Memrise is a language app built around short videos of real people saying useful words and phrases, which you hear, learn, and then copy out loud. Bubblegum is a language app for reading and listening: Poppy, an AI tutor, writes full lessons about the things you like at a level you can mostly follow, and saved words come back in the lessons that follow.
How Memrise and Bubblegum Compare
Memrise works in small pieces, a word or a phrase at a time, and Bubblegum works in whole conversations and stories.
| Bubblegum | Memrise | |
|---|---|---|
| How you learn | Poppy writes lessons, stories, and news at your level, and you read and listen | Watch real people say words and phrases, then practice them and say them back |
| How words come back | Regenerative Review™: saved words return inside new lessons | Review sessions use spaced repetition to bring words back before you forget them |
| Videos of real people | No | Thousands of short videos |
| Phone apps | iPhone and Android | iPhone and Android |
| On the web | Free guides and alphabet courses | Learn and review at memrise.com |
| Languages | 60 | 28 in its course list |
| Menu languages | 74 | 22 on its iPhone listing |
The Memrise count comes from the course list on its home page, where some languages have two versions, and the menu count is from its App Store listing. Bubblegum's language page shows its 60 languages, and its menus can be set to 74.
Which App Fits Which Learner
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 something you want to talk about, like your new job or a weekend hike. She writes a lesson at your level, and you can read it, hear it, tap any word you don't know, and ask her why a sentence says what it does.
The trade-off is that Bubblegum has no videos of real people. To watch many different people say a phrase and copy how they sound, Memrise is the better fit.
- Every lesson is a whole conversation or story, written by Poppy for your level.
- You choose what each lesson is about, and news and stories are ready when you want them.
- Ask Poppy about a line, and she explains the meaning and the grammar behind it.
- Words you save show up again in later lessons through Regenerative Review™, with no flashcards.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- There are no videos of real people saying words and phrases.
- You can't add your own texts or videos.
- 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
Memrise
Memrise's method has three steps: hear a phrase from a real person, learn what it means, then copy the way they say it. Its iPhone listing says it suits beginners starting from scratch as well as learners who want to build their listening and speaking.
- Thousands of short videos show real people saying the words and phrases you learn.
- Record yourself and compare how you sound with the speaker.
- Practice conversations with AI Buddies, its language learning bots.
- Choose from hundreds of real-life scenarios.
MobileWeb
Choose Memrise if:
- You want to hear many different people say everyday phrases.
- You'd like to say phrases out loud and compare your voice with theirs.
- You like learning from short videos and quick review sessions.
Choose Bubblegum if:
- You want longer reading and listening at a level you can mostly follow.
- You'd like your lessons to be about the topics you choose.
- You want a language that isn't in Memrise's course list, such as Vietnamese, Filipino, or Uzbek.
Using Both Together
Memrise and Bubblegum fit together well. Memrise helps you learn single phrases and say them, and Bubblegum lets you meet words like those inside longer conversations. Spread a few sessions of each across your week, whenever it suits you.
Common Questions
Which app 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 Memrise if you'd like to begin with short phrases and practice saying them.
How do I know which Bubblegum level to start at?
Bubblegum has six levels, and each one is a sentence about what you can read, from "I know a few words" up to reading almost anything. Pick the line that sounds like you. If your first lessons feel too easy or too hard, switch to the level next to it.
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
- Memrise: Videos of real people, courses and plans
- Memrise: Help center, spaced repetition and Memrise on the web
- Memrise: Download Memrise for iPhone and Android
- Memrise: iPhone App Store listing
- Bubblegum: Every language you can learn
- Bubblegum
Checked on October 14, 2026 against each app's own pages.
