Duolingo vs ELSA Speak

Duolingo and ELSA Speak are both AI Productivity & Learning tools (Language Learning). Below: what each costs, what it does well, its biggest catches, and who should pick which, all from public sources rather than our own testing.

Side by side

	Duolingo	ELSA Speak
Category	AI Office & Learning · Learning Assistant	AI Education · Language Learning
Pricing	Free tier: yes. Super about $12.99/mo. Max about $29.99/mo or $168/yr (US, third-party report). (checked Oct 11, 2026)	Free trial (7 days). Reported Pro about $89.99/yr, Premium about $99.99/yr (varies by region). (checked Oct 11, 2026)
Pros	Free core app with gamified daily lessons Explain My Answer is now free for everyone Video Call AI practice is rolling out to Super	Detailed English pronunciation feedback down to individual sounds Wide lesson variety 7-day trial
Catches	AI conversations are short and scripted, and reviewers find them repetitive No detailed pronunciation scoring Max is expensive ($29.99/mo) and may be restructured or retired	Users report crashes, login failures and scoring that's too lenient Trial renewals and hard cancellation and refunds are common complaints Prices vary by region and platform
Best for	Building a daily habit in a new language.	English learners working on pronunciation.
Skip it if	You need real conversation fluency or detailed pronunciation feedback.	You need free, open conversation practice.

Which should you pick?

Pick Duolingo if…

you fit this: building a daily habit in a new language.

But not if: you need real conversation fluency or detailed pronunciation feedback.

Watch out for: AI conversations are short and scripted, and reviewers find them repetitive.

Pick ELSA Speak if…

you fit this: english learners working on pronunciation.

But not if: you need free, open conversation practice.

Watch out for: Users report crashes, login failures and scoring that's too lenient.

More options

Sources

Duolingo

ELSA Speak

Pros, catches and prices are compiled from public sources (official pricing and docs pages, published reviews, user reports), not hands-on testing. Prices change often, so check the vendor page before you buy.