Best language learning apps for kids
For a child who cannot read yet, Dinolingo (from 2) or Studycat (from 3): games, songs and stories in the new language, with no ads. Gus on the Go teaches a toddler's first 90 words for $3.99, bought once. For English with a live teacher, Cambly Kids takes children from 4 to 15. Teenagers can use Busuu or Babbel from 13, and Duolingo gives children under 13 a private profile.
Prices checked 6 Sept to 12 Oct 2026 · How we check
What each app allows, by age
The ages each app's own pages give, who your child deals with in it, whether they need to read, what you can see as a parent, how to try it and what it costs.
Made for children
None needs your child to read to start. The three apps teach through pictures, sound and games, with no ads; Cambly Kids is lessons with a live tutor.
- Dinolingo
Videos, songs, games and read-along stories, taught without translation. One family plan covers up to 6 children and all 50 languages.
- Studycat
Games, stories, songs and speaking challenges entirely in the new language, one app per language: Spanish, English, Chinese, French or German.
- Cambly
One-to-one English lessons with live tutors who are native English speakers, in courses levelled from A1 upward.
- Gus on the Go
Ten picture lessons with native-speaker audio for about 90 first words, then games. Each language is its own app, bought once.
Courses that take teenagers
Courses built for adults, with the minimum age their own terms set.
- Babbel
Under 13, a child may not create an account or use Babbel; under 18, Babbel Speak needs a parent's permission.
- Busuu
Busuu's terms say it is not meant for children under 13. Native speakers in its community can comment on your child's answers.
- Speak
Speak's terms bar anyone under 18 unless a parent or legal guardian supervises, and the AI tutor is the only one your child talks to.
- Duolingo
Under 13, a learner gets a private profile with Duolingo's social features restricted, and Duolingo says parents stay in control.
Apps that connect your child with strangers
Language-exchange apps match learners with each other by text, voice and video, so their makers set higher age limits.
10 apps a child or teenager might use, with the ages their makers give.
What decides it is your child's age and who the app lets them talk to. Apps made for children teach through pictures and sound, so a child who cannot read yet can play alone, and they carry no ads; Cambly Kids puts your child with a live English tutor instead. Courses for adults set a minimum age in their terms, and language-exchange apps put learners in touch with strangers, which is why they set the highest limits.
Every app here, compared
Recommended first within each type of app. Sort any column or filter by what matters to you.
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| Best for | Free tier | Speech | Tutor | Offline | CEFR | Refund or trial | Where to buy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course apps | ||||||||||||
| DuolingoCourse appSuper in the US App Store: $9.99 to $119.99, depending on the plan. | A free daily habit | Freepaid tier priced in-app | — | — | Free to keep using Full free tier with ads and limits; Super removes the ads and limits, and Max adds AI practice (Video Call and Roleplay). | 40 | Yes | No | Yes · Limited lessons available offline; progress syncs when connected | A1 to B2 | 1 week free trial on Super | |
| BusuuCourse app | Corrections from native speakers | $72.99 a year$6.08 a month, billed yearly | — | — | Free to keep using Free account with the complete course in each language, community feedback and basic progress tracking; Premium adds review tools, offline mode and no ads. | 14 | Yes | No · Live Lessons are exclusive to Busuu for Business, outside the consumer subscription | Yes | A1 to C1by course | 14-day money-back guarantee on the initial Premium payment; no renewal refunds. Apple and mobile-operator purchases require a refund from that provider. | |
| BabbelCourse app | A structured course with grammar explained | $107.40 a year$8.95 a month, billed yearly | $17.99 | $299.99 | Free sample Free account; the first lesson of every course is free, and up to 80 free lessons depending on the language. | 14 | Yes | No · Babbel Live is no longer available to individual consumers | Yes · Downloaded lessons, vocabulary review and podcasts in the mobile app | A1 to C1 | Bought from Babbel in the US: no refund promised if you cancel early. Outside the US: 14 days to change your mind, less what you have used. App store purchases: the store's rules. | |
| StudycatCourse app | Children from 3 who cannot read yet | $59.99 a year$5 a month, billed yearly | $14.99 | — | Free trial No | 5 | — | — | Yes | — | A 7-day free trial with no payment required to start; App Store purchases follow Apple's rules. | |
| DinolingoCourse app | Children from 2 to 14, in 50 languages | $199 a year$16.58 a month, billed yearly | $19 | — | Free trial No | 50 | — | — | — | — | A 7-day free trial; cancel before it ends and nothing is charged. | |
| Gus on the GoCourse app | A toddler's first words, bought once | $3.99Gus on the Go: Spanish | — | $3.99 | No | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| AI conversation practice | ||||||||||||
| SpeakAI conversation practice | Speaking practice with AI | $83.99 a year$7 a month, billed yearly | $17.99 | — | Free trial 7-day free trial; no permanently free tier is published | 6 | Yes | No | — | — | 7-day free trial; refunds for App Store and Google Play purchases go through Apple or Google, and website purchases through Speak support | |
| Tutors and live classes | ||||||||||||
| CamblyTutor marketplace | English conversation with a tutor | $144 a year$12 a month, billed yearly | $24 | — | No | 1 | — | Every lesson is live: one to one, or in a small group on the cheaper plans. | — | — | $1 trial lesson; 7-day money-back guarantee on a first plan; after that, cancel any time and pay only for days used, with long-term discounts forfeited on early cancellation | |
| Language exchange | ||||||||||||
| TandemLanguage exchange | Language exchange with native speakers | $39.99 a year$3.33 a month, billed yearly | — | — | Free to keep using Free account with many features; Tandem Pro unlocks the rest | 300 | No | No | — | — | Google Play purchases refundable within 14 days of a 1-month subscription or 30 days of a 3-month or 12-month subscription; iOS refunds requested from iTunes within 14 days | |
| HelloTalkLanguage exchange | Chatting with native speakers | $79.99 a year$6.67 a month, billed yearly | $12.99 | — | Free to keep using Free account with ads and daily limits (for example ten translations a day); occasional randomly offered 3-day VIP trials | 260 | — | No | Yes | — | Occasional randomly offered 3-day free VIP trial; refunds handled by Apple or Google for in-app purchases | |
Which to choose
Your child is 2 to 7 and not reading yet
Dinolingo or Studycat, or Gus on the Go to start
Dinolingo teaches through videos, songs, games and stories with no translation, for children from 2 to 14; a family plan is $19 a month or $199 a year after a 7-day free trial. Studycat is for children from 3, with no reading needed; its Spanish app is $14.99 a month or $59.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial. Gus on the Go is a one-off $3.99 per language for about 90 first words, with no ads or in-app purchases.
You have several children, or want more than one language
Dinolingo
One Dinolingo plan covers up to 6 children and all 50 of its languages, each child with their own progress report. Studycat sells each language as its own app, with up to 4 profiles in each, in Spanish, English, Chinese, French or German.
Your child should speak with a real teacher
Cambly Kids, for English
Cambly Kids gives children from 4 to 15 one-to-one English lessons with native English-speaking tutors, in courses levelled from A1 upward. Free games, quizzes and workbooks come with signing up, with no subscription, and its plans are shown after you sign up.
Your child is a teenager
Busuu, Babbel or Duolingo, before any exchange app
Busuu and Babbel take learners from 13; Babbel's live Group Sessions start at 16. Duolingo is free and lets children use it, with a private profile and its social features restricted under 13. Tandem takes no one under 16 and HelloTalk no one under 12, because both connect learners with strangers.
Questions people ask
What is the best language learning app for kids?
For young children, Dinolingo or Studycat, which need no reading and carry no ads; Dinolingo covers 50 languages and up to 6 children on one plan. For a toddler's first words, Gus on the Go, bought once. For English with a live teacher, Cambly Kids, for ages 4 to 15.
Is Duolingo OK for kids?
Duolingo lets children use it: under 13 a learner counts as a child user, with a private profile and social features restricted, and Duolingo says parents stay in control. Most of its exercises are written, so it suits a child who reads; younger children do better with an app built on pictures and sound.
Are language exchange apps safe for children?
They match learners with strangers by text, voice and video, so their makers set age limits: Tandem takes no one under 16, and HelloTalk no one under 12, with some features restricted for under-18s. Dinolingo has no chat rooms, Gus on the Go has no links or sharing, and on Cambly Kids the only person your child talks to is the tutor.
Is there a free language app for kids?
Gus on the Go's apps for endangered languages are free, and so are its Stories apps; Cambly Kids gives free games, quizzes and workbooks when you sign up. Dinolingo and Studycat start with a 7-day free trial, and Duolingo is free with ads.