Language learning apps in 2027: prices checked, what each one is for, and how to combine them with a course abroad

Updated 8 November 2026 · Prices read on 8 November 2026 on each app’s store page or official website (linked in the table)

You can start a language for free: all Duolingo courses are free, and Anki is free on a computer and on Android (€29.99 once on iPhone). A paid app such as Babbel costs €13.49 for a month or €83.99 for a year for one language in the Spanish App Store. Lessons with a real teacher start at about US$4 on italki, and live online classes on Lingoda cost €7.99–29.99 each. Apps are good for vocabulary, a daily habit and listening; speaking fluently needs people. Below: what each app is for, the prices we checked, and how to combine them with a language course abroad so your weeks at the school count for more.

Language learning apps: prices and plans compared

App prices change with the country, the store and the offers of the moment. The figures below are the ones shown on 8 November 2026 in the Spanish App Store (in euros) or on the official website; in your country, or in the Google Play store, they can be different. Where a store showed several offers at once, we say so instead of picking one.

Transparency: LanguageBookings.com has no agreement with any of these apps and earns nothing if you sign up to them. If that changes, we will say so on this page.

What each type of app is good for

• Self-study apps (Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu, Memrise): short daily lessons, basic grammar and vocabulary, pronunciation exercises. Good for starting from zero and for keeping a habit; they do not replace conversation.
• Flashcards (Anki): you review the words that you are about to forget. Most useful with your own cards: the vocabulary from your class, your textbook or your job.
• Audio courses (Pimsleur): listening and repeating, useful in the car or on public transport.
• Teachers online (italki, Preply): one-to-one conversation and corrections. This is where speaking improves; the price depends on the teacher you choose.
• Live online classes (Lingoda, or the online courses of a language school): a fixed timetable, a level and classmates, closer to a real course.
• Language exchange (Tandem, HelloTalk): practice with native speakers who learn your language. Free, but there is no teacher and no programme.

What an app cannot give you, and where a course abroad fits

The difference is mostly time and people. Ten minutes a day in an app is about 70 minutes a week. A standard course abroad of 20 lessons of 45 minutes is 15 hours of class in a single week, with a teacher who corrects you, classmates to talk to, and the language around you all day: at the supermarket, with your host family, on the street. Apps are a good way to prepare for that and to keep what you learnt afterwards. For real class hours and prices by city, see our guide to intensive English courses and the 2027 English course price index.

How to combine apps with a course abroad: before, during and after

Before you travel (the last 2–3 months)

• A self-study app every day, to get the basics and the habit. If you start from zero, this alone can move you out of the absolute beginner class.
• Anki with the words of everyday life: shopping, transport, the house, your free time.
• A few lessons with an online teacher or an online group course to get used to speaking. If your school abroad teaches online, start with it: same teachers and method (list below).
• Do the school’s placement test honestly: see how to prepare before a language course abroad.

During the course

• Put the new words from each class into Anki the same day; reviewing them for ten minutes a day costs little and keeps them.
• Leave the self-study app aside if you lack time: the class, the homework and the city already give you more than the app.
• Use a language exchange app to meet local people who want to practise your language.

After you come back

• Keep Anki going with your course vocabulary.
• One or two lessons a week with an online teacher, or an online group course with the same school, so the level you reached does not drop.
• If you plan to go back or to sit an exam, a few weeks abroad again work better after months of steady practice at home.

Online courses with our schools

Some schools on LanguageBookings.com also teach live online group classes. They are booked like any course on our site, and you pay the deposit only when the school confirms your place:

• Virtual Campus FLEX: live online English · Open Hearts Language Academy, Miami · 6 hours a week, up to 12 students
• Online General English (A1-B2) · Speak Up London · 6 hours a week, up to 8 students
• Online General English (B2-C1) · Speak Up London · 6 hours a week, up to 8 students
• Online English, 12 hours a week (live classes) · Global Village English Centres, Calgary · 12 hours a week
• German evening course online · F+U Academy of Languages, Heidelberg · 3 hours a week, Tuesday and Thursday 18:30–20:00 Heidelberg time

Prices in your currency and class times converted to your time zone are on each course page and on online language courses with real schools.

Frequently asked questions

Can I learn a language with an app alone?

You can learn a lot of vocabulary and basic grammar, and understand more. To speak and follow real conversations you need practice with people: a teacher, a class or native speakers.

Which language apps are free?

All Duolingo courses are free (Super Duolingo is optional). Anki is free on a computer and on Android. Tandem and HelloTalk have free versions with daily limits.

Does the language school take my app level into account?

No: the school places you with its own placement test. What you learnt in the app helps you do better in that test and start in a higher class.

Is an online tutor cheaper than a course abroad?

Per hour it can be, but you get a few hours a week instead of 15 to 30 hours of class plus the language all day. Many students do both: online before and after, abroad for a concentrated push.

Compare language schools abroad with 2027 prices and book with the LanguageBookings discount: with a card you are not charged until the school confirms, and if you find the same course cheaper we match the price.