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 2026-06-26.
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.
The average person juggles a dozen subscriptions and forgets at least one. Subkept is a privacy-first subscription tracker: add Memrise, Duolingo, and everything else, then get renewal reminders, price-hike alerts, and a clear monthly total, with no bank connection, ever. Free for up to 5 subscriptions, no time limit.