Duolingo vs Mango Languages: Which Can Do More For You?
Maria Claudia Alvarado
Published on September 25, 2023
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Finding the best app to start your language-learning journey makes a big difference. If you have already been looking for high-quality apps that can develop your language skills, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about Duolingo and Mango Languages. But for the accuracy and quality of its content, it’s clear that Mango Languages is the way to go if you want to build a solid foundation in your target language.
Editor’s Choice
Language learners often compare Duolingo and Mango Languages because of the variety of languages available on their platforms. Both apps focus on teaching basic vocabulary and grammar, which can also make them seem similar when in reality they are completely different. In this article, we’ll look at both apps, discover their pros and cons, and help you pick the best for you.
Duolingo vs Mango Languages: A Quick Breakdown
Duolingo and Mango Languages have structured lesson plans and interactive tools you can use to study the basics of different languages. Mango Languages teaches you useful, basic vocabulary and grammar and explains the context and cultural meaning behind it. Duolingo has quick interactive lessons that help you increase your vocabulary quickly, but it won’t provide a cultural background for the language you are studying. While Duolingo focuses on competitive features like challenges and quests, Mango Languages includes listening and reading reviews and quizzes to test your knowledge.
The table below shows you a direct comparison of Mango Languages and Duolingo based on the languages available on their platforms, their subscription price, and their free trial offers.
| Duolingo | Mango Languages |
|---|---|
| 39 languages | 70+ languages |
| $12.99/month | $11.99/month |
| 14-day free trial | 14-day free trial |
 | |
Mango Languages vs Duolingo: Cost Comparison
You can learn a language for free on Duolingo but, if you want to get unlimited mistakes and get rid of the ads in between lessons, you must upgrade to Super Duolingo (previously called Duolingo Plus). A Super Duolingo subscription starts at $12.99 per month, but you can also get it for cheaper if you buy a longer subscription. An annual Super Duolingo subscription costs $95.99 ($7.99 per month). You can also get a Family Plan for $119.99 ($9.99 per month) and share your subscription with family or friends. Duolingo offers a 14-day trial for Super Duolingo once you create an account.
Mango Languages has a few subscription options to choose from. A basic subscription to Mango Languages costs $11.99 per month for one language. If you want to study all the languages on the app, you can get an all-access subscription for $19.99 per month for all languages. You can also purchase a yearly one-language subscription for $119.99 ($9.99 per month) or a yearly all-access subscription for $199.99 ($16.67 per month). Mango Languages also has a 14-day free trial so you can test all of its features.
If you are looking for a subscription that can add value to your learning experience, I think Mango Languages is the best choice. Both apps focus on teaching the basics, but Mango Language’s content is high quality and teaches you how to speak the language like native speakers do in real life. Duolingo’s subscription doesn’t do much other than get rid of the ads and gives you unlimited mistakes, which is only useful if you plan to complete a bunch of lessons at once.
If you are not sure about either of these apps, don’t worry. We still have many options to help you reach your language goal. Here are some similar alternatives:
Duolingo vs Mango Languages: How They Work
The Duolingo and Mango Languages apps have lengthy lists of languages available, but there is a difference in their approach and the quality of their content. All the content on Mango Languages is individually created by linguists for each language, while most Duolingo lessons have exercises translated from other courses. Duolingo has gamified elements to make studying a competitive and fun experience, but Mango Languages has cultural notes to learn more about the language you are studying.
Check out the table below to see how Duolingo and Mango Languages rate across the web:
| Ratings | Duolingo | Mango Languages |
|---|---|---|
| Langoly | 3.6 | 3.5 |
| Apple Store | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| Google Play | 4.6 | 4.1 |
| TrustPilot | 1.6 | n/a |
| Total Average Score | 3.6 | 4.1 |
How Duolingo Works
Duolingo has a gamified approach that teaches you the basics of your target language for free. It has quick, interactive lessons that take only a couple of minutes to complete. Every time you successfully finish one, you win points to compete against your friends in Duolingo’s Leaderboard. There are also daily and weekly challenges that double or triple the number of points you win, which makes using the app addictive.
The app has 39 languages available, including less popular options like Hawaiian, Navajo, and Scottish Gaelic. You can also use Duolingo to study the languages of some of your favorite TV shows, like Klingon and High Valyrian. Each lesson includes fill-in-the-blank, mix-and-match, and listening and speaking exercises that teach you vocabulary for different topics like going shopping, asking for directions, and ordering food. Depending on the language you want to learn, Duolingo also has additional study material like podcasts, alphabet charts, and stories to help develop the rest of your skills.
Duolingo gives you five “hearts” (chances to make mistakes) per day, but if you use them all you have to wait for them to refill to continue your lessons. The app is supported by ads, so you might be occasionally interrupted by one in between lessons. If you don’t like the sound of that, you can also upgrade to Super Duolingo and get rid of the ads and have unlimited mistakes every day.
If you want to learn more about the app, you can read this complete Duolingo review.
How Mango Languages Works
Mango Languages is an app that focuses on teaching basic vocabulary and grammar. It gives you access to over 70 languages. With this app, you can start studying a language from the complete beginner level and quickly develop your vocabulary, grammar, speaking, listening, and reading skills. It has a structured lesson plan that is easy to follow and builds upon what you previously learned.
In each lesson, you are introduced to a group of words and phrases. You can listen to the word, and record yourself to compare your pronunciation to the speaker’s. Mango Languages has brief grammar tips that explain how to apply grammatical rules to different types of sentences, as well as cultural notes that tell you a bit more about how the language is used. Each unit has language goals, so you can see exactly what you are going to be studying and what needs more work.
Mango Languages also has reading and listening reviews, flashcards, and quizzes to measure your knowledge. All the language courses on the app are developed individually by professional linguists, so the content is very accurate.
If you want to learn more about the app, you can read this complete Mango Languages review.
Duolingo: What We Like (and Don’t Like)
Duolingo has a gamified approach that can make language learning feel more like a game. Much like in video games, you win points every time you complete a lesson, and can use them to redeem different items like a Streak Freeze or a Timer Boost. There are challenges and quests you can complete, as well as badges you can win as you move up the Leaderboard.
The app has the mission to make language learning accessible to everyone worldwide, so there are few limitations when it comes to using it. You can use the app to start studying a language from zero and take as many lessons as you want per day. Duolingo gives you five chances to make mistakes for free but even if you use them all, there’s no limit to how many lessons you take or how much time you spend on the app. If you don’t want to wait for the “hearts” to fill up, you can take a short review practice to win more and continue with your study.
As fun as Duolingo is, there are areas of improvement that can’t be ignored. Much of its content seems to have been translated from other Duolingo language courses. As a result, once in a while, you can find vocabulary words used out of context or unnatural-sounding sentences. While this might be more obvious to students with previous knowledge, it’s also a problem for beginners who are trying to learn a new language for the first time. Duolingo won’t let you move forward unless you use the vocabulary the way the app thinks is correct, which can be frustrating.
Even though spaced repetition is proven to be an effective learning method, the frequency that Duolingo repeats some sentences and words in its lessons can make students feel like they aren’t advancing much. The app is supposed to help you learn basic communication so you can communicate with native speakers as soon as possible. But since you can’t pick what you study next, you can potentially end up learning how to order food before you know how to ask for directions.
Mango Languages: What We Like (and Don’t Like)
If you’re learning a language, reading in the target language needs to be developed. With Mango Languages, you read a text in the language you are learning and answer comprehension questions to test how much you understood, or read the text in English and in your target language side by side to make the experience less overwhelming. You can also upload texts and translate them to practice reading with some of your favorite stories.
In addition, the app has cultural notes that explain important aspects of the language you are learning. This way you can understand the influence that history, society, and culture have on the language, and use words and phrases in context without having to rely on memorization. This is important if you want to become fluent because you can learn the roots of many colloquial and popular phrases, which can help you interact with native speakers with ease.
Sadly, some of Mango Languages’ courses have a lot less content than others. For example, you might notice that popular languages like Spanish or French have a lot more units available than other languages like Korean or Chinese. This can be disappointing if you were looking for a comprehensive app to help you develop all your language skills. Since the subscription for all languages costs the same regardless of how many units the lesson plan includes, I’d recommend using the free trial to check if Mango Languages has everything you need before making any purchases.
It would also be nice to see Mango Languages use more media components like podcasts or videos. The app has quick and interactive lessons, but you need to use your hands to complete all activities and pay attention to what you are doing. Many language-learning apps use videos and podcasts to help students with less time available to study. In the case of Mango Languages, it would be interesting for them to have cultural audio notes or podcasts so students can learn on the go.
Duolingo or Mango Languages: Which language learning app is better?
Duolingo and Mango Languages sound similar at first. Both apps help you learn the basics, use interactive exercises, and have long lists of available languages. Still, only one of these apps has high-quality content that can put you on your path to fluency, and that’s Mango Languages.
On one hand, Duolingo helps you explore a language before you decide to commit to a more serious study resource. You can use it to learn basic vocabulary, but not for much else. Its gamified interface is fun to use but, If your goal is to become fluent, it would be better to use an app with a more comprehensive focus. I personally wouldn’t recommend Duolingo to intermediate or advanced students.
On the other hand, Mango Languages follows a structured lesson plan that builds upon what you previously learned. Its lessons aren’t as interactive as Duolingo’s, but it has quick grammar notes that explain how to apply the language in colloquial and formal sentences. The app has listening and reading practice to help you work on all areas of language, as well as cultural notes to give you a well-rounded understanding. While some languages have fewer units than others, it is clear that you can get a lot more value with a Mango Languages subscription.
Duolingo vs Mango Languages: FAQ
Mango Languages can develop your language skills, but it won’t be enough if you want to become fluent. To become fluent, you need to be able to hold conversations with native speakers. You can find someone to help you practice, or hire a tutor on a platform like italki or Preply.
Duolingo is a good app to start studying basic language vocabulary and grammar for free but, if you are looking for a comprehensive app, there are better options out there. Apps like Babbel and Mango Languages have structured lesson plans that help you build a foundation on the language of your choice. If you like more interactive features, you can use Mondly or Memrise.
Duolingo has fun and interactive exercises that teach you the basics of your target language, but Mango Languages can be better for you if you want to learn with accuracy. Mango Languages isn’t as gamified as Duolingo, but it has a more thorough lesson plan that makes sure you understand how to use the language. It also shows you the colloquial translations for each phrase, which is something many apps overlook.
Mango Languages isn’t free. If you want to access all the content available on the app, you need to buy a subscription. Mango Languages has subscription options to study one or more languages. You can also use its 14-day free trial to test its features and see if you like it.
