# Duolingo vs Memrise

The clearest difference is chart position: Duolingo at #1 against Memrise's #117. Duolingo also leads on ratings volume (5.5M vs 217K) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Memrise's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Memrise sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. 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 Memrise. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 217K, 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 68% of Memrise's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Memrise fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Memrise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | **[4.8 (217K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memrise-language-learning-app/id635966718/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 217K |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **68.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #117 |
| Size | 489 MB | 238 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Memrise Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/506043249) |

## 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, #25 Top Grossing, #73 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


### Memrise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memrise-language-learning-app/id635966718)

**Currently charting:** #117 Top Grossing · Education (US App Store)

Learn over 40 languages through immersive lessons that simulate real-life conversations and cultural experiences. Practice vocabulary, listening, and speaking with AI-powered bots and native speaker videos to build confidence and speak like a local.

**Highlights:** Real-life conversation simulation, Cultural insights, Vocabulary and listening practice, Speaking practice with AI, Native speaker videos, Learn over 40 languages

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Language Learning Plan | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Language Learning Plan | $24.99 | per month |
| 3-Month Language Learning Plan | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| 30% off Annual Memrise Pro | $42.99 | per year |
| Memrise Subscription Offer | $58.99 | per year |
| Memrise Subscription Offer | $59.99 | per month |
| Annual Language Learning Plan | $61.99 | per year |
| Memrise Annual Pro | $61.99 | per year |
| Memrise Subscription Offer | $61.99 | per year |
| Memrise Subscription Offer | $79.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Plan Offer | $98.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan Offer | $131.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan Offer | $164.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan | $329.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for learning basics
- 👍 Engaging and fun learning experience
- 👍 Effective memorization techniques
- 👍 Useful for supplementing language learning
- 👍 Variety of languages available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription is too expensive
- 🔒 Limited functionality without subscription
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches in the app
- 🤖 AI conversations are not very helpful
- 🤔 Transition from basics to more advanced content is too abrupt

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes during lessons
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Issues with syncing progress across devices
- Incorrect translations or pronunciations in some courses

**Requested features**

- Add more advanced content and courses
- Improve AI conversation feature
- Allow more control over review and repetition
- Provide offline access to courses
- Improve search and discovery of community courses


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Memrise free?

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

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

Memrise is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Memrise averages 4.8 from 217K ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Memrise have ads?

Both Duolingo and Memrise show ads.

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

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

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

Duolingo currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Memrise at #117. 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.*