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Duolingo vs Rosetta Stone Sapphire
Duolingo scores higher overall (8.6 vs 6.8), but the right pick depends on what you need.
Choose Duolingo if…
Beginners and casual learners who want a free daily habit, with optional AI speaking practice
8.6/10★★★★★Full review →Choose Rosetta Stone Sapphire if…
Immersion-style learners who want a structured course in one of 25 languages
6.8/10★★★★★Full review →Side by side
| Duolingo | Rosetta Stone Sapphire | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.6/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 10 | #10 of 10 |
| Price | Freemium · from $9.99/month | Paid · from $19.99 |
| Free version | Full courses free with ads and limits on mistakes | Trial lesson |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Made by | Duolingo, Inc. | Rosetta Stone (IXL Learning) |
| Learning quality | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| Ease of use | 9.5 | 7.5 |
| Features | 8.5 | 7 |
| Value for money | 8.5 | 6 |
| Platforms | 10 | 7 |
Duolingo: what the AI does
- Video Call with AI character Lily
- Roleplay conversation scenarios
- Explain My Answer (now free)
- AI-generated course content and Speaking Adventures
- Best free plan in the category
- Habit-forming streaks and game design
- Video Call remembers past conversations and leaves transcripts
- Works on web, iOS and Android
- The AI speaking features need the $29.99-a-month Max plan
- Max is limited to a subset of languages
- AI conversations can feel rigid for advanced learners
Rosetta Stone Sapphire: what the AI does
- Chat Missions conversation practice
- Real-time grammar, spelling and phrasing feedback
- TruAccent speech recognition
- Sapphire Studio custom activities on any topic
- 25 languages with a proven immersion method
- TruAccent pronunciation checking
- Modern redesign with conversation practice
- Very new, with few ratings or independent reviews yet
- Pricing is unclear
- Immersion without translation can frustrate some learners