The best apps to learn Spanish depend on what you need. Duolingo is the easiest daily habit, Babbel is best for grammar, Pimsleur for listening and speaking on the go, Dreaming Spanish for listening, and Anki for vocabulary. No app replaces real conversation, so pair one with a person to talk to.
This lesson comes from Speak Better Spanish, live one-to-one Spanish coaching for adults with Hannah, Arturo and Jacky. Rated 5.0 on Google. Get a free speaking plan →
We are Speak Better Spanish, a coaching school, not an app company. We did not rank ourselves among the apps. You will find us in a separate section at the end, for when an app is not enough. Every app fact below comes from the app’s own website or its US App Store listing on October 25, 2026. App prices change often, so check before you subscribe.
Key Takeaways
- Use one app for one job: habit, grammar, listening or vocabulary.
- Most apps have a free version. Try it for two weeks before you pay.
- Pick an app that teaches the accent you need, like Mexican or Latin American Spanish.
- Apps are good at input. Speaking still needs a real person.
- Ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
Best Spanish learning apps at a glance
| App | Best for | Free option | Spanish variety offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | A daily habit and the basics | Yes, paid Super and Max plans | Not stated on the listing |
| Babbel | Grammar and structured lessons | Free download, paid plans | Latin American or Spain |
| Pimsleur | Listening and speaking on the go | Free first lesson | Latin American, and Spain in the app |
| Busuu | Feedback from native speakers | Free download, paid Premium | Not stated |
| Memrise | Vocabulary with native-speaker videos | Yes | Spain and Mexico courses |
| Dreaming Spanish | Listening you can follow | Premium plan in the app | Several accents, including Mexico |
| Anki | Flashcards you build yourself | Free on computer and Android | Any, you make the cards |
| LingQ | Reading and listening to real content | Yes, to start | Not stated |
| Language Transfer | Understanding how Spanish works, by audio | Completely free | Not stated |
| HelloTalk | Chatting with native speakers | Yes, optional VIP | Any, you choose partners |
Knowing the rule is the easy part. Using it mid-conversation is where most adults freeze. In a free roadmap session, a coach hears you speak and gives you a plan for what to practice next.
1. Duolingo: best for building a daily habit
Duolingo is a free app with short, game-style lessons. The App Store listing offers a 14-day free trial of Super Duolingo. Duolingo’s blog says its Max plan includes Video Call, a conversation with an AI character, for Spanish learners. It is great for starting. On its own, it rarely gets people speaking. We wrote about why in are language apps enough to become fluent.
2. Babbel: best for grammar
Babbel teaches in structured lessons that explain the grammar as you go. You can choose Latin American or Spain Spanish, and it has speech recognition for practicing out loud. On the US App Store, a 1-month Mexican Spanish plan was listed at $17.99. Babbel’s own review page says its live classes are no longer available to individual consumers.
3. Pimsleur: best for learning while you drive or walk
Pimsleur is an audio course. You listen and answer out loud, which makes it good for commutes. Its Spanish page lists Latin American Spanish, and the App Store listing also mentions Spain Spanish and an AI Conversation Coach in beta for Latin American Spanish. You can try the first lesson free.
4. Busuu: best for feedback from real people
Busuu mixes lessons with feedback and tips from its community of native speakers. It is free to download, with paid Premium plans.
5. Memrise: best for vocabulary you hear from real people
Memrise teaches vocabulary with thousands of short videos of native speakers, plus speaking practice with AI. It has separate courses for Spanish from Spain and Spanish from Mexico, and you can start for free.
6. Dreaming Spanish: best for listening practice
Dreaming Spanish, now at dreaming.com, is a video library built on comprehensible input: lots of listening at a level you can follow. Its app lists accents from Mexico, Spain, Peru and Argentina, among others, and offers a Premium plan. Pair it with our passive listening guide.
7. Anki: best for flashcards
Anki is a flashcard app. It is free on computers and Android. AnkiMobile for iPhone was $24.99, a one-time purchase. Build your own cards from phrases you hear in real conversations and they will stick much better.
8. LingQ: best for reading and listening to real content
LingQ lets you read and listen to real content at your level. You can get started for free, with paid Premium plans in the app.
9. Language Transfer: best free audio course
Language Transfer’s Complete Spanish is an audio course. Every part of it is free, there is no sign-up, and it runs on donations.
10. HelloTalk: best for chatting with native speakers
HelloTalk connects you with language partners. You chat by text, voice or video. It is free, with an optional VIP plan. Treat it as practice, not a course.
When an app is not enough: Speak Better Spanish coaching
This is our own service, and it is not an app. We include it because many people arrive at our door after a long streak on an app and still freeze when someone talks to them. Apps are good at words and listening. They cannot hold a real conversation with you, notice where you get stuck and change the plan.
Our coaching is live on Zoom with Hannah, Arturo and Jacky, in real Mexican Spanish. You get a recording and notes after every session and email support in between. Read why apps do not work for speaking Spanish if that sounds like you.
If you want speaking practice without a full lesson, our 30-minute conversation sessions let you talk in Spanish about your own week with a coach who knows you. See how conversation sessions work.
How to combine apps for real progress
- One habit app, like Duolingo or Babbel, for 10 minutes a day.
- One listening source, like Dreaming Spanish or a podcast, on walks and drives.
- Anki for the phrases you actually need.
- One real conversation a week, with a coach, tutor or exchange partner.
Want more listening? Our list of the best TV shows to learn Spanish sorts shows by level and accent. For a full plan, see our roadmap guide for adult learners.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your goal. Duolingo is the easiest daily habit, Babbel is best for grammar, Pimsleur is best for listening and speaking on the go, and Dreaming Spanish is best for listening. Most people do well with one habit app plus regular conversation with a real person.
Apps build vocabulary and listening, but fluency means holding a real conversation, and that takes practice with people. Use an app every day for input, then add speaking practice with a coach, tutor or exchange partner so the words come out when you need them.
Duolingo has a free version, Language Transfer is completely free, and Anki is free on computers and Android. HelloTalk is free for chatting with native speakers. Start with one of those and only pay for an upgrade once you know you will keep using it.
Babbel offers Latin American Spanish and lists a Mexican Spanish plan on the App Store. Memrise has a Spanish from Mexico course. Dreaming Spanish includes Mexican speakers among its accents. For Mexican slang and real-life expressions, pair any app with Mexican podcasts, shows and conversation.
Duolingo is better for building a daily habit and is free to start. Babbel is better if you want grammar explained and a more structured course. Neither one replaces speaking with a real person, so whichever you choose, add conversation practice.
Pick one app and one person to talk to
Choose the app that fits your goal, use it every day for two weeks, and add one real conversation a week.
If you have been on an app for months and still freeze when someone speaks to you, book a free Spanish Roadmap Session. We will build a plan that keeps your app and adds the speaking.
Keep Learning Mexican Spanish Every Week
Every week I send one real piece of Mexican Spanish you will actually hear: an expression, a usage difference, or something that trips up learners who already speak well. No filler, no textbook Spanish.
Subscribe to the free Speak Better Spanish newsletter and receive practical lessons, helpful language tips, cultural insights, and exclusive resources to support your Spanish learning journey. Every email is designed to help you build confidence and make steady progress.
SPANISH FLUENCY COACHING
Reading about Spanish is the easy part. Speaking it is where we come in.
Most adults who find this page already know a lot of Spanish and still freeze in real conversations. A coach works on that freeze directly: what stops you, what you need to say, and real practice until it comes out on its own.
- A personal plan from a free roadmap call
- Live one-to-one sessions on Zoom
- The recording and notes after every session
- Email support between sessions
- Three coaches, so you hear more than one accent
- 100% money-back guarantee within 28 days
Hannah, Arturo and Jacky. Coaching since 2014, based in Monterrey, Mexico.“I visited Colombia back in 2023 and at the time I had pretty limited Spanish. I was able to order food, but I was stumbling through conversations. I returned in March [2026] and was able to have in depth conversations with our host, the owner of a restaurant, and someone who worked at a bookstore to name a few. It was night and day and it made a huge difference.”
Chris K., student since 2024“Not only is she a master at her craft and her ability to customize your language education to your specific needs and pace, she's also an absolute joy to work with.”
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