Popular Apps

Created back in 2012, Duolingo has quickly grown to become one of the best-known and most popular apps for language learning, offering almost 40 different options from Spanish through Welsh to even High Valyrian (that’s right, Game of Thrones fans). It currently has over 120 million registered users all over the world. 

With Duolingo, learning Spanish seems like a game: you get to move up through levels (leagues), setting weekly goals, collecting awards as you progress, unlocking gifts, following friends, and checking vocabulary retention. There is even a Duolingo store where you can buy so-called “powerups” paying with virtual currency (lingots). These features surely help keep users - especially the young ones - motivated throughout the entire process. 

When taking up a new course with Duolingo, you can either start from the very beginning or take a placement test that will put you at the most suitable level. The lessons are short and come with exercises that combine reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills. Any new content is highlighted and explained or translated to your native language when necessary. 

To unlock the contents of a new level, you have to finish all the modules of your current level or take the level test if you think you already know the necessary vocabulary and grammar. 

All in all, the app is very well organized and allows learners to keep track of their progress and stay motivated.

Pros:

• multi-language
• free
• multi-platform (iOS, Android, Google)
• playful and engaging 
• user friendly and intuitive
• explains grammar rules
• contents well organized and useful for real life

Cons:

• only for lower proficiency levels
• The Spanish course is only offered for certain base languages
• the fixed structure doesn’t give users the possibility to pick contents at random
• comes with ads (unless you buy a USD 6.99 monthly subscription “Duolingo Plus”)

Are you struggling with Spanish verb conjugation? ConjuGato by the Russian developer Ivan Miroshnichenko will be your life belt. This simple yet effective app is an excellent way to learn 1000 most-used verbs in Spanish and see how they change throughout different grammar tenses and moods. 

The verbs in the app can be sorted either by popularity or alphabetically. By tapping a selected verb, you get to see its basic conjugation table (in indicative, subjunctive, gerund, past participle, and imperative). The Pro version unlocks access to all the other verb forms.

In the practice section, you get to conjugate up to 100 verbs per day to the given subject and tense (e.g., ESTUDIAR - ELLA - PRESENT). There is no need to type your answer in; you can simply say it out loud or - if you are in a public place - in your head and then tap the answer line to check if you were right. However, if you’d rather write your answer, you can easily enable this option in settings. 

Some of the coolest features offered by ConjuGato are cards with rhyming verbs for easier memorization, daily verb goals that can be set from 1 to 100, and the possibility to narrow your practice to certain verb types.

A recently added and well-appreciated option is the “-” button that appears next to each verb in the practice section. It allows users to eliminate an already learned verb from practice, which helps optimize learning time.

Pros:

• basic verbs and conjugations available for free
• simple and clean interface
• available for iOS and Android
• only 22,9 MB
• handy and easy to use
• no ads

Cons:

• one-time payment (USD 5) necessary to get full access

As we spend more and more time with a smartphone glued to our hands, it comes as no surprise that various app developers start to explore its language learning potential in various ways. LangKick Daily Language Reminder does precisely that: it provides a daily Spanish expression in your notification feed. 

Isn’t that clever? Think how many times a day you grab your cell phone, and the first thing you see is all the new information you’ve received from your apps. With LangKick, you can make sure that a new Spanish phrase will always stick on top, thus impossible to miss. By reviewing the same expression over and over again during the day, you’ll quickly memorize it without even trying or investing extra time in your learning. 

Are you tired of learning useless words and conjugating unnecessary verbs? The people behind LangKick understand very well how frustrating it can be to waste your time on studying content you can’t use in real life, which is why they've chosen only the most practical expressions arranged by topics. You’ll find over 21 sets with phrases relating to situations such as cooking, shopping, traveling, classroom, restaurant, and many others. 

If you are a fast learner, you can set the number of expressions you’ll receive slowly to 2, 3, or more (unlock the Insane Mode for that). Do you want to hear how each phrase is pronounced? Simply hit the play button next to it. 

A huge plus for LangKick is that it comes in six different language versions (English, Spanish, German, Polish, Portuguese, and French), allowing you to combine any two of them. 

Pros:

• simple and effortless
• Six different languages to learn
• Six different base languages
• 10 sets of phrases available in the free version and 11 in the Pro version
• possibility to choose the sets you want to learn from 
• only USD 0.99 per month 

Cons:

• not available for iOS
• full access only for subscribed users

Along with Duolingo, Babbel is among the most recognized and highly acclaimed apps for language learning, with over 2 million registered users. That is quite a success considering that most of the features at Babbel are only available to paying subscribers at a monthly price of around 10 USD. 

For those who wonder what differences there are between Duolingo and Babbel, let’s name a few. The first one is undoubtedly the number of languages you can learn - Babbel offers “only'' 14 of them, including Spanish. While Duolingo lessons are developed by community contributors, Babbel relies on a group of in-house linguists that guarantee absolute language correctness. 

How about the lesson types and structure? Babbel has divided its courses into vocabulary and grammar lessons, with exercises that are similar to Duolingo and based mainly on repetition, matching, gap filling, word recognition, etc. Yet, unlike Duolingo, this also by intermediate learners can be used not only by starters and beginners but by intermediate learners as well. And best of all: it comes with its own speech recognition system allowing you to practice your pronunciation. 

Pros:

• reasonably priced with different subscription period options
• content created by language specialists
• covers a variety of vocabulary groups and grammar patterns 
• possibility to select how much time a day you want to study

Cons:

• no free version even for trial
• only for registered users

This app is another strong competitor in the language learning market. Widely praised for its top-notch design, Drops offers a choice of 42 different languages to pick from (including two versions of Spanish - the Castilian and the Mexican one). 

Even though the app is designed mainly for subscribed users (and reasonably priced), you can still get a glimpse of its content for 5 minutes a day free of charge. Such quick lessons guarantee you’ll not lose your focus and are perfect for habit-forming. 

As for the Spanish course structure, it’s 100% vocabulary-based and divided into several main categories that include Food and Drinks, Travel Talk, Basic Verbs and Phrases, People and Health, Travel and Vehicles, Society and Politics,  and other useful topics. These main groups of words are further divided into five subtopics. Premium users can freely jump from one category to another. 

Learning new words with Drops is a piece of cake. Each new word or phrase actually drops down from the top of the screen, accompanied by a related image and a convenient translation. You then get to practice them with simple exercises that are quickly done on a touch screen and based on matching words with a corresponding picture, forming words from letters or syllables, etc. 

In the profile settings, users can track their progress and see how many words they have learned so far and what level they belong to (you start as a Newcomer and can get as far as Conversationalist with 2000+ words). They can also adjust the length of each study session, set a daily practice reminder, and change their native language. All the learned words are stored in their personal Collection notebooks and can be accessed at any time.

Pros:

• visually attractive graphics 
• interactive and fun
• flexibility in lesson selection and setting its length
• the possibility to get free access for a limited time each day
• 7-day trial period 
• great topic selection
• can be used offline
• the “Dojo” feature to “fight” against the most complex words

Cons:

• no grammar explanations or practice
• only the paid version unlocks all features

The very name of this application makes its purpose clear from the start: it helps you memorize vocabulary in any of the 11 languages you have chosen to learn. Just like Drops offers two versions of Spanish (Mexican and European), which is available for native speakers of English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, and a few others. 

After choosing the course of your preference, you can either start learning Spanish from scratch or pick one of the available levels (from 1 to 7). The next step is a quick registration that can be done from your Facebook or Google account, and you are all set. 

If you are an absolute beginner, you will start with a series of simple exercises where you’ll get to see a short video with a simple word or phrase in Spanish; then you’ll see it written on the screen with an option to have it pronounced again by both a female and a male voice. Then, you are given four options in your native language to choose the correct translation for the word you are practicing. 

The app relies heavily on exercising your listening comprehension and word repetition, which is an infallible technique for quick vocabulary memorization. 

Not all the courses and features are available in the free mode, though. If you want to download a complete course and study online, get access to all the available pairs of languages, watch native speaker video clips or check out the grammar content, for instance, you’ll need to subscribe. 

Pros:

• attractive and high-quality interface
• excellent level of audio exercises
• exercises built by a team of in-house teachers
• available for mobile devices and desktop
• no internet connection required for subscribed users
• possibility to synchronize multiple devices
• offers user groups for better engagement

Cons:

• not all functionalities available on the web version
• not all languages have a grammar section incorporated

When it comes to different study topics - with Quizlet, the sky's the limit. You can use it to study practically anything, Spanish included. It is a great online and mobile tool to be used both by teachers and students to make vocabulary lists and track their learning. 

Your Spanish vocabulary can be grouped into units and those - kept in separate folders. As a teacher, you can also create an entire class and have your students join within the app. Vocabulary lists can be shared with a link, by email, or on Social Media.

Quizlet allows integration among different systems and file types. You can import your Excel sheets, Word documents and add images or diagrams from your computer. While the basic functions (list or flashcard creation) are available for free, a subscription is required to access additional functionalities.

Pros:

• can be used online - no download necessary
• iOS and Android app available as well
• very intuitive
• unlimited use potential
• 7-day free trial 
• excellent support for Spanish classes
• an easy progress tracking system
• multiple exercise types for teachers to choose from

Cons:

• full access only with a subscription (Quizlet Pro at USD 3.99 per month)
• adds appearing in the free version can be distracting for students
• no guarantee that sets created by other users are correct

If you speak English or Russian and look to build your Spanish vocabulary, Reword Spanish Flashcards is definitely an option to consider. Available both on Google Play and App Store, the app is free to download and mainly free to use. It comes with a vocabulary bank of over 4500 words divided into 40 categories ranging from basic (colors, numbers, family) to more specific (movies, law, and crimes, mail, etc.)

All you have to do is to pick the category that you want, set the number of words to be learned daily, and the fun begins. Flashcards with Spanish words and their English or Russian equivalent start appearing on the screen. Hit the play button to hear the correct pronunciation. If you want, you can copy any selected new word to “My words” and keep it for future reference. Reword also allows you to add your own words to the list and edit those that might be misspelled. 

Studying statistics of new words memorized, reviewed, or thoroughly learned will give you an idea of how fast you are progressing. 

Pros:

• simple in design, yet very effective as a learning tool
• available on a variety of system
• can be used practically for free

Cons:

• Spanish flashcards only translated for English and Russian speakers
• subscription is necessary to remove the daily word limit
• no images representing new words

Are you looking for a vocabulary bank that never stops growing? Look no further. Spanish Word of the Day has new vocabulary added every day from the most trusted dictionaries and thesauri. 

Unlike other Spanish word banks, this app does not group vocabulary into theme categories but rather makes a random selection to be learned every day. Each new word is presented on a flashcard that contains a pronunciation button, translation to English, the part of speech it belongs to, and a few examples of its use. 

The calendar lets you access the words of the day as far as three months into the past. The vocabulary game box shows words that were assigned to different dates for you to pick their meaning from among four alternatives.

Pros:

• the app works great to increase your overall vocabulary
• if you don’t mind ads, it can be used entirely free of charge
• available on different devices and systems
• allows setting daily notifications about a new word

Cons:

• vocabulary is not grouped in logical categories
• learning happens only through memorization and word recognition, no other games

If you are passionate about Spanish, you might have found FluntU through their language blog that contains hundreds of posts with grammar and vocabulary tips. 

What does the FluentU app have to offer? How does it differ from the others? To start with, it is only for registered users who are paying for their subscription plan. Is the content worth the money? Definitely yes! The striking difference between FluentU and other language apps is that most lessons are based on short and funny videos, fully subtitled both in Spanish and English. 

Any new word that you encounter can be clicked to open a dedicated flashcard. 

Plenty of additional features, such as personalized quizzes, lesson filters according to different criteria, daily goal setting, the possibility to download content, etc., turn the FluentU app into an entertaining and efficient study tool. 

Pros:

• Two weeks of free use
• Spanish learning blog available on the website
• can be accessed as an app or website
• a special algorithm adjusts vocabulary review to your own learning rhythm

Cons:

• quite pricey compared to other apps (30 USD per month)

Many compare this app to Duolingo, yet there is one big difference between them: while Duolingo is free of charge, Mondly can be accessed only with a paid subscription.

In terms of structure, Mondly relies on a model that is quite typical for language apps: vocabulary divided into thematic categories, which you can unlock as you complete the previous ones. 

Each category is accompanied by a set of 6 lessons, dialogue, and the related glossary. The colorful and user-friendly interface makes it easy to use the app even for less experienced users. 

Pros:

• wide range of vocabulary categories and lessons
• statistics available to track progress
• local, national, and global ranking boosts competitivity and encourages learning
• adapted for the website, iOS, and Android users

Cons:

• only paid version available
• without registering, you only get a glimpse of what the app is about

LingQ is another competitor in the language app market.  Built “by language learners for language learners,” the app offers lots of useful functionalities that a Spanish student will surely appreciate: integrated dictionary, grammar guide, user forum, SRS vocabulary review system, progress tracking, vocabulary management system, you name it. 

Spanish course on LingQ is available for three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Daily learning goals can be individually set in terms of how much time you want to spend with the app. The lesson feed can be customized by choosing at least 5 of the available vocabulary groups (grammar included!).

If there is something that differentiates LingQ from other Spanish learning apps is that it allows you to practice all four skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing, which translates into fuller language acquisition. 

Pros:

• can be used either as a website or an app
• some functions available for free
• very diverse and useful vocabulary content
• library with short readings for different levels
• possibility to import and learn from any content from the web

Cons:

• upgrade to a paid version necessary if you want access to all the functions and lessons
• the number of additional functions can be overwhelming if you are not a tech geek

Learning languages through songs is a technique that never grows old: it facilitates vocabulary memorization, shows the practical use of words, and keeps learners motivated and engaged. Lirica app for Spanish, English, and German learning does precisely that. 

Available for beginners and intermediate students, it offers a song to learn from for each vocabulary group. For instance, “Me voy” by Julieta Venegas is used to teach you how to say your goodbyes in Spanish. 

After downloading the song and the accompanying lesson, you get to see the lyrics. The sections in green come with English translations and are the keywords for the lesson. They then get practiced with a set of interactive exercises.

Pros:

• no subscription necessary to try the app
• combines pleasure and learning
• introduces the learner to music in Spanish
• an excellent method to memorize words for longer

Cons:

• you don’t get to understand the whole song, just the selected parts
• premium content unlocked only with a subscription (around 4 USD per month)

Rosetta Stone offers one of the oldest and most famous language learning methodology that imitates natural language acquisition in a child, and its app has been around for over 20 years. Unlike most other language apps, it does not use any translations, which means that you can learn Spanish in an immersive way, independently of your language of origin. 

Rosetta Stone is very interactive and pleasant to the eye, with lots of images to help illustrate new words and phrases. However, it does not include any game, award, or point system to increase the learner’s motivation, but simply the statistics of your progress.

One of the most remarkable features is the possibility to participate in and schedule classes with a live tutor, which transforms this app into a full classroom experience. Another valued function is an enhanced speech recognition system to boost your self-esteem when speaking Spanish. 

Pros:

• the app is not based on translations but offers an authentic immersion experienced
• diverse exercises to practice new content
• a 3-day trial period available when no charge to your credit card is made
• your account can be synchronized between various devices
• the extended learning section offers reading exercises and a phrasebook 
• the downloaded lessons can be accessed offline
• 200+ hours of content
• multisystem

Cons:

• only for subscribed users
• no translations can lead to confusion about the exact meaning of words and phrases

¡Hola! - Learn Spanish is a small (only 4.6MB) and simple app that can be downloaded on your Android phone from Amazon Appstore at a modest price of USD 0.99. Its interface is quite basic, which, however, makes it very easy to follow. 

The home screen features a list of the available contents. Apart from Spanish vocabulary lessons, you can also find here a Spanish-English and English-Spanish offline dictionary with over 85.000 entries and a section on Spanish gastronomy, history, proverbs, and other valuable facts (such as emergency telephone numbers and tourist information websites). 

What are the main vocabulary groups that can be learned with Hola!? The list includes basic expressions, greetings, courtesy, phone, time, dates, chat, shopping, airport, and a few others. There is also a pronunciation section to help you speak like a native Spaniard!

Hola! Learn Spanish uses a “text to speech” technology that allows users to listen to the correct pronunciation. Keep in mind that the quality of the voice will depend on the text-to-speech synthesizer installed on your phone or tablet. 

Pros:

• available 100% offline
• only USD 0.99
• offers a dictionary 
• additional sections provide helpful information about Spain

Cons:

• only for Android users
• some users complain about pronunciation quality