# Duolingo vs Speak AI

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Speak AI at 99% against Duolingo's 65%. Speak AI also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Duolingo's advantage is ratings volume (5.5M vs 414) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Duolingo sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Speak AI sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Speak AI holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duolingo has 5.5M ratings behind it against 414, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Duolingo's written reviews are positive against 99% of Speak AI's.

Duolingo ships an update weekly, Speak AI every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Duolingo | Speak AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.5M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128/reviews) | **[4.9 (414 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speak-ai-language-learning/id6473027266/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.5M** | 414 |
| Positive reviews | 64.6% of reviews | **99.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 489 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duolingo, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/570060151) | [Meta Innovation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1698636975) |

## 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, #63 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 AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speak-ai-language-learning/id6473027266)

Practice English speaking anytime with an AI partner. Receive pronunciation feedback, engage in AI video calls, and choose from various topics and roles for an immersive and affordable learning experience. Accelerate your language acquisition with comprehensive tools.

**Highlights:** 24/7 AI speaking partner, Pronunciation scoring, AI video calls, Customizable topics and roles, Intelligent example responses, Progress tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SpeakAI Month | $9.99 | per month |
| SpeakAI Quarter | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| SpeakAI Year | $39.99 | per year |
| SpeakAI Lifetime | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Smooth and fast performance
- 🔒 Reliable and secure
- 💡 Unique and innovative features
- 🤩 Highly recommended by users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🕰️ Slow updates or content refreshes
- 💰 Concerns about pricing or affordability

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues or screen freezes
- Compatibility problems with certain devices

**Requested features**

- Expanded functionality and more customization options
- Improved content organization and search
- Better integration with other apps and services


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duolingo free?

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

### Is Speak AI free?

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

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

Speak AI is rated higher. Duolingo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5M ratings, while Speak AI averages 4.9 from 414 ratings.

### Do Duolingo or Speak AI have ads?

Both Duolingo and Speak AI show ads.

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

Duolingo ships an update weekly, and Speak AI every 3 weeks. Most recently, Duolingo was updated on September 25, 2026 and Speak AI on September 24, 2026.

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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.*