Memrise vs Duolingo: Which Language Learning App is Better?

Usually, we find it easy to pick a side when debating which language-learning app is better.

However, it isn’t easy to pick a side in the Memrise Vs Duolingo battle because both have awesome features.

People criticize Memrise saying it is a glorified flashcard app and Duolingo teaches you useless sentences. On the contrary, both are excellent apps for beginners.

Which is true? Let’s find out.

About Memrise and Duolingo

Memrise is a fantastic choice for building your vocabulary in the 23 languages it teaches. It has helpful phrasebooks, and the Membot is a cool feature. If you are like me, you won’t like conversing with people in the language you are learning until you are confident you can speak without making mistakes.

However, making errors is a part of the learning process. Membot is the solution to our dilemma, as it doesn’t judge us, and we won’t mind talking to an AI. Getting started with Memrise is easy, too. You only need to select your level (learning from scratch, beginner, elementary, intermediate & beyond) and the reason for learning a language.

You can start learning with the relevant content Memrise provides. Your listening skills will improve hearing native speakers pronounce words and phrases. Just don’t expect to master a language within weeks. Moreover, you can only get to the intermediate level using this website.

Duolingo is fun and games; you don’t feel stressed when learning something new. This gamified approach irks some people, while others fall in love with it. Duolingo doesn’t focus on why you are learning a language. Its goal is to help you advance to the intermediate level. So, it teaches you grammar, vocabulary, phrases, and sentences as it sees fit.

Sometimes, you feel like you are learning completely useless sentences, but that is because it is trying to teach you grammar rules without explaining them. It has plenty of content to learn from and even teaches fictional languages like Klingon. Therefore, the choice between the websites depends on your learning style.

Full Comparison of Memrise vs Duolingo

Memrise and Duolingo are the best websites to learn a language if you are a beginner. Let’s dive into both websites’ various features and what needs improvement. Trust me, you will still wonder ‘Is Memrise or Duolingo better?’ even after we do an in-depth comparison of the features.

Content Quality 

Both websites have stellar, high-quality content. They have been improving a lot in the past few years. Some feel the change is for the better, while others think certain things shouldn’t have changed. Your opinion will depend on your personal preference. So, try out the free versions of Memrise or Duolingo before subscribing.

Learning Methods

According to the founder of Memrise, fluency is nothing more than learning to understand the 100 most important everyday conversations. So, the learning methods available in Memrise reflect that. You hear the locals speak and learn from it. The phrasebook teaches you the relevant phrases you need for traveling or striking up a conversation with a native.

Using Duolingo to learn is akin to playing a game. That is its strength as well as its weakness. How effectively can it teach you a language if it focuses too much on fun? Turns out, it can be effective but only if it suits your learning style. It does a great job of improving writing, reading, and listening skills.

Practice Exercises

Duolingo has excellent practice exercises. You can play, ahem, I mean learn for hours using it. The listen and type exercises, match and learn games, fill in the blanks, and translate the sentence practice methods do wonders. Duolingo helps improve your writing, reading, and listening skills using it. Its speech recognition system needs improvement though.

Memrise has great practice exercises, too. Its literal translations and choosing the audio that matches the sentence exercises, quizzes, and practice exercises for improving your listening skills are good. Moreover, it has the Membot, which helps improve your speaking skills to a certain extent. However, it doesn’t focus on writing skills much.

Customer Support

I haven’t come across a language-learning app that provides excellent customer support yet. They all promise assistance and provide you contact details, but somehow we never seem to get the support we need without fighting for it tooth and nail. Therefore, if you ask ‘Which is better Duolingo or Memrise?’ in this area, the answer is neither.

Pricing and Value For Money

Memrise has a free version and a paid version. You can subscribe to monthly, annual, and lifetime plans to access Memrise Pro. They cost $8.49/month, $5/month, and $119.99/month respectively. However, the prices vary from time to time.

You can access Super Duolingo for $12.99/month (monthly plan) or $6.99/month (annual plan). Both websites provide free trials to determine whether the paid versions are worth subscribing to.

So, which is better Memrise or Duolingo? Duolingo has a slight edge over Memrise.

Why? Because it offers its entire course content and learning tools for free. You can try it out and then decide whether to use Super Duolingo. It will help strengthen areas you have trouble learning. On the other hand, Memrise provides ‘Audio review’ and ‘Difficult words’ sections only in the Pro version. Most people don’t find it worth subscribing to.

Community

Memrise disappointed several people when it decided to close its community courses and forum. Some people stopped using Memrise because of that. Therefore, you won’t have a community to bond with in Memrise. 

Duolingo, too, closed its forums and sentence discussions. Fortunately, the discord server for Duolingo learners helps fill that void.

So, officially neither website provides community support. Moreover, some may not like using Discord servers to connect. So, Duolingo and Memrise lose in this round officially.

User Interface

In this Duolingo vs Memrise battle, choosing which website’s interface is better is challenging. Memrise has a sleek design, while Duolingo’s interface focuses more on the fun element. Some people may feel its interface is too cartoonish, while others love the design. Both websites provide smooth navigation, and neither looks cluttered.

Device Compatibility

Both websites work on Windows and MacOS. App versions are available for desktops, Android, and iOS. Data is synched automatically in all devices. You will have no trouble learning on the go or in the comfort of your home.

User Feedback

Is Memrise better than Duolingo? That’s the question of the decade, isn’t it? Frankly, the only answer to this question is it depends. You may feel that Duolingo needs to tone down its repetitive practice exercises even though it helps assimilate what you learn. Or you may be irked by how Memrise doesn’t offer comprehensive content.

At least, that is what most people complain about. You may have a different experience. So, try the free versions or free trials to test the waters before choosing Duolingo or Memrise. What people love most about Duolingo is its fun way of teaching complex concepts. Memrise is well-known for helping you build your vocabulary.

Who Should Use Memrise?

Do you love reviewing what you have learned so far? Are you someone who understands a language better when hearing locals speak? Then Memrise is for you. It is the most suitable choice if you need to master vocabulary and phrases in a short time. Memrise’s ‘Speed Review’ is similar to Duolingo’s timed ‘match the words’ game. 

So, you can have some fun using Memrise, too. Of course, it will never be as fun as using Duolingo. However, MemBot makes Memrise worth your while, as you will learn to converse in a stress-free environment. Duolingo does not have an AI tutor to converse with.

Who Should Use Duolingo?

Those who want to have a blast while learning from comparatively comprehensive content should use Duolingo. Moreover, users think Duolingo is a better choice for knowing how to construct sentences. Besides, you can master multiple languages using Duolingo’s free version. The free version doesn’t restrict access to content.

Therefore, Duolingo is a fantastic choice if you are a busy person who can only devote 5 – 10 minutes a day to learning. Budget-conscious people will also love this website. After all, Duolingo is popular because it is fun and free. Of course, it may nudge you to subscribe to Super Duolingo, but you don’t have to.

Alternatives

Instead of thinking about ‘Is Duolingo or Memrise better?’, you can pick a website from a list of their worthy competitors. Mango Languages, Lingodeer, Anki, Mondly, LingQ, and FluentU are some of the best alternative language-learning websites. Coffee Break Languages, LanguagePod101, and The Actual Fluency are great podcasts for language learning.

Self-learning a language is possible with the right textbooks. You might have to spend a few hours searching for the right one, but it will pay off eventually. YouTube channels are a great alternative to language-learning apps. If none of this appeals to you, start watching movies and telenovelas or listening to music in the language you want to learn with subtitles. 

Final Words

To put it in a nutshell, use Memrise if your focus is on building your vocabulary as fast as possible. Pick Duolingo if you are a casual learner who loves learning a language just for the heck of it. That doesn’t mean it is not an ideal option for serious learners; it is better suited for fun lovers.

Personally, I think Memrise and Duolingo complement each other effectively. So, there is no need for a Memrise Vs Duolingo debate. You might wonder whether to use Duolingo or Memrise first. It is better if you start with Memrise and move on to Duolingo. However, it is more efficient to use them simultaneously.