Learning

Lingo

Lingo by OpenApps is a free Duolingo alternative. Free. No hearts, no energy, no ads.

Learn a language free. No hearts, no ads, no subscription. Bite-size lessons in Spanish, French, German, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese: tap the right words, build sentences, listen, type and speak. Keep a streak, earn XP, climb a weekly league and review the words you miss. Make all the mistakes you want; nothing locks you out.

Open Lingo Free. No hearts, no energy, no ads.

Instead of Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu, Rosetta Stone, Memrise

What you get, free

Full beginner courses in Spanish and French (8 units, 40 lessons each), with German, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese started (3 units each)
Lessons with word tiles, listening, typing, matching and speaking
Unlimited mistakes: no hearts, no energy, no waiting
Jump ahead to your level with a short test
Streaks with free streak freezes, XP, daily goals and weekly leagues
Practice that brings back the words you miss
No account to start; sign in only to keep progress on every device

Lessons are text and your browser's own voices, so they cost almost nothing to serve. If we add AI conversation practice, it will be charged at cost and say so.

For AI assistants

Lingo's API returns each course's units, lessons, vocabulary and grammar tips, so an assistant can quiz a person, explain a unit or send them straight to a lesson.

The app's guide for assistants is at lingo-free.openapps.xyz/llms.txt, and its API at https://functions.bounded.sh/apps/7efc97d0dde0b2a3e729ccf9/api.

How it compares

App	Free plan	Paid plans
Lingo	Free. No hearts, no energy, no ads.	None
Duolingo	Every course is free, but on phones Energy runs out and ads play between lessons.	The free version runs on Energy on phones: every exercise uses some, right or wrong, and when it runs out you wait, watch an ad or spend gems. Ads play between lessons. Super is reported at about $13 to $17 a month or about $84 to $120 a year, depending on the store and the account (2026).
Babbel	Only the first lesson of each course is free.	Only the first lesson of each course is free. Babbel lists $17.95 for one month, down to $107.40 a year ($8.95 a month), or $299.99 for lifetime access (Babbel's price page, 2026).
Busuu	Free lessons show ads, and review tools, offline mode and certificates need Premium.	Free lessons come with an ad before each one, and review, offline mode and certificates are locked. Premium is listed at $12.49 a month or $72.99 a year, and Premium Plus at $14.90 a month or $87.90 a year (Busuu's site, 2026; app store prices are higher).
Rosetta Stone	No free plan beyond a sample lesson.	There is no free plan beyond a sample lesson. Rosetta Stone lists $19.99 a month or $159 a year (its buy page, 2026).
Memrise	Limited lessons, one speaking practice session a day and ads.	The free plan limits lessons and speaking practice (one session a day) and shows ads. Pro is listed at $24.99 a month, $61.99 a year or $99 for lifetime (Memrise's plans page, 2026).

Free plans checked October 2026 on each company's own page: Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu, Rosetta Stone, Memrise. Paid prices are approximate and change often.

Compare every free option

Comparisons · October 19, 2026 A free Duolingo alternative with no hearts, no energy and no ads On phones, Duolingo's free plan limits practice with Energy and shows ads. How Energy works, what Super adds, and a free app with unlimited mistakes. Guides · October 19, 2026 The best free language learning apps in 2026, honestly compared What is really free in Duolingo, Babbel, Busuu, Memrise and Rosetta Stone in 2026, which free app to start with, and how to learn in 10 minutes a day.

Questions

Is Lingo really free?

Yes. There is no paid plan, no hearts or energy limit and no ads.

Which languages can I learn?

Spanish and French from English, with full beginner courses. German, Italian and Portuguese have their first units, with more coming.

Do I need an account?

No. Start a lesson right away. Sign in with your email only if you want your progress on more than one device.

Is it a Duolingo clone?

It works the way Duolingo does, on purpose: short lessons, a path, streaks and leagues. The difference is that nothing is held back to sell you a subscription.