Mondly Alternatives for Learning English: 9 Better-Fit Options

Key takeaways

• Mondly, owned by Pearson since 2022, offers daily lessons, a scripted chatbot and many base languages. Full access needs a subscription; on the US App Store in October 2026, a yearly plan was listed at 74.90 dollars.
• People switch for depth, for real conversation, for a free full course, or for clear CEFR levels.
• The best results come from one structured course plus weekly speaking with a person.
• Free courses can carry you to intermediate level if you study every day and review your mistakes.
• Choose by level first: beginners need explanations; intermediate learners need conversation and real listening.
• Always check current prices on the official site or store, because they change by country and promotion.

Why people look for alternatives to Mondly

Mondly has real strengths: short lessons, a playful daily routine and a chatbot that makes you answer out loud. The reasons learners move on are mostly built into the product's design.

1. Full access is paid. Mondly offers some free content, such as a daily lesson, but the full course needs a subscription. If you want a complete free course, you need another tool.

2. The chatbot is scripted. Mondly's chatbot is good for practicing set answers, but it follows planned paths. When you are ready for open conversation, with surprises, follow-up questions and real correction, you need a person.

3. One product, many languages. Mondly teaches dozens of languages from many base languages. That breadth is a strength, but English-specific problems, such as articles for Turkish speakers or phrasal verbs, get less dedicated attention than in an English-only course.

4. Depth at higher levels. Topic lessons are great for beginners and lower intermediate learners. Learners at B1 and above often want longer texts, more grammar nuance and writing feedback.

5. No CEFR mapping on public pages. Mondly uses beginner, intermediate and advanced labels. Learners preparing for exams or job requirements often want a clear A1 to C1 path.

The alternatives, ranked

The ranking reflects how well each option solves the reasons above for English learners. Your own best choice depends on your goal, so read each "best for" line.

1. LearnLingo: best free structured English course

• Best for: learners who want the full course free, clear CEFR levels and grammar tips; Turkish speakers.
• Price model: every lesson free; optional LearnLingo Plus as weekly, monthly or yearly plans (current prices on the Plus page; App Store prices can differ).
• Strengths: CEFR A1 to C1 course in the browser and on iOS; mixed exercises including word bank, gap-fill, matching and listening; grammar tips and unit guides; spaced practice of your mistakes; 13 games; hearts, streaks, XP and weekly leagues; Sage the Turtle, a rule-based helper that explains answers; Turkish interface and explanations.
• Limits: no chatbot or AI conversation partner, no human tutors, no live classes, no certificates, and no offline mode on the web. Dialogue audio uses the device voice.

2. Babbel: best for explained grammar and realistic dialogues

• Best for: adults who want to understand why, not just what.
• Price model: paid subscription; prices vary by plan length and country.
• Strengths: dialogue-based lessons, grammar explained in your language, review tools, and a clean course path.
• Limits: paid; less game-like; speaking practice is mainly speech recognition, not conversation.

3. Preply: best for one-to-one conversation

• Best for: learners who need real speaking for work, study or travel.
• Price model: per lesson, with rates set by each tutor; trial lesson first, then a weekly-hours plan.
• Strengths: a real person, flexible goals and immediate correction.
• Limits: costs more per hour than any app; quality depends on the tutor.

4. Duolingo: best free app for daily habit

• Best for: learners who need streaks and fun to stay consistent.
• Price model: free with ads; paid tiers add features and remove ads.
• Strengths: a large free course, strong gamification and very short sessions.
• Limits: light grammar explanations; ads and limits in the free tier.

5. Busuu: best for structured levels with community feedback

• Best for: learners who want level-based lessons and corrections on writing.
• Price model: free tier with limits; premium plans.
• Strengths: lessons aligned to levels, grammar review, and feedback from native speakers in the community.
• Limits: the best features are paid; feedback quality varies.

6. Cambly: best for on-demand speaking time

• Best for: intermediate learners who need confidence and fluency.
• Price model: subscription by minutes.
• Strengths: quick video calls with tutors, often native speakers, with little planning.
• Limits: not a structured course; beginners may struggle.

7. Lingoda: best for live classes and accountability

• Best for: learners who study best with a teacher and a schedule.
• Price model: monthly class packages.
• Strengths: live small-group classes, qualified teachers and a level-based curriculum.
• Limits: expensive compared with apps; fixed class times.

8. ELSA Speak: best for pronunciation

• Best for: learners whose accent makes them hard to understand.
• Price model: limited free content; subscription for full access.
• Strengths: detailed sound-level pronunciation feedback.
• Limits: narrow focus; not a full course.

9. Rosetta Stone: best for immersion without translation

• Best for: learners who want to think in English from day one and like a calm product.
• Price model: subscription; on the US pricing page in October 2026, 19.99 dollars per month or 159 dollars per year for all 25 languages.
• Strengths: picture-and-audio immersion and built-in TruAccent pronunciation scoring.
• Limits: few direct grammar explanations; no translation; paid.

Comparison table

Option	Price model	Free tier	Grammar explanations	Speaking practice	Best for
Mondly	Subscription	Daily lesson	Tables and features	Scripted chatbot	Quick daily lessons
LearnLingo	Free, optional Plus	Full course	Yes, with Turkish	Speaking Coach game	Free CEFR course
Babbel	Subscription	Short preview	Yes	Speech recognition	Explained dialogues
Preply	Per lesson	No	From tutor	Live tutor	Real conversation
Duolingo	Freemium	Large	Light	Speech exercises	Daily habit
Busuu	Freemium	Limited	Yes	Community feedback	Level-based study
Cambly	Subscription	No	From tutor	Live tutor	Fluency time
Lingoda	Class packages	No	From teacher	Live group class	Accountability
ELSA Speak	Subscription	Limited	No	Detailed scoring	Pronunciation
Rosetta Stone	Subscription	Preview only	Minimal	TruAccent scoring	Immersion

Prices change by country, store and promotion. Check each official site before paying.

How to choose: a decision guide

By goal

• Pass an exam or meet a level requirement: choose a CEFR-based course such as LearnLingo or Busuu, then add exam practice. Read about Cambridge English exams and IELTS preparation tips.
• Speak at work or in interviews: choose Preply or Lingoda, plus a free course for grammar. Our guide to job interview English gives you phrases to practice.
• Travel soon: a short course plus phrase practice. See English for travel.
• Fix pronunciation: ELSA Speak plus daily shadowing.
• Build a habit: Duolingo or LearnLingo, for streaks and leagues.

By budget

• Free: LearnLingo, Duolingo's free tier, podcasts, series and language exchange. See free English courses online.
• Low monthly cost: one app subscription, such as Babbel, Busuu or Mondly, or LearnLingo Plus for unlimited hearts and more help from Sage.
• Higher: weekly tutor sessions or live classes, with a free app for review.

By level

• A1 to A2: you need explanations and structure. Start with a course and a grammar reference such as the English grammar hub.
• B1: start speaking with people every week. Apps alone stop being enough.
• B2 and above: read and listen to real content, and get feedback on your writing.

Not sure where you are? Take the free 5-minute English level test. Our guide on how long it takes to learn English explains what progress to expect at each level.

A 30-day plan: free course plus practice

About 30 minutes a day.

Week 1: foundation

• Take the level test and start the matching level on LearnLingo.
• One lesson a day, plus review of your mistakes.
• Three short listening sessions: a podcast or a video with subtitles.
• Each evening, say three sentences about your day out loud.

Week 2: speaking warm-up

• One lesson a day.
• Use a speaking tool for five minutes daily: Speaking Coach, Mondly's free chatbot lesson, or simply recording yourself.
• Shadow one minute of audio each day.
• Find a language exchange partner or book a trial with a tutor.

Week 3: depth

• Choose one grammar point you often get wrong and study it properly.
• Learn ten useful words a day and review them on a schedule.
• Have one real conversation of 20 minutes.

Week 4: real use

• Watch a full episode of a series and note useful phrases.
• Write 150 words about a goal or a problem and get feedback.
• Retake the level test on day 30.

If motivation drops in week 3, which is normal, read how to stay motivated learning English.

Level self-check

Answer yes or no.

1. I can understand simple signs, menus and short messages. (A1)
2. I can describe my job and my daily routine. (A2)
3. I can follow a slow conversation about a familiar topic. (A2 to B1)
4. I can tell a story about the past with some detail. (B1)
5. I can argue for an idea and respond to objections. (B2)
6. I can adapt my tone for formal and informal situations. (C1)

Your last yes is roughly your level.

Practice set: eight questions

1. Choose: "She ___ English for three years." (studies / has studied)
2. Fill the gap: "There are ___ people in the room." (a lot of / much)
3. Correct the mistake: "I didn't went to school yesterday."
4. Choose: "This is ___ best pizza I have ever eaten." (a / the)
5. Choose: "You ___ wear a seatbelt. It's the law." (must / might)
6. Choose: "I'm interested ___ learning Spanish." (in / on)
7. Make it reported speech: She said, "I am tired."
8. Choose: "He made me ___ the report again." (do / to do)

Answers: 1. has studied. 2. a lot of. 3. I didn't go to school yesterday. 4. the. 5. must. 6. in. 7. She said that she was tired. 8. do.

Six or fewer correct: you will gain most from a structured course that explains grammar. Seven or eight: you are ready to spend more time on conversation and real content.

Habits that matter more than the app

Whatever you choose, a few habits decide whether you progress.

Study at the same time every day. Link English to something you already do, such as your morning coffee or your commute. A fixed time removes the daily decision.

Review before you learn new things. Spend the first five minutes of each session on mistakes and old words. New material sticks better when the old material is solid.

Say everything out loud. Apps let you study silently, but speaking is a physical skill. Read answers aloud, repeat dialogues and narrate small actions in English.

Keep a mistakes notebook. Write each correction with the right version and one new example. Read it once a week.

Measure, don't guess. Retake a level test every two or three months. Visible progress keeps motivation high.

What to keep from Mondly, whatever you switch to

Mondly gets several things right, and you can keep them with any tool.

A daily, weekly and monthly rhythm. Mondly's Daily Lesson, Weekly Quiz and Monthly Challenge give learners small goals at three time scales. Copy this yourself: one lesson every day, a short self-quiz every Sunday on the week's grammar and words, and a bigger test once a month, such as a free level test or a timed writing task.

Answering, not only recognizing. The chatbot forces you to produce an answer. Many apps let you pick from options all day without ever building a sentence. With any app, cover the options and say your answer before you look. Write short replies to imaginary questions: "What do you do?", "Why are you learning English?", "What did you do last weekend?"

Topic-based vocabulary. Learning words by situation, such as the bank, the doctor or the airport, makes them easier to use. Our guides to airport English and hotel English phrases are good places to start.

Hands-free listening. Use dead time, such as commuting or cooking, for English audio. Podcasts and audiobooks work with any course.

Our verdict

If you like Mondly's style but want more, the best next step depends on the gap. For a free full course with grammar and levels, LearnLingo is a strong fit. For deeper explanations, Babbel. For real conversation, a tutor or class. Most learners do best with one daily course plus weekly conversation with people. To see a direct comparison, read Mondly vs LearnLingo, or browse all alternatives guides.

People Also Ask

What is the best free alternative to Mondly for English?

LearnLingo and Duolingo are the strongest free options. LearnLingo gives you the whole course free in the browser, with CEFR levels A1 to C1, grammar tips and Turkish support. Duolingo has a large free course with ads and paid upgrades.

Why do people look for Mondly alternatives?

Common reasons follow from Mondly's model: full access needs a subscription, the chatbot follows scripted paths rather than open conversation, the content is shared across many languages, and levels are labeled beginner to advanced rather than mapped to CEFR on its public pages.

Which Mondly alternative is best for real conversation?

A human tutor platform such as Preply or Cambly, or live classes on Lingoda. Talking to a person gives you unpredictable questions and real correction, which a scripted chatbot cannot.

Is Babbel better than Mondly for English?

Babbel is stronger for explained grammar and realistic dialogues, and many learners find it deeper. Mondly is stronger for chatbot speaking practice and many base languages. Both are paid subscriptions.

How do I choose the right English app?

Start with your level and your goal. Beginners need structure and explanations; intermediate learners need speaking and listening. Then match your budget: free courses, an app subscription, or tutors and classes.