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Free alternatives to Duolingo Super

Duolingo Super costs $12.99/mo on the Super plan, or $155.88 a year. Here are 4 free and open-source options, what each one does, and what you give up compared with paying.

Prices checked Jul 31, 2026Can AI replace it? Nah

01At a glance

AlternativeTypeWhere it runsWorks on
AnkiOpen sourceHosted or self-hostedWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux
AnkiDroidOpen sourceHosted or self-hostedAndroid
FreeLingoOpen sourceHosted or self-hostedWeb, Your server
MoodleOpen sourceHosted or self-hostedWeb, iPhone, Android, Your server

02Each alternative, in detail

AnkiOpen source

Build a small language deck with audio, images, typed answers and excellent spaced repetition; no cartoon guilt trips.

Versus paying: Anki has no supplied course, game loop, social competition or polished pronunciation exercises; the user authors or imports the deck.

Setup: Use the Windows installer, macOS DMG or official Linux launcher

29,600 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

apps.ankiweb.net →
AnkiDroidOpen source

A full Android Anki client for authored language decks, pronunciation recordings and offline review.

Versus paying: AnkiDroid has no supplied gamified course or social progression, and it is an Android client rather than a cross-platform lesson service.

Setup: Install from Google Play or F-Droid, or sideload the official APK

11,499 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

ankidroid.org →
FreeLingoOpen source

A Duolingo-shaped course runner with CEFR lessons, voice exercises and spaced review; self-hosting is the price of unlimited use.

Versus paying: FreeLingo's course quality, gamification, social features and editorial maturity are far behind Duolingo, while serious self-hosted voice practice requires substantial infrastructure.

Setup: Use the hosted service, or run Docker Compose with PostgreSQL 16, Redis 7 and the configured AI/speech services

Watch for: Self-hosting needs Docker plus an Ollama model or API keys; production voice also needs HTTPS, WebSocket proxying and either GPU-backed local models or paid APIs

62 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

freelingo.app →
MoodleOpen source

Can run your own sequenced lessons, quizzes and progress tracking, though nobody will mistake it for a game.

Versus paying: Moodle has no game-quality language curriculum, streak loop or adaptive exercise polish and is vastly heavier to administer.

Setup: Upload the PHP release to a web server, create a database and moodledata directory, then complete the browser installer

Watch for: PHP and database requirements, protected writable storage, cron, SMTP, backups and upgrades are all the operator's responsibility

7,300 GitHub stars (checked Aug 6, 2026)

moodle.org →

03What you give up by leaving Duolingo Super

  • massive curriculum, adaptive models, content, social loops, mobile polish, and brand
  • licensed course catalog
  • expert curriculum
  • human feedback
  • large learner network and certification

People still pay for Duolingo Super because the learning loop is buildable, while trusted curriculum, instructors, feedback, credentials, and community are not. The recurring cost buys curriculum quality, assessment validity, content rights, spaced-repetition tuning, speech models, sync, moderation, and support, not just the visible interface.

04Questions

Is there a free alternative to Duolingo Super?

Yes. This page compares 4: Anki, AnkiDroid, FreeLingo and Moodle. All of them are open source, so you can run them yourself.

How much does Duolingo Super cost?

$12.99/mo on the Super plan (monthly), which is $155.88 a year. Prices checked Jul 31, 2026.

What do you give up with a free alternative to Duolingo Super?

Most often: massive curriculum, adaptive models, content, social loops, mobile polish, and brand, licensed course catalog, expert curriculum and human feedback. Each alternative on this page lists its own gap under “Versus paying.”

Can AI build me my own version of Duolingo Super?

Nah. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Duolingo Super, build a small user-authored language practice deck with spaced repetition and pronunciation recording. The hard boundary is massive curriculum, adaptive models, content, social loops, mobile polish, and brand, plus content, pedagogy, and network.

Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.