Duolingo Max vs ELSA Speak vs Speak
A side-by-side look at scores, pricing and features — with RECATOOLS' ASEAN-aware verdict for each.
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ELSA Speak
AI coach that scores English pronunciation sound by sound
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Speak
A speaking-first language app built around conversation with an AI tut...
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| RECATOOLS Score | 7.8 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 |
| Capability | |||
| Value for money | |||
| Ease of use | |||
| ASEAN readiness | |||
| API quality | |||
| Pricing | Subscription | Freemium | Subscription |
| Free tier | — | Free app download and free AI speaking assessment; full lessons need Pro or Premium after a 7-day trial | 7-day free trial of core features; no lasting free plan |
| Paid from | Max price not published; Super Duolingo from $9.99 on the US App Store | $89.99/year (ELSA Pro, pronunciation only), Premium $99.99/year | $17.99/month or $83.99/year (Premium, US App Store; varies by region) |
| Has API | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Open source | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free to use | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Users | Hundreds of millions of registered users; tens of millions of paid subscribers | 90M+ downloads globally as of January 2026; 195 countries | 10M+ registered users globally (2024); some 2026 listings cite 15M+ downloads |
| Founded | 2023 | 2016 | 2016 |
| Maker | Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ: DUOL) | ELSA, Corp. | Connor Zwick, Andrew Hsu |
| Verdict | Max was the way to get Duolingo's best speaking practice: Video Call with Lily and scenario Roleplay on top of Super. That premium is disappearing. Video Call is moving into Super, new sign-ups have been offered only Sup... |
ELSA Speak is one of the most focused pronunciation tools available: sound-by-sound scoring, a learning path built from your weak spots, and a choice of American, British or Australian targets. It suits ASEAN learners wh... |
Speak is one of the better apps for actually talking: lessons end in back-and-forth conversation with an AI tutor, feedback covers pronunciation and phrasing, and the new Live Tutor Lessons on OpenAI's GPT-Live-1 are des... |
| Full review → | Full review → | Full review → |
Comparisons cover up to 4 tools. Scores are RECATOOLS editorial assessments; verify current pricing on each vendor's site.