Mondly vs Rosetta Stone: Which is Better for Language Learning?
Dennys Caldera Boka
Published on January 12, 2024
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When it comes to trusted names in language learning, Mondly and Rosetta Stone have earned a good reputation. Both of them are top-tier learning resources and offer effective speech recognition technology. Are you wondering who the winner is? I’ll spoil it for you right away because Mondly takes first place today.
Editor’s Choice
If you want to have an engaging learning experience, both apps have user-friendly designs and interfaces that are easy to navigate. But a few key features of Mondly make it stand out. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of both apps.
Mondly vs Rosetta Stone: A Quick Breakdown
Rosetta Stone gives you access to 25 languages, offering an immersive language-learning journey. Its lessons incorporate audio and visual elements, simulating real-life interactions where you naturally engage with the language. Mondly helps you learn a language by getting better at reading, writing, speaking, and listening. To achieve that, you complete a variety of learning activities about different topics such as business, family, travel, and restaurants. It starts with basic words and goes step by step so you can learn your target language without feeling overwhelmed.
The table below shows you a Mondly vs Rosetta Stone comparison based on the languages they have, their price, and their free trial offers.
| Mondly | Rosetta Stone |
|---|---|
| 41 languages | 25 languages |
| $9.99/month | $11.99/month |
| 7-day free trial | 3-day free trial |
 | |
Rosetta Stone vs Mondly: Cost Comparison
Rosetta Stone offers various subscription options for its language courses. You have the option to buy one level of your target language for $179.00, two levels for $279.00, or three levels for $379.00. Each of those gives you lifelong access to the course. A subscription to Rosetta Stone costs $11.99 per month, offering access to all levels and languages. Plus, the platform includes a 3-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to explore its features and content without any risk.
There are several subscription plans available for Mondly. You can opt for a monthly subscription for $9.99 per month, giving you access to a single language. Mondly also offers a yearly subscription at $47.99 for one language. If you’re looking for broader access, a lifetime subscription costs $89.99 and allows you to access all 41 languages offered by Mondly. There’s also a 7-day free trial, so you can see if it fits your learning style.
When comparing both apps’ pricing options, it’s clear that Mondly offers more value for your money. While Rosetta Stone’s monthly subscription is pretty close to Mondly’s – just a bit higher – Rosetta’s yearly plans are more expensive. You can also get lifetime access to many more language courses with Mondly, at a much lower price. Note that Mondly has a longer trial period in case you want to test the language-learning process on the app.
If you’re looking for other options, here are some similar alternatives.
Mondly vs Rosetta Stone: How They Work
Both Rosetta Stone and Mondly offer an interactive interface and an immersive approach to learning a foreign language. While Rosetta Stone encourages a more in-depth analysis of the language, Mondly uses a gamified approach that makes the language-learning experience more engaging. Rosetta Stone’s lessons aim to make you think and speak the language you’re learning from the get-go, using context and association. Mondly heavily relies on technology to make you learn the vocabulary quickly and easily, and practice grammar effectively.
Check out the table below to see how the apps rate across the web:
| Reviews | Mondly | Rosetta Stone |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Store | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Google Play Store | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Trustpilot | 3.7 | 3.6 |
| Langoly | 4.7 | 4.0 |
| Average Score | 4.4 | 4.2 |
How Mondly Works
The Mondly app is excellent if you’re starting out, because it helps you expand your vocabulary, improve your grammar, and develop your speaking and pronunciation skills systematically. After you complete your daily lessons, you’ll unlock a weekly quiz, and after that’s done, you’ll unlock a monthly challenge. The main dashboard is like a map, with different landmarks each representing a topic, whether it’s travel-related words, weather expressions, hotel reservations, and more. Within each topic, there are usually 6-8 lessons that last between 5-10 minutes.
In each lesson, a native speaker pronounces words that are matched with their meanings. Then, you engage in different kinds of exercises using the vocabulary you just learned, such as filling in the blanks and matching the right words. Images help you associate words with their meanings, and English translations are available as well. At the end of the lesson, you get a Hands-Free Review, which uses advanced voice recognition to help you practice keywords and phrases.
Mondly’s premium subscription provides additional technological tools, such as a chatbot, simulating conversations with native speakers, along with AR and VR lessons. It also offers flashcards and review features for practicing, as well as progress tracking and Leaderboard comparisons, so you get a competitive flavor. To learn more about the app, check out this complete Mondly review.
How Rosetta Stone Works
The Rosetta Stone app uses an immersive method that encourages you to think and talk in your chosen language right from the start. It helps you learn through pictures, spoken words, and texts, putting you in real-life situations. It includes grammar naturally, just as you learn your native language, using context and association.
The Phrasebook is a useful resource, working as a “cheat sheet” for everyday conversations, like ordering food or booking a hotel room. The lessons are short and easy to follow, so they can easily fit into your schedule. Additionally, Rosetta Stone has embedded translations in all dialogues. If you feel a bit lost, you can press and hold the image to see the translation.
The TruAccent® speech technology checks if your pronunciation is accurate and helps you sound like a native speaker. You can also watch videos to improve your listening skills and have live tutoring sessions at an additional cost. If you want to know more, check out this Rosetta Stone review.
Mondly: Pros and Cons
Mondly is a language-learning app that stands out with its modern approach, offering unique and immersive features like AR and VR lessons. Its advanced voice recognition tools are top-notch and the chatbot for conversation practice is useful. What’s special about Mondly is that you can choose which words and phrases to learn, making it useful for real-life situations when traveling or learning the language.
The lessons are short and engaging, which is particularly convenient if you don’t have much time during the day. It also has a user-friendly interface and a gamified approach that makes learning fun. It also offers some job-specific courses in areas like finance, marketing, and healthcare that are worth trying if you work in one of these fields. Another advantage of Mondly is the pricing. It is affordable, especially if we compare it to similar language apps.
However, I should say that the content is quite similar between beginner and advanced levels. While the advanced level occasionally includes more complex grammar, if you’re looking for a bigger challenge, you might feel a little disappointed. Mondly isn’t the best choice for developing your conversational skills. When it comes to audio lessons and speaking practice, it falls a bit short. The AR and VR are better in this regard, though.
All in all, Mondly’s lessons are short, engaging, and easy to follow. It uses technology effectively, with its AR and VR apps offering a truly innovative experience. While I think its lessons don’t seem to go beyond the basics, it’s an effective language app for beginners that’s affordable, as well.
Rosetta Stone: Pros and Cons
Rosetta Stone focuses on helping you think in your target language from the beginning. It doesn’t rely on translations, which helps you build a strong foundation and talk more naturally. Rosetta Stone uses TruAccent® speech recognition technology that acts like a personal accent coach, making sure your pronunciation is on point. Its short and simple lessons work well if you’re busy and easily fit into your schedule.
The Phrasebook feature gives you practical phrases to use in everyday situations. Live tutoring is a nice extra, letting you talk to real people and get instant feedback. With the Offline Mode feature, you can download your lessons and learn even when you don’t have an Internet conection. All in all, using Rosetta Stone makes the language-learning process engaging while offering high-quality content.
But like any app, it has downsides. Rosetta Stone is more expensive than most apps. While it has over 20 language courses, I think Rosetta’s writing lessons are weaker for languages like Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Also, the courses start off a bit slow, which can get a bit boring at first. Still, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, making it a great choice to learn new languages.
Mondly or Rosetta Stone: Which is better?
I must say both apps are top-shelf and do a great job at teaching you the basics systematically. However, Mondly has some key advantages over Rosetta that definitely make a difference. What I like the most about Mondly is how it uses technology to improve the language-learning experience. I think the AR and VR features are definitely game changers, making your learning experience more immersive and interactive.
Mondly offers a better value for your money in my opinion. Both its 12-month plan and lifetime subscription are considerably cheaper than Rosetta’s. So, Mondly gives you interesting perks for half the price of Rosetta’s language programs. However, Rosetta Stone also offers discounts and special promos that are worth checking out.
Finally, while Rosetta Stone has a user-friendly learning atmosphere, Mondly’s is even better. It’s sleek, with a lot of analytical language-learning tools and interactive features that are easy on the eye. Plus, it offers a game-like experience with a leaderboard to compare yourself to others, and fun exercises that make for an entertaining atmosphere. If you want an app that makes learning a new language easy and effective, choose Mondly.
Rosetta Stone or Mondly: FAQ
Mondly isn’t the best language-learning platform for developing your conversational skills. Its audio lessons are not as good as other apps, and the speaking practice is a bit limited. Even though the AR and VR tools are immersive, the lessons don’t usually go beyond the basics.
Rosetta Stone doesn’t have a free version of its entire program. However, it has a 3-day free trial if you sign up online. Alternatively, if you sign up in the app, you can test out the first lesson of each language course to see if it fits your learning preferences.
Yes, Mondly has a context-based approach to teaching grammar, but it doesn’t get into detailed explanations. While the advanced levels include more complex grammar structures, Mondly focuses on sentence structure more than other skills. If you’re looking for a bigger challenge, this might not be most effective language-learning app for you.
Mondly is better than Rosetta Stone for beginners because it allows them to systematically develop their language skills. After you complete your daily lessons, you unlock a weekly quiz, and after that’s done, you unlock a monthly challenge. Rosetta Stone is a good option for those who want to learn a new language through immersion, but its language training can be too intensive for beginners. Mondly’s language courses feature technology like AR and VR to make language learning an engaging and immersive experience.
