Duolingo Super alternatives: 4 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
Build a small language deck with audio, images, typed answers and excellent spaced repetition; no cartoon guilt trips.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the Windows installer, macOS DMG or official Linux launcher
dataLocal profile files including collection.anki2, collection.media and backups; exports use .apkg/.colpkg, with optional AnkiWeb sync
vs Duolingo SuperAnki has no supplied course, game loop, social competition or polished pronunciation exercises; the user authors or imports the deck.
setupno real blockers; verified to install clean
facts verified 2026-08-10
A full Android Anki client for authored language decks, pronunciation recordings and offline review.
licenseGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installInstall from Google Play or F-Droid, or sideload the official APK
dataAn Anki collection and media on the Android device, with .apkg import/export and optional AnkiWeb sync
vs Duolingo SuperAnkiDroid has no supplied gamified course or social progression, and it is an Android client rather than a cross-platform lesson service.
setupno real blockers; verified to install clean
facts verified 2026-08-10
Can run your own sequenced lessons, quizzes and progress tracking, though nobody will mistake it for a game.
licenseGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUpload the PHP release to a web server, create a database and moodledata directory, then complete the browser installer
dataCourses, users, grades and settings in SQL; uploaded files in the separate moodledata directory
vs Duolingo SuperMoodle has no game-quality language curriculum, streak loop or adaptive exercise polish and is vastly heavier to administer.
setupPHP and database requirements, protected writable storage, cron, SMTP, backups and upgrades are all the operator's responsibility
facts verified 2026-08-10
A Duolingo-shaped course runner with CEFR lessons, voice exercises and spaced review; self-hosting is the price of unlimited use.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the hosted service, or run Docker Compose with PostgreSQL 16, Redis 7 and the configured AI/speech services
enginesOllama, OpenAI, Anthropic or DeepSeek for language generation; Kokoro or OpenAI TTS; faster-whisper or OpenAI Whisper for speech recognition
dataSelf-hosted data in PostgreSQL, transient state in Redis, and generated/cached MP3 files; managed accounts live in FreeLingo's cloud
vs Duolingo SuperFreeLingo's course quality, gamification, social features and editorial maturity are far behind Duolingo, while serious self-hosted voice practice requires substantial infrastructure.
setupSelf-hosting needs Docker plus an Ollama model or API keys; production voice also needs HTTPS, WebSocket proxying and either GPU-backed local models or paid APIs
facts verified 2026-08-10
last updated 2026-08-10 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anki | AGPL-3.0+ | one-click install | web, macos, windows, linux | 29,600 | 2026-08 |
| AnkiDroid | GPL-3.0+ | one-click install | android | 11,499 | 2026-08 |
| Moodle | GPL-3.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, ios, android, self-hosted | 7,300 | 2026-08 |
| FreeLingo | AGPL-3.0 | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 62 | 2026-08 |
People still pay for Duolingo Super because the learning loop is buildable, while trusted curriculum, instructors, feedback, credentials, and community are not. The recurring cost buys curriculum quality, assessment validity, content rights, spaced-repetition tuning, speech models, sync, moderation, and support, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $155.88 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Duolingo Super?
Yes: Anki, AnkiDroid, Moodle and 1 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Duolingo Super?
Our verdict is NOT REALLY. A consolation build is possible, but the paid product's decisive value sits outside a solo rebuild. For Duolingo Super, build a small user-authored language practice deck with spaced repetition and pronunciation recording. The hard boundary is massive curriculum, adaptive models, content, social loops, mobile polish, and brand, plus content, pedagogy, and network. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at canivibecodeit.com/duolingo-super.
