Free alternatives to Duolingo for French, Spanish, German and Chinese
Duolingo is good at making a daily habit. If you want more grammar, more reading or a course that goes further without paying, here's what's free in the big apps, and the free alternatives for each language.
What's free in the big apps
| App | Free | Of these four languages |
|---|---|---|
| SparkAI Language Learning | Everything: lessons, flashcards, reading, audio, AI partner (fair-use limit) | All four, A0 to C2 |
| Duolingo | Free with ads and an energy limit | All four |
| Babbel | First lesson only; then a subscription | French, Spanish, German (no Mandarin) |
| Busuu | Limited lessons and flashcards; review tools need Premium | All four |
| Memrise | Core lessons and vocabulary review; speaking and offline need Pro | All four |
Free French alternatives to Duolingo
SparkAI's French course (free, A0 to C2): 159 grammar lessons, 2,593 practice questions, 5,474 flashcards, 38 graded stories and 21 classic books. See the course level by level or test your French level.
Free resources that pair well with any course:
- TV5MONDE Apprendre le français: free exercises built around news and video, A1 to C1.
- RFI Journal en français facile: a daily news bulletin in simpler French, with transcripts.
- Anki: free flashcard software (desktop, web and Android) for your own words.
Free alternatives to Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu and Memrise for French · SparkAI vs Duolingo for French, in detail
Free Spanish alternatives to Duolingo
SparkAI's Spanish course (free, A0 to C2): 158 grammar lessons, 3,766 practice questions, 6,769 flashcards, 42 graded stories and 21 classic books. See the course level by level or test your Spanish level.
Free resources that pair well with any course:
- Language Transfer, Complete Spanish: a free, donation-funded audio course that builds sentences by thinking them through.
- Anki: free flashcard software (desktop, web and Android) for your own words.
Free German alternatives to Duolingo
SparkAI's German course (free, A0 to C2): 140 grammar lessons, 3,294 practice questions, 5,616 flashcards, 39 graded stories and 16 classic books. See the course level by level or test your German level.
Free resources that pair well with any course:
- DW Learn German: Deutsche Welle's free courses, including the video course Nicos Weg (A1 to B1).
- Anki: free flashcard software (desktop, web and Android) for your own words.
Free Mandarin Chinese alternatives to Duolingo
SparkAI's Mandarin Chinese course (free, A0 to C2): 82 grammar lessons, 1,345 practice questions, 2,847 flashcards, 19 graded stories and 9 classic books. See the course level by level or test your Mandarin Chinese level.
Free resources that pair well with any course:
- Pleco: a free Chinese–English dictionary app (paid add-ons such as handwriting and flashcard extras).
- Anki: free flashcard software (desktop, web and Android) for your own words.
How to choose
- Stay with Duolingo if short, game-like sessions are what keep you going, you want a native mobile app, or you're learning a language SparkAI doesn't teach.
- Try SparkAI if you want grammar explained, a course that continues past B2, real reading, and every feature without paying.
- Add free specialist tools whatever you choose: no single app covers everything, and conversation with people is still worth seeking out.
SparkAI's limits: web only (installable on your home screen), taught from English only, no live human teachers, and a fair-use limit on AI features. The SparkAI fact sheet lists the details.
Questions
What is a good free alternative to Duolingo?
It depends on the language and what you want. For a complete, structured course with grammar explained, SparkAI Language Learning is free for French, Spanish, German and Mandarin Chinese, from A0 to C2, with no ads, no energy limit and no paid tier. Free specialist resources such as Anki (flashcards), Language Transfer (Spanish audio), DW Learn German and Pleco (Chinese dictionary) work well alongside any course.
Is Duolingo free?
Yes, Duolingo has a free version with ads and an energy limit on exercises. Its paid plans remove them and add features; prices vary by country and device.
How far does Duolingo go?
Duolingo says its French, Spanish, German and Chinese courses, among others, teach through B2 on the CEFR scale (announced April 2026). SparkAI's French, Spanish, German and Mandarin courses go from A0 to C2.
Is SparkAI better than Duolingo?
They suit different learners. Duolingo makes a daily habit easy, has native mobile apps and many more languages. SparkAI explains grammar in full, goes to C2, adds graded reading and classic books, and is free in full, but it's web only, newer, and teaches four languages from English.