Duolingo Software Reviews

“fun lessons for kids”

Pros

Its interface is very beginner friendly and the whole learning experience is set up in a way that keeps younger users engaged. It focuses on practical phrases and uses proven repetition techniques that really help with remembering what's being taught.

Cons

At times the repetition can feel a bit excessive and the quiz format may be confusing for younger learners especially those who get anxious around tests.

“Always keeps us engaged”

Pros

Weekly challenges and email reminders keep me engaged and encourage me to stay consistent with my progress. The exercises are well made and the page design along with the characters is appealing and enjoyable. The free version also offers good value for what it provides.

Cons

The activities can get repetitive and moving up to the next level takes a while. There is a level jump test which I end up using most of the time when I get tired of the current topic.

“frequent server overload issues”

Pros

None. I have nothing to good say!

Cons

I noticed that servers are overloaded far too often and when that happens I cannot finish the exercises I have already started which creates a lot of unnecessary stress.

“complex lessons”

Pros

It does help build vocabulary and teach basic everyday conversations. It's presented as free to use, although that has unfortunately become much harder with the introduction of the energy system.

Cons

The grammar explanations are very limited and sometimes there is barely any explanation at all. It also varies depending on the language. There are many mistakes in the courses and the app can be too strict as it only accepts its own phrasing even when other sentence structures are perfectly fine. The Dutch course for example is really poor. A lot of it seems AI-generated to me which puts the stress on completely wrong parts of words in the pronunciation. The Italian accent is also awful at times because of the AI voice.

“Best language lessons”

Pros

Learning a new language with this has been really enjoyable and it keeps the process simple without feeling boring. It also includes plenty of useful examples that actually come up in everyday life which makes the lessons feel practical.

Cons

If there's one downside, it's the price. It can feel a little expensive at times but overall I still think it's worth paying for.

“lessons that help”

Pros

Learning a new language is much less intimidating with this app because it makes the process fun and interactive. The owl's animations add a lot of personality and I enjoy how it cheers me on and gives me a little boost of confidence like I am actually capable of making real progress. It also helps the language stick in my memory much better than the usual cram-and-forget approach from classroom study.

Cons

Using it without the premium plan is not very convenient. A few of the locked features honestly feel like basic tools that should be available to everyone, not just subscribers. On top of that the app could be more understanding about people's schedules since not everyone has time to practice every day and the constant notifications and emails pushing you to come back can feel like too much.

“everything about it is enjoyable”

Pros

The characters, bite sized lessons, reminders and social features make the app enjoyable to use. Keeping a streak going is really motivating and it has definitely helped expand my vocabulary.

Cons

One thing it lacks is grammar explanation so a lot of it is like pure memorization. Because of that, it doesn't do much to truly teach a new language in depth.

“too many ads and reminders”

Pros

A friend had been using Duolingo so I was excited to give it a shot. After using it for about two months, it felt just okay and didn't really live up to what I expected.

Cons

Since I was on the free plan, the lessons felt extremely short. On top of that every few minutes I had to sit through an ad or got pushed to upgrade which was far too frequent for my taste. The app also placed me in a very basic level so I didn't end up learning much. Even though I was regularly scoring between 95% and 100%, it never moved me up to anything more challenging. Another thing that got on my nerves was the constant texts and emails reminding me to keep my daily streak going. Some of those messages even arrived before 7 AM which was really irritating.

“I always come back”

Pros

Learning a language with it is fun which keeps me coming back. I also really enjoy the social side of it especially adding friends and keeping up friend streaks because that extra motivation helps me stay consistent. It's been a very enjoyable way to pick up a language and keep progressing without it feeling boring.

Cons

One thing I am not a fan of is the shift toward becoming an AI-first company. I'd really prefer to see them lean back toward their human team again and I am hoping they move in that direction soon.

“User friendly language app”

Pros

The interface is friendly and practical at the same time. It also lets you study several languages at the same time including non-language subjects like Math and Music.

Cons

As many other users have already pointed out, the learning method starts to feel too simple, repetitive and a bit boring over time.

“friendly lessons and clean design”

Pros

Getting started with this app was not a problem at all and the interface made learning a new language feel approachable instead of intimidating.

Cons

One thing that bothered me during setup was not being able to choose my own starting level or skip ahead past sections I already knew well. Also some of the practice sentences do not feel very practical for everyday conversations. It would be much better if more of the examples were based on real daily-life situations instead of hypothetical ones.

“Has a language variety”

Pros

Having a free app like this is a huge advantage especially since a lot of people want to pick up a second language or even more. The range of languages offered is really impressive, even though I have personally only been using it for Spanish. The streak feature is also a smart touch because it pushes me to complete at least one lesson every day which helps me keep learning new vocabulary while also reinforcing what I have already covered.

Cons

It works well enough for me but I can see it being too limited for people who already speak the language at a more advanced level. Even as someone just starting out with Spanish, I have noticed that the explanations can be lacking and sometimes they don't really show me why my answer was wrong. Since making mistakes is part of learning, clearer feedback would probably help reduce repeat errors and make the learning process more effective overall.

“fun learning but limited freedom”

Pros

The playful, game-like approach and the learning support are really enjoyable. I have liked that part a lot. I'd just want to be able to move forward more freely in the app.

Cons

Even though I am subscribed and paying 15 CHF for it, it still keeps pushing me to buy gems. Since I don't want to, it ends up blocking my progress in the learning process.

“Keeps me motivated”

Pros

Duolingo really nails the gamified side of learning. It does an excellent job of keeping me motivated to stick with my goals and continue practicing languages without feeling cheesy or overly pushy. The humor sprinkled throughout also makes the experience more enjoyable.

Cons

A downside is that some, maybe even a lot, of the content and voices come across as AI-generated. Quite a few of the example phrases also don't feel like things people commonly say in the country so it would definitely be better with more of a human touch.

“always does a good job”

Pros

The interface is really engaging and enjoyable to use which makes it much easier to stay motivated and keep practicing a language regularly. It also does a very good job of reinforcing things I have already learned.

Cons

It seems to put more emphasis on vocabulary building especially in the earlier modules. Other language learning platforms tend to focus more on conversational practice from the beginning.

“AI features are amazing”

Pros

Using it keeps me really motivated and the new AI features make it feel even more capable than before. Being able to speak with it like you're having a real conversation adds a strong sense of authenticity and it makes language practice feel much more true to real life.

Cons

The AI version is fairly expensive when you compare it with other LLM tools. Since it's mainly centered on language learning, I think the pricing could have been lower.

“Good for learning anywhere”

Pros

Getting started with Duolingo takes almost no effort and the app is very user friendly. The rewards system keeps things engaging and being able to share progress and compare with others adds extra motivation. It's also perfect for learning on the go since lessons are quick and accessible right from the app.

Cons

One thing that bothers me about it is how heavily it leans into gamification. Streaks, hearts and leaderboards can definitely be motivating but at times they end up pulling attention away from actually learning the language in a deeper way.

“Decent software”

Pros

It is playful and entertaining at the beginning and I really enjoy being able to study several languages at once. In my case I use it for Italian, French and Spanish.

Cons

The frustrating part is that when I was in the Diamond league, I still got demoted because the selection criteria kept me from finishing properly. The French grammar content is also weak and the app pushes you to do repetitive exercises every single day. I had already completed the Italian and Spanish courses in the older version.

“Has a lot of good things”

Pros

There's almost too much to mention here. Duolingo offers a huge selection of languages, even though I'll realistically only stick with a couple of them.

Cons

Honestly there isn't much to complain about. The overall flow works well and if I had to point out anything, it might be that some parts feel a little too simple.

“fun challenges and fast progress”

Pros

Learning with Duolingo is more like playing a game than studying which keeps it really engaging. The mix of personal challenges, friendly competition, milestones and rewards makes it motivating to come back every day. I also appreciate that it uses several learning methods together, including reading, writing and speaking and it all works really well. In just four months with this tool, I picked up more of the language than I did after a full year with a private tutor.

Cons

Well the free version is a lot like other pay-to-play apps, where you can only get so far before you either need to buy something or wait for a timer to reset. I eventually paid for the yearly plan because I didn't want those interruptions breaking up my learning.