⚖️ Busuu vs Duolingo: Which Is Better for Learning French?
Learning French today is easier than ever—with just a smartphone and a few spare minutes a day, you can dive into the language of croissants, chansons, and charm. But with so many language apps out there, it’s natural to wonder: which one actually works best?
In this article, we take a close look at two of the most popular apps for French learners: Busuu and Duolingo. They both promise to help you learn French, but their approaches couldn’t be more different. Whether you’re a curious beginner or brushing up your skills for a trip to Paris, this side-by-side comparison will help you choose the one that suits your style, schedule, and goals.
We’ll explore everything from lesson structure to speaking practice, community features, cultural depth, and more—so by the end, you’ll know exactly where to start your French journey.
Let’s dive in—à vos marques, prêts, partez !
Part 1: Learning Style and Personalization
🎯 Tailored Lessons
Does the app adapt to your level and learning speed?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu gets to know you from the get-go. After a placement test, it recommends a learning path that fits your current level and goals. As you move forward, its adaptive learning technology tweaks the difficulty of exercises based on your performance. It’s a smart, responsive system that keeps you challenged—but not overwhelmed.
Duolingo: 🚫 Not really. Duolingo also starts with a placement test, but from there, it’s more of a one-size-fits-all journey. The lessons unfold in a fixed order, and while you can race ahead or revisit past material, the system doesn’t adjust to your progress in real time. It’s consistent, but not particularly flexible.
Summary: Busuu stands out for its personalized, adaptive approach, helping you stay on track and challenged at your pace. Duolingo offers a steady structure, but lacks true real-time personalization—making it less ideal if you’re after a more tailored experience.
📚 Teaching Methods
Does the app focus on reading, writing, listening, speaking, or a combination of all?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu takes a well-rounded approach to language learning. Lessons include listening, reading, writing, and speaking, often in real-world contexts. One standout feature? You can submit written or spoken responses and get feedback from native speakers—a huge plus for improving fluency and confidence.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo also touches on all four key skills, with an emphasis on reading and listening through short, game-like exercises. Its speaking and writing activities are simpler and more automated, so while it covers the bases, it’s a bit lighter on depth compared to more comprehensive platforms.
Summary: Both apps cover the core skills of language learning, but Busuu offers a more immersive and interactive experience, especially thanks to its native-speaker feedback. Duolingo does a solid job for casual learners, but it leans more on repetition than real-world practice.
⚡ Flexibility
Does the app offer flexibility in how lessons are delivered?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu is designed to fit around your life. Whether you have just five minutes or a full study session, you can move through lessons at your own pace. Short grammar tips, vocabulary reviews, or full dialogues—it’s all there. Plus, the app lets you download lessons for offline use, which is a game-changer for learning on the go.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo shines when it comes to quick, bite-sized learning. Lessons are designed to be completed in just a few minutes, making it perfect for squeezing in a session during lunch or on your commute. While it’s not built for longer, in-depth study sessions, its gamified format keeps you coming back for more.
Summary:Both apps do well on the flexibility front. Busuu caters to a wider range of learning styles and schedules, including offline learning, while Duolingo is ideal for short, consistent practice sessions—especially for learners who like to keep things light and fun.
Part 2: Content Quality
📖 Vocabulary and Grammar Coverage
Does the app provide a well-rounded balance of vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu strikes a solid balance between vocabulary and grammar, with explanations that make tricky concepts easier to grasp. It doesn’t just throw words at you—it shows you how they work in real sentences and everyday situations. You’ll also get structured grammar lessons woven into the content, so you’re not left guessing.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo helps you build up vocabulary quickly through repetition and pattern recognition. Grammar is present, but more subtly integrated—it’s learned by doing, rather than through clear explanations. You’ll get exposure to common structures, but less direct instruction, especially in the free version.
Summary: Both apps cover vocabulary and grammar well, but Busuu offers more explicit instruction and real-world context, while Duolingo leans on intuitive learning and repetition. If you like learning the why behind the words, Busuu might feel more complete.
🌍 Cultural Insights
Does the app include cultural information, idiomatic expressions, and real-life context?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu regularly weaves in cultural tips, idioms, and situational dialogues that reflect how the language is actually used. You’ll learn not just what to say, but when and why—which is key for sounding natural and respectful in real conversations. It’s a small touch that makes a big difference in authenticity.
Duolingo: ⚠️ Yes, some—but it’s limited. Duolingo occasionally includes quirky sentences and idioms, and some courses have cultural notes, but these moments are few and far between. The app leans more on repetition than cultural context, so while you might pick up a fun phrase or two, it’s not a strong suit of the platform.
Summary: Busuu offers a richer cultural layer, helping you connect with the language beyond vocabulary. Duolingo provides some exposure, but it’s more of a bonus than a built-in feature.
🎧 Authentic Materials
Does the app use native speakers in dialogues and audio recordings?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. When learning French with Busuu, you’ll hear native French speakers right from the start. Dialogues reflect real-life scenarios—ordering in a café, navigating the métro, or chatting with a new acquaintance in Paris. There’s also a selection of cultural and topical content for advanced learners, so you’re not just learning words, you’re learning how they sound and feel in everyday French life.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo also features native audio, and in the French course, it’s generally clear and easy to follow. Features like Duolingo Stories and Audio Lessons add variety and offer some contextual learning. That said, you’re still mostly practicing with constructed, app-specific phrases, not media drawn from real French sources.
Summary: Both apps help you tune your ear to native French, but Busuu brings you closer to authentic, everyday usage, while Duolingo keeps things light and controlled, with just a taste of real-world content.
Part 3: Engagement and Interactivity
🎮 Gamification
Does the app use gamified elements like rewards, levels, and streaks to keep you motivated?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu adds a light touch of gamification—just enough to keep you motivated without turning the app into a game. You’ll earn points, track your progress, and get reminders to stay consistent. But the focus stays on structured learning, so if you’re aiming to seriously improve your French, you’ll likely appreciate its more grown-up feel.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. This is Duolingo’s playground. With daily streaks, leaderboards, gems, and badges, it’s all about making French fun and addictive. You’ll feel the pull to come back every day—often more for the streak than the grammar! It’s great for motivation, though some learners may find it a bit too playful at times.
Summary: Duolingo thrives on gamified learning, perfect if you need a nudge to stay consistent. Busuu is more balanced, blending light motivational tools with a serious study structure—ideal for learners looking to stay focused without too many fireworks.
💥 Variety of Exercises
Are there multiple types of exercises to keep the learning process dynamic and challenging?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu mixes it up nicely. You’ll find listening exercises, sentence-building tasks, flashcards, speaking practice, and even writing assignments that native French speakers can correct. This variety not only keeps things fresh, but also helps you develop all four core skills in balance—essential when tackling a language like French, with its famously tricky pronunciation and grammar.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo keeps learners engaged with tapping, typing, matching, listening, and speaking exercises. It’s playful and fast-paced, with lessons that feel more like mini games than study sessions. While the exercises are fun, they sometimes prioritize speed over depth, especially when it comes to speaking and writing practice.
Summary: Both apps offer a wide range of activities to keep learning lively, but Busuu leans more toward skill-building across the board, while Duolingo focuses on quick, gamified repetition that’s perfect for everyday practice.
🗣️ Interaction with Others
Does the app allow interaction with native speakers?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. One of Busuu’s strongest features is its community of native speakers. You can submit writing or audio exercises and get real corrections and feedback from real people—often native French speakers. It feels like a mini language exchange built right into the app, which is a huge asset if you want to work on pronunciation and fluency in real-world French.
Duolingo: 🚫 No. Duolingo is largely a solo journey. While it has discussion forums under some exercises, there’s no built-in way to interact with native speakers or engage in conversation practice. It’s fun, but if speaking and social interaction are important to your learning style, you might find this a bit limiting.
Summary: Busuu creates a sense of real connection, letting you interact directly with French speakers and get personalized feedback. Duolingo keeps things more self-contained, which works fine for independent learners—but may fall short for those looking to actively practice speaking.
Part 4: Progress Tracking
📊 Clear Goals and Tracking:
Does the app provide clear learning goals and track your progress over time?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu gives you a clear learning roadmap, especially for French, with levels aligned to the CEFR framework (A1 to B2). You can track your daily streak, review past lessons, and even take proficiency tests to see how far you’ve come. The structured path gives a real sense of progress—you know exactly what you’re working toward.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo is great at keeping you engaged day-to-day. It tracks your streak, XP, crowns, and overall progress through the French course. While it doesn’t use formal CEFR levels, it includes checkpoint tests and skill levels, so you can see your improvement over time—even if it’s not as clearly mapped out as Busuu’s system.
Summary: Both apps help you stay on track and visualize your progress, but Busuu offers more structured, level-based goals aligned with international standards. Duolingo keeps it fun and motivational, ideal if you’re driven by streaks and small wins.
📝 Feedback Mechanism
Does the app provide immediate and constructive feedback on your mistakes?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu gives you immediate correction on grammar, spelling, and pronunciation, and even more—when you submit writing or speaking exercises, native speakers can offer personalized feedback. This makes a big difference when tackling the nuances of French, like gendered nouns or tricky verb conjugations. It’s like having a supportive language coach in your pocket.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo gives instant feedback during exercises—if you make a mistake, it highlights the correct answer right away, and sometimes explains why. It’s effective for fast-paced learning, though it doesn’t always dive into the why behind the error. Think of it as a quick tap on the shoulder, not a deep grammar lesson.
Summary: Both apps offer useful, real-time feedback, but Busuu stands out with its peer-reviewed corrections and thoughtful explanations. Duolingo keeps it fast and efficient, which works well for casual learners who prefer quick corrections over detailed instruction.
Part 5: Speaking and Pronunciation Practice
🗣️ Speech Recognition
Does the app include speech recognition technology to help you practice pronunciation?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu includes speech recognition exercises that prompt you to repeat words or phrases in French. While the technology is decent, the real magic happens when you submit your spoken responses to native speakers for review. That human touch makes pronunciation practice more accurate and personally meaningful, especially when you’re grappling with those classic French sounds—like the nasal vowels or that tricky r.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo uses automated speech recognition in many of its speaking exercises. It’s fast and fun, and works well for short phrases. But it’s not always spot-on—sometimes it accepts questionable pronunciation, and other times it flags correct ones. Still, it’s a good low-pressure way to build speaking confidence, especially in the early stages.
Summary: Both apps include speech recognition to help fine-tune your French pronunciation, but Busuu’s combination of tech and native-speaker feedback gives it the edge for more serious speaking practice. Duolingo makes it accessible and friendly, perfect for casual learners or beginners.
🗣️ Speaking Practice
Does the app provide opportunities to practice speaking?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu takes speaking seriously. You can record your voice and compare it with native French audio, which helps with rhythm and pronunciation. Even better, your spoken answers can be submitted to native speakers for feedback—giving you insight into how natural or clear you sound. It’s a great way to practice speaking in a way that feels realistic and encouraging.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo includes speaking exercises where you repeat short phrases aloud, and the app uses voice recognition to check your pronunciation. It’s quick and easy, but limited—you’re not holding conversations or getting feedback from people. Still, it’s a fun and low-pressure way to get talking, especially if you’re just starting out.
Summary: Both apps offer speaking practice, but Busuu takes it further with feedback from real French speakers. Duolingo keeps it simple and playful, which is great for beginners, but less effective for building real conversational confidence.
Part 6: Levels Offered
📈 Skill Levels
Does the app cater to your current level, whether you’re a complete beginner, intermediate, or advanced learner?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu is structured around CEFR levels, from A1 (complete beginner) to B2 (upper-intermediate). You start with a placement test and then follow a path suited to your level. Whether you’re just saying bonjour or already tackling subjunctive constructions, Busuu adapts to your needs and helps you move forward with confidence.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes. Duolingo welcomes learners of all levels, starting with a placement test that skips you ahead if you already know some French. The course gradually builds complexity, but the focus stays mostly on beginner to low-intermediate content. It’s great for getting started or refreshing basics, but advanced learners may find the depth limited.
Summary: Both apps support a range of levels, but Busuu’s structured CEFR-based approach makes it easier to grow progressively, especially into intermediate territory. Duolingo is ideal for beginners or casual learners, but might not satisfy more advanced goals.
Part 7: Offline Availability
🌍 Offline Mode
Can you use the app without an internet connection?
Busuu: ✅ Yes (with some limitations). Busuu lets you download lessons in advance, which is perfect for studying French on a train, during a flight, or anywhere without stable internet. Just note that speech recognition and native speaker feedback won’t work offline. Still, for most lesson content, you’re good to go—a major plus for travelers and commuters.
Duolingo: 🚫 No. Duolingo requires an internet connection to run lessons. While you can sometimes reopen a recent lesson if the app is still open, there’s no proper offline functionality. That can be frustrating if you’re hoping to keep your streak alive somewhere off the grid.
Summary: Busuu offers true offline learning for most features, making it a solid companion on the go. Duolingo, on the other hand, stays online-only, which limits its usefulness in low-connectivity situations.
Part 8: Cost and Subscription Model
💸 Free vs. Paid
Is there a free plan?
Busuu: 🆓 Yes, but limited. Busuu offers a free plan, but many of its best features—like grammar lessons, offline mode, and feedback from native speakers—are reserved for Premium users. You can still get a feel for the app and follow some lessons, but to really progress in French, you’ll likely need the paid version.
Duolingo: 🆓 Yes, fully functional. Duolingo’s free plan is surprisingly generous. You get access to the full French course, including listening, reading, and speaking exercises. The catch? You’ll have to deal with ads and limited “hearts”, which restrict how many mistakes you can make before taking a break—or watching an ad.
Summary: Duolingo shines as a free resource, making it great for budget-conscious learners. Busuu’s free version is more of a trial, with key tools and features behind a paywall—but for serious learners, its Premium plan offers deeper value.
💳 Subscriptions
How much does full access cost?
Busuu: ✅ Subscription-based. Busuu offers several Premium plans:
- Monthly: $13.90/month
- 6-month: $83.40 (approx. $13.90/month)
- 12-month: $70.15 (approx. $5.85/month)
- 24-month: $166.80 (approx. $6.95/month)
These plans unlock features like offline mode, grammar lessons, and feedback from native speakers.
Duolingo: ✅ Subscription-based. Duolingo offers three main plans:
- Super Duolingo:
- Monthly: $12.99/month
- Annual: $59.99/year (approx. $5/month)
- Super Family (up to 6 users): $119.99/year (approx. $9.99/month)
These subscriptions remove ads, allow offline access, and provide additional features like unlimited hearts and personalized practice.
Summary: Both Busuu and Duolingo use subscription models with monthly and annual options. Busuu’s longer-term plans offer more savings, especially for dedicated learners. Duolingo provides affordable options, particularly with its Super Family plan, making it cost-effective for groups.
Part 9: Certification or Qualification
📜 Language Certification
Does the app grant a certification document?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu partners with McGraw-Hill Education to offer official CEFR-aligned certificates for levels A1 through B2. After completing a level, you can take a test and, if you pass, download a personalized certificate. While it’s not the same as taking a DELF or DALF exam, it’s a nice way to validate your progress and share your achievement.
Duolingo: ⚠️ Not within the app, but…. Duolingo doesn’t provide certification through its core French course. However, it does offer the Duolingo English Test, which is accepted by many universities. For French, though, there’s no built-in certification—you’ll need to look elsewhere if official recognition is your goal.
Summary: Busuu provides real CEFR-level certificates for French, which can be a great asset for your resume or study applications. Duolingo focuses on learning rather than certification, so it’s better suited for casual learners rather than those seeking formal proof of proficiency.
Part 10: Support and Community
🛠️ Customer Support
How is the customer support?
Busuu: ✅ Reliable and accessible. Busuu offers a comprehensive Help Center with FAQs covering a wide range of topics, from technical issues to subscription management. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, you can reach out directly via email at team@busuu.com or through their contact form. While response times may vary, users generally report receiving helpful replies within a reasonable timeframe.
Duolingo: ⚠️ Limited direct support. Duolingo primarily relies on its Help Center and community forums for user support. While there is an option to submit support requests, many users have reported delayed or lack of responses, especially concerning account or subscription issues. Some users have expressed frustration over the limited avenues for direct assistance.
Summary: Busuu provides more direct and responsive customer support, making it easier to resolve issues promptly. Duolingo’s support is more self-service oriented, which may be sufficient for general inquiries but can be challenging for more specific or urgent concerns.
🌐 Community Features:
Does the app have an active community where you can ask questions, get support, or interact with other learners?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu has a built-in language exchange community, where learners help each other by giving feedback on written and spoken exercises. This means you’re not just learning from the app—you’re also engaging with real people, many of whom are native French speakers. It creates a sense of shared progress, and you can also follow other users or revisit corrections you’ve received.
Duolingo: ✅ Yes (but more limited now). Duolingo used to have active discussion forums under each lesson, where learners could ask grammar questions or chat about tricky phrases. These have now been mostly removed or scaled back, making community interaction more limited. While there’s still a Duolingo community on Reddit and social media, it’s no longer a strong part of the app itself.
Summary: Busuu encourages direct interaction with other learners and native speakers, offering meaningful community support right in the app. Duolingo’s in-app community features have faded, and while external communities still exist, they’re less integrated into the learning experience.
Part 11: Cultural and Dialectical Accuracy
🌍 Regional Variations
Does the app offer regional variations or allow you to focus on specific dialects, like Canadian, Belgium, or Swiss French?
Busuu: ⚠️ Not specifically. Busuu’s French course primarily teaches Standard European French, commonly used in France. While the platform offers cultural insights and real-life dialogues, it doesn’t provide targeted lessons for specific regional dialects such as Canadian, Belgian, or Swiss French. However, interacting with native speakers through Busuu’s community feature may expose learners to various accents and expressions.
Duolingo: ⚠️ Not specifically. Duolingo’s French course also focuses on Standard European French. Although the app acknowledges the existence of different French dialects, it doesn’t offer separate courses tailored to regional variations like Canadian, Belgian, or Swiss French. Learners interested in these dialects might need to supplement their studies with additional resources.
Summary: Both Busuu and Duolingo concentrate on teaching Standard European French and do not provide dedicated courses for regional dialects. Learners seeking to study specific variations such as Canadian, Belgian, or Swiss French may need to look beyond these platforms for specialized resources.
🌎 Cultural Relevance
Does the app incorporate cultural information, idiomatic expressions, and real-life context?
Busuu: ✅ Yes. Busuu regularly integrates cultural notes, everyday expressions, and realistic dialogues into its lessons. As you learn French, you’ll pick up on things like how to navigate a café in Paris, how people really greet each other, or which expressions are considered formal or casual. This cultural layer makes your learning feel grounded and practical, not just academic.
Duolingo: ⚠️ Yes, but limited. Duolingo occasionally includes quirky or idiomatic phrases, and in some cases, there are light cultural references. However, it doesn’t go deep into customs, context, or cultural norms. Most lessons are focused on language mechanics rather than situational use or social cues—so if you want to understand how French is really spoken, you might need to supplement your learning elsewhere.
Summary: Busuu puts cultural relevance at the heart of the learning experience, making it easier to use French in real life. Duolingo offers a hint of cultural flavor, but it’s more playful than informative—better suited for light engagement than deep understanding.
🏁 Final Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?
Both Busuu and Duolingo bring valuable tools to the table for learning French, but they cater to slightly different needs and learning styles.
Busuu is the better choice if you’re looking for a structured, CEFR-aligned path with strong emphasis on real-life communication, native-speaker feedback, and cultural depth. It’s ideal for learners who want to progress methodically and build a well-rounded skill set—especially if speaking and grammar are priorities.
Duolingo, on the other hand, excels as a fun, accessible entry point to French. Its gamified format, generous free plan, and snack-sized lessons make it perfect for casual learners, total beginners, or anyone looking to maintain a light daily practice without pressure.
Final Scores:
🟡 Busuu: 88/100
🟢 Duolingo: 65/100
And the winner is…. Busuu!
While Duolingo edges out slightly for its accessibility and engaging design, Busuu offers deeper learning and more serious tools for long-term progress. Your choice depends on what you’re looking for: motivation and ease, or structure and substance.
Try both! Start with Duolingo to build a daily habit, then switch or complement with Busuu when you’re ready to take your French to the next level—with real-world skills and confidence to match.
Looking for more options beyond Duolingo? Discover our list of the best apps to learn French and find the one that fits your style.