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Free alternatives to Rosetta Stone

Top pick: Duolingo. Switching saves about $159 USD a year.

Rosetta Stone, All languages, yearly plan

$159 USDa year

$259 CAD

Every pick below has a free version.

Runs on
  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
Key file formats
Not listed

Filter alternatives

3 alternatives

Top pick

1 tool

The editor’s first choice for most people switching.

  1. Rank 1: Duolingo

    Best for free, game-style lessons on a phone

    License: Free tier
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Status: Verified

    Lessons are free with ads. Paid Super and Max plans remove ads and add extras. It teaches less speaking depth than Rosetta Stone. Free version: Lessons are free with ads. Paid Super and Max plans remove ads and add extra features.

Situational

2 tools

Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.

  1. Rank 2: Anki

    Best for spaced-repetition vocabulary practice

    License: Open source
    • Windows
    • macOS
    • Linux
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Status: Active

    A flashcard tool, not a course. Use it beside lessons from another source. Free version: Desktop, AnkiWeb sync and AnkiDroid on Android are free. AnkiMobile, the official iOS app, is a paid purchase.

  2. Rank 3: Language Transfer

    Best for free audio courses for beginners

    License: Freeware
    • Web
    • iOS
    • Android
    Status: Verified

    Free with no ads and no sign-up, funded by donations. It covers beginner level only.

Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.

Feature parity

How each alternative covers what people use Rosetta Stone for. Numbers link to editor notes.

Feature parity with Rosetta Stone
FeatureDuolingoAnkiLanguage Transfer
Curriculum
Structured lessons from beginner levelYesNote 1NoNote 2PartialNote 3
Many languages to choose fromYesNote 4YesNote 5PartialNote 6
Method
Immersive lessons without translationPartialNote 7NoNoNote 8
Speaking
Pronunciation feedback from speech recognitionPartialNote 9NoNo
Practice
Flashcards and vocabulary reviewPartialNote 10YesNote 11No
Access
Mobile appsYesPartialNote 12YesNote 13
Parity score75%42%33%
  1. Duolingo, Structured lessons from beginner level: Unit-based courses from beginner level
  2. Anki, Structured lessons from beginner level: No built-in course; you use shared decks
  3. Language Transfer, Structured lessons from beginner level: Beginner audio courses in a limited set of languages
  4. Duolingo, Many languages to choose from: Many courses including Spanish and French and Japanese
  5. Anki, Many languages to choose from: Any language through shared decks
  6. Language Transfer, Many languages to choose from: A limited set of languages
  7. Duolingo, Immersive lessons without translation: Mixes target-language and translation exercises
  8. Language Transfer, Immersive lessons without translation: Taught in English with spoken prompts
  9. Duolingo, Pronunciation feedback from speech recognition: Speaking exercises; speech scoring is basic
  10. Duolingo, Flashcards and vocabulary review: Practice exercises; some review tools need a paid plan
  11. Anki, Flashcards and vocabulary review: Spaced repetition with audio and images
  12. Anki, Mobile apps: AnkiDroid on Android is free; the iOS app costs money
  13. Language Transfer, Mobile apps: Free app

Not covered by any free alternative yet: Immersive lessons without translation, Pronunciation feedback from speech recognition. See all feature gaps

What switching saves

Switching saves about $159 USD / $259 CAD a year. Prices checked .

Based on All languages, yearly plan. Price source.

About this page

Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.

Something wrong or out of date? Report outdated info.

Related

Rosetta Stone is a product of Rosetta Stone, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Rosetta Stone: Web, iOS, Android.