Is Duolingo Free? What You Actually Get in 2026
Author: Henri Falque-Pierrotin · Published: 2026-08-05 · Updated: 2026-08-05 · Category: App Reviews
Duolingo is free to start, but the Energy cap limits most learners to a few lessons a day. Here is exactly what is free, what Super and Max cost in 2026, and the truly free alternatives.
Short answer: yes, Duolingo is free to download and its courses are free to study. The honest answer is that in 2026 the free experience is a lot smaller than it used to be, and it is worth knowing exactly where the limits are before you build your routine around it.
This guide covers what the free tier includes, what changed with the Energy system, what Super Duolingo and Duolingo Max actually cost, and what to use if you want unlimited practice without paying.
The Short Answer
Duolingo's free tier gives you access to every course and language. What it limits is how much and how comfortably you can study:
- Ads run between lessons
- Energy caps your daily practice on mobile: every exercise spends energy, and most free learners get roughly 2-3 lessons (about 15-20 minutes) before it runs out
- Grammar depth and review tools are thinner on the free tier
If your goal is a 5-minute streak-keeping habit, the free tier does the job. If you want to sit down for a focused 45-minute session, the free tier will regularly stop you mid-flow.
What Changed: From Hearts to Energy
For years Duolingo's free limit was Hearts: five lives, one lost per mistake. In mid-2025 Duolingo began rolling out an Energy system on mobile instead. The mechanics differ in an important way:
| Hearts (old) | Energy (2025-2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs you | A heart per mistake | Energy per exercise, mistake or not |
| Careful learners | Could study a long time without losing hearts | Hit the cap regardless of accuracy |
| Typical free session | Variable | Roughly 2-3 lessons a day on mobile |
Under Hearts, an accurate learner could practise almost indefinitely. Under Energy, even perfect answers spend your daily allowance. That is the single biggest reason "is Duolingo free?" has a more complicated answer in 2026 than it did a few years ago.
Duolingo Pricing in 2026
As of mid-2026, US pricing (regional prices vary, and promotions are frequent):
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | All courses, with ads and the Energy cap |
| Super Duolingo | ~$12.99/month or ~$84-96/year | No ads, unlimited Energy, mistake review, offline lessons |
| Super Family | ~$119.99/year | Super for up to 6 people |
| Duolingo Max | ~$29.99/month | Everything in Super plus AI: Explain My Answer, AI conversation practice |
Two things worth noticing. First, the AI features that make the most difference for actually speaking a language sit in the most expensive tier. Second, the annual Super price works out cheaper than most rivals' monthly plans, which is why Duolingo remains a reasonable paid pick for habit-driven learners.
Is the Free Tier Enough to Learn a Language?
It depends on what "learn" means for you.
The free tier works well if you:
- Want a daily habit and enjoy streaks, leagues, and gamification
- Are dabbling in a language before committing
- Use it as a light supplement next to another main method
You will feel the limits if you:
- Want longer, focused study sessions (the Energy cap interrupts them)
- Need real speaking practice with feedback - that lives in Max
- Are past the beginner stage and want grammar depth and open-ended conversation
Duolingo's own strength is motivation. Its exercises are mostly recognition and translation taps, which build familiarity but rarely simulate the feeling of holding a conversation. We compare the two approaches in depth in Hello Nabu vs Duolingo.
Truly Free Alternatives Worth Knowing
If the Energy cap is what sent you here, the good news is that unlimited free practice still exists:
- Hello Nabu is free for individual learners with no daily cap, no hearts, and no energy meter. Lessons are story-based - you order food, handle a meeting, find your way in a new city - and the AI tutor gives speaking and pronunciation feedback on the free plan, which most apps reserve for their top tier.
- Open resources like BBC Languages and FSI courses are genuinely free reference material, though not interactive.
For a full comparison of what "free" really means across the big apps, see our guide to the best free language learning apps, and the sibling breakdowns: Is Babbel free?, Is Busuu free?, and Is Memrise free? For every price in one table, see how much language learning apps cost in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Duolingo completely free?
The courses are free, but ads run between lessons and the Energy system caps daily practice on mobile at roughly 2-3 lessons for most learners. Removing both requires Super Duolingo.
How much does Super Duolingo cost in 2026?
About $12.99/month, or around $84-96/year on the annual plan. The Family plan is about $119.99/year for up to six people. Regional pricing varies.
What is the difference between Super and Max?
Super removes ads and the Energy cap. Max (~$29.99/month) adds the AI features: Explain My Answer and AI conversation practice.
What happened to Duolingo hearts?
They are being replaced by Energy on mobile since mid-2025. Energy is spent per exercise rather than per mistake, so even accurate learners hit the daily cap.
Sources
Pricing and feature details verified August 2026. Prices are US App Store / web prices and change with promotions and regions - always check the current price in your app store.
- Duolingo - official site and plans
- How much does Duolingo cost in 2026? - independent price tracking
- Super Duolingo cost and family plan - plan comparison
Start learning free with Hello Nabu - no energy cap, no credit card, full speaking feedback included.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Duolingo completely free?
Duolingo's core courses are free, but the experience is limited: ads run between lessons and the Energy system caps how much you can study each day on mobile - roughly 2-3 lessons for most learners. Removing the cap and the ads requires Super Duolingo.
How much does Super Duolingo cost in 2026?
As of mid-2026, Super Duolingo costs about $12.99/month on the monthly plan or around $84-96/year on the annual plan. A Family plan covering up to six people is about $119.99/year. Prices vary by region and platform.
What is the difference between Super Duolingo and Duolingo Max?
Super removes ads and the Energy cap and adds features like mistake review and offline lessons. Duolingo Max, at roughly $29.99/month, includes everything in Super plus AI features such as Explain My Answer and AI conversation practice.
What happened to Duolingo hearts?
In mid-2025 Duolingo began replacing the Hearts system with Energy on mobile. Instead of losing a heart per mistake, every exercise spends energy, which refills over time. In practice most free users get about 2-3 lessons a day before waiting or paying.