Last updated: 27 September 2026; prices read on each company’s own site or app store listing that day. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Bottom line: Start on free Duolingo; it is the better free course and the better habit-builder. If you are ready to pay, Busuu is usually the better upgrade: a course mapped from A1 to C1, grammar review, corrections from real people and a lower annual price than Super Duolingo ($72.99 against $83.99 on 27 September 2026).
- Pick Duolingo if: you want to learn free, need streaks to stay motivated, or want a language Busuu lacks
- Pick Busuu if: you will pay and want structure, proficiency levels and human feedback on your writing and speaking
- Pick neither if: you want grammar fully explained (Babbel) or live conversation (a tutor)
- Money: we earn nothing from Busuu or Duolingo
Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the verdict, and we name options we earn nothing from when they are the better fit.
Busuu and Duolingo look alike at first: short lessons, a mascot-free but friendly app, a free way in and a paid upgrade. Underneath, they are built for different learners. Duolingo is a free course optimised for showing up every day. Busuu is a paid-first course organised by proficiency level, with a feature most apps do not have at all: corrections from real people.
We read both companies’ product and price pages on 27 September 2026. Neither pays us.
Busuu vs Duolingo at a glance
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| Busuu | Duolingo | |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes, to start | Full course, with ads and a mistake limit |
| Paid plans (27 Sep 2026) | Premium $72.99/yr or $12.49/mo; Premium Plus $87.90/yr or $14.90/mo | Super $83.99/yr (Google Play US); Max higher, app-only |
| Languages | 14 | About 40 |
| Structure | Mapped from A1 to C1; Busuu cites 2,500+ hours of learning | Unit-based path, depth varies by language |
| Grammar | Grammar lessons plus grammar review on Premium | Built into drills, with short tips |
| Human feedback | Yes, from fluent speakers in its community | No |
| AI speaking practice | AI Conversations on Premium Plus | Roleplay and Video Call on Max, 5 languages |
| Certificates | Busuu certificates on Premium | No |
| Motivation | Streaks (streak protection on Plus) | Streaks, challenges, reminders; the core of the design |
| Best for | Paying learners who want structure and feedback | Free learning and building a habit |
Course structure: levels against a path
Busuu organises its courses by proficiency level, from A1 (beginner) to C1 (advanced), and says it offers more than 2,500 hours of learning across that range. That matters if you have a target in mind, a B1 for a visa or job, say, because you can see where you are on the scale everyone else uses. Its lessons include grammar explicitly, and Premium adds grammar and vocabulary review based on what you get wrong.
Duolingo takes you along a path of short units. It is a complete course for the major languages, with grammar built into the exercises and brief tips when a new structure appears. It is less tied to formal levels and more to steady daily progress.
Human feedback: Busuu’s real difference
Busuu’s community feature lets you submit written and spoken answers to be corrected by fluent speakers, and you can help learners of your own language in return. Busuu reports more than 105 million community interactions in 2024. Automated apps can tell you whether you chose the right tile; only a person can tell you that your sentence is grammatical but sounds odd. Duolingo has nothing equivalent.
The corrections are volunteers, not teachers, so quality varies. For structured correction from a professional, you still need a tutor on Preply or italki.
Speaking practice
Busuu Premium Plus adds AI conversations and pronunciation practice; Duolingo Max adds Roleplay and Video Call with Lily, but only for Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese (for English speakers) and only in the mobile apps. Busuu’s community feedback on spoken exercises adds a human element Duolingo lacks. If speaking is your main goal, Pimsleur drills it harder than either (Pimsleur review).
Price
| Plan | Monthly | 12 months | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | Free | Free | The full course |
| Super Duolingo | Not published | $83.99 (Google Play US) | No ads, no mistake limit; same lessons |
| Busuu Premium | $12.49 | $72.99 ($6.08 a month) | Grammar and vocabulary review, no ads, certificates, offline |
| Busuu Premium Plus | $14.90 | $87.90 ($7.33 a month) | Adds AI conversations, pronunciation practice, exclusive content |
Two things stand out. Busuu’s annual Premium plan was $11 a year cheaper than the one labelled Super Duolingo price we found, and it adds teaching features, where Super mostly removes limits. And Busuu’s monthly prices are roughly double its annual rate per month, so pay annually or not at all. Duolingo publishes no price list and tests prices; see our Super Duolingo cost guide.
Languages
Duolingo covers about 40 languages. Busuu covers 14: English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and Polish. If your language is not on Busuu’s list, the decision is made.
Busuu vs Babbel
If you are comparing paid options, Babbel is the other obvious choice. Babbel explains grammar more thoroughly in English and was $107.40 for 12 months on 27 September 2026. Busuu is cheaper, adds human feedback and maps to CEFR levels. Choose Babbel for the clearest explanations; choose Busuu for levels and community correction. Our Babbel review covers Babbel in detail.
Why levels matter: A1 to C1 in plain English
Busuu maps its courses to the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference, the six-level scale (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) that most language exams, universities and employers use. In rough terms, A1 and A2 cover survival language: introductions, shopping, directions, simple routines. B1 is the point where you can handle most travel situations and talk about familiar topics in connected sentences. B2 lets you follow most conversations and argue a point. C1 is fluent, flexible use for work and study.
Duolingo also reports progress, but its path is not organised around these levels in the same explicit way. If you have a level to hit, such as a B1 requirement for residency or a B2 for a job, Busuu’s structure makes it easier to see how far you are from it. For the official certificate itself you will still need to sit a recognised exam; Busuu’s own certificates show progress on Busuu, not an accredited level.
Which one for your goal?
| Your goal | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Trying a language for free | Duolingo | A complete course at no cost |
| Reaching a specific CEFR level | Busuu | Courses organised from A1 to C1 |
| Writing correctly | Busuu | Community corrections on your written answers |
| A daily habit | Duolingo | Streaks and reminders are its core design |
| Japanese, Korean, Chinese or Arabic on a budget | Either; Busuu if paying | Both teach them; Busuu adds structure and feedback |
| A language outside Busuu’s 14 | Duolingo | Busuu does not teach it |
What each gets wrong
Busuu
- Only 14 languages. Far fewer than Duolingo.
- Volunteer corrections vary. Community feedback is useful, but it is not a teacher.
- Monthly plans are poor value. About double the per-month cost of the annual plans.
- Certificates are not qualifications. Useful for motivation, not for an employer or visa office.
Duolingo
- No human feedback. Nobody tells you when a correct answer sounds unnatural.
- The game can take over. Streaks reward showing up, not necessarily progressing.
- Less clarity on level. Harder to know where you stand against the CEFR scale.
- Tested prices and limits. Duolingo experiments with both on different users.
Getting the most from Busuu if you pay
- Buy annual, not monthly. $72.99 a year against $12.49 a month on 27 September 2026.
- Use the community every week. Submit one written and one spoken exercise for correction; it is the feature you are really paying for.
- Correct others too. Helping learners of your own language builds goodwill and gets your own work reviewed faster.
- Pick your level honestly. Start one level below where you think you are; the review tools work best when the material is just within reach.
- Add live conversation by B1. Apps get you to the door; a tutor walks you through it.
Who should choose Duolingo
- anyone learning free, or testing whether they will stick with a language
- learners who depend on streaks and reminders to keep going
- people learning a language Busuu does not teach
Who should choose Busuu
- learners ready to pay for a structured course with clear A1–C1 levels
- anyone working toward a specific level for work, study or a visa
- people who want real humans to correct their writing and speaking
- Duolingo users who want to upgrade without paying Babbel prices
Compare Babbel → Find a tutor on Preply → Try Pimsleur free for 7 days →
Our verdict
As a free app, Duolingo wins: it is a complete course and the best habit-builder there is. As a paid app, Busuu is usually the better buy. For less than Super Duolingo’s labelled annual price, it gives you a course organised by proficiency level, grammar review, certificates and something no automated app can: corrections from real people. The sensible path for many learners is Duolingo free until the habit is built, then Busuu Premium when you want structure. For other options, see our Duolingo alternatives guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Busuu better than Duolingo?
For learners who want a structured course mapped to proficiency levels, with grammar review and corrections from real people, Busuu is the stronger paid option. Duolingo is better as a free course and at keeping a daily habit going, and it covers more languages. Free Duolingo is the better start; paid Busuu is often the better upgrade.
How much does Busuu cost compared with Duolingo?
On 27 September 2026 Busuu Premium was $72.99 for 12 months ($6.08 a month) or $12.49 month to month, and Premium Plus was $87.90 for 12 months or $14.90 monthly. Duolingo’s full course is free; Super was $83.99 a year on the US Google Play store that day, though Duolingo publishes no price list and tests prices.
Is Busuu free?
Busuu has a free way to start learning, and the paid plans add grammar and vocabulary review, offline mode, no ads and Busuu certificates, with Premium Plus adding AI conversations and pronunciation practice.
Does Busuu give certificates?
Yes, on its Premium plans Busuu lists certificates among the features. They record your progress on Busuu; they are not official language qualifications such as DELE, DELF or JLPT.
Which has more languages, Busuu or Duolingo?
Duolingo, with about 40. Busuu lists 14: English, Spanish, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and Polish.
What is Busuu’s community feature?
Busuu lets you submit written and spoken exercises for feedback from fluent speakers in its community, and you can correct learners of your own language in return. Busuu says there were more than 105 million community interactions in 2024. It is the one thing neither Duolingo nor most other apps offer.