Memrise
Free / Pro from ~$8.49 per mo
Duolingo
Free / Super from ~$6.99 per mo (annual)
Memrise is a vocabulary-focused app that uses real native-speaker video clips to teach phrases in context. Duolingo is a gamified, free-to-start app that builds a daily habit across many languages. Memrise wins on authentic vocabulary in context; Duolingo wins on gamification, breadth, and a strong free tier.
Pick Memrise if you want vocabulary practice with authentic native-speaker video to learn phrases in context.
Pick Duolingo if you want a fun, gamified app with a strong free tier and a huge range of languages.
Memrise and Duolingo both make language learning approachable, but they emphasize different things. Memrise focuses on vocabulary and real-world phrases, and its signature feature is short video clips of native speakers using language in context, which helps with comprehension and pronunciation. Duolingo is the gamification king: bite-sized lessons, streaks, and a huge range of languages designed to build a daily habit and keep you engaged, with a strong free tier.
On price, both have free tiers; Memrise Pro starts around $8.49 a month and Duolingo Super around $6.99 (annual). The choice is mostly authentic vocabulary with native video (Memrise) versus gamified daily habit across many languages (Duolingo).
We compare vocabulary, native video, gamification, language breadth, and price.
| Quick facts | Memrise | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes (limited) | Yes (full courses) |
| Paid price | Pro from ~$8.49/mo | Super from ~$6.99/mo (annual) |
| Native-speaker video | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Gamification / habit | Good | Best-in-class |
| Best for | Vocab in context | Fun habit + breadth |
Each row reflects the feature on each product's current public release.
| Feature | M Memrise | D Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Vocabulary focus | Best-in-class | Good |
| Native-speaker video clips | Best-in-class | Limited |
| Gamification & streaks | Good | Best-in-class |
| Number of languages | Good | Best-in-class |
| Grammar instruction | Limited | Good |
| Strong free tier | Limited | Best-in-class |
| Daily habit building | Good | Best-in-class |
| Spaced repetition | Best-in-class | Good |
Pricing and features change often. Always verify the current details on each product's official site. Last reviewed June 2026.
Things neither product's marketing page leads with.
Memrise is great for vocabulary and authentic native video, but it is lighter on grammar and has a smaller free tier.
Duolingo has more gamification, languages, and a stronger free tier, but its vocabulary-in-context video is more limited.
For authentic vocabulary Memrise wins; for habit and breadth Duolingo wins.
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