Memrise and Duolingo are two companies that have made language learning much more accessible to people all over the planet.
A ridiculous number of people use these platforms to study. Duolingo has over 300 million users, while Memrise has over 35 million of their own.
They’ve made a mark on the world of language learning largely due to the fact that they’re free to use. While both platforms do have a premium subscription option, most users will find more than enough value in the free versions.
If you want to start learning a language but aren’t sure which one to go with, I’ll help you figure that out here.
The truth is, it’s not actually an either/or decision. These two platforms teach languages in completely different ways that complement each other very well.
Memrise is very good with the same things Duolingo struggles with. Likewise, Duolingo can help fill in the gaps where Memrise is a bit weaker.
Memrise is much better for learning and remembering individual words or phrases.
Duolingo is much better for learning how to construct sentences.
I love how both platforms make it super easy to get started and do a little bit each day. The fact that they’re available to everyone regardless of their financial situation is amazing.
Both are better for casual learners. These platforms are perfect for those who are just curious or want a low-risk way to try studying a language.
More serious students, such as those who need to learn a language for work or are planning to live abroad, would be better off using other resources. Unfortunately, that may cost some money – though not necessarily a lot.
For those students, Memrise remains pretty useful as a complementary resource, whereas it’d be better to replace Duolingo with a different, more thorough, course.
For now, let’s take a look at what it’s like to study with each of these platforms.
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