Memrise

Vocabulary drills backed by clips of native speakers saying the phrase.

AppsFreemiumBeginnerIntermediateA1–B1Any language

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What it actually is

The 'learn with locals' video clips are the distinguishing feature — you hear real people at real speed rather than TTS. Be aware that Memrise moved user-created community courses off the main app in 2024 onto a separate site, which gutted what many long-time users valued most, and the app has leaned hard into AI chat features since. Fine as a phrase-and-vocabulary app for major languages; if you came for the community decks, use Anki instead.

Who it suits

Beginners in a major language who want survival phrases and everyday vocabulary with real pronunciation in their ears from day one. It works best as a short daily habit alongside something that teaches grammar and gives you longer listening, not as a whole course.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you are past the low intermediate stage: the scenario lessons stay at phrase level and you will outgrow them. Also skip it if you want to build your own decks or control your review schedule, and think twice before paying monthly, which is the worst-value way to buy it.

What it costs

Free to start; Pro is a subscription. US App Store prices on 2026-09-29: $24.99 monthly, $61.99 a year, and a $329.99 lifetime plan that is often offered at $98.99-$131.99. Prices differ by region and store.

Checked 29 Sept 2026 on the official pricing page. Prices change and can differ by country.

How it compares

  • Anki

    Pick Anki instead if you want full control of what you review and when, or want to keep using shared community decks.

  • Duolingo

    Pick Duolingo instead if you want a longer structured path with grammar drills for free, and can live without native-speaker video.

  • Busuu

    Pick Busuu instead if you want CEFR-aligned lessons that go further into grammar and get writing corrected by other learners.

  • Clozemaster

    Pick Clozemaster instead once you know the basics and want to drill words inside thousands of full sentences.

What it covers

  • Vocabulary
  • Listening
  • Speaking

Official links

Similar tools

  • Anki

    The gold-standard spaced-repetition flashcard app with community decks for every language.

  • Babbel

    Structured dialogue-based courses in 13 languages, built by actual linguists.

  • Duolingo

    Gamified daily lessons in 40+ languages; great for habit-building, weak beyond A2.

  • Busuu

    Structured CEFR courses with written corrections from native speakers.

  • HelloTalk

    Text, call and correct with native speakers in a language-exchange feed.

  • Pimsleur

    Audio-only spaced-recall courses that drill speaking from lesson one.

Sources

Prices and features above come from these pages, read on 29 Sept 2026. The judgements are ours.