Duolingo vs Memrise
Both start free and both put their paid features behind an upgrade, and neither price could be read on the pages we fetched. Duolingo is built around game-like daily sessions and sells Super and Max. Memrise is built around vocabulary review and native-speaker video clips, with a paid Pro plan. The practical difference is the study method and how many languages each one actually covers for free.
Sebastiaan SmitsFounderVendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
Choose Duolingo ifyou want a game-like daily streak, can live with ads, and may later want AI roleplay in the Max tier.
Choose Memrise ifyou want vocabulary drills with spaced review and short clips of native speakers, and your language is among the 23 with official free courses.
Duolingo and Memrise side by side
| Duolingo | Memrise | |
|---|---|---|
| Our language learning apps rank | #12 of 12 | #5 of 12 |
| Established in | United States | United Kingdom |
| List price, 2 November 2026 | Free, supported by ads; Super and Max subscriptions with unreadable amounts on the pages we fetched | Free plan; paid Pro plan (no price on the pages we read) |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Self-hostable | — | — |
| Built for | Casual beginners who want a free daily habit across many subjects | Vocabulary learners who value short native-speaker clips and spaced review |
| Not for | Learners who need speaking practice with people | Anyone needing a published price or an accredited certificate |
Both are reviewed in full in our language learning apps ranking: Duolingo and Memrise.
Where they differ
Duolingo 2 · Memrise 1 · open 2- 01
Starting for free
Duolingo says all its courses are free, supported by ads. Memrise's free plan has official courses for 23 languages, review plans and sync. Duolingo's no-pay promise is broader in wording.
Edge: Duolingo
- 02
What the paid tier removes
Duolingo's Super removes ads. Memrise's Pro adds all learning features and removes adverts. Both pages describe the same basic trade, ads out and more features in.
Depends on the buyer
- 03
Language list
Memrise's about page counts 149 languages, but the free plan lists official courses for only 23. Duolingo's pages we read gave no language count. Memrise is more specific about breadth, with that caveat.
Edge: Memrise
- 04
AI practice
Duolingo's Max tier features: Roleplay and Video Call, announced in 2023. Memrise's homepage mentions private AI practice without saying which plan holds it. Duolingo is clearer about where its AI sits.
Edge: Duolingo
- 05
Price clarity
We read no amounts for Super, Max or Pro, so neither wins on published pricing. Check the checkout page for the real figure before relying on either.
Depends on the buyer
When neither fits
If you want a stated price or a structured paid course, Babbel is the one to look at, and Busuu adds corrections from native speakers.
Duolingo or Memrise: questions
3 answersIs Memrise free?
It has a free plan with official courses for 23 languages, review plans and device sync. A paid Pro plan adds all learning features and removes adverts.
Does Duolingo have ads?
Its blog says ads and the Super and Max subscriptions fund the free courses, and Super gives an ad-free experience.
What does either cost?
We could not confirm a price for Super, Max or Pro, because the pages we read showed none.
Sources
Checked 2 November 2026- Duolingo blog: is Duolingo free: ad-funded free courses; Super is the ad-free paid tier.
- Duolingo blog: Duolingo Max: Max tier features: Roleplay and Video Call.
- Duolingo Super page: no price visible (client-rendered).
- Memrise Spanish course page: free plan with official courses for 23 languages, video clips, review plans, sync; Pro adds all learning features and removes adverts; no prices shown.
- Memrise homepage: free start, paid plan, private AI practice, no prices listed.
- Memrise terms of use: Memrise Limited, London.
- Memrise about page: 149 languages, over 80 million learners.