Duolingo is hard to beat on price. The free version teaches more than 40 languages, the lessons are quick, and streaks give you a reason to open it every day.

But it doesn't suit everyone. Some people finish dozens of units and still freeze when they have to speak. Some can't find their language: Duolingo teaches Hindi, but not Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati or any of India's other languages. And if you want to practise speaking with AI, Video Call and Roleplay are only in Duolingo Max, its most expensive plan.

So we looked at 23 alternatives. For each one we checked the official website and app store listing in October 2026: which languages it teaches, which languages it can teach you from, how you practise speaking, what's free and what it costs.

One thing to be upfront about: we make Indilingo, and it's number one on this list. We think it earns that spot for the reasons below. Where another app is the better choice, we say so, and every app is linked so you can check for yourself.

Prices are from the US App Store or the app's own website in October 2026 unless we say otherwise. They change often and vary by country, so check before you pay.

The short version

Best overall: Indilingo, for speaking practice and learning through a language you already know
Best structured course in a European language: Babbel
Best for learning while you commute: Pimsleur
Best with a real teacher: italki or Preply
Best free way to talk to native speakers: HelloTalk or Tandem
Best for Indian languages: Indilingo (all 22 scheduled languages). For a game-style course, Ling (10); for AI chat, Talkpal
Only learning English: ELSA Speak or Stimuler

How we ranked them

We looked at four things, in this order:

Speaking. Can you actually practise talking, and can you do it without paying?
Your starting language. Can you learn through a language you already know, or only through English?
Languages. How many, and which ones.
Cost. What's free, and what the paid plan costs.

An app that's great at one thing but weak on the others can still be the right pick for you, so each entry says who it's best for.

The 23 apps at a glance

App	Best for	Languages	Indian languages	Free option
Indilingo	Speaking, learning from your own language	39	All 22 scheduled languages	Yes, with free speaking minutes
Babbel	Structured courses	14	None	Trial lessons
Pimsleur	Listening on the go	50+	Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu	First lesson
Busuu	Native speaker feedback	14	None	Basic lessons
Speak	AI speaking drills	7	None	7-day trial
Memrise	Native speaker videos	149 claimed (see below)	Hindi	Limited lessons
italki, Preply	Human tutors	130+, 90+	Hindi (others depend on tutors)	No free lessons
Talkpal	AI chat in smaller languages	130+	Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and more	10 minutes a day
Praktika	AI avatar role-play	13 (iOS)	None	Limited daily chats
Rosetta Stone	Immersion	About 24	Hindi	Trial only
HelloTalk, Tandem	Free chats with native speakers	260+, 300+	HelloTalk: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and more	Yes
Mondly	Many languages for one price	41	Hindi, Bengali, Urdu	Limited preview
Ling	Game-style courses in smaller languages	70+	10, including Tamil and Malayalam	2 units
Airlearn	Grammar first, fewer games	12+	Hindi	Yes
Falou	Short speaking lessons	20+	Hindi	One lesson
LingQ	Reading and listening	53	Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu (beta)	Demo only
Drops	Five-minute vocabulary	50+	Hindi, Sanskrit	5 minutes every 10 hours
Mango Languages	Free through libraries	70+	Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Urdu	Through many libraries
ELSA Speak	English pronunciation	English only	Explanations in Hindi	Free lessons
Stimuler	English speaking	English only	None	5 AI conversations a day
Parrot	Spanish through short videos	Spanish only	None	Trial only

1. Indilingo

Best for: speaking practice, learning through the language you already know, and Indian languages

On most apps, the languages you can learn depend on the language you start from, and English gets the most choice. Indilingo lets you pick both sides freely: the language you want to learn and the language you want it explained in. It has 39 languages and any of them can be learned from any other, so a Tamil speaker can learn Japanese with explanations in Tamil, and someone in Madrid can learn Hindi through Spanish. That's 1,482 possible pairs.

The app is built around speaking. In the Speak tab you have a voice conversation with an AI tutor, either open-ended or in a real situation like asking for help at an airport or recommending a film to a friend. The tutor talks back as you speak, at your level. Voice conversations come with every plan, including the free one, which isn't true of most apps here.

Around that you get lessons built from your goals, interests and level, an AI chat that explains words and rules in your own language, scripts taught letter by letter with audio, a daily Word Maze, duels with other learners and streaks.

It covers all 22 languages listed in India's Constitution, from Hindi and Tamil to Konkani, Dogri and Santali. We didn't find another app on this list that does. The same team publishes research on languages with very little digital text: its CIPHER paper was accepted at the ORACLE Workshop at EMNLP 2026.

If you'd rather practise on an ordinary phone call, Indilingo also runs Mira, an AI tutor that rings your phone and talks with you in more than 100 languages. It works on any phone, with no app or internet needed, and the first 3-minute call is free.

Where it falls short: it's a mobile app only (Android and iOS), with no desktop version, and there are no human teachers. With 39 languages it also covers fewer than Pimsleur or Talkpal, so if you want Greek or Swahili, look further down.

Languages: 39 (all 22 scheduled Indian languages, plus Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic and 10 more) · Free: chat up to a daily limit, plus free minutes of voice conversation · Paid: Indilingo PRO, priced in the app · Platforms: Android, iOS · Get Indilingo

2. Babbel

Best for: a structured course in a European language

Babbel feels more like a good textbook than a game. Lessons are built around dialogues, grammar is explained properly, and courses are written for your native language, so a French speaker learning Spanish gets different lessons from an English speaker. There's also Babbel Live, paid small-group classes with real teachers, and a beta AI conversation partner.

The catch is coverage. Babbel teaches 14 languages, mostly European plus Turkish and Indonesian, and the app itself comes in 9 languages, none of them Indian.

Languages: 14 · Free: placement test and trial lessons · Paid: $17.99 a month or $89.99 a year for one language · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · babbel.com

3. Pimsleur

Best for: learning while you drive, walk or cook

Pimsleur has been teaching through audio since the 1960s. Each lesson is about 30 minutes of listening and answering out loud, with earlier material coming back at spaced intervals. It's built to get you saying useful sentences out loud early, and it's much lighter on reading and grammar.

It has more than 50 languages, including Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu. Its newer AI Conversation Coach only covers Japanese, Latin American Spanish and French so far, and the app itself is only in English, Japanese and Spanish.

Languages: 50+ · Free: first lesson · Paid: $19.99 a month for one language, $20.99 a month for all · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · pimsleur.com

4. Busuu

Best for: corrections from native speakers

Busuu's best idea is an old one that still works. You write or record an answer, native speakers in the community correct it, and you return the favour for people learning your language. On top of that there are structured lessons, AI conversation practice and, on the top plan, certificates.

It teaches 14 languages. None are Indian, and the app isn't available in any Indian language.

Languages: 14 · Free: basic lessons with ads · Paid: about $80 a year, with frequent discounts · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · busuu.com

5. Speak

Best for: AI speaking drills in a major language

Speak started in South Korea teaching English and is backed by OpenAI's startup fund. The method is simple: learn a phrase, repeat it until it sticks, then use it in an open conversation with an AI tutor that gives feedback as you go. If you've read a language for years and freeze the moment you have to speak, this is aimed squarely at you.

It only teaches 7 languages: English, Spanish, French, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Chinese. There's no free plan beyond a 7-day trial.

Languages: 7 · Free: 7-day trial · Paid: $17.99 a month or $83.99 a year · Platforms: iOS, Android · speak.com

6. Memrise

Best for: hearing how real people speak

Memrise's short videos of native speakers saying everyday phrases are what set it apart. You hear real voices rather than a synthetic one. It also has an AI chat partner, MemBot, for practice. It's strongest on vocabulary and listening.

There's a full Hindi course, and the app is available in Hindi. Its language count is hard to pin down: the website says 149 languages, but the app store listing highlights a much shorter list of core courses.

Languages: 20+ core courses · Free: limited lessons and videos · Paid: $61.99 a year or $24.99 a month · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · memrise.com

7. italki and Preply

Best for: learning with a human tutor

Nothing on this list replaces feedback from a good human tutor, if you can afford one. italki and Preply are marketplaces where you book one-to-one video lessons with independent teachers, who set their own prices. italki covers more than 130 languages and Preply more than 90, and both have plenty of Hindi tutors. Lessons can be in whatever language you and your tutor share, not just English.

Neither gives you free lessons. italki offers discounted trial lessons and some free community features, and Preply lets you try another tutor for free if the first one isn't a fit. Several lessons a week adds up quickly, which is where an app helps between sessions.

Languages: 130+ (italki), 90+ (Preply) · Free: no free lessons · Paid: per lesson, set by each tutor · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · italki.com, preply.com

8. Talkpal

Best for: AI conversation in smaller languages

Talkpal is a GPT-based tutor with a long list of modes: chat, voice calls, role-play, characters, even debates. Its standout number is 130+ languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu, which makes it one of the few AI tutors you can use for less common languages.

The free plan gives you 10 minutes a day. It's a conversation tool first, so you may want something else alongside it for structured grammar.

Languages: 130+ · Free: 10 minutes a day · Paid: $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · talkpal.ai

9. Praktika

Best for: role-play with an AI avatar

Praktika gives you an animated AI tutor with a face and a personality, and builds conversations around real-life situations. You can also upload a photo, a PDF or your CV and it turns it into a lesson, which is a nice touch.

It teaches 13 languages on iOS (the Android listing names fewer), none of them Indian, and the free version limits how many AI conversations you get each day.

Languages: 13 · Free: limited daily conversations · Paid: about $14 a month or $96 a year, according to Praktika's own blog · Platforms: iOS, Android · praktika.ai

10. Rosetta Stone

Best for: immersion with almost no translation

Rosetta Stone has been around since 1992 and still runs on the same idea: pictures, sounds and the new language, with as little translating as possible. Its TruAccent speech recognition checks your pronunciation, and you can add live one-to-one tutoring for an extra fee.

It teaches about 24 languages, including Hindi. There's no free plan beyond a trial, but one yearly price covers every language.

Languages: about 24 · Free: trial only · Paid: $109.99 a year for all languages · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · rosettastone.com

11. HelloTalk and Tandem

Best for: free conversations with native speakers

These are language exchange apps. You find someone who speaks the language you want and wants to learn yours, then you text, send voice notes or call. It costs nothing, and you're talking to real people.

It's also completely unstructured. There's no course, and how much you learn depends on finding a partner you get along with. HelloTalk has active native speakers for Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and Punjabi.

Languages: 260+ (HelloTalk), 300+ (Tandem) · Free: yes · Paid: optional upgrades (HelloTalk VIP is $79.99 a year) · Platforms: iOS, Android, and Tandem also on the web · hellotalk.com, tandem.net

12. Mondly

Best for: lots of languages for one price

Mondly, now owned by Pearson, has 41 languages with short daily lessons, speech recognition and a chatbot. One yearly subscription unlocks all of them, which is good value if you're curious about more than one.

It's one of the few big apps with more than one Indian language: Hindi, Bengali and Urdu. There's no tutor or human feedback, though. Practice relies on the chatbot and speech recognition.

Languages: 41 · Free: limited preview · Paid: $74.90 a year for all 41 languages · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · mondly.com

13. Ling

Best for: game-style courses in languages the big apps skip

Ling looks a lot like Duolingo: short gamified lessons, points and streaks. The difference is the catalogue. It has 70+ languages with a focus on ones the big apps leave out, including 10 Indian languages: Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

You practise against recorded audio. There's no AI conversation or live speaking partner, and the free version is just two units.

Languages: 70+ · Free: 2 units · Paid: $14.99 a month or $79.99 a year · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · ling-app.com

14. Airlearn

Best for: grammar first, with fewer games

Airlearn, which used to be called Unacademy Languages, comes from the Indian edtech company Unacademy. It's pitched as a calmer Duolingo: learn the rule first, then practise it, with less gamification. Its Google Play listing names 13 languages, with Hindi the only Indian one, alongside Spanish, French, Japanese, German and others. There's also an English course for Hindi speakers.

Its own description focuses on grammar lessons, quizzes and dialogue drills rather than open speaking practice.

Languages: 12+ · Free: yes, with a paid Pro plan · Platforms: iOS, Android · App Store

15. Falou

Best for: short lessons that get you speaking

Falou, from Brazil, has you speaking from the first lesson. You listen, repeat and get feedback on your pronunciation, and an AI Live Tutor gives you conversation practice. It has 20+ languages, including Hindi.

The free version is essentially one lesson, so you'll be deciding on a subscription quickly.

Languages: 20+ · Free: one lesson · Paid: from $9.99 a month · Platforms: iOS, Android · falou.com

16. LingQ

Best for: learning from podcasts, videos and books

LingQ, co-founded by the polyglot Steve Kaufmann, is for people who learn by reading and listening a lot. You import a YouTube video, podcast, article or book, read along, and tap the words you don't know to save them. Over time it tracks how much of the language you understand.

Speaking isn't the focus. There's a text chatbot and optional paid tutoring, but no built-in speaking practice. Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu are still in beta, and the free plan is little more than a demo.

Languages: 53 · Free: 20 saved words and 5 imported lessons · Paid: $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · lingq.com

17. Drops

Best for: five minutes of vocabulary a day

Drops is a vocabulary game. Words come with simple illustrations and you swipe and tap to match them, in sessions short enough for a bus stop. It's one of very few apps with Sanskrit, alongside Hindi.

It doesn't teach grammar or speaking, and the free version gives you 5 minutes every 10 hours.

Languages: 50+ · Free: 5 minutes every 10 hours · Paid: monthly, yearly or lifetime Premium · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · languagedrops.com

18. Mango Languages

Best for: free lessons through your library

Many public libraries and schools give their members free access to Mango, so check yours first. Lessons teach vocabulary, grammar and culture together from native-speaker recordings, and a tool compares your pronunciation with theirs. It has 70+ languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Urdu, plus English courses for speakers of about 20 other languages.

There's no conversation practice with a person or an AI.

Languages: 70+ · Free: through many libraries and schools · Paid: $13.99 a month, or $10 a month billed yearly · Platforms: iOS, Android, web · mangolanguages.com

Only learning English or Spanish?

Three narrower apps are worth knowing about.

ELSA Speak is an AI pronunciation coach for English. It scores your speech sound by sound and has IELTS and TOEFL speaking practice, with explanations available in Hindi and other languages. Premium is $19.99 a month in the US.

Stimuler, from Bengaluru, is an AI English speaking coach with IELTS and TOEFL mock tests. The free plan gives you 5 AI conversations a day, and Premium is ₹999 a year.

Parrot teaches Spanish only, through short videos of native speakers that you repeat back. You need a subscription after the trial.

Indilingo teaches English too, from any of its other 38 languages, so you can learn English with explanations in Odia, Kashmiri or Santali.

Questions people ask

Does Duolingo have Malayalam?

No. The only Indian language you can learn on Duolingo is Hindi. For Malayalam, try Indilingo, Ling, Talkpal or Mango Languages.

Does Duolingo have Sanskrit?

No. Indilingo teaches Sanskrit, and Drops has Sanskrit vocabulary.

Can I learn Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati or Marathi on Duolingo?

Not as a course. Duolingo works in Tamil, Telugu and some other Indian languages, so speakers of those languages can learn English and a few other major languages through them, but it doesn't teach the Indian languages themselves. Indilingo teaches Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati and Marathi, and Ling covers all five as well.

What's the best free alternative to Duolingo?

For real conversations at no cost, HelloTalk or Tandem. For an app with free speaking practice built in, Indilingo: chat is free up to a daily limit and you get free minutes of voice conversation with the AI tutor. If your library offers Mango Languages, that's free too. Babbel, Pimsleur, Speak, Rosetta Stone and Parrot only offer trials; most of the others have a limited free version.

Which app is best for speaking practice?

Indilingo, Speak and Praktika are built around AI conversation, and Talkpal covers the most languages. For a human, use italki or Preply. On Duolingo, the AI conversation features are only in the Max plan.

Can I learn a language through Hindi instead of English?

Yes. On Indilingo you can learn any of its 39 languages with Hindi as your starting language, and the same works from Tamil, Bengali, Marathi or any other language in the app. Duolingo now offers Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese from Hindi, and Mondly's app also works in Hindi.

Is Babbel better than Duolingo?

It depends on what you want. Babbel puts more weight on explaining grammar and writes its courses for your native language. Duolingo is free, more playful and has about three times as many languages. Babbel teaches no Indian languages; Duolingo teaches Hindi.

Our advice

Most of these apps have a free plan or a trial. Install two, use them for a week, and keep the one you actually open. If your goal is to speak, start with Indilingo. It's free to start, and you can be in your first conversation today.

The Best Duolingo Alternatives in 2026