Duolingo
Gamified daily lessons in 40+ languages; great for habit-building, weak beyond A2.
AppsFreemiumBeginnerA1–A2Any language
What it actually is
The free tier is genuinely usable (ads plus a limited 'hearts' system); Super removes both for about $96/yr. Its real value is streak-driven consistency for absolute beginners, and the smaller courses are thin machine-assisted content rather than the polished Spanish or French trees. Treat it as a warm-up habit, not a curriculum — nobody reaches conversational fluency on Duolingo alone.
What it covers
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Reading
- Listening
Learners who used it
From field notes — real posts we read and linked. What they say is their account, not our finding.
- 12 months at 1–2 h a day, from scratch, on a five-app stack · used it for warm-up
Their verdict: not enough on its own
- A 341-day streak, six tools, and five hours of silence at a family dinner · used it for daily drill
Their verdict: trained the wrong thing