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.
Duolingo alternative · A1 → C2
A Duolingo alternative for people who still cannot speak.
Duolingo is the best habit-builder in language learning, and it is genuinely free. The complaint people arrive here with is almost always the same: after a long streak they still freeze when a real person talks to them. Saylore is built for that exact gap — every lesson is spoken out loud, and the tutor answers back.
Free to start
Six languages, A1–C2
IELTS & TOEFL
Side by side
Saylore vs Duolingo, honestly.
Every claim about Duolingo below comes from Duolingo’s own pages and is linked. Checked 13 September 2026 — prices and tiers change, so check theirs before you decide.
| Feature | Saylore | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| How far the course goes | Complete CEFR ladder A1 to C2 in all six languages, 448+ lessons per level. | Duolingo’s own blog: "the most advanced courses currently cover content through 120 (the end of the CEFR level B2)", and newer courses "vary in their coverage, from A1 to B2".Source: Duolingo — "Duolingo Course Content Can Take You to B2 Proficiency" |
| How many languages | Six: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese. | More than 40 courses — a far wider choice than ours. |
| What a lesson is | You say the sentence out loud. The tutor hears it, answers, and corrects you mid-sentence. | Mostly tap, match and translate, with shorter speaking exercises inside the lesson. |
| Pronunciation | Scored word by word, so you can see which sound cost you the point — and the app then drills that sound, not the easy ones. | Speech-recognition exercises that accept or reject the whole utterance. |
| Open-ended conversation | Included with Premium in all six languages, across dozens of real-life scenarios. | Video Call and Roleplay with an AI character, on the Max tier and in selected courses.Source: Duolingo — Duolingo Max |
| IELTS / TOEFL | Exam paths with full-length mock tests and scored speaking and writing, inside the same app. | Duolingo sells its own exam, the Duolingo English Test — a separate product, not preparation for IELTS or TOEFL.Source: Duolingo English Test |
| Free tier | Module 1 of your placement level and of every level below it, plus 5 AI tutor chats a day. | The whole course is free, with ads and energy limits; paid tiers remove them. |
| Price | $9.99 / month or $59.99 / year, with a 7-day free trial. | Super and Max subscriptions; the price differs by country and promotion. |
Sources: Duolingo — "Duolingo Course Content Can Take You to B2 Proficiency" · Duolingo — Duolingo Max · Duolingo English Test
The other side
Where Duolingo is the better choice.
We would rather you picked the right app than picked ours. These are real advantages, not throat-clearing.
Duolingo beats us at:
- Choice of language. Over 40 courses against our six — if you want Japanese, Korean, Welsh or Navajo, we simply do not have it and Duolingo does.
- It is free, properly free. You can finish an entire course without paying, which is not true of us beyond Module 1.
- The streak. Nobody has built a better habit machine, and a habit you keep beats a better method you abandon.
- It asks less of you on a tired evening. Ours wants you to open your mouth and speak, which takes more.
Switch to Saylore if…
You have a long Duolingo streak but still freeze when someone talks to you, you need to get past B2, or you are preparing for IELTS or TOEFL.
Stay with Duolingo if…
You are learning a language we do not teach, you want to pay nothing at all, or the streak is the thing keeping you going and you do not want to restart somewhere else.
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 Duolingo — common questions
Is Saylore a replacement for Duolingo?
Only for the six languages we teach — English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Portuguese. Duolingo covers more than 40, so if yours is not on our list, Duolingo stays the better answer. Plenty of people run both: Duolingo for the daily streak, Saylore for the speaking.
Does Saylore go further than B2?
Yes. Duolingo states that its most advanced courses run to the end of B2. Saylore has a complete A1 to C2 ladder in every one of its six languages, and a placement test puts you on the right rung on day one.
Can I practise speaking without paying?
Partly. The free tier gives you Module 1 of your placement level and of every level below it, plus five AI tutor chats a day. Unlimited conversation and the rest of the course are Premium: $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial.
Does Saylore have streaks and gamification?
It has streaks, XP and weekly leagues, but they are not the point. The lesson itself is a conversation you speak out loud rather than a set of taps — if gamification is what you are here for, Duolingo does it better.
Say your first sentence today.
Free on iOS and Android. You will be speaking within fifteen minutes.