# Alternatives to Busuu

Courses with community corrections.

Busuu ranks #2 of 10 in Language learning apps, with an Alt Score of 73. It is proprietary, freemium from $70/year (~$5.83/month) and available on Web, iOS and Android. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/busuu/
Category: Language learning apps

## Where Busuu stands out

- **Grammar explanations** — 2 of 10 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Adult self-learners who want to build real proficiency in a new language at their own pace, from complete beginners to advanced speakers, including teams using Busuu for Business.
- **What you get**: Structured, expert-designed courses covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing in short daily lessons. AI-powered tools support conversation practice, personalized study plans, and grammar feedback. A global community of native speakers reviews your writing and speaking exercises and offers corrections. Progress tracking and certified assessments (e.g., McGraw Hill) mark advancement through proficiency levels.
- **How it works**: Pick a target language and level, work through bite-sized lessons and exercises, then submit speaking and writing tasks for review by native-speaker community members (and AI tools) who give corrections and feedback you can act on.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: $70/year (~$5.83/month) (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Platforms**: Web, iOS, Android
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Babbel](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/babbel.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 2 | [Duolingo](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/duolingo.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 3 | [LingQ](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/lingq.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 4 | [Rosetta Stone](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/rosetta-stone.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 5 | [Clozemaster](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/clozemaster.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 6 | [Drops](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/drops.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 7 | [Memrise](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/memrise.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 8 | [Pimsleur](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/pimsleur.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 9 | [Lingvist](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/lingvist.md) | 60 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Language learning apps checklist | Busuu | Babbel | Duolingo | LingQ | Rosetta Stone | Clozemaster |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Subscription | Freemium | Freemium | Subscription | Freemium |
| Starts at | $70/year (~$5.83/month) | $7/month | $83.99/year (~$6.99/mo, billed annually) | €10.00/month | $13.25/month | $8.99/month |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Languages count | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Speaking practice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Partial |
| Grammar explanations | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Offline lessons | Partial | Yes | ? | Partial | Yes | Partial |
| Live tutoring | Partial | ? | No | Yes | Partial | ? |
| Free tier limits | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Placement tests | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Partial |
| Spaced repetition | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes |
| Kids mode | No | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? |
| One-time purchase option | No | Yes | No | Partial | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Busuu. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **Starts at**: $70/year (~$5.83/month) — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/busuu-language-learning/id379968583> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “12 Months Premium $70.00”
- **Platforms**: Web, iOS, Android — <https://www.busuu.com/en/how-to/offline-mode> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Offline mode is a Premium feature which is available in our iOS and Android apps”
- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.busuu.com/en/terms> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “The Service and the Premium Services are owned and operated by Busuu Limited, registered in England and Wales under company number 08172044 and with its registered office at 5th Floor, Business Cube, ”
- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/busuu-language-learning/id379968583> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “A lot of the features are free, but you will need a subscription in order to get access to all features of this app.”
- **Status**: active — <https://blog.busuu.com/new-conversations-release/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “NEW FEATURE: Speak confidently with Busuu Conversations”
- **Languages count**: Yes — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/busuu-language-learning/id379968583> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Learn up to 14 languages”
- **Speaking practice**: Yes — <https://blog.busuu.com/new-conversations-release/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “launching our ground-breaking new feature to give you 360° of speaking support”
- **Grammar explanations**: Yes — <https://blog.busuu.com/grammar-review-web-release/> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “this Premium-only tool offers bonus exercises, explanations and tips for each grammar topic”
- **Offline lessons**: Partial — <https://www.busuu.com/en/how-to/offline-mode> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Offline mode is a Premium feature which is available in our iOS and Android apps”
- **Live tutoring**: Partial — <https://www.busuu.com/en/how-to/corrections> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “get feedback from people in the Community who already know that language”
- **Free tier limits**: Yes — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/busuu-language-learning/id379968583> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “A lot of the features are free, but you will need a subscription in order to get access to all features of this app.”
- **Placement tests**: Yes — <https://www.busuu.com/en/english/placement-test> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Test your vocabulary, grammar, listening, and reading skills. Test all of these essential skills in one, easy-to-complete 5-minute test.”
- **Spaced repetition**: Yes — <https://www.busuu.com/en/languages/spaced-repetition> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Smart Review uses spaced repetition to help you remember grammar and vocabulary. The AI knows what words and grammar you struggle with.”
- **Kids mode**: No — <https://www.busuu.com/en/keep-kids-learning> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Busuu launched Keep Kids Learning in 2020 at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as an initiative to help support students and parents affected by worldwide school closures.”
- **One-time purchase option**: No — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/busuu-language-learning/id379968583> (verified 2026-07-11)
  - Quote: “Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current payment period.”

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/