Best Free Language Learning Apps 2026: 6 Options Compared
Best free Language Learning Apps compared: Duolingo, Busuu, Memrise, Language Transfer and 2 more, with free-plan limits, platforms and prices from official pages checked October 23, 2026.
•3 min read•Learning & Everyday Apps
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | Free | Web, iOS, Android | Daily habit and absolute beginners | Docs only |
| Busuu | Free (The site title reads 'Start for Free' and buttons say 'Learn for free'; free-plan limits are not listed on the page) | Web, iOS, Android | Structured courses with community feedback | Docs only |
| Memrise | Free (Learning can start for free; a paid plan unlocks extra features (limits not itemised on the home page)) | Web, iOS, Android | Memorising vocabulary | Docs only |
| Language Transfer | Free (No price tags, no ads and no sign-ups; the project runs on donations) | Web, iOS, Android | Understanding how a language works | Docs only |
| Anki | Free (Desktop app free on all major platforms; AnkiWeb sync free; AnkiDroid free. AnkiMobile (iOS) is an official app with no price shown on the page) | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | Long-term vocabulary retention | Docs only |
| LingQ | Free (Home page promotes 'Start Learning for Free'; free-plan limits not itemised) | Web, iOS, Android | Intermediate learners reading real texts | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You are starting from zero and want a daily nudge (Duolingo is the pick)
- You want to understand grammar by listening (Language Transfer is the pick)
- You keep forgetting vocabulary (Anki is the pick)
- You can read some and want real articles (LingQ is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You need paid-tier features, uptime guarantees or support that these free plans leave out
Free language apps tend to teach in one of three ways: game-like lessons, flashcards, or reading real content. Duolingo and Busuu are the structured courses; both let you start free, but their free tiers carry limits and the page details are not itemised, so expect ads or limited access to advanced features. Memrise leans on spaced-repetition vocabulary. Language Transfer is different: audio courses with no ads, no sign-ups and no price tags, taught by explaining how a language works, funded by donations, but offered only for a small set of languages. Anki is the heavyweight flashcard tool: free and open source on desktop and Android and syncing via AnkiWeb, and its iPhone version is a separate paid app, so check the price on the App Store. LingQ is for intermediate learners who want to read and listen to authentic material, with free access to start. The trade-off is guidance versus depth: gamified apps keep you coming back but rarely get you to real conversation, while Anki and LingQ need you to choose your own content. Beginners can start with Language Transfer or Duolingo, then add Anki once they know where their vocabulary gaps are.
Duolingo
Free to start with short game-style lessons across many languages. Free use includes limits and ads; the page checked did not itemise them.
Price: Free (Duolingo pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Daily habit and absolute beginners.
Compare: Duolingo alternatives
Busuu
Site invites you to start for free; check the site for free-plan limits. Courses plus feedback from native speakers on paid plans.
Price: Free (The site title reads 'Start for Free' and buttons say 'Learn for free'; free-plan limits are not listed on the page) (Busuu pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Structured courses with community feedback.
Memrise
Learning starts for free; a paid plan unlocks extra features that were not itemised on the home page. Strong on vocabulary.
Price: Free (Learning can start for free; a paid plan unlocks extra features (limits not itemised on the home page)) (Memrise pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Memorising vocabulary.
Language Transfer
No price tags, no ads and no sign-ups, funded by donations. Audio-based, with a limited set of languages.
Price: Free (No price tags, no ads and no sign-ups; the project runs on donations) (Language Transfer pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Free, donation-funded.
Best for: Understanding how a language works.
Worth knowing: Audio courses for languages including Spanish, German, Italian, French, Turkish, Greek, Arabic and Swahili per the site's links.
Anki
Free and open-source flashcards on desktop and Android with free AnkiWeb sync; the iPhone app is a separate paid purchase. You create or download your own decks.
Price: Free (Desktop app free on all major platforms; AnkiWeb sync free; AnkiDroid free. AnkiMobile (iOS) is an official app with no price shown on the page) (Anki pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. AGPL-3.0-or-later (some contributed parts BSD-3) (open source).
Project activity: 32.3k GitHub stars · latest release 26.09.3 (Sep 23, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026
Best for: Long-term vocabulary retention.
LingQ
Promotes 'Start Learning for Free'; free-plan limits are not itemised. Built around reading and listening to real content.
Price: Free (Home page promotes 'Start Learning for Free'; free-plan limits not itemised) (LingQ pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Web, iOS, Android. Proprietary.
Best for: Intermediate learners reading real texts.
Which one to pick
- You are starting from zero and want a daily nudge: Duolingo
- You want to understand grammar by listening: Language Transfer
- You keep forgetting vocabulary: Anki
- You can read some and want real articles: LingQ
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Duolingo, Busuu, Memrise, Language Transfer, Anki, LingQ: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you commit.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing, license and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-23: Duolingo, Busuu, Memrise, Language Transfer, Anki, LingQ. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.