Babbel vs Duolingo Max vs Speak vs Youdao Hi Echo 网易有道 Hi Echo
A side-by-side look at scores, pricing and features — with RECATOOLS' ASEAN-aware verdict for each.
Babbel
Structured language lessons in 14 languages, with AI speaking practice
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Speak
A speaking-first language app built around conversation with an AI tut...
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| RECATOOLS Score | 7.2 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 | 6.8 / 10 |
| Capability | — | |||
| Value for money | — | |||
| Ease of use | — | |||
| ASEAN readiness | — | |||
| API quality | — | |||
| Pricing | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free tier | Free registration; first lesson of every course plus some speaking practice and podcasts free | — | 7-day free trial of core features; no lasting free plan | Free download; no free tier is described on the website or App Store listing |
| Paid from | $8.95/mo on 12-month plan ($107.40/yr), all 14 languages; Lifetime $299.99 | Max price not published; Super Duolingo from $9.99 on the US App Store | $17.99/month or $83.99/year (Premium, US App Store; varies by region) | From ¥68/month (App Store); annual auto-renew ¥498/year |
| Has API | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Open source | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free to use | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Users | 25M+ cumulative subscriptions sold | Hundreds of millions of registered users; tens of millions of paid subscribers | 10M+ registered users globally (2024); some 2026 listings cite 15M+ downloads | — |
| Founded | 2007 | 2023 | 2016 | 2023 |
| Maker | Independent (Babbel GmbH) | Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ: DUOL) | Connor Zwick, Andrew Hsu | NetEase Youdao (Youdao, Inc., NYSE: DAO) |
| Verdict | Babbel is one of the most structured language apps, with lessons that explain grammar rather than gamify it, and every plan now includes all 14 languages, which makes it better value than it used to be. Babbel Speak brin... |
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... |
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... |
Hi Echo is one of the more polished AI speaking tutors for Chinese learners of English, with detailed pronunciation feedback, IELTS preparation and, since version 4.0, more natural live voice conversation. It is a paid p... |
| Full review → | 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.