# Duolingo vs Speak

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Duolingo at 5.5M against Speak's 62K. Duolingo also leads on chart position (#1 vs #17). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Speak sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Duolingo against 4.8 for Speak. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 62K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 66% of Speak's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Speak |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | **[4.8 (62K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speak-language-learning/id1286609883/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 62K |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **65.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #17 |
| Size | 489 MB | 246 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Speakeasy Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1181737551) |

## What reviewers say

### Duolingo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Education, #1 Top Grossing · Education, #27 Top Grossing, #62 Top Free (US App Store)

Learn languages, math, music, and chess through fun, bite-sized lessons. Build vocabulary, grammar, and real-world skills with a science-based methodology. Track progress and stay motivated with a global community.

**Highlights:** Bite-sized language lessons, Speaking, reading, listening, writing practice, Math skills development, Music reading and playing, Chess strategy and gameplay, Progress tracking and rewards

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Super Duolingo | $9.99 | per month |
| Super Duolingo | $12.99 | per month |
| Super Duolingo | $12.99 | per month |
| Super Duolingo | $59.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $79.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $83.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $83.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $95.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $119.99 | per year |
| Super Duolingo | $119.99 | per year |
| Chest of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems (1200) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Gems (1200) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Cart of Gems (3000) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems (3000) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cart of Gems (6500) | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and entertaining learning experience
- 🎉 Motivating streak and league features
- 🎨 Cute and engaging animations
- 📚 Effective for learning vocabulary and basics
- 🤖 Useful AI-powered features like voice lessons

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Issues with voice recognition and pronunciation feedback
- 🤑 Aggressive monetization tactics and paywall for key features
- 🤯 Frustrating heart/health system that penalizes mistakes
- 🤔 Lack of grammar explanations and focus on just memorizing phrases
- 🤷‍♀️ Inconsistent app experience across platforms

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing or crashing during lessons
- Incorrect translations or answers marked wrong
- Inconsistent behavior of certain features like leagues

**Requested features**

- Add more languages, especially less common ones
- Improve grammar lessons and explanations
- Allow more flexibility in navigating the course content
- Provide better feedback and corrections for mistakes
- Sync progress and features consistently across app and web


### Speak

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speak-language-learning/id1286609883)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Grossing · Education, #24 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app uses AI to help you improve your speaking fluency in various languages. Engage in simulated conversations, receive instant feedback on pronunciation and intonation, and track your progress to become a confident speaker.

**Highlights:** AI-powered speaking practice, Real-life conversation simulation, Instant pronunciation feedback, Personalized progress tracking, Learn Spanish, French, English, and more, Immersive lessons

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $17.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium | $17.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Plus | $39.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $83.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium | $83.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium Plus | $164.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for practicing speaking
- 👍 Customizable and practical content
- 🤖 Helpful AI tutor with good feedback
- 📚 Covers a variety of useful expressions
- 🕰️ Bite-sized lessons for busy schedules

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription cost
- 🤖 Voice recognition can be inaccurate
- 🕰️ Timed lessons feel rushed
- 🔍 Limited language options
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to record during lessons
- Lesson progress not saving properly
- Subscription issues and billing problems

**Requested features**

- Add more advanced and specialized lessons
- Improve organization of saved content
- Provide offline mode for lessons
- Allow more customization of AI tutor's tone
- Integrate text-to-speech feature


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

Duolingo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Speak free?

Speak is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Duolingo or Speak?

Speak is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Speak averages 4.8 from 62K ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Speak have ads?

Both Duolingo and Speak show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Duolingo or Speak?

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Speak weekly. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Speak on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Duolingo or Speak?

Duolingo currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Speak at #17. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*