without paying. Most of a lesson is recognising words and building sentences on a screen; speaking is a small part of it. Use it to build the habit, then add something that makes you talk.

   Keep in mind: Its AI conversation features sit in the top paid tier, in the mobile app only, and not in every course.

   • Duolingo says it offers over 100 courses teaching 40+ languages (blog post dated December 2, 2024). — blog.duolingo.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Duolingo says all its courses can be used without paying; ads and the Super Duolingo and Duolingo Max subscriptions fund the free courses. — blog.duolingo.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Lessons include speaking exercises (repeat words, translate aloud, short dialogues); Duolingo Max subscribers also get AI Video Call and Roleplay conversations with Duolingo characters. — blog.duolingo.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Duolingo Max (Roleplay and Video Call) works only in the mobile app, not on the web, and its AI features are not available in every course. — duolingo.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Duolingo's own pages show no price. Its US App Store listing shows in-app purchases named Super Duolingo at $9.99, $12.99, $83.99, $95.99 and $119.99; no billing period is stated there. — apps.apple.com, read October 12, 2026

2. 2Babbel

   Best for: A structured course in a major European language

   Lessons are written by teachers and build on one another like a textbook that talks, with the grammar explained as you go. It suits adults who want to know why a sentence works, not only that it does. It does not teach Mandarin.

   Keep in mind: Its AI conversation partner is in beta, in the mobile app, for a few languages.

   • Babbel says it offers courses in 14 languages; the 14 it names do not include Mandarin Chinese. — babbel.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Registering is free and the first lesson of every course is free to try; full access to courses needs a subscription. — support.babbel.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Lessons include speech-recognition speaking exercises, and Babbel Speak is an AI conversation partner that guides the learner through dialogues. — babbel.com, read October 12, 2026
   • In US dollars, Babbel's own comparison page says plans start at $9/month, with monthly, quarterly or annual billing. — babbel.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Babbel Speak (the AI partner) is a beta feature, mobile app only; with American English as display language it covers French, German, Italian and Mexican Spanish. — support.babbel.com, read October 12, 2026

3. 3Pimsleur

   Best for: Learning to speak by listening, with your hands busy

   Half-hour audio lessons ask you to say things out loud and bring each phrase back just before you would forget it. Nothing needs a screen, so it fits a commute or the washing-up. It builds pronunciation and quick answers early. Reading and writing get little attention.

   Keep in mind: Subscriptions on its own site are sold in a few countries; elsewhere they are bought inside the app.

   • Core lessons are audio lessons of about 30 minutes each, focused on listening and speaking. — pimsleur.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Pimsleur says its courses are available in 50+ languages for English speakers, plus 15 versions of English; Chinese (Mandarin) is listed on the same page. — pimsleur.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Pimsleur offers the first 30-minute lesson free. — pimsleur.com, read October 12, 2026
   • A Pimsleur offer page states a subscription price of $14.95/month after a free trial of the first 7 days; the page does not name the plan. — offers.pimsleur.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Subscriptions on pimsleur.com are for consumers in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the U.K.; elsewhere they are sold as in-app purchases. — pimsleur.com, read October 12, 2026

4. 4italki

   Best for: Lessons with a human teacher, when you want them

   A marketplace: you choose a teacher, book a time and pay for that lesson, with no subscription for lessons. A good teacher is still the fastest correction there is, and nothing else on this list gives you a real person reacting to you. The cost is money by the hour, and having to book ahead.

   Keep in mind: Each teacher sets a price, and trial lessons are discounted, not free.

   • italki describes itself as a global language learning community that connects students and teachers for 1-on-1 online language lessons. — company.italki.com, read October 12, 2026
   • italki says learners can pick from 150+ languages; Chinese is in the list on the same page. — italki.com, read October 12, 2026
   • italki has no subscription for lessons: lessons are pay as you go and each teacher sets the price. — italki.com, read October 12, 2026
   • italki's Chinese tutors page says classes range on average from $10 to $40 per hour. — italki.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Trial lessons are offered at a lower price to first-time students: 3 trial chances, with 3 different teachers; not all teachers offer one. — support.italki.com, read October 12, 2026

5. 5HelloTalk

   Best for: Free practice with native speakers

   A language exchange: you help someone with your language and they help you with theirs, by text, voice message and call. It is the cheapest way to talk to real people, and the least even. Partners vary, half of every exchange is in your own language, and it takes effort to find people who keep turning up.

   Keep in mind: Free members get a set number of translations a day, and the web version is chat only.

   • HelloTalk describes itself as a mobile app, launched in 2012 and built on language exchange, where members teach each other their native language. — hellotalk.com, read October 12, 2026
   • HelloTalk states 260+ languages; Chinese is in the list of languages to practice on the same page. — hellotalk.com, read October 12, 2026
   • HelloTalk says voice and video calls are free for all users, with no time limit. — hellotalk.com, read October 12, 2026
   • The Language Exchange function lets partners start or schedule voice calls of 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes and take turns in each language. — hellotalk.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Free members are limited to 10 translations per day; VIP members have unlimited translations. — hellotalk.com, read October 12, 2026
   • HelloTalk's US App Store listing shows VIP Membership Monthly at $12.99. — apps.apple.com, read October 12, 2026

6. 6Anki

   Best for: Remembering vocabulary for years

   A flashcard program that shows you each card again just as you are about to forget it. It is plain, endlessly adjustable, and free on a computer and on Android. It will not teach you a language, and its own manual says so. It makes sure that what you learned elsewhere stays learned.

   Keep in mind: The iPhone app is a paid, one-time purchase.

   • Anki is a flashcard program that helps the user spend more time on challenging material and less on what they already know. — apps.ankiweb.net, read October 12, 2026
   • The computer version of Anki is free and available for all major platforms. — apps.ankiweb.net, read October 12, 2026
   • AnkiDroid for Android is free and developed by contributors, and the AnkiWeb synchronization service is free. — apps.ankiweb.net, read October 12, 2026
   • The iOS app AnkiMobile is paid: the Anki FAQ gives its price as $25 USD (Apple sets local prices) and says that once purchased it can be used on up to 5 iOS devices on one Apple ID. — docs.ankiweb.net, read October 12, 2026
   • Anki's manual says a downloaded list of words and translations will not teach a language; a learner might also need textbooks, teachers or exposure to real-world sentences. — docs.ankiweb.net, read October 12, 2026

7. 7LingQ

   Best for: Reading and listening your way to a large vocabulary

   You read and listen to real material, such as podcasts, books and articles, and tap the words you do not know; the app keeps count of what you have learned. It suits patient learners who like stories. By its own description, understanding comes first and speaking later.

   Keep in mind: The free account stops at a small number of saved words.

   • LingQ describes itself as a way to learn a language naturally by reading, listening and discovering new words in context, using content such as podcasts and books. — lingq.com, read October 12, 2026
   • LingQ's languages page says it has 53 languages; its home page links to 'View all 53 languages'. — lingq.com, read October 12, 2026
   • LingQ has a free account that can create up to 20 LingQs (saved words or phrases); creating more requires upgrading to Premium, which is unlimited. — forum.lingq.com, read October 12, 2026
   • LingQ says it focuses on input first and output later: understanding through reading and listening comes before speaking. — lingq.com, read October 12, 2026
   • LingQ's US App Store listing shows the in-app purchase LingQ Premium (Monthly) at $14.99 (USD). — apps.apple.com, read October 12, 2026

8. 8Speak

   Best for: Speaking practice with an AI, in several major languages

   Built around talking: you speak, an AI tutor answers and corrects your phrasing, and role-plays put you in a situation. It is the closest in purpose to our own app, with more languages, Mandarin among them. It lives on your phone only, and after the free week it needs a subscription.

   Keep in mind: No desktop version, and its courses other than English are for people whose first language is English.

   • Speak describes itself as an AI-powered language learning app built to get people speaking a new language, not just studying it. — speak.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Speak lists six languages for English speakers: Spanish, French, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Simplified Chinese. It also teaches English to non-English speakers. No count is stated. — speak.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Speak offers a 7-day free trial; after it a paid subscription is required to continue. — speak.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Speak's US App Store listing shows the in-app purchase Monthly Premium at $17.99 (USD). — apps.apple.com, read October 12, 2026
   • The Speak app is available on iOS and Android devices (smartphones and tablets); the help centre says it is not available on desktop (PC). — help.speak.com, read October 12, 2026
   • Speak's courses in languages other than English are only available to learners whose native language is English. — help.speak.com, read October 12, 2026

9. 9HelloChinese

   Best for: A first course in Mandarin, and only Mandarin

   Small, game-like lessons made for Chinese alone, which its makers describe as for total beginners, with speech recognition for pronunciation. If Mandarin is your language and you are starting out, begin here and not with a general app. It is a course, not a conversation partner.

   Keep in mind: Its own site publishes no price; the plans are shown in the app.

   • HelloChinese presents itself as an app for learning Chinese with game-based, bite-sized lessons covering reading, writing, speaking, vocabulary and grammar. — hellochinese.cc, read October 12, 2026
   • HelloChinese teaches one language, Mandarin Chinese; its terms page calls it a Mandarin Chinese learning app for total beginners. — hellochinese.cc, read October 12, 2026
   • HelloChinese lists speech recognition as a feature for practising pronunciation and speaking. — hellochinese.cc, read October 12, 2026
   • HelloChinese's site publishes no amount; its terms say pricing may vary with promotions, the type of subscription and the term chosen (monthly or annual). — hellochinese.cc, read October 12, 2026
   • HelloChinese Premium, one-month subscription: $11.99 (USD, price for U.S. customers per the App Store listing). — apps.apple.com, read October 12, 2026

10. 10Language Tutorours

    Best for: Speaking practice with a tutor that corrects you, in Mandarin

    We make this one, so read it as our own description. You talk, the tutor answers out loud, corrects what came out wrong, has you say it again, and remembers what you struggled with. Plans run from $25 to $85 a month, and the first 10 minutes are free. It is not a course. It works best next to one of the apps above.

    Keep in mind: Mandarin only today; more languages are coming. It runs in a web browser, with no app to install.

How to choose

• Starting from nothing: Duolingo to build the habit, or HelloChinese if your language is Mandarin.
• You want to know why a sentence works: Babbel, for the languages it teaches.
• You learn by ear, or your hands are busy: Pimsleur.
• Words will not stay in your head: Anki, alongside anything else.
• You can read but freeze when you speak: a teacher on italki, an exchange partner on HelloTalk, or an AI tutor. That is Speak for several languages, or Language Tutor for Mandarin.
• You want real books and real podcasts: LingQ.

Most people who get somewhere use two or three of these at once: one for the habit, one for words, one that makes them talk. That is not indecision. It is how the jobs divide.

What this list leaves out

We read the pages of fifteen apps and kept ten. Leaving one out is not a verdict on it: several good ones do the same job as an app already here. And no list of apps holds the two things that matter most, which are time, and someone to talk to.

What ours costs

The first 10 minutes are free. More minutes can be added at any time: any whole amount from $10 to $200, 10 minutes per dollar. Minutes measure how much the AI is used rather than the clock; our Terms say how they are counted.