Duolingo Reviews, Pricing & Alternatives: What You Actually Need to Know in 2026

If you’re searching for an honest Duolingo review, you already have a suspicion that the cute owl and impressive streak numbers don’t tell the full story. You’re right. Duolingo is one of the most downloaded apps in history and one of the most polarizing tools in language learning — beloved by beginners, abandoned by serious learners, and now under significant user backlash following its 2025 energy system overhaul. This guide covers exactly what Duolingo is, what it costs in 2026, where it genuinely helps, where it reliably fails, and — critically — what alternatives actually work when Duolingo stops being enough.

Need help with English, TOEFL, or language skills right now? Our English tutors and TOEFL specialists are available 24/7 via WhatsApp. Trial session starts at $1.

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“Can Duolingo Actually Get Me to Fluency?” — The Honest Answer

No. Duolingo cannot get you to fluency, and the app’s own research acknowledges this indirectly. What Duolingo reliably does is build a habit of daily language contact, introduce foundational vocabulary and basic grammar patterns, and make early-stage language learning feel engaging enough to continue. What it does not do — and was never designed to do — is get you to the point where you can hold a real conversation, write at an intermediate level, or understand native speakers at natural speed.

This distinction matters because millions of learners invest months or years in Duolingo streaks expecting a different outcome. The app’s gamification is psychologically effective at producing consistency without producing proficiency. You can maintain a 500-day Duolingo streak and still freeze when asked to say something — anything — in your target language. This is not a failure of effort; it’s a structural limitation of the platform. Duolingo teaches recognition (can you identify the right answer from a list?) more than production (can you generate language on your own?). Real communication is almost entirely production.

The practical ceiling for most users on Duolingo is approximately A2 on the CEFR scale — basic phrase-level comprehension and vocabulary recall — with some users reaching a lower B1 in languages with Duolingo’s most developed courses (Spanish, French). If your goal is A2 or basic travel-level comfort, Duolingo is a reasonable tool. If your goal is conversational fluency, academic English proficiency, or exam readiness, Duolingo is a starting point, not a destination.

Across discussions in r/languagelearning and r/Duolingo, students consistently describe hitting a plateau after several months of regular use. The prevailing view in these threads is that Duolingo is effective at building a daily learning habit but structurally fails to develop speaking ability, because it never puts you in a genuine production situation. This aligns with the pattern we see when students come to us after exhausting what app-based learning can offer — the gap between recognition and production is consistently where they get stuck.

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What Is Duolingo and How Does It Work in 2026?

Duolingo is a free-to-use mobile and web application for language learning, currently offering courses in 40+ languages. It uses a gamified structure — streaks, XP points, leagues, and collectibles — to encourage daily engagement. Lessons are short (typically 3–10 minutes), structured as interactive exercises involving translation, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and limited speaking/listening activities.

The app’s free tier has historically been its defining feature. Since July 2025, however, the free experience has changed materially with the introduction of the energy system. Instead of the old “hearts” system (which depleted only when you made mistakes), free users now have 25 units of energy that deplete with every exercise completed — regardless of correctness. A perfect lesson still drains your energy. When energy runs out, users must watch ads, spend in-game gems, wait for next-day recharge, or subscribe to a premium plan. In a poll of more than 11,000 users on the Duolingo community, nearly half actively disliked the system. The most common complaint: it penalizes even skilled learners and turns language learning into energy management.

Duolingo Free (2026): 

40+ languages, gamified lessons, streaks, limited daily learning (energy system constraint), ads.

Super Duolingo (~$12.99/month or ~$83.99/year): 

Everything in Free, plus unlimited hearts/energy, no ads, offline access, streak repair, personalized practice, progress quizzes. Family plan covers up to 6 users at ~$119.99/year (~$20/person). A student plan at approximately 50% off is sometimes available in-app.

Duolingo Max (~$30/month or ~$168/year): 

Everything in Super, plus two AI features — Video Call (conversation practice with an AI character named Lily) and Roleplay (scenario-based speaking practice). As of January 2026, the “Explain My Answer” feature became free for all users. Max is currently available for Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean for English speakers.

Note: Duolingo does not publish pricing on its main website. You must create or log into an account to see your regional rates. Prices vary by country — UK users typically pay around £4.99/month for Super Duolingo on an annual plan. In the US, the annual plan runs approximately $83.99–$95.99/year depending on when you subscribe. [NA][EU]

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“Is the New Energy System Really That Bad?” — What’s Changed for Free Users

The energy system is the most significant change to Duolingo’s free experience in years, and based on verified user feedback, it is a genuine downgrade for serious free learners.

Under the old hearts system, you could practice for extended sessions as long as you answered correctly. The energy system eliminates this possibility: even a perfect lesson drains energy, limiting most free users to roughly 2–3 lessons before hitting a wall. Recharge options include watching ads (which many users report work inconsistently by region), spending gems, or waiting until the next day. The practical effect is that the daily learning window for a free user on mobile has been compressed from unlimited (for skilled learners) to approximately 15–20 minutes — even if you never make a mistake.

For casual users who were only doing one lesson a day anyway, the change is minimal. For students who used Duolingo as a primary or intensive study tool, it is a significant restriction. The Duolingo subreddit and Trustpilot reviews from late 2025 and early 2026 document a wave of users switching to alternatives — Babbel and LingQ are most commonly cited — following the energy system rollout.

This matters if you’re evaluating whether to pay: if the free version’s new limitations frustrate you, the question isn’t “should I subscribe?” but “is Duolingo the right tool for my goals at all?” Super Duolingo removes the energy constraint, but at $84/year, you’re paying for a feature-removal subscription — the learning content is identical to the free version.

Duolingo Pricing in 2026: All Plans Broken Down

Plan	Monthly Cost (US)	Annual Cost (US)	Key Features
Free	$0	$0	40+ languages, energy system (limited daily use), ads, streaks
Super Duolingo	~$12.99/month	~$83.99–$95.99/year	No energy limits, no ads, offline access, streak repair, personalized practice
Super Family Plan	—	~$119.99/year (up to 6 users)	All Super features; ~$20/person/year shared
Duolingo Max	~$30/month	~$168/year	All Super features + Video Call + Roleplay AI features (limited languages)
Student Discount	~$3.99–$6.99/month	~$47.99/year	Super features at 50% off; requires in-app verification; availability varies

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Pricing reality check: 

Super Duolingo at $84/year is the same learning content as the free version — you’re paying to remove restrictions, not to add curriculum. Duolingo Max at $168/year adds AI conversation features, but as of January 2026, the most useful AI feature (Explain My Answer) is now free for everyone. At current pricing, you’re effectively paying $84/year above Super for the Video Call and Roleplay features — and multiple independent reviewers note that the AI conversation quality in Max is comparable to free AI tools. [NA]

UK pricing note: Super Duolingo typically runs £4.99/month or £59.99/year in the UK, making it somewhat more affordable relative to US pricing. [EU]

“Should I Upgrade to Super Duolingo or Switch to Something Else?”

This is the right question to ask, and the answer depends on why you’re frustrated with the free version.

If your frustration is purely the energy system and ads — and you’re genuinely learning from Duolingo’s content — Super Duolingo removes those friction points at a reasonable annual price, especially if you split the Family Plan. The content itself is solid for A1–A2 level.

If your frustration is that you feel like you’re doing lessons but not actually learning — that the exercises are repetitive, that you’re guessing rather than understanding, that grammar explanations are absent or thin — Super Duolingo won’t fix this. It’s the same content without the paywalls. In this case, the problem isn’t the subscription tier; it’s the platform.

The students who get the most from their language learning investment combine Duolingo’s habit-building function with a more structured resource — a tutor for speaking practice, a grammar-focused app like Babbel, or content-based learning (reading/watching in the target language). Duolingo’s best role is as a 10-minute daily warm-up, not as a primary learning system.

What Duolingo Can’t Do For You — And What Actually Fills the Gap

Duolingo cannot make you speak.

 This is the most common and consequential misconception about the app. Even with Duolingo Max’s Video Call feature (which lets you speak with an AI character), the conversations are scripted, brief, and don’t replicate the unpredictability of real language use. Multiple reviewers who tried Duolingo Max specifically for speaking practice found the AI conversations ended too quickly and provided no pronunciation scoring, limiting their value for accent work.

Duolingo cannot teach you why. 

When you get an answer wrong on Duolingo, you see the correct answer but typically not the grammar rule that explains it. This creates what one long-term user described as “robotic learners who can repeat patterns but don’t understand the language mechanics.” As of January 2026, “Explain My Answer” is free for all users, which adds post-lesson explanations — but this still falls short of structured grammar instruction that adapts to your specific confusion.

Duolingo cannot develop writing or academic language skills.

 The exercises are primarily sentence-level translation and matching. If you need to write essays, emails, or professional communications in another language, Duolingo doesn’t address this.

Duolingo cannot prepare you for professional or academic English proficiency exams. 

Using Duolingo as TOEFL or IELTS preparation is a category error — the app’s vocabulary range, exercise types, and output demands are completely mismatched with academic English exams. The Duolingo English Test (DET) is a separate product entirely (see below) and is not the same as “learning English on Duolingo.”

The gap Duolingo leaves — personalized feedback, production practice, grammar explanation, speaking development, exam-specific preparation — is exactly where human tutoring excels. For students who have plateaued on Duolingo and want meaningful progress, we match learners with qualified English or target-language tutors who address the specific gaps the app cannot. Sessions are 1:1, live, and diagnostically structured around what the student actually cannot do yet.

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Duolingo vs. Babbel vs. Rosetta Stone vs. Human Tutoring: Which Is Actually Right for You?

The comparison most students are trying to make is not “which app wins” — it’s “which tool is right for my specific goal.” Here’s the honest breakdown.

Option	Best for	Grammar instruction	Speaking practice	Cost (annual)	Ceiling
Duolingo Free	Habit building, casual beginners	Minimal	Very limited	$0	~A2 CEFR
Super Duolingo	Removing free-tier friction if you like Duolingo’s approach	Minimal	Very limited	~$84/yr	~A2 CEFR
Babbel	Structured beginners who want real grammar context	Moderate	Moderate	~$96/yr ($8/mo)	~B1–B2
Rosetta Stone	Immersive visual learners; pronunciation focus	None (implicit)	Strong (TruAccent)	~$131/yr (1 language)	~B1
Pimsleur	Audio-first learners; pronunciation, commuting	Strong (implicit)	Very strong	~$150/yr	~B1
MEB 1:1 Tutoring	Students who’ve plateaued on apps; DET/TOEFL prep; speaking fluency	Personalized	Full production practice	From $20/hr	No ceiling

The key insight the comparison tables don’t show: apps and human tutors aren’t substitutes — they’re a progression. Most successful learners use an app to build a daily habit and vocabulary base, then transition to or add a human tutor when they need genuine production practice. The apps listed above are all capped at around B1–B2. Fluency — the ability to speak, listen, read, and write at a natural level in real-world contexts — requires consistent practice with a human who can adapt, correct in real time, and diagnose your individual gaps.

Our online English tutors have supported students at exactly this transition point — from plateaued app users to confident speakers and exam-ready learners — across the US, Canada, UK, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

Across discussions in r/languagelearning, students who describe meaningful fluency progress consistently report that live practice with a tutor or native speaker was the turning point. The prevailing consensus in these threads is that apps build foundation and habit, but conversation partners and tutors build actual communicative competence. This is consistent with what we observe in our own student outcomes.

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The Duolingo English Test (DET): What Engineering and International Students Need to Know

The Duolingo English Test is a separate product from the Duolingo language learning app. It’s not “taking Duolingo to prove your English” — it’s a standardized, adaptive, computer-based English proficiency exam accepted by more than 5,500 programs globally, including 95 of the top 100 US universities.

Key DET facts for students: 

The test takes approximately one hour and can be taken from home at any time. Results are available within 48 hours. The cost is $70 per attempt (or $118 for two attempts). Scores range from 10–160, mapped to CEFR levels (A1–C2). Most US universities expect scores of 100–120 for admission; competitive programs often require 125+.

DET vs. TOEFL: 

The DET costs significantly less than TOEFL (~$220 in the US) and takes about half as long. It’s adaptive, so question difficulty adjusts to your responses. Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering, Yale, Columbia, and hundreds of other programs now accept DET as a primary alternative to TOEFL and IELTS. However, some universities still require TOEFL or IELTS — particularly in the UK, where DET acceptance is more limited. Always verify the specific requirements of your target institutions before registering.

For engineering and STEM students in the Gulf region: 

The DET has become particularly important for students in the UAE and Saudi Arabia applying to US engineering programs, because it can be taken from home without traveling to a testing center. [ME] Several Gulf students whose TOEFL access was disrupted during 2020–2022 relied on DET for their US applications and continued using it by preference thereafter.

DET preparation:

 The Duolingo app itself is not an effective DET prep tool. The question formats, content types, and academic language demands of the DET are substantively different from Duolingo’s gamified exercises. Effective DET prep requires practice with the actual question types (Write About the Photo, Read Aloud, Speak About the Photo, Read Then Write), familiarity with the adaptive scoring logic, and targeted English language practice — particularly in speaking and writing.

Our TOEFL Speaking tutors work with students preparing for both TOEFL and DET, covering the specific question formats and scoring strategies for each. For PTE Academic, another standardized English test increasingly accepted in the EU and Commonwealth countries, we also offer specialist prep. [EU][ME]

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If You’ve Hit Duolingo’s Ceiling: How to Get Real Language Help

The most common path we see is this: a student uses Duolingo consistently for three to twelve months, achieves a long streak, has genuinely learned vocabulary and basic phrases, but cannot have a real conversation in the target language — or cannot produce academic-level English for university applications and professional settings. Reaching out at this point is exactly right.

The mistake most students make is assuming they need to push harder on the same tool. What they actually need is a different type of practice — production, not recognition — and feedback from a qualified person who can identify the specific gap. Five more months on Duolingo without speaking practice will produce five more months of recognition ability, not communicative fluency.

Here’s how to get help quickly:

WhatsApp us with a brief description: the language you’re working on (or if it’s English for TOEFL/DET/academic purposes), your current level, and your goal. You’ll have a response in under one minute.

Tutor matching within one hour. We identify tutors based on the specific language, your goal (conversational fluency, academic writing, exam prep, pronunciation), and your schedule and time zone. In 75% of cases, students connect with their preferred tutor during the first trial.

Trial session for $1. The diagnostic session identifies exactly where the gap is. For a plateaued Duolingo user, this is usually clear within 20 minutes — you can recognize language but can’t produce it. The tutor then structures sessions to reverse that imbalance.

Session format. Sessions run via Google Meet with a shared whiteboard and screen share for document or text work. Between sessions, support is available via WhatsApp or email. Most students working on conversational fluency see meaningful change within four to six weeks of regular sessions.

For students in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and wider Gulf region coming to us for DET or TOEFL preparation before US university applications: our tutors work across time zones, and matching specifically accounts for timezone. [ME] [NA] All session content is in English.

Frequently Asked Questions About Duolingo in 2026

1. Is Duolingo free? 

Yes, Duolingo offers a free tier with access to all language courses. Since July 2025, the free version uses an energy system that limits how many lessons you can complete daily — even if you answer correctly. Free users typically can complete 2–3 lessons before running out of energy.

2. How much does Duolingo cost?

Super Duolingo costs approximately $12.99/month or $83.99–$95.99/year in the US. Duolingo Max costs approximately $30/month or $168/year. A Family Plan for up to 6 users runs ~$119.99/year. A student discount (approximately 50% off Super) is sometimes available in-app with student verification. UK pricing for Super is approximately £4.99/month or £59.99/year. [NA][EU]

3. What is Super Duolingo?

 Super Duolingo is Duolingo’s paid subscription that removes the energy system limit, eliminates ads, enables offline access, and adds personalized practice and streak repair. The learning content is identical to the free version — you’re paying to remove restrictions, not to upgrade the curriculum.

4. What is Duolingo Max?

 Duolingo Max adds AI-powered features to Super Duolingo: Video Call (conversation with an AI character) and Roleplay (scenario-based speaking practice). It’s currently available for a limited number of languages. As of January 2026, “Explain My Answer” (AI grammar explanations) became free for all users, so Max is effectively only differentiated by its two conversation features.

5. Can Duolingo make you fluent?

 No. Duolingo is designed for habit formation and vocabulary/phrase building at the beginner level (A1–A2 CEFR). It does not develop speaking fluency, advanced grammar comprehension, or the production skills needed for real communication. Most users plateau at a level where they can recognize language but not generate it spontaneously.

6. What is the best alternative to Duolingo for serious learners?

 It depends on your goal. Babbel is better for structured grammar instruction at a moderate price. Rosetta Stone is better for pronunciation-focused immersion. Pimsleur is better for audio-first learners who prioritize spoken output. For anyone who needs speaking fluency, academic English, or exam preparation (TOEFL, DET, IELTS), 1:1 tutoring provides what no app can — personalized feedback, real conversation, and adaptive instruction.

7. Is Duolingo good for TOEFL prep? 

No. The Duolingo language learning app is not an effective TOEFL preparation tool. The question formats, vocabulary demands, and academic writing requirements of TOEFL are completely different from Duolingo’s gamified exercises. For TOEFL prep, use official ETS practice materials and consider working with a specialist tutor.

8. Is the Duolingo English Test (DET) accepted by universities?

 Yes. The DET is accepted by more than 5,500 programs globally, including 95 of the top 100 US universities. However, acceptance varies — some UK universities and some competitive US programs still require TOEFL or IELTS. Always verify the specific requirements of each institution you’re applying to before selecting your test.

9. How is the Duolingo English Test different from the Duolingo app? 

They are completely separate products. The Duolingo English Test (DET) is a standardized English proficiency exam ($70) used for university admissions, similar to TOEFL and IELTS. The Duolingo app is a language learning tool for self-study. Using the app does not prepare you for the DET.

10. Which is better — Duolingo or Babbel?

 For absolute beginners building a habit, Duolingo’s free tier is easier to get started with. For learners who want grammar instruction in context and more realistic conversational exercises, Babbel is more effective. Babbel costs approximately $17.95/month or around $96/year and offers more structured lessons. Neither is adequate for fluency.

11. Is Duolingo’s energy system permanent?

 As of early 2026, the energy system has been rolling out to mobile users globally and appears to be Duolingo’s intended model going forward. The web version still uses the old hearts system. Users on mobile can avoid the energy system by subscribing to Super Duolingo or Duolingo Max.