Duolingo Verdict (2026)

Score sheet

Why C+: The free app is excellent value and the lessons are identical for payers, but opaque web pricing, a trial that rolls into an annual charge and near-zero refunds drag it down.

Overall is the weighted mean of the five rows, adjusted by a small slug-seeded offset so that brands never line up in a false staircase, and capped at 9.8. Full working on the Methodology page (v2.1).

Main findings

1. Duolingo’s help center states that all users get the same lesson content; paying removes ads and limits on mistakes, it does not unlock a better course.
2. None of the plan pages the desk read on duolingo.com shows a price. The figure appears only inside the in-app or web shop at checkout.
3. The Super trial is one week: the page shows a reminder on day 5 and the charge on day 7, and you must cancel at least 24 hours before.
4. Refunds are the weak point. The help center says in-app charges are generally nonrefundable, and iOS refunds go through Apple, not Duolingo.
5. Trustpilot shows 1.5 out of 5 on an unclaimed profile, against 4.7 from millions of App Store ratings; the gap is almost entirely about billing.

The product line

Duolingo is a listed US company based in Pittsburgh whose app teaches languages in short, gamified lessons, with math, music and chess courses added in recent years. Its own page claims more than 100 courses. The core app is free on iOS, Android and the web, paid for by ads and in-app currency (gems). Super Duolingo removes ads and the free tier’s mistake limits; a Family plan shares Super with up to five other people; Duolingo Max adds AI conversation practice on top. Separately, the Duolingo English Test is an online proficiency exam that universities accept for admissions, and a merchandise store sells plushies and apparel. The audience is anyone who wants a daily habit rather than a course with a teacher.

Item verdicts

5 items. Each chip is a per-product call and can differ from the brand verdict.

Duolingo (free app) BUY

The free tier is the product most people should use, and Duolingo says lesson content is the same for free and paying learners. What you give up is comfort: ads between lessons, and an Energy meter (the replacement for Hearts that has been rolling out since 2025) that drains as you work and recharges over roughly a day, or faster if you watch a rewarded ad or spend gems. It costs nothing. It suits beginners and anyone keeping a streak alive. It falls short on speaking and grammar explanation, and heavy users hit the Energy ceiling.

StrengthFull course content at no cost, on every platform

WeaknessEnergy limits and ads interrupt longer study sessions

Check at Duolingo

Super Duolingo CONSIDER

Super removes ads, gives unlimited mistakes, adds a personalised practice lesson after errors and unlimited attempts at Legendary challenges. Duolingo’s help page warns that unlimited Hearts may be part of a test you do not see. The desk could not find a price on any duolingo.com page; it is quoted only in the shop at checkout and varies by country and platform, so compare it there before committing. The one-week trial converts to a paid plan unless cancelled 24 hours ahead. Worth it for daily users who hate ads; pointless for anyone expecting better lessons.

StrengthNo ads and no mistake limits for heavy daily use

WeaknessPrice hidden until checkout; same lessons as the free app

Check at Duolingo

Family plan BUY

Shares every Super benefit with up to five other people, each on their own account, and the family page says there are no restrictions on who you invite. The owner manages billing and membership from one account. Duolingo’s page calls it a discount on the individual plan but shows no figure; check the checkout price in your region. If two or more people in a household already study daily, it is the sensible way to pay for Super. The weakness is concentration of risk: the owner carries all charges, and refunds follow the same restrictive rules as individual plans.

StrengthSix separate accounts on one subscription, invite anyone

WeaknessOwner carries the full charge; no published price on the page

Check at Duolingo

Duolingo Max SKIP

Max includes everything in Super plus Roleplay (scripted conversations with in-app characters) and Video Call with the character Lily. The help center limits Video Call to learners of English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese on iOS and Android, and states that Max cannot be bought on the web. No price is published on duolingo.com. Explain My Answer, once the headline Max feature, has since been made free for everyone, which removes much of the original case. Learners of a supported language who want low-stakes speaking practice may find it useful, but a human tutor does more.

StrengthOn-demand speaking practice in six major languages

WeaknessApp-only purchase, narrow language coverage, no published price

Check at Duolingo

Duolingo English Test CONSIDER

An online English proficiency exam taken at home: about five minutes of setup and ID checks, a 45-minute scored section and ten minutes of writing and speaking samples, with results in two days. The applicant page claims acceptance by more than 6,500 institutions and says it costs a fraction of rival tests, though it does not print the fee on that page. For students applying to universities that list it, the convenience is real. The catch is acceptance: check your target institution’s admissions page first, because not every university or visa authority takes it.

StrengthOne hour at home, results in two days

WeaknessNot accepted everywhere; fee not shown on the applicant page

Check at Duolingo

Terms, in one table

Values are short phrases taken from the brand's own pages at the time of the last update. "Not stated" means the desk could not find the policy in writing.

Watch-outs

• The most common Trustpilot complaint is a free trial that became an annual charge without the customer noticing; the trial page puts the charge on day 7 and requires cancelling 24 hours earlier.
• Refunds are discretionary at best. The help center calls in-app charges generally nonrefundable and sends iPhone users to Apple, so the route depends on where you clicked buy.
• Duolingo’s help pages say deleting your account does not cancel an app-store subscription, so leaving without cancelling first can keep the charges running.

The customer record

Two audiences, two verdicts. On the App Store Duolingo holds 4.7 from millions of ratings, and the reviews there praise the short lessons, the characters and the fact that so much is free. Several note that it only works if you also do work off the app.

Trustpilot is the opposite: a ‘Bad’ 1.5 on a profile Duolingo has not claimed and where it has not invited reviews, which skews it towards angry customers. The recent one-star reviews are dominated by billing, chiefly a trial that turned into a year’s charge and support that answers with automation. A second theme is lesson changes: some long-time users say recent course restructuring introduces too many new words at once, and others call the content childish for real conversation. App crashes that cost a streak bonus appear too. The praise that survives on Trustpilot is about habit: people who never stuck with anything else stuck with this.

Alternatives

Final call

Research notes

• Read duolingo.com Super, Family and Max help pages and the Super trial page in October 2026, partly via a text proxy because the site renders in JavaScript.
• Read the Duolingo help center refund article in October 2026 for platform-by-platform refund routes.
• Read the Trustpilot profile for duolingo.com, including recent one-star reviews, in October 2026.
• Read the US App Store listing and the Duolingo blog post introducing Energy, October 2026.
• Read the Duolingo English Test applicant page and the Duolingo store FAQ in October 2026.

Desk research only: the brand's own site and support pages plus published customer reviews. Nothing was purchased or tested by this site. Scored under Methodology v2.1.