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Duolingo: Language Lessons

United States App Store · 500 reviews · Sep 17 – Sep 20, 2026

Dig into your app

3.9★average rating

22%negative (≤2★)

23%sound ready to leave

500reviews analyzed

tagged by AI · grouped by meaning

The brief

What 500 reviews boil down to.

WHAT FRUSTRATES THEM237 · 47%

Not really free: energy limits and paywalls45

Too much gamification, not enough learning38

Too many annoying notifications and reminders23

Too many ads interrupt learning18

Oscar coach is annoying and intrusive19

Fails to actually teach the language16

5 more groups · 21 ungrouped in the Frustrations tab

21say they are looking at another appquotes ⌄

Please read before getting this app. Duolingo is a good app to get if you’re looking to get a little bit better at a language but if you’re starting from the bottom I wouldn’t suggest it to my friends it’s not the best app in the world because of energy making it so then it really hard to learn. This could just be something that I might not like about …5★ · Sep 17, 2026

Fix your voice recognition. Works when it wants to. Got frustrated enough by it failing enough times to write a review that reflects this frustration. Otherwise a half decent app. Not really learning anything but fun regardless. If you want to learn a language genuinely, use Rosetta Stone.1★ · Sep 19, 2026

Waste of time. Used it for 3+ years and still don’t know Spanish. I had a 1000+ day streak, which is a big deal in this app. It’s a waste of time and money. More akin to candy crush, than a language app. Mango and Rosetta Stone are better apps.1★ · Sep 19, 2026

Pinu vs Duolingo. Hello duo I found a copy cat of you and it’s a blue penguin named pinu1★ · Sep 20, 2026

WHAT THEY LOVE252 · 50%

Fun and effective way to learn languages129

Helps me get better at chess17

Learn many subjects in one app19

Learning new words fast, very thankful14

44 just say it's great · 29 ungrouped in the Praise tab

Everything users complain about or ask for, grouped when several say the same thing. Ranked by how many, weighted by how close they sound to leaving.

RANKED BY VOLUME × CHURN RISK

Not really free: energy limits and paywalls

45 reviews · 9% of allchurn risk 3.3 / 53.0★ average

29 complain about it · 3 report it as broken · 13 ask for a fix or a feature

IN THEIR WORDS

Energy System Makes App Unusable. I’ve used Duolingo for years, but I’m now considering deleting the app. A new energy system has been implemented that makes it so I can’t even do 2 full lessons a day without either having to watch a random ad or pay. The heart system was by far better. I hope Duolingo can return to a system that doesn’t punish user…2★ · Sep 17, 2026

Hot Garbage and Money Grab. Only gave 5 stars so people can see this. This is a giant money grab they have mid lessons they want u to pay a money thing just to get no ads and unlimited energy ON A LEARNING APP LIKE CANT I JUST LEARN FOR FREE WITHOUT LIMITS??? But nooooo they limit u by adding energy and ads and the thing thats so annoying is …5★ · Sep 17, 2026

Honestly, using a FREE app is better🫩. I don't like duolingo because of the energy, Arent we supposed to LEARN? When the hearts were here it was so much better and would actually LET ME LEARN MORE THEN 2 WORDS. And I am NOT gonna spend money on super or max duolingo. Its unfair how we only get limited lessons unless we wanna spend MONEY or GEMS just TO …1★ · Sep 18, 2026

21 frustrations that match no grouplisted in full, never hidden

Glitched Into Inefficiency. Used to be fun and effective way to learn language and since recent updates has become less fun and the “catch ups” will review words that were never discussed once in the lead up sections to them. Completing these adds a whole slew of words to your alleged “known words” and make things like review and card games im…1★ · Sep 18, 2026

I SWEAR >:c. Why the heck is “chao” in Spanish?! It’s not Spanish. It’s pronounced Ad-Yos. Not ch-ow. I asked my mom too. She said “that’s probably French or something.” And SHES FROM MEXICO SO SHE KNOWS BECAUSE SHE SPEAKS FULL SPANISH AND ENGLISH. So it’s kinda confirmed. FIX IT PLEASE IM TRYING TO LEARN BECAUSE I WAS BORN IN T…2★ · Sep 18, 2026

Almost Perfect. I have an eye problem. So for me it’s very difficult to see such small letters. I thought that I would eventually not mind. But as the lessons go by it has become tougher to get by. Specially the timer ones. I can’t get through because I can barely distinguish what Iam reading. I almost regret buying the pro3★ · Sep 17, 2026

Not Good. Duo teaches me how to order a coffee before a basic conversation in another language. i dont know, i think they have a good like way of teaching and such, but i think they should focus on the basic conversation and more important words rather than teaching me how to say ‘bread’ and ‘tea’ first.2★ · Sep 18, 2026

for VladTheGATOR. this isn’t for anyone except VladTheGATOR, men can wear dresses if they like, it’s not your body, it’s theirs, and it was probably pride month. this is a language learning app. learn the language and stop paying attention to the pictures, you homophobe. your kids probably don’t even care.1★ · Sep 17, 2026

Definitely love it. I love it so much but I don’t like how you have to make sure you’re battery doesn’t die out but other than that It’s a great experience for me to learn so many different languages and I have a profile.So I love it so much it’s a 100 for sure4★ · Sep 20, 2026

Glitches. Theres just a lot of glitches and it teaches me stuff that people who speak that language don’t even say for example a quarter past 5 while people just say 5:15 which is kind of annoying when there’s a simple better way to say it3★ · Sep 19, 2026

Yeah boyyyu. An ad each lesson you take is annoying sometimes and it’s just trying to pursuade you but it does help with language skills that you don’t know it’s very helpful and my Spanish skills are improving 90% recommend4★ · Sep 18, 2026

Kiswahili. The last one on this list it wouldn’t accept any wrong answer even though there was no right answer. The English was you don’t read and you don’t clean. Clean was not in the list.4★ · Sep 19, 2026

awesome. Awesome it made me learn Spanish so easily. My only complaint is that I really don’t like how if you miss a few days it resets your streak5★ · Sep 18, 2026

Rage bait but fun. So when I first started I love it then after couple of years I start to rage bait about it. It’s fun but it’s rage bait.4★ · Sep 19, 2026

New words?. The calls use new words I haven’t been taught yet, that makes it difficult to respond and keep the conversation going.5★ · Sep 19, 2026

Указал на ошибку, хотя это не ошибка. Было перечисление. В конце перечисления перед союзом “and” он поставил запятую, хотя её там быть не должно4★ · Sep 17, 2026

Does not help. It does not help i see the reviews it says it helps but it really does not help i woukd rather get a tutor2★ · Sep 18, 2026

:(. У моей мамы четыре детальки за прохождение а у меня только три за прохождение даётся4★ · Sep 19, 2026

I like it. Me and my son do it and it is very cool. But I want a frog in a tux to be added5★ · Sep 20, 2026

Hu?. Es bueno pero hay errores en la traducción .debe haber mejoras e ideas🦜4★ · Sep 18, 2026

Pinu vs Duolingo. Hello duo I found a copy cat of you and it’s a blue penguin named pinu1★ · Sep 20, 2026

Toy hunt and Eddy. Please stop with these useless puzzles and Eddy yelling “Woo hoo!!!”1★ · Sep 18, 2026

ok. teaches you stuff but doesn't understand a word you say2★ · Sep 19, 2026

更新的部分不是很喜欢. 来学鱼法啦，这种谐音梗在学习里不太适合出现4★ · Sep 19, 2026