Icelandic Online and Ylhýra are free websites, and their publishers list no paid tier for self-study. Drops and uTalk are free with limits, and the Beginners app gives you nine lessons before it asks you to pay. This page shows what stays free in each one and what costs money. For courses and tutors, see our Icelandic app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Icelandic. You learn from Icelandic you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Icelandic 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 you review them in new contexts.
- Poppy's Icelandic grammar notes cover 365 topics in English.
- The Icelandic dictionary has 47,748 entries.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Learn every letter and its sound in the free Icelandic Alphabet course.
- Unlimited custom Icelandic lessons need Pro. You can't turn your own Icelandic books into lessons. However, you can paste a page in the chat, and Poppy will explain it.
- 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™
- Teaches the Icelandic Alphabet
Mobile
Drops
Drops suits learners who want a few minutes of Icelandic words at a time.
- Drops teaches Icelandic words through short visual sessions, in English.
- Free sessions run five minutes every ten hours.
Mobile
uTalk
uTalk suits learners who want to say the first Icelandic words aloud before they commit.
- The Icelandic course has starter words and games that you can try without paying.
- You hear a word, record yourself and compare.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (5)
- Icelandic OnlineA website from the University of Iceland with six free self-study courses, from Survival to Online 5, and you register for an account. PLUS is a separate tutor-supported course that costs money.
- YlhýraA website with Icelandic texts and English translations of words and sentences, plus a simple review game. You need an account to keep your progress.
- Learn Icelandic - Beginners (BNR Languages)An Android app whose publisher describes all content as free, with no daily limits and English translations. The listing shows ads and in-app purchases, so it is not ad-free.
- Learn Icelandic for BeginnersAn iPhone app with Chapter 1, the first nine lessons, free. The remaining lessons need a one-time purchase or a subscription.
- AnkiA flashcard program with no Icelandic course, so you create your own cards or import shared decks. It is free on desktop and on Android through AnkiDroid, and AnkiMobile for iPhone costs $24.99 in the US App Store.
| App | Usable in | Learning help in | What stays free | Where the limit is | Paid part | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | Yes | Partly | Library lessons | Unlimited custom lessons | Pro | iPhone, Android, web |
| Drops | Yes | Yes | Five minutes every ten hours | Time and topics | Premium | iPhone, Android |
| uTalk | Yes | Partly | Starter words and games | The rest of the course | Course | iPhone, Android, web |
| Icelandic Online | Unconfirmed | Partly | Six self-study courses | Account required | PLUS tutor course | Website |
| Ylhýra | Yes | Partly | Texts, translations, review game | Account for progress | None stated | Website |
| Learn Icelandic - Beginners (BNR Languages) | Unconfirmed | Unconfirmed | The whole course, says its publisher | No daily limits | Ads and in-app purchases | Android |
| Learn Icelandic for Beginners | Yes | Unconfirmed | Nine lessons | Chapter 1 only | Purchase or subscription | iPhone |
| Anki | Yes | Partly | Desktop and Android program, no Icelandic course | Create or import your own cards | AnkiMobile, $24.99 | Desktop, Android, iPhone |
Which free Icelandic app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Icelandic, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with the free Survival course on Icelandic Online, which the University of Iceland offers with a free account.
How long can I use Drops for free?
Five minutes every ten hours. Premium lifts the time limit and the topic limit.
Is the BNR Languages Android app free?
Its publisher describes the content as free with no daily limits. The Google Play listing also shows ads and in-app purchases, so expect ads and optional purchases. For lessons you read and listen to without a plan, see our Icelandic comprehensible input comparison.
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
- Bubblegum: Icelandic and English language pair
- Drops: Learn Icelandic
- Drops: how free sessions work
- Drops: iPhone App Store listing (US)
- uTalk: Icelandic
- Icelandic Online: University of Iceland
- Ylhýra: learn Icelandic
- Learn Icelandic - Beginners (BNR Languages): Google Play listing
- Learn Icelandic for Beginners: iPhone App Store listing (US)
- Anki: iPhone App Store listing (US)
- Bubblegum
