The 9 Best Apps to Learn Croatian & Serbian Quickly
Kelsey Wetherbee
Published on January 23, 2023
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If you’re learning Croatian or Serbian, you might have struggled to find a quality resource. They’re not the most common languages to learn, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a high-quality way to study. This article compiles some of the best apps to help you learn Croatian and/or Serbian effectively. You’re sure to find something that will get you speaking quickly!
There is a lot of debate among linguists if Serbian and Croatian are separate languages or just different dialects of the Serbo-Croatian language. To make things even more complicated, Bosnian and Montenegrin are often thrown in the language/dialect debate. For the sake of fairness, let’s take a brief look at both sides.
Serbian and Croatian are mutually intelligible to native speakers, which means that a speaker of one of these languages can easily understand a speaker of the other. The two languages are also similar in grammar and vocabulary. However, they use different alphabets.
What’s considered a separate language can be political, rather than linguistic, in nature. Croatia and Serbia were both parts of the Socialist Federalist Republic of Yugoslavia before it split into different countries in 1991. Before this, habitants of Yugoslavia were considered to speak Serbo-Croatian. But since the breakup, there has been an effort to differentiate the languages from one another.
There’s much more involved in this debate, and if you’re interested in learning more, you can start with this article. But for now, let’s get to the best language apps available for these languages!
What Are The Best Apps To Learn Croatian & Serbian?
To find the best language apps available to learn Croatian and Serbian, I first made a list of which ones offer one or both of these languages. Luckily, most offer both, but if they only offered one, it was usually Croatian, not Serbian. Below you’ll find a table that shows the best apps to learn these languages and for which languages they’re available.
| Best for... | Languages Available | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall Croatian App | Croatian | |
| Best for Beginners | Croatian | |
| Best for Online Classes | Croatian, Serbian | |
| Best for Authentic Content | Croatian, Serbian | |
| Best to Learn Culture | Croatian, Serbian | |
| Best for Learning in Context | Croatian, Serbian | |
| Best for Finding a Language Exchange Partner | Croatian, Serbian | |
| Best for Learning for Free | Croatian, Serbian | |
| Best for Vocabulary | Croatian, Serbian |
Mondly
Best Overall Croatian App
The Mondly app is an interactive app that uses new technology to create fun and interesting lessons. The lessons cover basic grammar and vocabulary topics, which is why it’s the best overall app to learn Croatian. You can complete the lessons in any order you want without following a rigid course structure.
Mondly has lots of ways you can track your progress, which is perfect for helping you stay motivated You can try Mondly for free with a 7-day trial or learn more about it in this Mondly review.
Key Features
- Learn basic Croatian quickly
- Choose what you want to study
- Track your progress to see how much you’ve learned
Pricing
Mondly costs $9.99 per month to access only one language. A yearly subscription is $47.99 for one language, or you can buy a lifetime subscription for $89.99 and have access to all 41 languages that Mondly offers.
Pimsleur
Best for Beginners
Pimsleur courses are a good option if you want to become conversational in Croatian quickly. The emphasis is on conversation, so you’ll be speaking from the very first lesson. Native speakers record the lessons so you’ll hear the correct pronunciation. The courses will take you from the basics to having full conversations.
It’s a convenient course to take because all the lessons are audio-based so you can complete the lessons anywhere. They also don’t overwhelm you with complicated grammar explanations since the focus is on speaking. You can try Pimsleur for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Pimsleur review.
Key Features
- Audio lessons
- Focus on pronunciation and speaking
- Easy-to-follow lessons
Pricing
The Pimsleur app costs $14.95 per month. You have the option to pay for the course upfront instead of subscribing to the app, which costs between $150 and $550 depending on how many levels you buy. You can try Pimsleur with a free 7-day trial.
italki
Best for Online Classes
italki is a popular language learning platform that connects you with Serbian and Croatian tutors to take online classes. You can search for teachers with different filters like availability and languages they speak to find the one that’s best for you. Each teacher also sets their own price so you can find one that fits your budget.
You can tell your tutors what you want to study before beginning lessons or find out if they offer set courses. Currently, there are about 100 Serbian tutors and 50 Croatian tutors, and many of them teach both languages. Most teachers offer a 50% discount on your first lesson to see if they’re a good fit. You can also learn more about the platform in this italki review.
Key Features
- Take online classes with qualified tutors
- Find a tutor that fits your availability and budget
- Learn exactly what you want to learn
Pricing
Teachers set their own price for an hour-long class. Generally, teachers charge $10.00 – $20.00 per class.
LingQ
Best for Authentic Content
LingQ compiles authentic content from different Serbian and Croatian sources to help you improve your understanding. You can choose from videos, podcasts, and other audio and video recordings. There are different categories such as business, news, and sports so you can find a topic you are interested in.
LingQ is good for all levels. You can speed up or slow down the content based on your abilities. LingQ also creates customized vocabulary lists to help you learn vocabulary. Just click on a word and it will automatically be saved to your list.
Try LingQ for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this LingQ review.
Key Features
- Learn with authentic content
- Ability to create your own lessons
- Customized vocabulary lists
Pricing
LingQ has a limited free version. A Premium subscription costs $14.99 per month or a Premium Plus subscription costs $41.99 per month. The monthly price decreases if you buy a longer subscription. There is a 7-day free trial so you can try LingQ risk-free.
Mango Languages
Best to Learn Culture
The Mango Language courses cover the basics and help you build a strong foundation in the language. The app is easy to use and the content is high-quality. It’s more than just flashcards and random phrases. It helps you build on what you’ve already learned.
The app also provides cultural and grammar notes that most other apps don’t include. Although it’s the best app to learn Serbian, it also has a Croatian course available. You can try Mango Languages for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Mango Languages review.
Key Features
- Organized lessons and easy-to-follow course
- Audio from native speakers
- Lessons build on what you already learned
Pricing
The Mango Languages app costs $7.99 per month for one language or $17.99 per month for access to all languages. If you choose a yearly subscription, you pay $6.67 per month for one language or $14.99 per month for all languages. You can try Mango Languages for free with a 14-day trial. Many libraries and universities offer Mango Languages for free so it’s worth checking to see if you can access it without paying.
Clozemaster
Best for Learning in Context
Clozemaster is an app that teaches language in context. This means that there aren’t long explanations, but rather you learn by naturally using words in sentences. There are tons of practice sentences and you choose the correct word to complete the sentence. You can choose multiple choice mode or type the word yourself for an added challenge.
It’s not the flashiest app, but its straightforward design makes it easy to practice, even if you only have a few minutes. It’s best used as a supplementary app to another learning app since it doesn’t provide explanations of why an answer is correct or incorrect.
Try Clozemaster for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Clozemaster review.
Key Features
- Fill-in-the-blank exercises
- Learn words in context
- Large library of practice sentences
Pricing
You can use Clozemaster for free every day to practice 30 sentences. To have unlimited access, Clozemaster Pro costs $8.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
HelloTalk
Best for Finding a Language Exchange Partner
HelloTalk is an app that helps connect people around the world who want to practice languages together. You can find someone to talk with based on the language you want to practice, location, hobbies, and more. It’s a handy way to connect with people and practice Serbian or Croatian but isn’t very useful if you’re a beginner.
HelloTalk also offers some other features to help you learn, but it’s really only an app to help you practice conversation. You might need another app to learn basic grammar and vocabulary topics. Try HelloTalk for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this HelloTalk review.
Key Features
- Chat with a language exchange partner
- Offer/receive corrections on written messages
- Option to video call your exchange partner
Pricing
HelloTalk is completely free, but you have some restrictions on your access to premium features. To access all features, you can get a HelloTalk VIP subscription for $12.99/month. A yearly subscription costs $79.99, or you can get Lifetime access for $149.99.
Memrise
Best to Learn for Free
Memrise uses flashcards that help you learn new words and phrases quickly. It offers some “official” courses, but unfortunately, there’s not one available for Serbian or Croatian. However, there are a ton of user-created flashcard sets available. They’re available on the website only, not on the app. These can help you learn new vocabulary about a lot of different topics.
Some of the flashcard sets available include the Cyrillic alphabet, food, adjectives, and essential verbs. There are even some more advanced topics like literature and film. If interested, you can read through this Memrise review to learn more about the app.
Key Features
- User-generated content
- Access through the web platform
- Completely free
Pricing
You can use Memrise to learn Croatian or Serbian completely free. The app charges for its official courses, but since the Memrise community created all of the Serbian and Croatian content, it’s available without a subscription. Just remember, you have to access the content through the web, not the app.
Drops
Best for Vocabulary
The Drops app is the best app for learning lots of vocabulary quickly. The app’s design is user-friendly and the activities are interesting and fun. Drops is meant to be a supplemental app, not a comprehensive language course. It only teaches vocabulary, so to learn grammar and other information, you’ll need to use another source. Drops has specific Croatian and Serbian courses.
The app teaches you new words and phrases through a variety of activities. This helps you remember them long-term. It also has vocabulary lists that cover every topic you need to become conversational, such as food, greetings, and introductions. You can even choose to study more specialized lists like emergencies, household items, and sports. You can learn more about the app in this Drops review.
Key Features
- Excellent user experience
- Learn tons of new vocabulary quickly
- Spaced repetition to help you remember difficult words
Pricing
A monthly subscription to Drops costs $13.00 per month, the yearly price is $89.99 ($7.50 per month), and a lifetime subscription is $159.99 and gives you access to all the languages available. If you want to try the app before subscribing, you can use it for free for 5 minutes a day.
Why You Should Use Apps To Learn Croatian & Serbian
There are many ways to learn Croatian and Serbian. Language apps are a convenient and inexpensive. It can be difficult to find an in-person teacher, and apps can help you learn the basics in a convenient way. Most apps offer an inexpensive monthly subscription and are fun to use so you’ll want to keep practicing.
Thanks to the advancement in technology, you can hear native speakers and mimic correct pronunciation. Many apps even have speech recognition technology to let you know if you are saying the words correctly. An app can never replace a qualified teacher, but it can help you start learning Serbian or Croatian in a budget-friendly way.
How To Use Apps To Learn Croatian & Serbian
To find the right app for you, first, you should consider your learning style. Do you want to listen to an audio lesson on your commute to work? Do you want to learn a few words and phrases for an upcoming business trip? Identifying your goals is the first step to choosing the best app for you.
Using this list, you can find 2 or 3 apps that might be right for you. Since most apps offer a free trial, you can test them out to see if they fit your learning style. After you sign up for the app you like best, the rest is up to you. It helps to have a learning routine. You can dedicate a few minutes every day, or a slightly longer amount of time a couple of days per week that you set aside to learn. As with any language, it takes dedication and practice to reach a conversational level.
Best Apps To Learn Croatian & Serbian: Final Thoughts
Everybody has a different reason why they want to learn any of the Serbo-Croatian languages. Hopefully this list will guide you to the right app that helps you learn effectively. Once you identify your language goals, finding the right app is a breeze. Soon you’ll be traveling the Balkans and speaking like a pro!
Best Apps To Learn Croatian & Serbian: FAQ
There are quite a few apps available to learn Serbian. One of the best apps with a comprehensive course is Mango languages. The Drops app is good if you want to learn a lot of vocabulary quickly. You can also take live classes with a Serbian teacher with italki.
The easiest way to learn Serbian is with a language app. They are especially helpful for beginners who want to learn basic grammar and vocabulary in an interactive way. Apps are designed to be entertaining, so you’re learning while having fun.
The US Department of State categorizes Serbo-Croatian as a hard language for English speakers to learn. This is because the two languages have significant linguistic differences. How easy it is to learn depends on many factors such as your natural ability to acquire languages and if you already speak a similar language. To get an idea of how long it will take you to learn, check out this fluency calculator.
There are many apps available to help you learn Croatian. The app with the most complete course to learn Croatian is Pimsleur. Another useful app for Croatian beginners is Mondly. It teaches basic Croatian grammar and vocabulary through quick, interactive lessons. You can learn a lot of vocabulary quickly with an app like Drops.
The easiest way to learn Croatian is with a language app. There are many quality options available that start with the basics and help you advance to an intermediate level. They are addictive and offer rewards, like points or gems, for taking lessons. Apps are also easy to use because you can use them whenever you have a spare minute on your phone.
