The Best Language Learning Apps [2024 Edition]

Everyone has their own unique way of learning new things, so the best language learning app for you should be perfectly suited to your specific learning style. Fortunately, we’re spoiled for choice in 2024!

There are a wide array of options, from classically structured courses and language learning game apps to language exchange apps so you can talk with native speakers from around the world.

I’ve looked through all types and styles of apps to find the 12 best language learning apps on the market for every type of learner—and here they are. Read on for all the details!

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App	Best For	Link
Busuu	Best overall	See Busuu
Mondly	Best for beginners	See Mondly
FluentU	Best for learning with video	See FluentU
Babbel	Best for traditional structured courses	See Babbel
Memrise	Best for vocabulary	See Memrise
Rosetta Stone	Best for immersion learning	See Rosetta Stone
Pimsleur	Best for audio-based learning	See Pimsleur
Lingvist	Best for flashcards	See Lingvist
Duolingo	Best for gamified language learning	See Duolingo
Drops	Best for visual learning	See Drops
Beelinguapp	Best for reading fans	See Beelinguapp
HelloTalk	Best for language exchange	See HelloTalk

1. Best Overall: Busuu

Access on: iOS | Android

Busuu has fun short lessons, personalized reviews and one of the best parts: you get feedback from native speakers. The app is good for all levels of learners. If you don’t know your level, a proficiency test will determine your level and then you can start on one of the 150 units available. 

Busuu’s option to have your exercises corrected by native speakers really takes the program over the top for me. There’s nothing like personalized feedback from native speakers.

The Busuu app offers 12 language options. 

Here’s our full review of Busuu:

2. Best for Beginners: Mondly

Access on: iOS | Android

Mondly uses daily lesson plans and short lessons arranged by topic. The app helps you hit the ground running by having you memorize keywords right off the bat. So because of this, it’s a great choice for beginners.

The Mondly app features audio by native speakers, voice recognition for speaking practice, a dictionary, a verb conjugation tool and more.

But its best feature is focusing on super useful phrases that will get you talking right away.

While this makes Mondly an excellent tool for beginners, there is also material for intermediate and advanced students.

The Mondly app offers 33 language options.

Here’s our full review of Mondly:

3. Best App for Learning with Video: FluentU

Access on: iOS | Android

FluentU lets you learn by watching authentic videos, something you’re probably already doing anyway!

The way the app works is you choose a language and level, and then you get offered a large assortment of videos in that language (videos that are made by and for native speakers).

Choose a video that piques your interest and watch the clip with interactive subtitles that you can click on to reveal word definitions, word types, other grammatical information and links to other videos in which the word or phrase you selected appears.

FluentU also offers personalized quizzes after each video so you can test your knowledge. You can also add words to customizable flashcard sets, so you’ll never forget the word again.

Overall, the app works very effectively by taking an activity you already like to do (watch YouTube videos, movie trailers, music videos, vlogs, etc.) and turning them into language learning lessons. 

4. Best for Traditional Structured Courses: Babbel

Access on: iOS | Android

Babbel, one of the most well known language learning apps, uses several methods to teach practical language in short and totally 10-15 minute sessions. The app aims to improve your confidence and comprehension through traditional, yet interactive courses.

These courses offer exercises for reading, writing, listening and speaking, ensuring a well-rounded language education, and there are levels available for all learners from beginners to advanced students.

Babbel offers 14 language options.

Here’s our full review of Babbel in case you’re interested:

5. Best App for Vocabulary: Memrise

Access on: iOS | Android

Memrise, which started out as just a flashcard app, teaches you vocabulary through video clips of natives and lots of spaced repetition.

Through a variety of games, videos featuring native speakers and simulated text-message conversations, you’ll use your target language in a number of different entertaining contexts. 

I find Memrise super fun and user friendly, and I still use it for its excellent customizable flashcards.

Memrise offers over 20 language options. 

Here’s our full review of Memrise:

6. Best for Immersion Learning: Rosetta Stone

Access on: iOS | Android

Rosetta Stone teaches you a language by completely immersing you. If you’re studying Spanish, you don’t see any English words. You just see images of the words. If they’re teaching you the word for “monkey,” for example, which is mono in Spanish, you just see a cute monkey sitting in a tree.

This approach mirrors the way you learned your first language as a kid.

The app also has some good speech recognition technology, so you can improve your accent along the way.

The Rosetta Stone app offers 24 language options.

If you want to learn more, check out our full Rosetta Stone review here:

7. Best for Audio-based Learning: Pimsleur

Access on: iOS | Android

Pimsleur consists of quick audio lessons based on spoken dialogues. Then, you get into the vocabulary and grammar in an old-school, explicit way. That’s why I recommend this program for those who don’t like immersion programs and want the basics explained in Spanish.

One of the best things about Pimsleur is that, since they’re all audio lessons, you can listen to them on the go—in the car, on headphones or while doing housework.

And each lesson has speaking prompts to help you develop your basic speaking skills.

Pimsleur is available in 51 languages with various levels and amounts of material.

Here’s our full review of Pimsleur:

8. Best Flashcards App: Lingvist

Access on: iOS | Android

Pricing: $9.99/month, $79.99/year

Lingvist teaches you the 5,000 most useful words in a language with a flashcard system. Sounds great, right? Well I happen to think so, but I am partial to flashcards.

By focusing on the most common vocabulary, Lingvist aims to equip you with highly usable language skills that gets you talking right away. Plus, the app adapts to your needs in an attempt to maximize your learning.

The app’s vocabulary words are grouped into handy themes like hobbies, family, medical vocab and much more.

Lingvist offers six languages.

Here’s our full review of Lingvist:

9. Best for Gamified Language Learning: Duolingo

Access on: iOS | Android

Duolingo is famous for its short, interactive lessons that encourage you to build a daily streak. One of the hottest language learning products on the market, the app revolutionized language learning by making the experience like playing a game. 

We now call this gamified, and Duolingo does it well by combining this approach with listening, spelling, writing and speaking practice.

And you’re always encouraged along by that cute little bird Duo.

If you’re interested in reading more about Duolingo, here’s our full review:

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/reviews/does-duolingo-work-review/

10. Best App for Visual Learning: Drops

Access on: iOS | Android

Drops teaches over 3,000 words through five-minute matching games, which, for me with a short attention span, is exactly how I want to learn.

And Drops always includes interesting visuals in a way that just makes your learning more fun. Drops started off as a flashcards app, but there are lots of other fun activities to do on the app now, while still focusing on building your vocabulary.

Drops currently has over 40 language options.

Here’s our full and unbiased review of Drops:

11. Best for Reading Fans: Beelinguapp

Access on: iOS | Android

Pricing: $49.90/year, $63.90/year for family plan

Beelinguapp’s signature side-by-side language comparison tool pairs well with its wide range of media options.

Pun intended—Beelinguapp teaches 13 languages through a combination of engaging media, including novels, stories, news and song lyrics.

The variety of media helps keep things fresh! There’s even a handy audiobook option that allows you to listen along with each story.

The app shows you a story in two languages, side-by-side, so you can constantly compare meanings and follow along easily.

Combine that with its immersive audio feature, and you’ll be learning a new language using two senses at once!

12. Best App for Language Exchange: HelloTalk

Access on: iOS | Android

HelloTalk helps you find and connect with native speakers for language practice. Having a language partner is probably my top tip for those who really want to get fluent in a language.

With HelloTalk, this is easy: you can chat with native speakers and participate in group chats and community threads.

You can search for your perfect partner by language, location, interests and more, so if you’re lucky, you’ll also make a friend.

Once you find the perfect language partner, the app can also help you connect through text, audio or video.

HelloTalk also offers translation, transliteration, grammar correction and more.

HelloTalk offers these features in over 150 languages. 

If you’re interested in reading more about HelloTalk, see how full review here:

 

So now you have 12 great options of apps to learn the language of your dreams. I recommend experimenting with a few of them, and combining a flashcards app like Memrise with a language partner app like HelloTalk to really get fluent quickly.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)