Verdict
Duolingo is the most used education app in the UK and every course is free, which makes it the obvious first try for a new language. Reviewers and long-time users agree it builds vocabulary and a daily habit but rarely gets anyone to real conversation on its own. The AI video calls are the one paid extra users say adds actual speaking practice, and the 2025 switch to AI-made lessons still annoys many longtime fans.
Privacy note. Policy lets AI-feature text and audio go to OpenAI/Google and train Duolingo models with only an audio opt-out; good under-13/under-16 protections; 2023 scrape of 2.6M profiles (duolingo.com/privacy, infosecurity-magazine.com)
Best for
Beginners building a daily habit in a new language
Skip if
Anyone aiming for fluency without other study, or who hates streak nagging
Key facts
- Category
- Study, homework & learning
- Made by
- Duolingo, Inc.
- Based in
- United States
- Launched
- 2012
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £8.99 a month
- Free plan
- All courses free with ads and a daily energy (mistake) limit; Explain My Answer free in most major courses since Jan 2026
What it does
- teaches 40+ languages in short lessons
- practises speaking, reading, listening and writing
- teaches chess with lessons, puzzles and matches
- offers maths and music courses
- tracks progress with streaks and rewards
Ratings
What people say
individual reviewers credit it with vocabulary and habit but say it plateaus after the first months, and many miss the old forums and grammar notes lost in the AI-first shift. Paying users mostly pay to escape ads and the energy limit, and the AI video calls get the warmest praise. The 4.7 store average is far above a 1.6 Trustpilot score driven by trial billing complaints.
“Duolingo has absolutely been the biggest thing to improve my Spanish”
Individual user review, 11 June 2026 · source
“The issue is Duolingo optimizes for streaks and dopamine, not actual output. It's useful as an on-ramp if you've never studied a language before, pretty useless after the first 2-3 months.”
Individual user review, 11 June 2026 · source
“The “calls” are worth it for me. Sure, they’re AI, and the voice recognition has lots of glitches, but it feels surprisingly close to a real conversation.”
Individual user review, 7 October 2026 · source
“No ads and unlimited energy is why I paid for Super. I found the app to be completely unusable without Super.”
Individual user review, 7 October 2026 · source
“learning a language with ai is way more effective than duolingo”
Post on X, 20 March 2026 · source
Press reviews
- Reviewed (USA Today) 2026-08-25
Ranked #2 and named best value: 'Duolingo remains the best free language-learning app you can download', though grammar explanations are thin and the best speaking tools are paywalled.
- BGR 2026-04-21
A great tool for vocabulary and daily habits, but heavily gamified, and the switch to AI-generated content made lessons feel less natural.
- The 74 2025-06-03
AI-built courses let Duolingo add content fast, but many users fear less accurate, less nuanced lessons.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- Yes for AI features: text and audio sent in Video Call and other AI features may be shared with OpenAI and Google and used to train Duolingo's own AI models; anonymised data may be used for any purpose including AI training
- Opt-out
- Speaking audio can be withheld from product improvement in app Settings and speaking exercises can be skipped; no stated opt-out for text sent to AI features other than not using them. Personalised ads can be switched off in Settings
- Retention
- Personal information kept until the account is deleted (some longer for legal reasons); IP addresses up to 30 days; anonymous data indefinitely. Access and deletion through the Duolingo Data Vault
- Incidents
- Jan 2023: data scraped from 2.6M public profiles via an open API was sold on a hacking forum (Duolingo said its systems were not breached). Apr-May 2025: backlash over the CEO's 'AI-first' memo about replacing contractors with AI; Duolingo briefly pulled its TikTok and Instagram posts and the CEO later said full-time staff were never laid off. No fines or regulator actions found in searches of news and ICO coverage.
- Age limit
- No minimum age to learn; under-13s (or under the local age of digital consent) get a child account with a parent's email, private profile and no ads; under-16s get non-personalised ads and no third-party tracking. No age verification. UK App Store rating 4+, Google Play PEGI 3
Official videos
- Does Duolingo Work? Here's the Science Behind It 2026-08-02
- This Duolingo Feature Is Now Free 2026-01-01
FAQ
Is Duolingo free?
Yes. Every course is free with ads and a daily energy limit on mistakes. Super Duolingo removes ads and the limit, and UK App Store prices start at £8.99.
Can Duolingo make someone fluent?
Rarely on its own. Reviewers and individual reviewers say it builds vocabulary and a habit but grammar notes are thin and progress stalls at an intermediate level, so most pair it with classes, listening or conversation.
Is Duolingo safe for children?
It is rated 4+ in the UK App Store. Under-13s sign up with a parent's email, get a private profile and see no ads, but Duolingo does not verify ages, and AI features send chat text and audio to OpenAI and Google.
What was the Duolingo 'AI-first' controversy?
In April 2025 the CEO said Duolingo would stop using contractors for work AI can do. Users pushed back hard on social media; the CEO later said no full-time staff were laid off.
Is Super or Max worth paying for?
Users mostly pay to remove ads and the energy limit, which changes comfort, not the course. The AI Video Call is the paid feature that adds speaking practice, and Duolingo is moving it from Max into Super during 2026.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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