Duolingo Review: Is It Worth It? (Honest Experience After 2+ years) — Sep 2025

Is Duolingo still the best app for learning languages? (Spoiler: there are better options)

Honest Duolingo Review

I like Duolingo, and would love to see the company succeed. I wish that a Duolingo product manager would read this blog.

Duolingo Review in 60 seconds

What I like about Duolingo

• It’s free (though sometimes is annoying when you make mistakes and have to wait for the next day to try again)
• Gamified experience — they leverage the same psychological strategies social media companies use to manipulate behavior — but for learning languages
• Hardly a mistake in the suggestions/corrections — the content is trustworthy
• It helped a lot in the beginning to get into the habit of learning a new language

What I don’t like about Duolingo

• Free version limits you significantly if you are a beginner — mistakes cost you time, and might eventually cause you to lose interest. I became a paying subscriber precisely to get over this limitation (or may be the trick works).
• Too much structure, and too little fun — While they have tried to gamify — you have to unlock the next levels — it isn’t evolved enough for my personal style
• Icons and UI look fun — the experience of learning isn’t as much fun. While learning Danish, I must have read about “Tortoise” a million times
• The app evolution is slow — It still feels like the same app I was using in 2020 during Covid. They have missed the boat on being Agile as a company
• The paid Duolingo Max (AI tutor) isn’t available in all countries, and the AI features aren’t better than ChatGPT which is free.

If you are serious about language learning, I highly recommend Talkpal. In my first Talkpal session, I had a three-minute mock café conversation in Danish. The app not only corrected my sentence structure but explained the grammar rule I’d missed. That was the moment I realised this was something Duolingo simply doesn’t offer.

It is way more fun to learn via Talkpal — but take the free trial to assess if your target language is well covered.

Try Talkpal for FREE!

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My Duolingo Experience

I’ve done most of what there is to be on the Duolingo honors board. I was a paying member for over 2 years and got 300+ days streak — twice! I’ve probably used every feature on Duolingo multiple times.

My Language Learning Journey

I tried three languages on Duolingo: Hindi, German, and Danish. Hindi and German were okay starting points but I didn’t go too far with them. Danish was a big time investment and I reached the highest level on the platform — I learned a lot about the app’s limitations.

The Error Correction Problem

Here’s my biggest frustration: Duolingo tells me what’s wrong but doesn’t tell me why it’s wrong.

When I make a mistake I get a red “fail” button on screen with the correct answer. But that doesn’t teach me anything. I know I made a mistake but what do I learn from that? I don’t understand what grammar rule I broke or why the correct answer is structured that way.

This creates robotic learners who can repeat patterns but don’t understand the language mechanics. I became great at typing “Tortoise” in Danish because the app made me repeat it multiple times but I wasn’t learning new vocabulary at the rate I needed to, nor was I grasping the essential grammar.

I’ve shown another version when I tried Talkpal — and you can see the feedback I receive is detailed — both on grammar and pronunciation

No Real-World Context

The exercises felt disconnected from actual conversations I would have. The contexts were artificial and repetitive, I couldn’t see how these lessons would apply to real life. After reaching the highest level I realized I was a dedicated user who followed the instructions well but not someone who could navigate Danish in real life.

I found Talkpal offered a lot more here. It offers conversation mode covering many real-life scenarios.

Personalized lessons based on mistakes

Duolingo offers personalized training — or is the claim! What I found annoying was that it kept repeating the same questions / exercises until I get the same question right. I still pulled through for the incentive of XPs — but I cannot say I learnt much.

Over the 2 years of using Duolingo, I really became good at gaining XPs targeting the mistakes. But my fluency in Danish had no improvement.

Why I Chose Duolingo initially

I chose Duolingo because it was the most popular option. Sometimes popularity doesn’t equal quality and this was a lesson I learned the hard way after investing over 2 years in the platform.

Duolingo Max (vs chatGPT)

Duolingo has launched a AI powered version called Duolingo Max. Let’s cut through the buzz about and see if it is better than chatGPT.

The character (from the demo videos) was Lily who seems not so pleased to be there. You can have a conversation with her, and through her slow motion responses, she reacted to your statements & questions.

Two years ago, this would have been an impressive feature. Not so much now (in Sep 2025).

I had to watch the videos on Youtube from Duolingo to get a sense of it — Duolingo max is not available in all countries yet.

I wanted to check how chatGPT compares — it can do the same thing as well for free while Duolingo Max needs a super premium subscription. The only thing you miss on chatGPT is the talking face of Lily.

Here’s a snippet of my conversation with chatGPT in Danish, and the feedback from the AI voice (I don’t know if the dude has a name). The feedback on grammar and pronunciation was spot-on.

So is Duolingo Max for which you pay around $30/month (subject to how you pay, discounts etc.,) better than chatGPT which is free? NO — emphatic NO. You might miss the face of Lily, but besides that chatGPT is way better.

What’s even better than chatGPT? Talkpal. Read more about Talkpal here & try Talkpal for FREE!.

Here’s a sample of me trying to order coffee in Danish (on Talkpal)

What is Duolingo?

Duolingo is the most popular way to learn a language. It’s 100% free, fun and science-based. Launched in 2012, this mobile learning platform is the most downloaded education app in the world, offering over 100 courses in 40+ languages, math and music — all for free.

In 2025, Duolingo made headlines by launching 148 new language courses, more than doubling its current offering and the largest content expansion in the company’s history. This expansion was powered by generative AI, making language learning more accessible and faster than ever.

Key Features of Duolingo

Gamification Elements:

• Streaks: Track consecutive days of learning — streaks increase commitment by 60%
• XP (Experience Points): Earn points for completing lessons — XP leaderboards drive 40% more engagement
• Leagues: Weekly competitions with other learners, progressing from Bronze to Diamond League, the highest in the Duolingo leaderboard
• Badges and Achievements: Badges boost completion rates by 30%
• Hearts System: Limited attempts in the free version that regenerate over time

Learning Features:

• Bite-sized lessons: Short, 5–10 minute sessions designed for daily practice
• Multiple exercise types: Translation, multiple choice, speaking, listening, and writing
• Stories: Interactive narratives to practice reading and listening comprehension
• Audio lessons: Podcast-style content for learning on the go
• Conversation practice: Basic chatbot interactions for speaking practice
• Duolingo Score: Added in 2025, it gives a detailed look at your language skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking

Duolingo pricing & plans

• Free version: Full access to courses with ads, limited hearts and slower progression
• Duolingo Plus: Ad-free experience, unlimited hearts, offline access and progress tracking. Priced at Monthly: $12.99, Annual: $59.99 (equivalent to approximately $5 per month), Family Plan: $119.88 per year for up to six users
• Duolingo Max: Premium tier with AI-powered conversation practice and personalized lessons (not available in all countries). Priced at Individual (Monthly): Around $29.99/month, Individual (Annually): Approximately $168/year, Family (Annually): Roughly $200 to $240/year for up to six users

Available Languages

Duolingo now has 40 courses for English speakers as of January 2025. You can learn many languages, like Spanish, French and German. They also offer rare languages like Esperanto and Klingon . They cover everything from popular European and Asian languages to constructed languages and indigenous tongues.

Duolingo Review — Frequently Asked Questions

Is Duolingo good for language learners?

Duolingo is good for casual learners and beginners who want to start learning a new language. But as this Duolingo review shows, Duolingo’s methods have limits. The app is best as a supplementary tool not your main tool for fluency. Language learners need extra resources beyond what Duolingo provides to develop language skills.

Can you become fluent using only Duolingo?

No — Becoming fluent using only Duolingo is unlikely. While the app helps with basic vocabulary and phrases, it lacks the depth for fluency. Language learners need real world practice, conversation with native speakers and comprehensive grammar instruction that goes beyond Duolingo’s approach.

How does Duolingo work for different languages?

Does Duolingo work varies by language. Popular courses like learn Spanish are well developed, while others like learn Korean or learning Japanese may have fewer resources. The language learning process depends on the maturity of each language course and available additional features. Try the free version first and check how mature your target language is on Duolingo before paying for subscriptions.

What’s the difference between free and paid?

The free version has ads, limited hearts and slower progression, while the paid version (Super Duolingo) has unlimited hearts, ad-free experience and offline access. The premium subscription is better experience but doesn’t change the language learning process.

Are Duolingo lessons good for speaking skills?

Duolingo lessons focus on reading and writing but have limited speaking skills development. The practice speaking features are basic compared to dedicated conversation apps. Language learners looking for strong speaking skills should supplement with conversation practice and interaction with native speakers + try new age apps like Talkpal.

How long should I spend on Duolingo daily?

Duolingo lessons are designed as bite sized lessons for daily practice. Most language learners spend 10–20 minutes daily, but learning time varies based on goals. Consistency matters more than duration for progress in your target language.

Can Duolingo help with listening comprehension?

Duolingo has some listening comprehension practice through audio exercises but it’s limited compared to immersion in real life content. Language learners should supplement with podcasts, videos and conversation with native speakers for better results.

Is Duolingo better than a language teacher?

No — A dedicated language teacher provides personalized feedback, explanation of grammar rules and tailored instruction that Duolingo can’t match. While Duolingo is a great tool for self-study it can’t replace the personalized guidance of a qualified instructor.

What writing skills does Duolingo develop?

Duolingo helps with basic writing skills through translation exercises and sentence construction. But the app focuses more on correct answers and pattern recognition than developing comprehensive writing abilities for real world practice.

How does Duolingo compare to other language learning apps?

This language learning app popularized gamification in language education but newer apps like Talkpal often provide better conversation features and AI-powered instruction.

Can beginners learn with Duolingo?

Beginners find Duolingo accessible because of its gamified experience and structured progression. The app helps establish learning habits and introduces basic vocabulary and phrases. But beginners should view it as a starting point not a complete solution.

What’s the most important thing to know about Duolingo?

The most important thing is to know Duolingo’s limitations. While it’s a fun way to start learning and can help stay motivated, language learners need extra resources for comprehensive language skills development. Use a more advanced app like Talkpal in addition to going to a language school if you want real fluency.

Does Duolingo use rote memorization?

Yes, Duolingo uses rote memorization and pattern repetition. While this helps with basic vocabulary retention it doesn’t develop deep understanding of grammar rules or context. Language learners need more comprehensive approaches beyond memorization for true proficiency.

Can you communicate fluently after Duolingo?

Duolingo courses give you basic words and phrases but most language learners can’t communicate in real life fluently without extra practice. The app doesn’t provide enough context or conversational practice for actual communication.