Mango Languages is a course app for more than 70 languages, built on real conversations recorded by native speakers. Its site says you can often get it at no cost through a public library or a school. Learners who review Mango on the App Store want different things from it. One wanted Japanese lessons written with more kanji, another wanted to skip beginner lessons they already knew, and a third wanted a way to learn without a library that offers Mango.
Mango Languages
Each Mango lesson takes a real conversation apart, then has you build it back up and say it out loud. Its site says linguists built the core courses and people recorded every voice. Words you study come back in Review at spaced times, and you can turn any word list into flashcards.
- A placement check starts you at the right level.
- Record yourself, and Voice Comparison plays you back beside a native speaker.
- Grammar and culture notes show up inside each conversation.
- Save lessons to your phone and study with no internet.
- Flashcards
MobileWeb
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is the best app for serious learners. You learn from text and audio you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, about a plan or a hobby, like cooking for friends or a trip by train, and she writes a lesson about it at your level. If you already know the basics, tell Poppy your level, and your lessons start there.
For lessons with a real teacher, italki is further down this page.
- Poppy writes every lesson for your level, about the things you want to talk about.
- Read along while each lesson plays, then move on to a story or a news article.
- When a word is new, tap it, and when a sentence makes no sense, ask Poppy.
- Regenerative Review™ puts your saved words into new lessons, and you can send them to Anki too.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't turn an article you found into a Bubblegum lesson, and Bubblegum doesn't play shows. If an article you're reading is hard, paste a paragraph into the chat, and Poppy walks you through it.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Pimsleur
Pimsleur is an audio course in more than 50 languages for English speakers. In each lesson you listen and speak, and digital flashcards help you review the most useful words.
- A lesson is about half an hour of hearing lines and answering out loud.
- Voice Coach listens to you and tells you how to improve.
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto let you keep going while you drive.
MobileWeb
Duolingo
Its lessons are game-like, with rewards and leaderboards to keep you going. Beyond languages, it has courses for chess, math, and music.
- The app is free for 40+ languages.
- Short lessons cover all four skills, from speaking to writing.
MobileWeb
LingoDeer
LingoDeer teaches 20 languages, from Japanese, Korean, and Chinese to Spanish and Greek. Native speakers recorded its audio in a studio, and flashcards and quizzes help you review.
- Language teachers wrote the courses.
- Tips and notes inside each lesson explain the grammar.
- Each course starts from the alphabet, and Character Drill practices writing Japanese kanji and Chinese characters.
MobileWeb
italki
italki is a marketplace of language teachers. You choose a teacher you like and book one-on-one lessons of 30 to 90 minutes, with no subscription.
- Book one-on-one lessons with a teacher you choose.
- Its teachers cover more than 150 languages.
MobileWeb
Other Apps We Looked At (4)
- Transparent Language OnlineCourses in 140+ languages, including ASL and Indigenous languages, offered through public libraries. Its site has a search for libraries that offer it.
- BabbelCourses built for speakers of your own language, plus Babbel Speak, an AI partner for practice conversations.
- Rosetta StoneIts Dynamic Immersion lessons teach through the new language, and TruAccent listens to how you say words.
- BusuuCourses from A1 to C1, and fluent speakers in its community give you feedback.
Which Mango Languages alternative should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning a language, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with LingoDeer if you want grammar explained from the first lesson, or with Pimsleur if you learn best by ear.
Can I get Mango Languages through my library?
Often, yes. Mango's site has a search for libraries near you that offer it, and our guide to getting Mango with a library card walks through the steps.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Mango Languages: 70+ languages, conversation-based lessons, free access through many libraries
- Mango Languages: How it works (placement, spaced review, voice comparison)
- Mango Languages: Vocabulary lists and flashcards
- Mango Languages: App Store listing and learner reviews
- Pimsleur: 50+ languages, Voice Coach, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Duolingo: App Store listing (free app for 40+ languages)
- LingoDeer: Courses by language teachers
- LingoDeer: App Store listing (20 languages, from the alphabet)
- italki: 1-on-1 teachers in 150+ languages
- Transparent Language Online: Language learning for libraries
- Babbel: App Store listing
- Rosetta Stone: Dynamic Immersion and TruAccent
- Busuu: Learn languages for real life
- Bubblegum
- Duolingo
Checked on October 24, 2026 against each app's own pages.
