Duolingo: The Free App That Makes Language Learning Fun

Duolingo Plus vs Free: Is the Upgrade Worth It?Duolingo is one of the most popular language-learning apps worldwide. It offers a generous free tier and a paid subscription called Duolingo Plus (now often called Duolingo Super in some regions), which promises an ad-free experience, offline access, progress features, and more. This article compares the two options across features, cost, learning effectiveness, and who benefits most from upgrading — so you can decide whether Duolingo Plus is worth it for your goals.

Quick verdict

If you want an ad-free experience, offline lessons, and a few convenience features, Duolingo Plus is worth it. If you’re on a budget and mainly use Duolingo for casual practice, the free version is usually sufficient.

What each plan includes

Free tier (core features)

• Full access to lessons for dozens of languages: reading, writing, listening, speaking practice.
• Gamified structure: streaks, XP, levels, crowns, and timed challenges.
• Leaderboards and limited social features.
• Ads between lessons (audio/video banners).
• Limited Hearts (or health) system: mistakes can force you to wait or practice to recover.
• No official offline mode (though lessons can sometimes cache).

Duolingo Plus (paid)

• Ad-free experience: no ads between lessons.
• Unlimited Hearts (or unlimited mistakes in some implementations), so you can make errors without being forced into remedial practice or waiting.
• Offline lessons: download lessons and practice without internet.
• Progress tracking and monthly streak repair (varies by release): additional features to protect or restore progress.
• Support features: faster customer support and sometimes early access to new features.
• Occasionally rebranded (e.g., Duolingo Super) and pricing/promotions vary by region.

Cost comparison

Pricing varies by country and promotions. Typical ranges (as of 2025 market norms):

• Free: $0
• Duolingo Plus / Super: approximately \(4–\)14/month (cheaper if billed annually).

Cost-effectiveness depends on how much you use the app. If you’d use the app daily and value ad-free and offline use, monthly cost per active day can be low.

Learning effectiveness: does Plus help you learn faster?

Core learning—exposure, repetition, and active recall—remains the same across both plans. The paid subscription does not unlock significantly different pedagogical content. However, several indirect benefits of Plus can improve study consistency and therefore outcomes:

• Ad-free flow reduces friction between lessons and can help maintain focus.
• Unlimited Hearts reduces interruptions, making it easier to practice uninterrupted, which supports momentum.
• Offline access enables more frequent practice (commutes, travel), increasing total time spent learning.
• Streak repair offers psychological protection for long-term habit formation.

So: Duolingo Plus can improve learning indirectly by removing small frictions that break study sessions or habits, but it doesn’t add new instructional pathways that teach substantially different material.

Who should upgrade?

Good candidates for Duolingo Plus:

• Frequent users who practice daily and want to remove ads.
• Travelers or commuters who want offline access.
• Learners who get discouraged by the Hearts/health system and want uninterrupted practice.
• People who prefer a cleaner interface and fewer interruptions.
• Users who value supporting Duolingo financially.

Probably stay with Free:

• Casual learners practicing occasionally.
• Budget-conscious users who don’t need offline lessons or ad removal.
• People who prefer alternatives (Anki, language exchanges, paid structured courses) for deeper learning.

Alternatives & complements

Consider combining Duolingo (free or Plus) with:

• Spaced-repetition flashcards (Anki, Memrise) for vocabulary retention.
• Conversation practice (italki, Tandem, HelloTalk) for speaking skills.
• Grammar-focused resources or textbooks for deeper explanations.
• Podcasts, films, and reading in the target language for comprehension and context.

Pros & cons comparison

Practical examples

• If you commute 1 hour daily and want to use that time for lessons, Plus’s offline mode makes using those commutes reliable even without signal.
• If you often lose streaks due to travel or missed days, the streak repair can keep motivation intact.
• If you don’t mind a few ads and occasional interruptions when you make mistakes, the free version gives essentially the same learning content.

Final recommendation

If you use Duolingo regularly (several times a week) and value fewer interruptions and offline access, Duolingo Plus is worth the upgrade. If your usage is occasional or budget is a priority, stick with Duolingo Free and invest time in complementary resources to deepen your learning.