Clozemaster vs Duolingo at a glance
| Clozemaster | Duolingo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Pro €6.45/mo billed €77.34/yr, or €15.46/mo monthlychecked 2026-10-09 (clozemaster.com/pro) | Free; Super from $9.99/mo or $79.99/yrchecked 2026-10-06 (US App Store) |
| Levels | A2–C1 (beginner to advanced) | A1–B1 (beginner and intermediate) |
| Free to use | Yes, at least in part | Yes, at least in part |
| Real-speed French | No | No |
| Transcripts or subtitles | Not a feature | Not a feature |
| Taught in | English | English |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Best for | Thousands of fill-the-gap sentences, free, good for volume from A2. | The easiest free habit for week one; plan what comes after it. |
Prices as shown on the official site on the date given; they vary by country and change often.
Which is better for beginners?
Duolingo. Its bite-sized, game-style lessons cover reading, writing, listening and speaking, and every course is free. Clozemaster assumes you know the basics: it suits learners from about A2.
Which is better for vocabulary?
Clozemaster, once you are past the start. You fill the missing word in thousands of French sentences, ordered from the most common words up, so you see each word in context many times. Duolingo teaches a solid first few hundred words in short sentences.
Which is cheaper?
Both are free for most people. Every Duolingo course is free, with paid plans that remove ads and add extras. Clozemaster's maker says everything you need is free and always will be; Pro adds extra features for a monthly or yearly fee.
Which takes you further?
Clozemaster. It is useful from A2 to C1, while Duolingo realistically covers A1 to B1.
Which helps with listening and speaking?
Duolingo, a little: it has listening and speaking exercises. Clozemaster is a game of reading, not listening, and does not get you speaking.
Can you use both?
Yes, and the handover is natural: Duolingo for the first months, Clozemaster for volume once Duolingo starts to feel easy. Both are free, so the pair costs nothing.
What neither does
Neither trains your ear for real-speed French or gives you a person to talk to, and neither explains grammar in depth. Duolingo's sentences are recorded for learners, and Clozemaster is a reading game. Add real listening, a clear grammar resource and some conversation practice as you progress, so the words you collect turn into French you can follow and use.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed French | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clozemaster | Free; Pro €6.45/mo billed €77.34/yr, or €15.46/mo monthlychecked 2026-10-09 (clozemaster.com/pro) | A2–C1 | No | Thousands of fill-the-gap sentences, free, good for volume from A2. |
| Duolingo | Free; Super from $9.99/mo or $79.99/yrchecked 2026-10-06 (US App Store) | A1–B1 | No | The easiest free habit for week one; plan what comes after it. |
| French with Amélie | Free weekly lesson; Premium $24/mo or $240/yr | B1–C1 | Yes, with a slow version and a transcript | Real-speed dialogues by email and a private podcast. Not an app. Visit |
Prices as shown on the official site on the date given; they vary by country and change often.
Read more
The full listings: Clozemaster (app) and Duolingo (app). More like these: Apps like Duolingo for French.
Guides
- Is Duolingo free? What the free version gives you for French (2026)
- Duolingo French: how far it takes you, honestly
- How much is Duolingo? Super and Max prices (2026)
- Duolingo energy and hearts: how to keep learning French without the limits
- Is Duolingo effective? What it teaches and what it skips
- Is Duolingo a waste of time? Is it accurate? Is it dead?
- How to cancel Duolingo Super