Head to head · Chat & research · updated Oct 15, 2026
Speak vs Duolingo Max
Speak scores 52 to Duolingo Max's 10 on public evidence for learning & tutoring, and they rank #1 and #3 there. Only Duolingo Max has a free tier. Numbers below are the same public signals the ranking uses, recomputed nightly — nothing here is sponsored.
Speak
A language app built around speaking out loud, with an AI tutor that holds conversations and corrects your pronunciation and phrasing.
+ Gets you talking from the first lesson with open-ended AI conversations rather than tap-the-word drills.
− Limited language selection and no meaningful free tier beyond a trial.
Duolingo Max
Duolingo's top tier adds GPT-4-powered Explain My Answer, Roleplay conversations and Video Call practice with the character Lily.
+ Video Call puts you in an unscripted spoken conversation that adapts to your level inside the app you already use.
− Pricey relative to Super Duolingo, and the AI features are only available for a subset of courses.
Side by side
public evidence| Speak | Duolingo Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence score / 100 | 52 | 10 |
| GitHub stars | closed source | closed source |
| Hacker News stories, 30d | 25 | 0 |
| Release-feed mentions, 30d | 1 | 0 |
| Last activity | 0 days ago | – |
| Pricing | Paid | Free tier · Max $29.99/mo |
| Platforms | ios, android, web | ios, android, web |
| Maker | Speakeasy Labs | Duolingo |
Which one?
Pick Speak if
- you want the stronger public evidence (52 vs 10)
Best for speaking practice with feedback.
Pick Duolingo Max if
- you want a free tier to start on
Best for conversation practice inside Duolingo.