Head to head
Busuu vs Duolingo: which fits you
Both apps run a free tier and a paid one. The difference is what the paid tier is for. Busuu sells a course per language with a published annual price, corrections from native speakers and offline mode. Duolingo sells the removal of ads and limits, at a price it publishes only inside the app.
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Side by side
| As published | Busuu | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels stated | not stated | A1 to B2 |
| What it is | Course app: Course app with corrections from native speakers and CEFR-labelled levels | Course app: Gamified free lessons; paid tiers remove ads and add practice features |
| Per month at annual billing | $6.08/mo ($72.99 a year) | not published |
| Monthly plan | not published | not published |
| Lifetime plan | none | none |
| Free tier | Free account with limited features; paid tiers remove ads and add review tools. | Full free tier with ads and limits; paid tiers remove ads and limits. |
| Languages offered | 14 | 40 |
| Speech recognition | Not stated | Not stated |
| Live tutoring | Not stated | No |
| Offline mode | Yes | Not stated |
| Placement test | Not stated | Not stated |
| Refund or trial | not stated | 1 week free trial on Super |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Busuu Limited, United Kingdom | Duolingo, Inc |
Which one, for whom
You want feedback from a person, not a score
Busuu
Busuu's community corrections are the feature Duolingo does not have: you write or record something and a native speaker marks it. Busuu Premium for 12 months was $72.99 on the read date, which is $6.08 a month for one language; Premium Plus, which adds AI conversations and pronunciation practice, was $87.90, or $7.33 a month. Both were shown as sale prices against a struck-through reference equal to twelve months at the monthly rate. The monthly plan's price is not present in the served page, so it is recorded as not published.
You want to learn two or more languages
Duolingo, or check Busuu's per-language terms
Busuu's published annual price covers one language. Duolingo's free tier covers every course it has. If you are splitting time between, say, Spanish and Italian, that changes the arithmetic: two Busuu Premium subscriptions is two prices, one Duolingo account is none.
You want a stated level to aim at
Busuu
Busuu labels its courses with CEFR levels; the range it states is on its page here and on its site. Duolingo does not state a CEFR range. If you are working toward a certificate, a course that names its levels is easier to plan around.
You want it free and you want it fun
Duolingo
Busuu's free account is limited in features; Duolingo's free tier is the whole course set with ads. For a learner who will not pay, Duolingo gives more, and its streak mechanics are the reason it is the biggest app in the category.
Every published plan
Busuu
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium, 12 monthsPremiumSale price. The struck-through $149.88 equals 12 months at Busuu's monthly rate; no separate regular annual price is shown. | Annual | $72.99 | $6.08/mo | one language |
| Premium Plus, 12 monthsPremium PlusSale price shown against a struck-through $178.80 reference; adds AI Conversations, pronunciation practice and exclusive content over Premium. | Annual | $87.90 | $7.33/mo | one language |
| 1 monthPremiumThe plans page has a '1 month' tab, but its prices are not present in the served page. For reference, Apple's US App Store listing for Busuu shows an in-app purchase named 'Monthly Premium Plan' at $23.49, which the listing does not tie to a named web tier. | Monthly | not published | not published | one languagethe 1-month tab on the pricing page loads its prices only after a click and the fetched page contains no monthly figure |
Duolingo
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreeThe comparison table lists the free tier alongside Super and Super Family; the row markers for which features each tier includes are images, not text. | Other | $0 | $0/mo | all languages |
| Super DuolingoSuperApple's US App Store listing shows Super Duolingo in-app purchases at $9.99, $12.99, $79.99, $83.99, $95.99 and $119.99, but does not say which figure is monthly, annual or Family, so no price is recorded here. | Other | not published | not published | all languagesDuolingo publishes no price on its website; the Super page shows only a 'Start my 1 week free' call to action and prices appear at checkout or in the app |
| Super FamilyTier and seat count are published; the price is not. | Family | not published | not published | family up to 6no price for the Family plan is shown anywhere on duolingo.com; the plan page shows only a free-trial call to action |
| Duolingo MaxMaxMax is sold only inside the iOS and Android apps, so no web price exists to read; Apple's US listing did not show a Max in-app purchase in the ten entries it displays. | Other | not published | not published | all languagesDuolingo Max is only purchasable in the mobile apps and no price is published on duolingo.com |
Questions people ask
Is Busuu better than Duolingo?
For a learner who wants corrections from native speakers, offline mode and a course with named CEFR levels, Busuu states more. For a learner who wants a free daily habit across several languages, Duolingo gives more for nothing. Neither is better overall.
How much is Busuu compared with Duolingo?
On the read date Busuu Premium was $72.99 for 12 months ($6.08 a month) and Premium Plus $87.90 ($7.33 a month), each for one language. Duolingo is free with ads; its paid tier prices are not published on the web.
Does Busuu have a free version?
Yes. Busuu describes a free account with limited features; paid tiers remove ads and add review tools.