Best Apps to Learn Spanish in 2026

Spanish is an official language in more than 20 countries and territories, and Instituto Cervantes counts more than 630 million Spanish speakers worldwide, about 520 million of them native speakers. Almost every language app teaches it, and the apps differ in which variety they teach and in what they offer after the beginner lessons. Far fewer give you Spanish to read and listen to at your level.

Here are the apps and services that teach Spanish, grouped by what they help you do. You can start with one and add another when you need it.

Custom Lessons Made for You

Bubblegum

Bubblegum suits learners who want Spanish built around their own lives. Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, what you want to learn. She writes lessons for your level and helps you understand the words and grammar. You can read and listen, and ask her about anything that is unclear. News and stories give you more Spanish to read about the things you care about.

The trade-off is that Bubblegum does not replace real Spanish voices. For recorded speakers, Pimsleur and Mango are the better fit, and for conversation, try the apps in Learn With People.

Get Bubblegum ↓

  • Separate journeys for Spain, Latin American, and Argentine Spanish, so lessons follow the variety you choose.
  • Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
  • Read and listen to news and stories in Spanish about things you care about.
  • Ask Poppy about a sentence while you read.
  • Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you review them by reading instead of using flashcards.
  • Lesson audio uses AI voices, not recordings of Spanish speakers.
  • You cannot import your own books or articles.
  • The free plan includes one new custom lesson each day.
  • Regenerative Review™

Mobile

Spain and Latin American Spanish

People who speak either variety understand each other, and the differences are in pronunciation, vocabulary, and a few points of grammar. In Spain, the letter z usually sounds like the th in think, and people say vosotros for an informal "you all," while Latin Americans say ustedes. A bus is an autobús in Spain and a camión in Mexico.

Busuu, Mango, Pimsleur, Memrise, Drops, and Babbel each have separate courses for Spain and for Latin America, while Duolingo teaches mostly Latin American Spanish. Argentine Spanish has its own features, and our guide to learning Argentine Spanish covers them in more depth.

Follow a Spanish Course

If you want someone to choose what comes next, start here. These apps give you an ordered path through Spanish words and sentences.

Duolingo

Duolingo gives you a place to start with Spanish words and sounds. Add a tutor or a conversation partner when you want to talk with real people.

  • A free Spanish course for English speakers that practices listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
  • Short lessons make it easy to practice a little at a time.
  • The course uses ustedes for "you all" and does not teach vosotros, the form used in Spain.

    MobileWeb

    Busuu

    Busuu has a Complete Spanish course and a Complete Latin American Spanish course. Choose the one that matches where you will use your Spanish.

    • Feedback from Spanish-speaking users on your written and spoken answers.
    • Courses go from beginner to advanced.
    • The feedback on your practice comes from other Busuu users.

      MobileWeb

      Memrise

      Memrise has an official Spanish course and an official Mexican Spanish course, both written by language experts. Choose the one that matches where you will use your Spanish.

      • Videos of native speakers using Spanish in context.
      • Vocabulary, pronunciation, and listening practice.
      • The official courses teach Spain Spanish and Mexican Spanish, so other regional Spanish needs other material.

        MobileWeb

        Mango Languages

        Mango Languages has a Latin American Spanish course and a Castilian Spanish course, each with voices from its own dialect. Check your local library first, since many libraries include Mango.

        • Each lesson starts from a conversation between native speakers.
        • The Latin American course has 682 lessons, and the Castilian course adds chapters on flamenco and soccer.
        • Free access depends on whether your library offers Mango.
        • Flashcards

        MobileWeb

        Babbel

        Babbel guides you through listening, speaking, and writing. Its lessons use conversations you might have at work, while traveling, or with friends.

        • Short lessons built around everyday conversations.
        • Grammar explanations and review exercises.
        • The first lesson of each course is free; full courses need a paid subscription.
        • Flashcards

        MobileWeb

        Practice Speaking and Listening

        Pimsleur

        Pimsleur has one course for Latin American Spanish and another for Castilian Spanish. You listen to a conversation, answer the prompts out loud, and hear the right answer. It suits learners who want to start speaking before they read much.

        • Five levels with 30 audio lessons each, about 30 minutes long.
        • Reading lessons to go with the audio.
        • You need a Pimsleur subscription for full access.

          MobileWeb

          Build Vocabulary

          Drops

          Drops teaches Spanish words through quick games with pictures. It has a Mexican Spanish course and a Castilian Spanish course, and it suggests Mexican Spanish for learners in the United States or Canada and Castilian for learners in Europe.

          • Sessions are short, about five minutes.
          • More than 2,000 words in the Castilian course.
          • It focuses on vocabulary, so you will want a course for grammar.

            Mobile

            Clozemaster

            Clozemaster shows you a Spanish sentence with one word missing, and you choose or type the word. You can hear each sentence before you see it.

            • Sentences are sorted by how common the missing word is, so the most useful words come first.
            • Sentence lists on topics such as games, movies, and jobs.
            • It is meant to be used with a course, textbook, or tutor, and it works best once you know some basic grammar.

              MobileWeb

              uTalk

              uTalk helps you learn Spanish words through games and audio. It has a version recorded in Spain, a Latin American version with voice artists from Mexico and Honduras, and an Argentine version.

              • More than 2,500 everyday words and phrases across 60 topics.
              • Every word is voiced by native male and female speakers.
              • It teaches words and phrases, so you will want another course for grammar.

                MobileWeb

                Read and Watch Spanish

                LingQ

                LingQ gives you Spanish lessons to read and listen to. Its own Mini Stories come in a European Spanish version and a Latin American Spanish version.

                • A large library of Spanish courses, from beginner lessons to podcasts.
                • Mini Stories repeat basic Spanish patterns many times.
                • Courses come from many teachers and share one library, so check each course's title for its variety.
                • Flashcards

                MobileWeb

                Language Reactor

                Language Reactor adds a popup dictionary to Netflix and YouTube, so you can click a word in a Spanish show and see what it means.

                • Dual subtitles show Spanish and your own language together.
                • A Netflix catalogue helps you find titles with high-quality subtitles in the language you study.
                • Subtitle languages depend on your country's Netflix, and machine translations are a Pro feature.

                  Browser extension

                  Dreaming Spanish

                  Dreaming Spanish builds learning around watching videos you understand. Choose a topic and a difficulty that lets you follow what the teacher is saying.

                  • Videos made for learners, from first steps to advanced topics.
                  • Teachers use pictures, gestures, and stories to make Spanish easier to follow.
                  • Watching videos gives you listening practice; add a tutor or partner when you want feedback on your own speaking.

                    MobileWeb

                    Learn With People

                    Choose a tutor if you want teaching and correction. Choose a language exchange if you want a practice partner and are happy to help with English in return.

                    italki

                    italki has Spanish tutors for many accents and goals. Read tutor profiles to find a teacher whose accent matches the Spanish you want.

                    • Choose a Spanish tutor and book lessons around your schedule.
                    • Tutors teach conversation practice and prepare you for exams such as DELE and SIELE.
                    • Lessons are paid, and prices depend on the tutor.

                      MobileWeb

                      Preply

                      Preply lists thousands of Spanish tutors, and a separate page covers Latin American Spanish teachers. Compare profiles and reviews to find a tutor who fits your level and goals.

                      • Filter tutors by specialty, accent, or availability.
                      • Spanish lessons for conversation and for DELE exam preparation.
                      • Lessons are paid, and prices depend on the tutor.

                        MobileWeb

                        HelloTalk

                        HelloTalk has native Spanish speakers from countries such as Mexico, Spain, Argentina, and Colombia. AI tools help with translation and grammar suggestions while you chat.

                        • Native Spanish speakers from more than 20 countries, with partners you can filter by country.
                        • Voice rooms for Spanish practice at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
                        • Practice depends on finding partners who fit your level and schedule.

                          Mobile

                          Tandem

                          Tandem is a language exchange app with native Spanish speakers from every Spanish-speaking country. Agree with your partner on how to split time between your two languages.

                          • Practice by text, audio message, or video call.
                          • Hear the words and accents used in different Spanish-speaking countries.
                          • You arrange practice with a partner; it is not a guided course.

                            MobileWeb

                            Free Courses, Videos, and Dictionaries

                            italki's roundup of Reddit advice lists Language Transfer and Dreaming Spanish among the picks Spanish learners recommend. Language Transfer's Complete Spanish is a free audio course where a teacher guides you to work out how the language fits together. Coffee Break Spanish is a podcast with four levels of 40 lessons each, and Easy Spanish films street interviews in places such as Barcelona and Mexico City, with subtitles in Spanish and English.

                            SpanishDict is a free dictionary with verb charts for every tense, and the RAE dictionary is the Real Academia Española's own dictionary, free online and in a mobile app. Instituto Cervantes AVE Global has online Spanish courses from A1 to C1, with options that add a tutor and courses that prepare you for the DELE exam.

                            Learn Spanish in Your Language

                            These counts cover menu-language choices, including script variants. Other apps’ counts and full lists come from their iPhone listings. Lesson explanations and other platforms may differ.

                            AppSupported Display LanguagesFull List
                            Bubblegum74
                            Full list
                            • Afrikaans
                            • Albanian
                            • Amharic
                            • Arabic
                            • Armenian
                            • Azerbaijani
                            • Basque
                            • Belarusian
                            • Bengali
                            • Bulgarian
                            • Burmese
                            • Catalan
                            • Chinese (Simplified)
                            • Chinese (Traditional)
                            • Croatian
                            • Czech
                            • Danish
                            • Dutch
                            • English
                            • Estonian
                            • Filipino (Tagalog)
                            • Finnish
                            • French
                            • Galician
                            • Georgian
                            • German
                            • Greek
                            • Gujarati
                            • Hebrew
                            • Hindi
                            • Hungarian
                            • Icelandic
                            • Indonesian
                            • Italian
                            • Japanese
                            • Kannada
                            • Kazakh
                            • Khmer
                            • Korean
                            • Kyrgyz
                            • Lao
                            • Latvian
                            • Lithuanian
                            • Macedonian
                            • Malay
                            • Malayalam
                            • Marathi
                            • Mongolian
                            • Nepali
                            • Norwegian
                            • Persian
                            • Polish
                            • Portuguese
                            • Punjabi
                            • Romanian
                            • Romansh
                            • Russian
                            • Serbian (Cyrillic)
                            • Serbian (Latin)
                            • Sinhala
                            • Slovak
                            • Slovenian
                            • Spanish
                            • Swahili
                            • Swedish
                            • Tamil
                            • Telugu
                            • Thai
                            • Turkish
                            • Ukrainian
                            • Urdu
                            • Uzbek
                            • Vietnamese
                            • Zulu
                            Duolingo32Full list
                            Busuu15Full list
                            Memrise22Full list
                            Mango Languages2Full list
                            Pimsleur3Full list
                            Drops16Full list
                            Clozemaster37Full list
                            uTalk1Full list
                            LingQ17Full list
                            Language Reactor27Full list
                            italki19Full list
                            Preply19Full list
                            HelloTalk16Full list
                            Tandem14Full list
                            Babbel9Full list
                            Dreaming Spanish1Full list
                            Other Apps We Looked At (9)
                            • GlossikaSpanish (Spain) and Spanish (Mexico) courses from A1 to C1, built around listening to and saying sentences.
                            • LingoDeerA Spanish course that teaches grammar one step at a time from A1 to B1, with story video lessons, games, quizzes, and flashcards, and separate Spain and Latin America courses.
                            • LingShort Spanish lessons with native audio, speech recognition to check your pronunciation, and an AI chatbot for practice conversations.
                            • BeelinguappSpanish and your own language side by side, with the text following the audio as a native voice actor reads fairy tales, news, songs, and novels.
                            • MigakuMakes Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ subtitles clickable, shows how hard a video will be at your level, and gives an AI breakdown of sentences you do not understand.
                            • ReadlangClick any word or phrase in a Spanish text or web page to see a translation, then practice the words you saved with flashcards. You can read its public library or add your own texts.
                            • TalkpalTalk or write with an AI tutor about any topic and get feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
                            • PraktikaSpoken conversations with AI tutors who give feedback on pronunciation, tone, and speed, with a choice of Latin American or Castilian Spanish.
                            • UniverbalPractice conversations with an AI tutor from beginner to advanced, and write your own prompt to set up a custom conversation, such as ordering food.

                            Common Questions

                            Which Spanish app should a beginner choose?

                            Start with Duolingo if you want free short lessons, or Mango if your library offers it. Add Pimsleur if you want to speak from the start. Bubblegum suits learners who want lessons around their own interests. Spanish uses the Latin alphabet, so you do not need to learn a new script first.

                            Can I learn Spanish for free?

                            Yes. Duolingo's Spanish course is free, and many libraries give free access to Mango. Language Transfer's Complete Spanish audio course is free, SpanishDict's dictionary and verb charts are free. Bubblegum's lesson library is free to read too.

                            Is Bubblegum free?

                            Yes. You can read the free lesson library and ask Poppy for one new custom lesson each day on iPhone and Android. Become a Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons and to support our team.

                            Sources
                            1. Instituto Cervantes: El español: lengua para el mundo 2025, 20 claves del español en el mundo
                            2. Britannica: Spanish language
                            3. Babbel: Spain Spanish vs. Latin American Spanish
                            4. Duolingo: What is vosotros and when do I use it?
                            5. italki: Best Spanish Learning Apps According to Reddit
                            6. Mango Languages for libraries
                            7. Language Transfer: Complete Spanish
                            8. Dreaming Spanish: Superbeginner videos
                            9. SpanishDict: Spanish dictionary
                            10. Babbel: current iPhone listing
                            11. Dreaming Spanish: features and access
                            12. Dreaming Spanish: features and access
                            13. Dreaming Spanish: features and access
                            14. Bubblegum
                            15. Duolingo
                            16. Busuu
                            17. Memrise
                            18. Mango Languages
                            19. Babbel
                            20. Pimsleur
                            21. Drops
                            22. Clozemaster
                            23. uTalk
                            24. LingQ
                            25. Language Reactor
                            26. italki
                            27. Preply
                            28. HelloTalk
                            29. Tandem

                            Checked on October 5, 2026 against each app's own pages.

                            Explore More Spanish Guides

                            Start Here

                            Short Spanish lessons for your first words and sentences.

                            Read at Level 1

                            Real Spanish lessons with word lookups, notes, and audio. Switch levels on any guide.

                            Go Deeper

                            Guides built around what Spanish learners love, plus how we think about learning.

                            • Spanish
                            • Español
                            • App Comparison
                            • Duolingo
                            • Busuu
                            • Pimsleur
                            • italki
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                            Published Oct 4, 2026