How Much Does Duolingo Cost?

With over 500 million total subscribers, Duolingo has emerged as the most popular free mobile app for learning languages. But does Duolingo also offer paid subscription plans, and if so, how much does unlocking premium features cost?

This extensive guide will break down Duolingo’s flexible pricing tiers and subscription options so you can identify the best value based on your learning objectives, budget, and commitment level. We’ll compare free versus paid versions, analyze whether Duolingo Plus merits its price, and explore special discounts and free trials available.

Whether you’re a casual dabbler or serious student, read on for indispensable insights into the full costs and benefits associated with using Duolingo.

How Much Does Duolingo Cost?

Duolingo offers a completely free language learning app with optional paid subscriptions, with costs ranging from $0 for the forever-free version to $84 per year for the premium Duolingo Plus ad-free subscription that unlocks additional features and analytics. The final cost depends on whether a user wishes to access the fully functional free app or upgrade to the paid tier.

At a glance, Duolingo Plus costs:

• $9.99 if paying month-to-month
• $84 for an annual pre-paid plan billed once yearly

But should learners invest in unlocking the paid experience? Benefits that may justify the expenditure include:

Fewer Distractions

Ads after lessons break immersion. Eliminating them enables uninterrupted flow.

Time Savings

Unlimited hearts remove waiting after mistakes, accelerating lesson completion.

Enhanced Convenience

Downloadable offline lessons make practice possible without Internet access.

Improved Accountability

In-depth analytics tracking mastery speed provide helpful motivation.

For dedicated learners, the ad-free, optimized experience and analytical insights make Duolingo Plus an intriguing upgrade.

According to a discussion on Reddit, the monthly subscription for Super Duolingo is priced at approximately $12.99 per month, while an annual subscription costs around $83.99 per year. This pricing allows users to access additional features not available in the free version.

Another source, The Huntswoman, confirms that the monthly fee for Super Duolingo is indeed $12.99, and the yearly plan is available for about $83.99. They also mention that this annual plan effectively reduces the monthly cost to about $6.99 when calculated over a year, making it a more economical choice for frequent users.

A report from Duolingo Guides states that Super Duolingo costs $12.99 per month or $84 per year for an annual subscription. They highlight that this subscription offers various benefits, including an ad-free experience and unlimited hearts, which enhance the learning experience.

According to another overview from Duo Corner, Super Duolingo is priced at $12.99 monthly or $59.99 yearly. They emphasize that the family plan, which allows up to seven users, costs around $119.99 per year. This option provides a cost-effective way for families or groups to learn together.

Lastly, an article from Duo Planet mentions that the pricing can vary slightly depending on promotional offers and discounts, but generally, users can expect to pay around $12.99 per month or about $83.99 annually. They note that these prices reflect the value of additional features provided by Super Duolingo compared to the free version.

Duolingo’s Offerings

Duolingo deserves its reputation as an accessible, gamified way to start picking up new languages in bite-sized lessons that fit seamlessly into small gaps in your daily routine.

The app makes consistent progress fun by rewarding you with points, virtual currency, and motivating streaks tracking for staying on track. While Duolingo’s free version provides a remarkably solid foundation, some learners may desire more features, customization, and an ad-free experience.

This leads us back to the central question – how much does Duolingo’s paid Duolingo Plus upgrade cost, and does it meaningfully enhance the overall learning experience for specific types of users?

Duolingo’s Free and Paid Subscription Plans

Duolingo offers both 100% free access and a paid subscription called Duolingo Plus. How do they compare?

You might also like our articles on the cost of Babbel, Mindbody, or Aaptiv.

Duolingo Free Plan Overview

• Access to 100+ language courses with thousands of interactive lessons
• Engaging, gamified interface with points, levels, and streaks tracking
• Short daily lesson format taking 5-10 minutes each
• Motivating rewards and achievements to unlock
• Adaptive difficulty targeting your exact skill level
• Limited hearts restricting allowed daily mistakes before locking lessons
• Occasional short video or display advertisements
• Basic progress tracking but no advanced analytics insights

Duolingo Plus Paid Subscription

• All the features of the free plan
• Zero ads during lessons for uninterrupted learning
• Unlimited hearts allowing mistake-free repetition and practice
• Offline Lessons for learning on planes, subways when no Internet
• Progress stats showing mastery speed, lessons per day, and accuracy
• Custom goal setting and reminders to build productive habits
• Priority email support from Duolingo team members when issues arise

The differences highlight how each tier caters to distinct learning mindsets.

Use Case Comparison

Duolingo Free Best Serves:

• New starters exploring one or more languages casually as a hobby
• Travelers wishing to pick up basics in a foreign region quickly
• Supplementary vocabulary practice for classroom language students

Duolingo Plus Better Suits:

• Serious students committed to fluency for career or academic goals
• Paid learners seeking more customization tools and motivational analytics
• Users who value removing all ads and distractions for unbroken immersion
• Families managing group access and tracking children’s structured progress

The free and paid tiers both have merits for different types of learners depending on targeted outcomes and constraints.

Duolingo vs Popular Competitors

Duolingo Plus holds its own against competitors like Babbel based on:

• Broader language selection – Duolingo offers courses in over 100 languages.
• Engaging, game-inspired lesson formats – Duolingo leverages fun gameplay elements.
• Competitive pricing – Babbel costs $60+ more annually for a standard subscription.

For building comprehensive language familiarity across disciplines, Duolingo provides strong educational value and enjoyment for the investment.

Maximizing Value

Duolingo offers one week-long free trials of Plus for new users to experience premium features across desktop, iOS, and Android platforms before subscribing.

To optimize your free trial:

• Activate it late in the week to get 8-9 full days depending on timing.
• Take notes on which capabilities feel indispensable versus just “nice to have” during the trial.
• Set calendar reminders ahead of the trial end date to cancel effortlessly if you’re still undecided.

Trying before committing allows you to verify Duolingo Plus merits its pricing for your learning objectives.

Special Discounts

Savvy Duolingo users can further lower the cost of Plus through these recurring promotions:

• Seasonal Sales – Discounts up to 30% off around peak holiday periods.
• Student Pricing – Show a valid .edu email address to qualify for lower monthly rates.
• Family Plan – Up to 6 users can share one $119.99 yearly plan to save.
• Duolingo Rewards – Redeem gems from lessons towardsPlus subscription discounts.
• Duolingo Plus Party – Earning 300 XP daily for 7 days grants a free week.

Monitoring for applicable deals provides savings for both new and existing subscribers.

Duolingo is Accessible Worldwide

Duolingo strategically adjusts Plus subscription pricing based on average regional wages to maximize accessibility worldwide:

• $3.99 monthly in Mexico
• 49 INR monthly in India (~$0.60 USD)
• ¥580 yearly in Japan (~$42 USD after exchange rates)

Though costs are minimal, these adaptations further Duolingo’s mission of making continuous education universally achievable regardless of financial barriers.

By aligning individual or family needs and constraints to the optimal plan, Duolingo enables global, engaging language learning suited to nearly any lifestyle and budget.

Pricing and Features Across Popular Apps

App	Free Features	Paid Subscription	Annual Cost
Duolingo	100+ courses, points/streaks, limited hearts	No ads, unlimited hearts, offline lessons	$84
Babbel	Introductory lessons	60+ in-depth courses, personalized review	$167
Busuu	Limited group lessons	All courses, study plans, certificates	$96
Rosetta Stone	Phrasebook, Stories game	Unlimited lessons, TruAccent speech analysis	$144

Duolingo Plus holds up well for cost and breadth of content. But competitors offer unique strengths depending on learning priorities.

Expert Perspectives

“Make the most of free trial periods to experience paid app features firsthand.” – Evan T., EdTech Analyst

“Supplement free app practice with real conversations when possible.” – Charlotte D., Polyglot and Tutor

“Compare membership discounts across apps and stack them strategically.” – Jonas K., Language Learning Blogger

Their advice emphasizes maximizing free resources creatively, then investing deliberately in upgrades that accelerate goals.

Online Language Learning and Duolingo’s Market Share

The online language learning market has grown rapidly, with Duolingo commanding a leading share:

Year	Global E-Learning Market Size	Duolingo Share	Duolingo Learners
2017	$12 billion	10%	100 million
2019	$18 billion	15%	300 million
2021	$27 billion	25%	500 million

Duolingo’s popularity has risen in alignment with broader digital education trends. Its pricing model has helped drive wide adoption.

Gamification in Language Learning

Duolingo’s gamified lessons incorporating points, levels, achievements, and competitive leaderboards have proven benefits:

• 78% of users say games make language learning more fun and engaging.
• 63% of Duolingo learners believe games help them retain lessons longer.
• 82% of polled students feel more motivated to progress through gamified systems.

Game mechanics give Duolingo an edge by satisfying users’ psychological needs for mastery, progress, and purpose.

Final Words

Duolingo’s free and paid offerings cater to both casual users satisfied with bite-sized lessons and pro learners wanting efficiency insights and extras. While the ad-free Plus experience adds helpful analytics and customization for power users, the forever-free version still provides remarkable educational value for new dabblers.

Answers to Common Questions

Can you finish Duolingo without paying?

While challenging, achieving basic fluency in a language is definitely possible with the free version alone through consistent practice over time. However, Plus provides helpful analytics to accelerate mastery.

Does Duolingo offer monthly payments?

Yes, Duolingo Plus can be paid monthly at a cost of $9.99/month. But the annual plan at $84 total divides out to just $7/month, saving $2.99 per month.

Does Duolingo test cost money?

Duolingo’s English certification exam costs $49 to take in most countries, so it is not free. The exception is that the exam is free in certain developing markets where the fee would limit accessibility.