Memrise Alternatives for Learning English: 9 Better-Fit Options

Key takeaways

• Memrise is strongest at authentic listening and natural phrases from native-speaker videos.
• Its main gaps for English learners are explicit grammar, a fixed course path and real human conversation.
• Memrise's free plan limits speaking practice to one session a day; Pro unlocks unlimited practice, all word lists and no ads.
• A free structured course plus Memrise's free plan is a strong zero-cost combination.
• For speaking confidence, a human tutor usually beats any app.

Why people look for alternatives to Memrise

Memrise has changed a lot over the years. It started as a flashcard and memory app with thousands of user-made courses, and today its main product centers on native-speaker videos, scenarios and an AI conversation partner called MemBot. That change explains most of the reasons people look elsewhere.

They need grammar. Memrise teaches grammar indirectly, through phrases. That is fine for "Could I have the bill, please?" but not for understanding when to use the present perfect. Learners at A1 to B1 often need explicit rules and practice.

They miss community courses. Memrise moved user-created community courses out of the main app, as described on its own migration page. People who used Memrise for custom word lists, such as exam vocabulary, often switch to a flashcard tool.

Free speaking practice is limited. The plans page says the free plan allows one speaking session a day, and that unlimited speaking practice, all word lists and no ads are part of Pro.

They want a clear path. Memrise lets you choose scenarios freely. Some learners love that; others want a course that tells them exactly what comes next.

They want a real person. An AI partner is convenient, but it is not a teacher or a friend. Learners preparing for interviews or exams usually want human feedback.

The 9 best Memrise alternatives for English, ranked

Ranked for a typical adult learner who wants balanced progress. Each profile includes a "best for" line so you can find your own top pick.

1. Busuu: best structured course with human feedback

• Best for: learners who want a CEFR course and corrections from native speakers.
• Price model: free plan plus Premium and Premium Plus subscriptions. Prices vary by country.
• Strengths: English course from A1 to C1; real-life scenarios; community feedback on writing and speaking; grammar and vocabulary review on Premium; AI conversations and pronunciation practice on Premium Plus; certificates on paid plans.
• Limits: many key tools are paid; the free plan has ads.

2. LearnLingo: best free full course with grammar, and for Turkish speakers

• Best for: learners who want a complete A1 to C1 English course free in the browser, and Turkish speakers who want explanations in Turkish.
• Price model: every lesson free; optional LearnLingo Plus adds unlimited hearts, more help from Sage the Turtle and early access to every game.
• Strengths: short interactive lessons with word banks, matching, gap-fill and listening; grammar tips and unit guides; spaced practice of your mistakes; 13 games; hearts, streaks, XP and weekly leagues.
• Limits: synthetic audio from your device's speech engine rather than real voices; no AI conversation partner, tutors, live classes, certificates or web offline mode; iOS app but no Android app yet.

See the full LearnLingo vs Memrise comparison.

3. Duolingo: best free daily habit

• Best for: beginners who want a fun, game-style routine on mobile.
• Price model: free with ads and limits; paid upgrades. Prices vary.
• Strengths: large English course; very polished apps; streaks and leagues that keep people coming back.
• Limits: short grammar notes; limited free production; less depth at higher levels. See Duolingo alternatives.

4. Anki: best flashcards you control

• Best for: learners who want to review their own vocabulary, such as exam word lists, with no limits.
• Price model: free on desktop and Android; the official iOS app is paid.
• Strengths: powerful spaced repetition; shared decks; full control over cards, audio and images. It fills the gap left by Memrise's old community courses.
• Limits: no course; plain design; you must build habits and decks yourself. Read spaced repetition to use it well.

5. Babbel: best paid self-study with clear explanations

• Best for: adults who want a traditional course with grammar explained.
• Price model: subscription after a free sample.
• Strengths: realistic dialogues; clear grammar notes; review tool.
• Limits: little free content; less game-like.

6. Cambly: best for on-demand conversation

• Best for: intermediate learners who need speaking practice with people.
• Price model: subscription based on minutes per week.
• Strengths: talk to a tutor at almost any hour; builds confidence fast.
• Limits: less structured; much more expensive than apps.

7. Preply: best for goal-based tutoring

• Best for: learners preparing for exams, interviews or business English.
• Price model: pay per lesson; each tutor sets their price.
• Strengths: choose a tutor by specialty, price and accent; fully personal lessons.
• Limits: quality varies; costs add up.

8. ELSA Speak: best for pronunciation

• Best for: learners whose main problem is being understood.
• Price model: limited free use; paid plans.
• Strengths: automatic feedback on English sounds, word stress and intonation.
• Limits: narrow focus; not a full course. Pair with English pronunciation tips.

9. Podcasts and YouTube for learners: best free real listening

• Best for: anyone who used Memrise mainly for real voices.
• Price model: free.
• Strengths: unlimited authentic English at every level; choose accents and topics.
• Limits: no structure, no checking. See learn English with podcasts and learn English with movies.

Comparison table

Option	Best for	Price model	Grammar	Real voices	Free option
Busuu	Structure plus human feedback	Freemium	Yes, review on Premium	Recorded audio	Limited
LearnLingo	Free full course, Turkish speakers	Free, optional Plus	Yes, tips and guides	Synthetic	Full course
Duolingo	Free daily habit	Freemium	Short notes	Mixed	Large
Anki	Your own vocabulary	Free, paid iOS app	No	If you add audio	Yes
Babbel	Clear paid self-study	Subscription	Yes	Recorded audio	Sample
Cambly	Conversation	Subscription	Tutor-led	Yes, live	Very limited
Preply	Goal-based tutoring	Pay per lesson	Tutor-led	Yes, live	No
ELSA Speak	Pronunciation	Freemium	No	Model audio	Limited
Podcasts and YouTube	Real listening	Free	No	Yes	Yes
Memrise (for reference)	Native-speaker phrases	Free to start, Pro or lifetime	Indirect	Yes, video	Limited speaking

How to choose: a decision guide

By goal

• "I don't understand English grammar." LearnLingo free, or Busuu or Babbel paid. Use English grammar for beginners as your map.
• "I need exam vocabulary." Anki with an exam deck, plus a course for grammar.
• "I need to talk with people." Cambly or Preply, once or twice a week.
• "I want to understand native speakers." Keep Memrise, and add podcasts.
• "People don't understand my pronunciation." ELSA Speak plus shadowing.

By budget

• Zero: LearnLingo or Duolingo, plus Memrise's free plan, Anki and podcasts.
• Low: one subscription you will use daily, such as Memrise Pro, Busuu Premium or LearnLingo Plus.
• Medium: a free course plus one tutor lesson a week.
• Higher: several tutor lessons a week or a live class program.

By level

• A1 to A2: a structured course first. Memrise can supplement it.
• B1: add speaking with a person and real listening every day.
• B2 to C1: real English most of the time; apps for review and vocabulary.

Not sure of your level? Take the free English level test, or read the English level test guide.

A 30-day plan: a free course plus real practice

About 25 minutes on weekdays and 40 minutes on weekends.

Week 1: build structure

• Daily: one lesson in your level in a free course such as LearnLingo.
• Daily: five minutes of native-speaker video, on Memrise's free plan or YouTube.
• Weekend: write eight sentences about your week using the grammar you learned.

Week 2: add vocabulary review

• Daily: one lesson plus spaced practice of your mistakes.
• Daily: ten new words in flashcards, Anki or the course's review.
• Weekend: listen to one podcast episode for learners twice.

Week 3: add speaking

• Daily: one lesson.
• Three times: shadow three phrases from a video, five repetitions each.
• Weekend: one real conversation, a language exchange or a tutor lesson.

Week 4: check progress

• Daily: one lesson plus review.
• Midweek: record a one-minute talk about your job or hobbies.
• Day 30: retake the level test and compare. Keep what worked; drop what you skipped.

For motivation tips, read how to stay motivated learning English.

Practice set: vocabulary in context

Memrise users are often strong on single words but weaker on how words combine. Choose the best word for each gap.

1. Can you ___ me a favor? (make, do, give)
2. I'm going to ___ a shower. (take, make, do)
3. She ___ a mistake in the report. (did, made, took)
4. Let's ___ a break. (take, do, make)
5. It's raining ___. (strong, heavily, hard-ly)
6. He gave me some good ___. (advices, advice, an advice)
7. I'm looking forward ___ you. (to see, to seeing, seeing)
8. Could you ___ me the way to the station? (say, tell, speak)
9. We need to ___ a decision today. (do, make, take)
10. My phone has run ___ of battery. (off, out, away)

Answers: 1 do, 2 take, 3 made, 4 take, 5 heavily, 6 advice, 7 to seeing, 8 tell, 9 make, 10 out. Review make vs do, say vs tell and gerunds vs infinitives if you missed any.

What to keep from Memrise when you switch

You do not need to throw away what Memrise gave you. Before switching, save the value you built.

Export your phrase list. Write down the phrases you learned and liked, especially the ones from scenarios you actually need, such as ordering food or small talk at work. Put them into flashcards in Anki or into a notebook you review weekly. Phrases learned with a voice in your head are easier to keep alive.

Keep the shadowing habit. The most useful thing Memrise trains is copying real speakers. You can keep doing that anywhere: pick a short clip from a podcast or video, play one sentence, pause, repeat it with the same rhythm, and record yourself now and then. Five minutes a day is enough.

Note your level and your gaps. If Memrise's assessment placed you at a CEFR level, write it down. Then list what felt hard: grammar, speaking with people, or remembering words. That list tells you which alternative to choose.

Common mistakes when choosing an alternative

• Replacing listening with more flashcards. If you used Memrise for real voices, make sure your new routine still includes real audio every day.
• Skipping grammar because phrases felt enough. Phrases help you start, but grammar lets you build new sentences. Add a structured course with explanations.
• Paying for two apps that do the same thing. Spend extra money on a different kind of practice, such as one tutor lesson, instead.
• Waiting too long to speak. From A2 or B1, plan a short conversation every week, even if it is only ten minutes.
• Learning words without collocations. Learn "make a decision", not only "decision". The practice set below shows why.

A sample study day after switching

Here is what a balanced 30-minute day can look like once you combine a structured course with real input:

Time	Activity	Why
10 min	One lesson in a structured course	New grammar and vocabulary in order
5 min	Review of yesterday's mistakes	Spaced practice moves them into memory
10 min	A short video or podcast clip, listened to twice	Real voices and natural speed
5 min	Shadow three sentences from the clip	Rhythm, stress and confidence

Two notes on this plan. First, keep the course lesson first in the day, when your attention is fresh, and leave listening for a commute or a walk. Second, change the clip every few days so you hear different accents: American, British and others. Memrise is a good source of these clips, and so are free podcasts made for learners.

Final advice

Memrise is a good tool with a clear focus: real people and real phrases. If that is what you need, keep it. If you are missing grammar, structure, custom flashcards or human conversation, add the alternative that fills that specific gap instead of replacing everything. For a broader view, read our best apps to learn English roundup, see the alternatives hub, or read the direct LearnLingo vs Memrise comparison.

People Also Ask

What is the best alternative to Memrise for English grammar?

A structured course is better for grammar. LearnLingo teaches A1 to C1 grammar free with explanations and practice, and Busuu and Babbel offer structured paid courses with grammar review. Memrise focuses more on vocabulary and phrases.

Is there a free alternative to Memrise?

Yes. LearnLingo and Duolingo both offer free English courses, and Anki is a free flashcard app on most platforms if you mainly want vocabulary review. Combine any of them with free podcasts and video for real listening.

What app is like Memrise but with real conversation?

For real conversation with people, use a tutoring platform such as Cambly, Preply or italki. Busuu also lets native speakers in its community correct your written and spoken answers.

Is Anki a good replacement for Memrise?

Anki is excellent for vocabulary review if you are willing to make or choose your own decks. It has no native-speaker videos or course structure, so it works best as a review tool next to a course.

Why do people look for Memrise alternatives?

Common reasons are that Memrise teaches grammar only indirectly, that the free plan limits speaking practice to one session a day, and that some learners miss user-made community courses, which moved out of the main app. Others simply want a full course with a fixed path.