Comparison

Busuu vs Tutor Lily

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Busuu

Learn new languages through bite-sized lessons and interactive exercises. Connect with native speakers for feedback and practice, and track your progress with personalized study plans and official certificates.

Highlights
  • Learn up to 14 languages
  • Connect with native speakers
  • Expert-designed courses
  • Personalized study plans
  • Smart review for vocabulary and grammar
  • Official language certificates
  • Specialized courses
Features
Read full description

Busuu helps you communicate with confidence from day one. Combine expertly designed language lessons with feedback and tips from our global community of native speakers and harness the power of learning together. Looking for the best way to learn a new language on your phone? You’ve just discovered it, with Busuu, a Chegg service – we’re the app that makes learning new languages easier, more fun and more effective for all. Whether you’re learning to get confident having new conversations, for a higher grade, a career boost, or for mind-blowing travel experiences, Busuu’s got your back. We’re already helping millions of people overcome their learning struggles, from lack of time and motivation to problems with grammar and vocab. We help our learners achieve their goals, one milestone at a time – and we want to do the same for you. DOWNLOAD THE APP NOW FOR FREE LANGUAGE LEARNING ================ How are we doing this? We’re glad you asked. Whether you’re learning on your iPad or iPhone, Busuu helps you… – Learn up to 14 languages That’s right, 14! We’ve got complete courses in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Polish, Russian, Arabic, Dutch or Turkish with Busuu. – Master languages with real people You want to learn the relevant language, right? You’re in luck: we’ll connect you with our community of native speakers so you can get localized language knowledge and support. Feel even better when you help other learners in return. – Learn from the experts Busuu’s online courses are created by our ingenious language experts. Learn step-by-step with bite-sized lessons, plenty of practice and lots of opportunities to test your progress. – Say hello to useful language skills Learn the language that will really take you places! With regularly updated content, video flashcards featuring real people and useful cultural tips, you’ll be fully immersed in no time. – Kiss goodbye to stressful timetabling We’re serious. We organize your learning time for you with a personalized Study Plan. Simply tell us when you want to study and for how long, and we’ll send you notifications to keep you on track. – Revise with ease There’ll be no forgetting on our watch. Smart Review cleverly saves all the grammar and vocab you learn in lessons and stores them in one handy place, so you can make those tricky words and rules stick. – Show off achievements with official certificates With our Busuu language certificates, you’ll have actual proof of your language capabilities. – Access specialized courses for language lovers You’ve learned the basics, and now you’re hungry for more. Learn about manga, advance your pronunciation or add travel-specific phrases to your skillset, plus much more. ================ DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. See what others have to say about Busuu: ● EDITOR RATING: EXCELLENT - PC MAG ● Named 'Best Buy' language learning app by the Independent in 2021 ● Language Learning App of the Year at the EdTech Breakthrough Awards 2020 ================ PLEASE NOTE A lot of the features are free, but you will need a subscription in order to get access to all features of this app. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current payment period. Your iTunes account will be automatically charged at the same price for renewal within the 24-hour period prior to the end of the current payment period unless you change your subscription preferences in your Account Settings. You can manage your subscriptions through your Account Settings after purchase. Privacy policy: https://www.busuu.com/en/privacy/ Terms of Service: https://www.busuu.com/en/terms/

About

Tutor Lily

Engage in natural conversations to build real language fluency. This AI tutor remembers your progress and interests, adapting sessions to your goals and mistakes. Practice real-world scenarios and receive gentle corrections for effective learning.

Highlights
  • Natural conversation practice
  • Personalized learning based on goals
  • Real-time, gentle corrections
  • Smart vocabulary building
  • Adaptive difficulty levels
  • Practice real-world scenarios
  • Pronunciation coaching
Features
Read full description

How long have you been telling yourself you'll learn English? Spanish? French? Let's make this the year it actually happens. Not from 400 owl reminders. Not from tapping pictures of fruits and animals. From real conversations — from your very first day. You'll be speaking with confidence in weeks, not years. Just 10 minutes a day with me. You speak or type. I match your level in real time. Use your target language, your native language, or a mix of both as you get more comfortable. MISTAKES ARE WELCOME It's actually how we learn. Make all your mistakes with me first. Then you won't have to make them with real people. When you slip up, I don't shame you. No red Xs. No buzzers. I give you real-time feedback on grammar, pronunciation, and word choice. I use a three-step method I call the Lily Method: I nudge, then I hint, and only then do I give you the answer. Learners fix their own mistakes 46% of the time with this method (Lyster & Ranta research). Other apps just feed you the correct answer — so you learn nothing. With me, you learn it because YOU found the answer. The biggest mistake you can make is being afraid to make one. Duolingo punishes you for mistakes — I reward you for making them. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE Whatever you want to talk about — I'm like a friend who happens to speak 50+ languages. The movie you watched last weekend. Your day at work. The trip you're planning. Your favorite K-drama. The book you can't put down. The song stuck in your head. Personal conversations stick. Generic lessons don't. Pack me for the trip. I'll be your travel buddy who already speaks the language. Want to practice a specific moment — ordering at a Parisian café, checking into a Tokyo hotel, meeting your partner's parents? Just ask me to roleplay it. I REMEMBER YOU Other apps forget you the moment you close them. I don't. I remember the word you stumbled on last Tuesday. I remember your sister's wedding next month. I remember you work in marketing and your dog's name is Bean. Session 100 with me is smarter than session 1 — because I've been paying attention. You told me in onboarding you have a trip to Italy? Today let's talk about what you're packing. You mentioned you're nervous about a presentation? Walk me through it — I'll help you fix the rough spots. EARN STREAKS FOR REAL PRACTICE Streaks earned by real messages, not by tapping a button to keep a number alive. All the motivation. None of the guilt trips. No hearts. No leaderboards. No "you broke your streak!" notifications. 50+ LANGUAGES, NATIVE ACCENTS English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Hindi, Turkish, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Greek — and 40+ more. Each with native accent variants (British or American English, Latin American or European Spanish, etc.) — so you sound like you actually live there, not like a textbook. STOP STUDYING. START SPEAKING. Babbel scripts you. ChatGPT forgets you. A human tutor costs $30-60 an hour and needs scheduling. I'm available 24/7. I'm 50× cheaper than a private tutor. I remember every word you've ever said to me. And I'll never make you feel stupid for not knowing something — that's the whole reason you're here. Five minutes on your coffee break. Thirty on the train home. I fit your day, not the other way around. Open the app. Say hi. I'll take it from there. — Lily Privacy Policy: https://tutorlily.com/privacy License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

Busuu4 screens
Tutor Lily4 screens

Verdict

The call

Busuu and Tutor Lily both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Busuu's written reviews are positive against 46% of Tutor Lily's. Busuu also leads on ratings volume (101K vs 242) and chart position (#83 vs unranked). Tutor Lily's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Busuu sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Tutor Lily sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Busuu against 4.7 for Tutor Lily. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Busuu has 101K ratings behind it against 242, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Busuu's written reviews are positive against 46% of Tutor Lily's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Busuu ships an update weekly, Tutor Lily fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Busuu versus Tutor Lily: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBusuuTutor Lily
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (101K ratings) — better4.7 (242 ratings)
Positive reviews85.6% of reviews — better45.9% of reviews
Number of ratings101K — better242
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#83 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size267 MB60 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBusuu LimitedTutor Lily Inc.

Customer experience

Busuu

All ratings101,346 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews5,582 reviews
Positive85.6%
Neutral5.7%
Negative8.7%

Tutor Lily

All ratings242 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral4.1%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive45.9%
Neutral13.5%
Negative40.5%

User reviews

Busuu

From 101K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💯 Best resource for learning
  • 🎓 Structured lessons and review
  • 👥 Helpful community feedback
  • 🎨 Engaging visuals and content
  • 🗣️ Realistic native speaker audio

Room to improve

  • 🤖 Inconsistent AI-generated corrections
  • 🔒 Limited access without premium
  • 🔀 Difficulty navigating between lessons
  • 📚 Lack of advanced content and review
  • 🔊 Issues with audio and pronunciation

Tutor Lily

From 242 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for language practice
  • 👍 AI is personable and engaging
  • 👍 Provides corrections and explanations
  • 👍 Wide range of language options
  • 👍 Natural sounding AI voice

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and glitches
  • 🐛 Freezes often
  • 🐛 Hands-free mode is glitchy
  • 🐛 Incorrect translations at times
  • 🐛 Robotic and artificial voices

Bugs and requests

Busuu

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect or missing translations
  • Inconsistent lesson progress tracking
  • Bugs with voice recognition and feedback

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to learn multiple languages simultaneously
  • More detailed grammar explanations and practice
  • Customizable review and flashcard features
  • Improved community features and messaging
  • Offline access to downloaded lessons

Tutor Lily

Reported bugs

27 issues
  • App settings change and can't contact support
  • Recent update removed roleplay/topics
  • App is buggy
  • Makes users answer same questions each time
  • App locked behind paywall without notice
Show 22 more
  • Had to give payment info for free trial
  • Stopped working after paying for pro
  • No way to restore purchases
  • Automatic recording function is very poor
  • Correct statements understood and written incorrectly
  • App has loading dots without allowing use
  • Hands-free mode isn't useful
  • Translations are incorrect at times
  • Speak option only works best with built-in phone voice to text
  • Cancelled subscription but still got charged
  • No customer support reply
  • Voices are very robotic
  • Questions asked are very artificial
  • Hands-free mode is glitchy and poor
  • Message disappears/gets deleted when clicking to see mistakes
  • Freezes on 'evaluating sentence…'
  • Loading dots forever
  • Resetting conversation is only fix
  • Doesn't change input language to German for voice
  • Fails to record first response or delay in submitting
  • Doesn't know how to use formal 'You'
  • No sound on iPhone 13

Requested features

18 requests
  • Option to watch ads for more messages
  • Ability to see pre-corrected version of messages
  • Add Icelandic language
  • Improve hands-free mode
  • More natural sounding voices
Show 13 more
  • Fix slow audio for German and French
  • Provide more phrases for repetition
  • Better support for absolute beginners
  • Allow users to restore purchases
  • Improve automatic recording function
  • Fix formal 'You' usage
  • Fix delay in recording submissions
  • Allow viewing of original message before correction
  • Offer a cheaper alternative
  • Fix sound issues on iPhone 13
  • Improve input language switching
  • Make it easier to use while driving
  • Increase chat limit or offer unlimited option

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Busuu

Subscriptions9
  • Monthly Subscription$6.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Premium Plan$23.491 Month
Show 6 more
  • 12 Months Premium$70.001 Year
  • Annual Subscription7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • 14 Day Trial - Premium Plus14 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • 12 Months' Premium7 Days trial$138.991 Year
  • 12 Months Premium7 Days trial2 variants$138.991 Year
  • 12 Months Premium Plus7 Days trial2 variants$139.991 Year
15 purchases

Tutor Lily

Subscriptions15
  • Weekly PRO $1$0.997 Days
  • Weekly PRO Membership$4.997 Days
  • Monthly PRO Membership$9.991 Month
Show 12 more
  • Monthly PRO Membership$11.991 Month
  • Monthly PRO Membership$19.991 Month
  • Monthly PRO Membership$29.991 Month
  • Annual PRO Discount3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Annual PRO Discount3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • 6-Month PRO Membership$56.996 Months
  • Annual PRO Membership3 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Annual PRO Discount3 Days trial$71.991 Year
  • Annual PRO Membership$83.991 Year
  • Annual PRO Membership3 Days trial$83.991 Year
  • Annual PRO Membership3 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Annual PRO Membership7 Days trial$169.991 Year

Questions

Is Busuu free?
Busuu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tutor Lily free?
Tutor Lily is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Busuu or Tutor Lily?
Busuu is rated higher. Busuu averages 4.7 out of 5 from 101K ratings, while Tutor Lily averages 4.7 from 242 ratings.
Do Busuu or Tutor Lily have ads?
Busuu shows ads; Tutor Lily does not.
Which is updated more often, Busuu or Tutor Lily?
Busuu ships an update weekly, and Tutor Lily fortnightly. Most recently, Busuu was updated on October 29, 2026 and Tutor Lily on October 25, 2026.

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