The language learning app sector evolved from the desktop courses of the mid-2000s, which delivered lessons through CDs, desktop software, and, as was new at the time, the web.
Babbel and Busuu emerged in this early wave of web-based language tools, although Rosetta Stone remained the leading service, having sold language learning CDs since the early 1990s.
Many of the new services introduced free courses or community-built lessons. Duolingo’s founders, in particular, aimed to create a language app accessible to anyone in the world.
Through this community model, Duolingo and Memrise have published hundreds of courses, including rare or even fictional languages. In some cases, courses built on these platforms have helped preserve languages close to extinction.
The shift to mobile drove the gamification of language learning, introducing prizes, flashcards, health bars, and other features designed to make learning informal and engaging.
This approach has drawn some criticism, although research shows that gamification can improve learning outcomes. It also enables new forms of study that are uncommon in classrooms or intensive courses.
During the pandemic, usage of educational apps surged as schools incorporated them into homework. Language learning apps saw a similar boost, as many people used the time at home to learn new languages.
Despite the growth of mobile learning, less than one third of language learning is done on phones, with most still completed offline or on PC. A major limitation of app-only learning is that most apps are not advanced enough to take users to full fluency, meaning many still need in-person or structured courses afterwards.
Apps like HelloTalk and Tandem have tried to address this by connecting learners with native speakers. When a user makes a mistake, these apps provide immediate feedback, either from the native speaker or through AI. Newer apps such as Learna and Praktika have went further with generative AI chatbots and virtual tutors.
We have collected data and statistics on the language learning sector. Read on below to find out more. If you want to dive deeper into the education app market, check out our Education App report.
Key Language Learning Statistics
- Language learning apps generated $1.11 billion in 2024, a 9.9% year-on-year increase
- Duolingo made the most revenue of all apps, reporting $748 million in 2024
- Duolingo also had the most usage in 2024 by a large margin
- Language learning apps were downloaded 316 million times in 2024
Education App Report 2025
Want to learn more about the education app industry? Our Education App Report covers financials, market share, users, installs, demographics and benchmarking data.
- Charts: 86
- Data Points: 1583
- Apps covered: 20
Top Language Learning Apps
| Title | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| https://www.businessofapps.com/data/duolingo-statistics/ | Duolingo | The most popular and highest grossing language learning app in 2021, which went public on the NASDAQ |
| https://www.businessofapps.com/data/babbel-statistics/ | Babbel | In a world of freemium services, Babbel stands out as a paid-for only service, which hit 10 million subscriptions |
| https://www.businessofapps.com/data/busuu-statistics/ | Busuu | Popular in the EMEA region, with Russia and Turkey being two of the most active countries. Has 10,000 live tutors available |
| https://www.businessofapps.com/data/memrise-statistics/ | Memrise | Designed by two experts in memory, Memrise has won multiple awards for its app, including Google's App of the Year 2017 |
| https://kahoot.com/home/learning-apps/drops/ | Drops Kahoot! | Users learn the language through identifying different images, with 45 languages available |
| https://www.hellotalk.com/?lang=en | HelloTalk | Instead of teaching the language through cards or voice, this app lets native speakers talk to each other, with real-time adjustments |
| https://www.rosettastone.com/product/mobile-apps/ | Rosetta Stone | The most established language learning company, with hundreds of offline courses. It has 52 apps for all types of language teaching |
| https://www.tandem.net/ | Tandem | Similar to HelloTalk, Tandem is focused on conversations with native speakers. It includes sign and fictional languages |
| https://www.lingodeer.com/ | LingoDeer | Unlike most language learning platforms which prioritise European languages, LingoDeer has several Asian courses available |
| https://www.mondly.com/ | Mondly | A Romanian-based language learning platform which has already launched multiple VR apps, and offers 33 language courses |
Education App Market Landscape
The education app market covers a wide range of subsectors, spanning everything from games that teach kids aged 2-8 years old maths and English, to further education for people to learn new skills. Foreign language tutoring is one of the largest of these subsectors, with hundreds of apps offering the ability to learn new languages. You can download this map as a PDF, which includes a landscape version for presentations.
Language Learning App Revenue
Revenue in the language learning app sector reached $1.11 billion in 2024. Online services cover about 15% of the total income in the language learning industry.
