Duolingo Vs Memrise: Who Is The Better Assistant In Your Language Learning Journey?

Nowadays, learning new languages ​​through mobile applications has become a popular and convenient trend. If you are looking for an application to start your journey to conquer languages, the two most prominent names are Duolingo and Memrise. So which app should you choose? Let's find the answer with SaDesign, through the following article with a friendly and close guidance!

1. Introduction to Duolingo and Memrise

1.1. Duolingo – “Play” to learn

Duolingo is a globally popular free language learning app that has attracted millions of users thanks to its smart “gamification” method. With a philosophy of learning combined with entertainment, Duolingo has turned language learning into an exciting adventure, helping learners stay motivated every day.

Lessons on Duolingo are divided into levels, each level is like a challenge for the learner to overcome. After each lesson, you can earn experience points (XP), badges or climb the leaderboard to compete with friends.

Not only learning, you also feel like you are participating in a real game, with the goal of maintaining a learning streak, earning bonus points and unlocking special achievements.

Duolingo offers more than 30 languages, from popular ones like English, French, and Spanish to rare ones like Gaelic and Navajo. Whether you're a beginner or looking to learn a second language, Duolingo has you covered.

1.2. Memrise – Memorize vocabulary using spaced repetition

Memrise is a language learning app that is particularly strong in vocabulary, featuring the spaced repetition method. This is a memorization technique based on reviewing words/phrases at scientifically calculated intervals, helping learners remember more deeply and for longer.

Instead of cramming too much information at once, Memrise will present new vocabulary and schedule it for review at “golden” times – when you start to forget but still vaguely remember. This helps to consolidate memory effectively.

One of Memrise’s unique selling points is its vast library of courses, covering a wide range of languages ​​and even non-language topics (e.g. history, science, culture). Many of these courses are created by the user community itself, adding to the richness and variety of the learning content.

Memrise not only helps you learn vocabulary, but also provides listening exercises and videos of native speakers pronouncing, helping you apply what you've learned in real life.

2. Comparing Duolingo and Memrise

Below, SaDesign will go over the important aspects when comparing Duolingo and Memrise, helping you determine which application is best suited for your language learning journey.

2.1. Learning method

Duolingo

Integrating four skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing): Duolingo applies short, diverse exercises such as word linking, filling in the blanks, listening - repeating sentences, helping you both review and continuously acquire new knowledge.

In the form of a game: Gamify the learning process, each lesson is a “level” for you to conquer. This method both creates excitement and motivates learners to return to practice every day to maintain the “Streak” (learning flow).

Memrise

Emphasis on memorization and vocabulary repetition: Memrise stands out with its “Spaced Repetition” method. Accordingly, words/phrases will be reviewed at a reasonable frequency, just enough for you to not forget but not too much.

Effective for building up new vocabulary: If your goal is to quickly expand your vocabulary, Memrise is a great choice, thanks to its rich content and systematic lesson organization.

2.2. Motivation & Interest

Duolingo

Lots of incentives: Every time you complete a lesson, Duolingo gives you experience points (XP), badges, and gems, which helps keep you motivated.

Competition and motivation: Leaderboards encourage learners to compete with friends or other app users. For some, this is a powerful motivator to open the app every day.

Memrise

Less “fun” elements: Compared to Duolingo, Memrise doesn’t have as many mini-games or attractive badges. The interface focuses mainly on the lessons.

Diverse, quality content: In return, Memrise has many courses contributed and developed by the community itself, from which you can find separate topics, languages ​​or additional knowledge, maintaining curiosity and interest when exploring new content.

Extremely effective review system: Imagine receiving daily “reminders” to review words you are about to forget. This helps you remember vocabulary longer and more firmly, even though the interface is a bit “unsightly”.

2.3. Comprehensiveness

Duolingo

Great for beginners: The app offers simple, easy-to-follow exercises with eye-catching illustrations, making it ideal for those new to a language.

Lack of depth at intermediate to advanced levels: Once you have the basics down, you may find Duolingo a bit “lightweight,” lacking advanced lessons on grammar and real-life communication situations.

Memrise

Strong focus on vocabulary: If you need to “accumulate” vocabulary sustainably, Memrise is the “true love”.

Combine with other materials: To improve your grammar, writing or communication, you should use additional textbooks, online courses or other complementary applications. This combination will help you master all the necessary skills.

2.4. Cost

Duolingo

Free with basic features: You can freely learn many languages ​​without any fees, suitable for those who like to save money.

Upgrade (Duolingo Plus): If you find ads annoying or want to download lessons offline, you can pay to upgrade to Plus. This is usually a reasonable price and comes with some special benefits (e.g. Unlimited “hearts” to study).

Memrise

Free for Basic Course: You can experience spaced repetition method, take open community courses without paying.

Pro Version: Unlocks all advanced features, including progress analysis, exclusive courses, native speaker videos, and more. This is also the package for serious learners who want to invest in quickly improving their skills.

2.5. Offline learning

Duolingo

Offline downloads only available on Plus plan: Free plan users will need an internet connection to access most content. If you travel a lot or don't have a stable connection, this can be inconvenient.

Memrise

Allow pre-downloading lessons in some free courses: Depending on the course, users can still study offline.

Pro required for full access: However, for the most complete and flexible experience (especially with in-depth or community-contributed courses), you should still upgrade to the Pro version.

3. Should I choose Duolingo or Memrise?

Duolingo and Memrise both have their own unique features, serving different language learning goals. If you need a lot of interaction, motivation, like to learn while having fun and are just starting out with a new language, Duolingo is a great choice. On the other hand, if you want to focus on expanding your vocabulary, have a smart review method and are willing to pay to maximize the features, Memrise is the "true love". Don't forget that you can completely combine both applications to offset the pros and cons, making your language learning journey more comprehensive and effective.

Whether you choose Duolingo or Memrise depends largely on your personal preferences, learning goals, and learning style. The key is to be consistent and learn the right way. Whichever app you use, maintain a regular, consistent study schedule and don't forget to combine it with other real-world materials and activities for comprehensive development.