2026 Review

Duolingo Max

Duolingo's top tier adds AI Video Call and Roleplay conversation practice to the biggest language app.

EducationFreemiumMainstream60% positive

Facts checked Aug 10, 2026

About Duolingo Max

Duolingo Max is the AI tier of the biggest language-learning app (58.7M daily users as of Q2 2026): everything in Super Duolingo — no ads, unlimited energy — plus Video Call, spoken conversation practice with AI characters that adapt to your level, and scenario-based Roleplay chats. The base app is free; in the US, Max runs $29.99/month or $167.99/year (about $14/month). Conversation features cover nine courses, not the long tail of the catalog.

At a glance

Founded: 2011
Headquarters: Pittsburgh, US
Users: 58.7M daily active users (Q2 2026) (company claim)
Languages: 9
Platforms: iOS, Android

Main competitors

BabbelRosetta StoneMemriseSpeak

Best for

Speaking practiceConversation confidenceTravel prepDaily language habitSupplementing classes

Pros

Speaking practice with no tutor scheduling and no judgment, inside the app's existing streak habit loop
Video Call adapts to your level, keeps context between calls, and Falstaff's guided mode lowers the bar for beginners
Annual pricing (about $14/month in the US) is far below human tutoring
The free tier remains a complete course — you can learn the whole language without paying

Cons

Expensive for what's exclusive: since Explain My Answer went free in January 2026, Max's exclusives are the two conversation features — $29.99 monthly is ~2.3x Super, annual ~1.75x
Conversation features cover only nine courses (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese) — the other 30+ get nothing for the extra money
Calls are short with no phoneme-level pronunciation diagnostics — Speak is stronger for accent coaching
Mobile-only for the AI features; prices and trials vary by country, platform, and account

Our verdict

Best for: Committed learners of one of the nine supported courses who want regular, anxiety-free speaking reps without paying for a human tutor.

Skip if: You're learning a course outside the supported nine, you won't use conversation practice weekly, or you want real pronunciation coaching — Speak scores your speech at the phoneme level; Max doesn't.

Our review

Max's pitch is simple: the scariest part of language learning is speaking to another human, and Duolingo sells a version where the human is a cartoon. Video Call is the feature that matters — an AI character that adapts to your level, remembers previous conversations, and lives inside the streak-driven habit loop that made Duolingo the biggest name in language apps (58.7M daily users as of Q2 2026). The January 2026 addition of Falstaff, a guided-call character who suggests phrases and gives feedback in your native language, fixed the biggest early complaint: that beginners froze in free-form calls. For an intermediate learner who avoids conversation, regular low-stakes reps at $14/month beats the price of any human tutor.

The value math is harder to defend since Explain My Answer went free on top courses in January 2026, leaving Video Call and Roleplay as the only Max exclusives over the roughly $7/month Super tier. Coverage is the other catch: nine courses get conversation features, so learners of Dutch, Polish, Arabic, or Hindi are paying Max prices for Super benefits. Calls stay short, there's no phoneme-level pronunciation feedback — Speak is meaningfully better on that axis — and the brand carries baggage: a 1.5 Trustpilot score heavy on billing complaints and lingering Reddit resentment over the 2025 'AI-first' contractor memo.

Verdict: worth it for committed learners of the nine supported courses who'll use Video Call weekly — buy annual, never monthly. Everyone else should stay on the excellent free tier, or pay Super for the ad-free experience and pocket the difference.

What reviewers elsewhere say

60% positive — Video Call is praised as a genuinely low-pressure speaking partner, but Max is widely called overpriced for two features, Trustpilot is flooded with billing complaints, and the 2025 'AI-first' contractor memo still colors Reddit sentiment.

G2 4.5 out of 5 (142 reviews)Trustpilot 1.5 out of 5 (8,000 reviews)Capterra 4.6 out of 5 (975 reviews)

Sentiment estimated from reviews on G2, Trustpilot, Capterra, Reddit, App Store, as of Aug 2026. Third-party scores are point-in-time snapshots. We don't host user reviews.

Key features

Video Call: real-time spoken conversation with an AI character that adapts to your level and remembers previous calls
Two call partners: free-flowing conversation with Lily, or guided beginner calls with Falstaff — phrase suggestions and native-language feedback (iOS)
Roleplay: scenario-based chat practice (ordering coffee, job interviews) with feedback
Includes everything in Super Duolingo — no ads, unlimited energy, personalized practice
Call transcripts to review what you said and where you slipped
Family plan covers up to 6 accounts

How to use Duolingo Max

Learn free first: download Duolingo, pick a course, and build a streak — Max is an upgrade, not the entry point.
Once you can form basic sentences, start the Max free trial from the app's shop or a lesson prompt.
Beginners: use Falstaff's guided Video Calls (iOS) — he suggests phrases and gives feedback in your native language.
Graduate to free-form calls with Lily a few times a week, and review the transcript afterward for vocabulary you fumbled.
Run Roleplay scenarios (café, hotel, small talk) to drill situational phrases with feedback.
Buy annual ($167.99/year in the US) if you stay — month-to-month at $29.99 roughly doubles the effective price.

Pricing

Free$0

Full course content for all 40+ languages with ads and limited energy. Explain My Answer included on top courses since January 2026.

Super$12.99/mo

About $7/mo billed annually. No ads, unlimited energy, personalized practice — everything except the AI conversation features.

Max$29.99/mo

$167.99/year (about $14/mo) in the US. Adds Video Call and Roleplay on top of everything in Super.

Max Family$239.99/yr

Up to 6 accounts, billed annually. Prices vary by country and app store.

Pricing verified August 2026 · prices as listed by the vendor; check the official site for current offers.

Try Duolingo Max

Frequently asked questions

What is Duolingo Max?

Duolingo Max is Duolingo's highest subscription tier. It includes everything in Super Duolingo — no ads, unlimited energy, personalized practice — plus two AI conversation features: Video Call, spoken practice with AI characters Lily and Falstaff, and Roleplay, scenario-based chat practice with feedback.

How much does Duolingo Max cost?

In the US, Max is $29.99/month or $167.99/year (about $14/month billed annually); a family plan covering up to 6 accounts is $239.99/year. Duolingo publishes no universal price sheet — prices vary by country, platform, and account, and new subscribers typically get a free trial.

Which languages does Duolingo Max support?

Video Call supports nine courses as of early 2026: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean, and Chinese (some arrive on iOS before Android). Roleplay covers a narrower set of the biggest courses. The other 30+ courses can be studied free but don't get the conversation features.

Is Duolingo Max worth it over Super?

Only if you'll actually do speaking practice. Since Explain My Answer became free in January 2026, Max's exclusives are Video Call and Roleplay — about 1.75x Super's annual price. That's worth it for learners of the nine supported courses who practice speaking weekly, and poor value for anyone else.

Does Duolingo have an API?

No. Duolingo offers no official public API for learners or developers — only unofficial community wrappers exist, and they break regularly.