Best English Learning Apps in 2026: 9 Apps Compared

Duolingo is our pick for most people who are just starting, mainly because the barrier to entry is so low. Lessons are short, the app nudges you to return each day, and the free version covers a large amount of vocabulary and basic grammar. That makes it a good first step if you have struggled to stick with English study in the past.

The honest catch is depth. Duolingo builds a foundation, but it does not by itself teach you to hold a natural conversation at normal speed. Use it for daily practice, then add reading, listening or a conversation partner once the basics feel comfortable. The paid Super plan removes ads and adds extra features, with pricing shown on the vendor site and in app stores.

Babbel suits learners who found free apps too scattered and want a course that moves in a clear order. Lessons focus on phrases you might actually use at work, while travelling or in everyday conversation, and grammar is explained inside those examples rather than as a separate drill. That structure helps if you like to know why a sentence works, not just repeat it.

The trade-off is cost and scope. Babbel is a paid product after the first free lesson and trial content, and its catalogue is smaller than Duolingo. If you need a less common language, check the course list first. For English learners who want steady, classroom-style progress on a phone, it remains one of the strongest paid options.

Rosetta Stone takes a different route from most rivals: it teaches through pictures, audio and context, with very little translation into your first language. That can feel strange at first, but it forces you to connect English words directly to meanings, which some learners find sticks better. Its speech recognition tool, TruAccent, gives feedback on pronunciation as you speak.

The downside is that the same method can feel slow and repetitive, especially if you prefer clear grammar rules. It also costs more than a free app, so it makes most sense for learners who like immersion and plan to study for months. A lifetime option is also listed on the vendor site for long-term learners.

Busuu combines short lessons with a community feature that sets it apart. You can submit writing and speaking exercises and receive corrections from native English speakers, and in return you can help others learning your language. That human feedback catches mistakes that an automated checker often misses, such as unnatural phrasing.

The free tier covers only part of the course, so serious learners will likely move to Premium or Premium Plus. Paid plans add a study plan, grammar review and offline mode, with prices shown on the vendor site. If feedback matters more to you than games or streaks, Busuu deserves a place near the top of your list.

Memrise is built around a simple idea: you remember words better when you hear them from real people in real clips, then review them at spaced intervals. Its Learn with Locals style videos show how English sounds in everyday speech, including contractions and natural rhythm that textbook audio can miss. That makes it a good companion to a grammar course.

On its own, Memrise is less complete than Babbel or Rosetta Stone for grammar and writing. Treat it as your vocabulary engine, not your whole curriculum, and check current pricing on the vendor site, since monthly and annual rates differ. Learners who already know basic grammar often get the most from it.

Pimsleur is the pick for learners who spend time driving, walking or doing chores and want that time to count. Each lesson is built around listening and responding out loud, with new words introduced gradually and repeated until you can recall them. That focus on speaking from memory helps learners who can understand English but freeze when they need to reply.

It is not a cheap option, and it is not the best choice if your main goal is reading or writing. There is little on-screen text work compared with app-based courses. If speaking confidence is your weak point, though, the audio method is unusually effective, and a free trial lets you test whether the pace suits you.

Mondly covers a broad set of everyday topics, from travel and shopping to business small talk, and it adds a chatbot that lets you practise short conversations without the pressure of a live partner. Speech recognition gives quick feedback on pronunciation, which helps beginners build confidence before speaking to a real person.

At higher levels the lessons can feel less deep than a structured course, and the most useful content sits behind a subscription. Still, for beginners and lower-intermediate learners who want variety and a low-pressure way to speak, Mondly is a solid choice. Check the annual plan on the vendor site, since it is usually much cheaper per month than monthly billing.

HelloTalk turns language learning into an exchange: you help native English speakers learn your language, and they help you with English. You can chat by text or voice, correct each other inside the app, and join group discussions on shared interests. For learners who already know basic English, this is often the fastest way to move from textbook sentences to real conversation.

The catch is consistency. Partners vary in reliability and teaching skill, and the app does not provide a curriculum, so you need to set your own goals. It works best alongside a course app that supplies grammar and vocabulary. The core exchange features are free, with a paid VIP tier for extra tools.

Cambly is for learners who want real conversation with a tutor rather than an app alone. You can book short video lessons with native English speaking tutors at many times of day, talk about topics you choose, and get corrections in the moment. That live feedback is hard to match with automated practice, especially for pronunciation and fluency.

The price reflects that human teaching, and it rises as you add more minutes per week, so check current plans on the vendor site before committing. Cambly suits learners who already have basic English and want to practise speaking regularly. Beginners may prefer to build a base with Duolingo or Babbel first, then use Cambly to turn that knowledge into fluent speech.