Duolingo Max vs Speak

A side-by-side look at scores, pricing and features — with RECATOOLS' ASEAN-aware verdict for each.

Duolingo Max GPT-4-powered language learning with AI Roleplay, Video Call, and gram... Visit Speak AI conversation tutor for language learners — talk first, drill later Visit
RECATOOLS Score 7.8 / 10 7.8 / 10
Capability 8 8.5
Value for money 6.5 7
Ease of use 9 8.5
ASEAN readiness 7 7.5
API quality 2 2
Pricing Freemium Freemium
Free tier Core Duolingo app is free with ads and limited hearts 7-day free trial with full feature access; no permanent free tier
Paid from ~$14/mo (annual, $168/yr); ~$30/mo (monthly); Family ~$240/yr (US) Premium ~$18/mo or ~$84/yr; Premium Plus ~$40/mo or ~$165/yr
Has API
Open source
Free to use
Users Hundreds of millions of registered users; tens of millions of paid subscribers 10M+ registered users globally (2024); some 2026 listings cite 15M+ downloads
Founded 2011 2016
Maker Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ: DUOL) Independent (no parent company)
Verdict

Duolingo Max closes the single biggest gap in app-based language learning: speaking practice. Pairing GPT-4 with Duolingo's proven gamification engine, Roleplay and Video Call are genuinely novel at this price point, and...

Speak's pitch holds up in the roleplay mode: dropping a learner into a coffee-shop or job-interview scenario and reacting in real time via OpenAI's Realtime API beats static flashcard apps for anyone who actually needs t...

Full review → Full review →
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Comparisons cover up to 4 tools. Scores are RECATOOLS editorial assessments; verify current pricing on each vendor's site.