You can learn a lot of Cebuano without paying, but each free option stops in a different place. Bisdak na and TalkBisaya are free web courses. HelloTalk and Tandem are free for finding partners, and Bubblegum has free library lessons. This page shows what stays free in each app and what the paid plan adds. Cebuano is also called Bisaya, and a Tagalog course teaches a different language. For courses and tutors, see our Cebuano app comparison. For reading and listening, see our Cebuano comprehensible input comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Cebuano. You learn from Cebuano you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Cebuano lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
- Library lessons in Cebuano are free to read.
- Poppy explains hard Cebuano sentences in English, and Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons.
- Saved words can go to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Unlimited custom Cebuano lessons need Pro. You also can't turn a Cebuano book or video you own into a lesson, but Poppy will explain a page you paste in.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
HelloTalk
HelloTalk suits learners who want to chat with Cebuano speakers who are learning a language you already speak.
- Cebuano has its own HelloTalk page for finding partners.
- Text chats, voice chats, Moments corrections and Voicerooms stay free.
MobileWeb
Tandem
Tandem suits learners who are happy to type first and add a call later.
- Cebuano is on Tandem's list of languages, and matching and messaging stay free.
- Partners can correct each other's writing.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (4)
- Bisdak naA Cebuano course on the web with a sentence builder, grammar drills, flashcards and stories, in English. Its makers describe it as free forever with no account.
- TalkBisayaA Cebuano site with lessons, a dictionary, grammar guides and quizzes in English. Its makers advertise them as free, and no paid plan shows on its home page.
- MyBisayaTutorA Cebuano app with English help. Its free tier has a word deck, a translator and grammar, plus one story and one listening clip a day. Pro adds unlimited stories and clips.
- AnkiMake cards with a Cebuano word, its meaning and your own sentence. Anki does not come with a Cebuano deck, so you supply the words.
| App | What stays free | Where the limit is | Paid plan | English help | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Library lessons | Unlimited custom lessons | Pro | Partly | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| HelloTalk | Finding partners, text and voice chats, Moments, Voicerooms | Daily limits on translation, transcription and AI correction | VIP raises the limits | Partly | iPhone, Android, web |
| Tandem | Matching and messaging | Calls need Pro for new users | Pro adds calls, unlimited translations and saved expressions | Partly | iPhone, Android, web |
| Bisdak na | Everything its makers list: lessons, sentence builder, grammar, flashcards, stories | No limit stated | No paid plan shown | Yes | Web |
| TalkBisaya | Lessons, dictionary, grammar guides, quizzes | No limit stated | No paid plan shown | Yes | Web |
| MyBisayaTutor | Word deck, translator, grammar, one story and one clip a day | One story and one clip a day | Pro adds unlimited stories and clips | Yes | iPhone |
| Anki | Desktop and AnkiWeb | You supply the cards | AnkiMobile for iPhone is paid once | Your own cards | iPhone, Android, computer |
Which free Cebuano app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Cebuano, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Bisdak na if you want a free course on the web that needs no account.
Do I need to pay to call a Cebuano speaker?
On HelloTalk, voice conversations are part of the free plan. On Tandem, new users need Pro to make audio or video calls, so the free plan there is for messages.
Does a free Tagalog course teach Cebuano?
No. Tagalog and Cebuano are different languages. Bisdak na keeps them in two separate tracks, so choose the Bisaya track for Cebuano.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- HelloTalk: is HelloTalk free
- HelloTalk: what the paid plan adds
- HelloTalk: Learn Cebuano
- Tandem: languages you can practice
- Tandem: is Tandem Pro required to make a call
- Tandem: what a Tandem Pro subscription includes
- MyBisayaTutor: Learn Cebuano (Bisaya)
- TalkBisaya: learn Bisaya
- Bisdak na: Cebuano lessons
- Anki: what's free
- AnkiMobile: iPhone App Store listing
- Bubblegum
- Tandem
