Drops vs Duolingo at a glance
| Drops | Duolingo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free version; Premium $11/mo, $69.99/yr or $150 lifetimechecked 2026-10-09 (languagedrops.com/premium) | Free; Super from $9.99/mo or $79.99/yrchecked 2026-10-06 (US App Store) |
| Levels | A1–A2 (beginner) | 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 | iOS, Android, Web |
| Best for | Fast, pretty vocabulary games for beginners; no grammar, no sentences. | 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, as the main app. Its bite-sized, game-style lessons cover reading, writing, listening and speaking with short sentences. Drops is a vocabulary game: five-minute sessions of tapping and swiping words matched to simple pictures, with spaced repetition behind it. It teaches no grammar and almost no sentences, so it cannot be your only app.
Which is cheaper?
Duolingo, because every course is free; Super starts at $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year on the US App Store. Drops has a free version and Premium at $11 a month, $69.99 a year or $150 for lifetime on its own site.
Which is better for vocabulary?
Drops, for pure word-learning speed. Pictures and quick swipes make a first few hundred words stick in spare minutes. Duolingo teaches words inside sentences, which is slower but shows you how they are used.
Which takes you further?
Duolingo. It realistically covers A1 to B1, while Drops is for A1 and A2. Neither will get you to conversation on its own.
Can you use both?
Yes, and this is one of the better pairs: Duolingo for sentences and the daily lesson, Drops for five minutes of extra vocabulary. They overlap less than two course apps would.
What neither does
Neither app plays real-speed French or gives you anyone to talk to, and neither explains grammar in depth. Duolingo's sentences are short and recorded for learners, and Drops has almost no sentences at all. Add real listening and, once you have a few hundred words, a conversation partner.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed French | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drops | Free version; Premium $11/mo, $69.99/yr or $150 lifetimechecked 2026-10-09 (languagedrops.com/premium) | A1–A2 | No | Fast, pretty vocabulary games for beginners; no grammar, no sentences. |
| 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: Drops (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