The lesson is a conversation
You say it out loud and the tutor answers. It corrects you in the middle of the sentence, the way a teacher does, not with a red cross at the end.
Busuu alternative · A1 → C2
A Busuu alternative that answers you immediately.
Busuu has something we do not: a community of native speakers who correct your writing and speaking by hand, and an official McGraw-Hill Education certificate at the end of a level. What it does not have is somebody who answers you straight away. On Busuu you record, submit and wait. On Saylore you speak and the tutor replies in the same breath.
Free to start
Six languages, A1–C2
IELTS & TOEFL
Side by side
Saylore vs Busuu, honestly.
Every claim about Busuu below comes from Busuu’s own pages and is linked. Checked 13 September 2026 — prices and tiers change, so check theirs before you decide.
| Feature | Saylore | Busuu |
|---|---|---|
| How far the course goes | Complete CEFR ladder A1 to C2 in all six languages. | Courses cover A1 to B2; English also goes to C1. No C2 course.Source: Busuu — CEFR proficiency levels |
| How many languages | Six: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese. | Around 14 — a wider choice than ours. |
| Who corrects you | The AI tutor, instantly, in the middle of the sentence you are still saying. | Native speakers in the Busuu community review the exercises you submit — better judgement than a machine, but you wait for it.Source: Busuu Support — What is Premium? |
| Pronunciation | Scored word by word; weak sounds are then drilled specifically. | Speech practice inside lessons, plus community feedback on recordings you submit. |
| Certificate | None. We show your CEFR level inside the app, and that is all it is. | Official level-completion certificates awarded by McGraw-Hill Education for Premium members, in six language courses.Source: Busuu — Language certification |
| IELTS / TOEFL | Exam paths with full-length mock tests and scored speaking and writing. | Not part of the product. |
| Free tier | Module 1 of your placement level and of every level below it, plus 5 AI tutor chats a day. | A free plan exists with limits; grammar, offline mode and certificates are Premium.Source: Busuu Support — What is Premium? |
| Price | $9.99 / month or $59.99 / year, with a 7-day free trial. | Premium subscription, priced by plan length. |
Sources: Busuu — CEFR proficiency levels · Busuu Support — What is Premium? · Busuu — Language certification
The other side
Where Busuu is the better choice.
We would rather you picked the right app than picked ours. These are real advantages, not throat-clearing.
Busuu beats us at:
- Corrections from real humans. A native speaker spots what no model does — tone, regional usage, and what simply sounds odd.
- The McGraw-Hill Education certificate. If you need paper to show an employer, we have nothing equivalent.
- More languages, and a proper web version alongside the apps.
- A study community. Learning next to other people keeps some of us going in a way an app alone does not.
Switch to Saylore if…
Waiting for community feedback breaks your rhythm, you want to practise speaking at 2am, you need to get past B2, or you are preparing for IELTS or TOEFL.
Stay with Busuu if…
You value human corrections over instant ones, you need the McGraw-Hill certificate, or you are learning a language outside our six.
Why Saylore
What you get here instead.
Pronunciation scored word by word
You see which word cost you the point and which sound you keep missing — then the app drills that sound instead of the easy ones.
A1 to C2, all six languages
A placement test puts you on the right rung on day one, and the ladder actually reaches the top: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese.
IELTS & TOEFL inside the app
Exam paths with full-length mock tests and scored speaking and writing — no second subscription.
Questions
Saylore vs Busuu — common questions
What does Saylore do that Busuu does not?
It answers you immediately. Busuu’s strongest feature is correction by native speakers, but you submit an exercise and wait for it. Saylore’s tutor corrects you mid-sentence, scores your pronunciation word by word, and builds the next lesson from what you got wrong.
Does Saylore give a certificate like Busuu’s McGraw-Hill one?
No. Saylore shows your CEFR level and progress inside the app but issues no external certificate. If you need a document for an employer or a school, Busuu Premium is the better choice for that specific purpose.
Does Saylore go further than Busuu?
In level, yes: Busuu’s courses cover A1 to B2, with C1 for English. Saylore has a complete A1 to C2 ladder in all six of its languages, plus IELTS and TOEFL preparation. In breadth, no — Busuu teaches around 14 languages and we teach six.
Can I try Saylore before paying?
Yes. Module 1 of your placement level and of every level below it is free, along with five AI tutor chats a day. Premium is $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial.
Say your first sentence today.
Free on iOS and Android. You will be speaking within fifteen minutes.