Comparisons
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.
Lingo is a free language app that works the way Duolingo does: a path of short lessons, streaks, XP, weekly leagues and review of the words you miss. It has no hearts, no energy and no ads, so you can make as many mistakes as you like and keep going. The honest tradeoff: Duolingo teaches far more languages, and Lingo's full beginner courses today are Spanish and French.
Duolingo's free plan is real, and every course in it is free. On phones, though, practice runs on Energy, and ads play between lessons. Super, the paid plan, removes both. Its App Store listing offers it free for 14 days, "with no ads" and "Unlimited Energy". Its price differs by store and by account, so we do not quote one.
| App | Free plan | Sign-up to start | Ads in the free version | Open source | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lingo (ours) | Everything: no hearts, no energy | No | No | Source is public, no license yet | Lingo |
| Duolingo | Every course; practice limited by Energy | Not stated | Yes | No | App Store listing |
Checked on October 19, 2026. "Not stated" means the listing does not say.
How Duolingo's Energy works
In mid 2025, Duolingo replaced Hearts with Energy in its phone apps. Every exercise uses some Energy, whether you get it right or wrong. Energy recharges over time. If you run out and want to keep going right away, you can watch an ad or spend gems.
One review site (August 2026) says this comes to roughly 2 to 3 lessons a day on the free plan. For a quick daily lesson, that can be enough. For a long study session on a Sunday, or a week of cramming before a trip, it runs out long before you are done, unless you watch ads or spend gems.
On a computer, the Duolingo website may not use Energy, so it can be worth trying there for longer sessions. That can change, so check for yourself.
What happened to Hearts
Before Energy, the free plan used Hearts. You had a few, lost one for each mistake, and when they ran out you waited for them to come back, or used gems or a subscription to keep going.
That can feel backwards. Mistakes are how you learn a language, and Hearts made each one cost something. Energy changed the rule, since right answers use it too, but on phones the effect is similar: the free plan limits how much you can practice in a day.
What Super adds
Super Duolingo removes the Energy limit and the ads. The price you see depends on where you buy it (the App Store, Google Play or the website) and on your account, so we do not quote one. There is also a family plan. Duolingo's paid plans add other things too, such as offline lessons, unlimited Legendary levels and Video Call practice.
If you use Duolingo every day and like it, Super can be a fair price. This post is for people who want to practice without a meter running.
What Duolingo does well
It is worth being clear about this before you switch:
- Many more languages. Duolingo has far more courses than Lingo, including courses for people who are not learning from English.
- Polish. Years of work show: the characters, the sounds, the small rewards and the stories.
- Habit building. Few apps are as good at getting people to come back every day.
- A free plan that works. Every course is free. If 2 or 3 lessons a day on your phone suit you and the ads do not bother you, you may not need anything else.
How Lingo works
Lingo works the way Duolingo does, on purpose. The difference is that nothing is held back to sell you a subscription.
- A path of short lessons. Lessons mix word tiles, listening, typing, matching and speaking.
- Unlimited mistakes. No hearts, no energy, no waiting. Get it wrong ten times and try again.
- Streaks, XP, daily goals and weekly leagues. Streak freezes are free, so one busy day does not have to end your streak.
- Review of what you miss. Practice brings back the words you got wrong, so they get another turn.
- No account to start. Open a lesson right away. Sign in with your email only if you want your progress on more than one device.
There is no paid plan and there are no ads. Lingo can be free because lessons are text, and the audio uses your browser's own voices, so it costs almost nothing to serve. If AI conversation practice is ever added, it will be charged at cost and will say so. More on that in why these apps are free.
Lingo also works with AI assistants. It shares each course's units, lessons, vocabulary and grammar tips with them, so an assistant can quiz you, explain a unit, or send you straight to a lesson. See free apps that work with AI assistants.
What Lingo does not do
Know these before you switch:
- Fewer languages. Spanish and French have full beginner courses, taught from English. German, Italian and Portuguese have their first units, with more coming. If you want another language, Duolingo is the better free choice for now.
- Beginner level. The full courses cover the beginner stage. If you are already past it, Lingo has less to offer you today.
- No conversation practice. Lessons include speaking, but there is no AI chat partner and no video call. For real conversation, find a language partner or a tutor. If they live in another country, When can help you find a time that suits you both, shown in each person's own time zone.
- Device voices. Audio comes from your browser's built-in voices, which sound more natural on some devices than others.
- No promise of fluency. Short daily lessons build vocabulary and a habit. Speaking well takes much more than that, and no app can promise it, this one included.
Switching from Duolingo
- Open Lingo and pick the same language, if it is Spanish or French.
- Start at the beginning. If the early units are easy, they go quickly.
- Set a daily goal you can keep on a busy day.
- Sign in with your email if you want the same progress on more than one device.
Your streak starts fresh. You do not have to choose, though. You can keep your daily Duolingo lesson and open Lingo whenever you want more practice than Energy allows.
Comparing more apps? See the best free language learning apps in 2026, or our page on Duolingo and its free plan. Learning for a class? See free apps for students.
Questions
Is there a free Duolingo alternative without hearts or energy?
Yes. OpenApps Lingo works like Duolingo, with a path of short lessons, streaks, XP, weekly leagues and review, but it has no hearts, no energy and no ads, so mistakes never stop you. Its full beginner courses today are Spanish and French.
Does Duolingo still have hearts?
On phones, Duolingo replaced Hearts with Energy in mid 2025. Each exercise uses Energy, right or wrong. It recharges over time, or you can watch an ad or spend gems to get more. Duolingo changes these systems from time to time, so check the app.
How much does Duolingo Super cost?
It depends on where you buy it and on your account, so the app shows you your own price. Duolingo's App Store listing offers Super free for 14 days, with no ads and unlimited Energy.
Is Lingo really free?
Yes. OpenApps Lingo has no paid plan, no hearts or energy limit and no ads. If AI conversation practice is ever added, it will be charged at cost and will say so.
Which languages does Lingo teach?
OpenApps Lingo has full beginner courses in Spanish and French, taught from English. German, Italian and Portuguese have their first units, with more coming.