Are you considering learning a second language? Thanks to technology, there's never been a better time to master another language. Gone are the days of signing up for a class or buying textbooks. Now all you need is your smartphone.

There are dozens of outstanding language learning apps to choose from. But the hard part is narrowing it down to the best one for you. We looked at all of the top language learning apps on the market to see which really offer the best features for the price and narrowed it down to our seven favorites. No matter what your language goals or your learning style, there's an app here that meets your needs.

Babbel

Best language learning app

Apple App Store

Babbel has quickly become one of the most popular language-learning apps, with more than 10 million subscriptions sold at$13.95 per month. The curriculum is designed by linguists, combining traditional learning with innovative and interactive lessons. The app uses evidence-based, proven teaching methods and offers learning in a variety of formats.

Babbel has several different pricing structures to choose from. First, their monthly subscription method allows you to pay every month, three months, six months, or year. The longer your subscription, the less you'll pay per month. There's also a 20-day money-back guarantee in case you sign up and don't love it.

Babbel has excellent reviews. With more than 257,000 ratings, the app has an average of 4.7 of 5 stars. The developer goes out of their way to respond to customer reviews, both positive and negative ones.

Pros:

• Interactive dialogue to help with pronunciation
• 10-15 minute lessons to make it flexible with your schedule
• Unique and immersive teaching style

Cons:

• Few features to keep you motivated
• Similar format to traditional learning, which isn't right for everyone
• Less content for less popular languages

View now at Babbel

Duolingo

Best free language learning app

Apple App Store

Duolingo has become the most popular language-learning app today, and for good reasons. The app offers game-like lessons to help you learn more than 35 different languages-all for free. The app uses science-based teaching methods to help you learn. Lessons are personalized to your learning style, and you tackle a variety of language skills.

Lessons are progressive, meaning each one builds off of the one before it. You can't move on until you've unlocked each level by answering enough correct answers. And if you spend too much time away from the app, it will have you repeat certain lessons to ensure your skills haven't gotten rusty.

Duolingo's reviews speak for themselves: the he app has more than 1.2 million ratings on the app store, with an average rating of 4.7 of 5 stars. 

Duolingo consistently earns the App Store's Editor's Choice award.

Pros:

• Free language learning
• Well organized, progressive lessons
• Features designed to keep you motivated
• Lessons can be done in just a few minutes

Cons:

• Less content for less popular languages
• Requires you to learn topics in a certain order
• Limited opportunity for real-world practice

View now at Duolingo

Rosetta Stone

Best for immersive language learning

Apple App Store

Rosetta Stone has been a leader in language learning for 25 years, so it should come as no surprise that it makes our list of the best language learning apps today. The app allows you to choose from dozens of different languages and build a curriculum plan that best fits your learning style. You can practice speaking the language with audio recognition to determine if you're on track. You can also use audio-based learning when you're on the go. The stories feature also allows you to learn by reading along with native speakers.

Rosetta Stone has modernized its pricing structure to make it more competitive with other language learning apps. Rather than paying a set price for each language, you can now pay for a subscription-based plan. Three- and 12-month plans offer monthly rates ranging from$7.99 and$11.199. But for committed learners, you can pay$179 for lifetime access to unlimited languages.

Rosetta Stone's app has excellent reviews. With roughly 160,000 reviews on the App Store, the app has an average rating of 4.8 of 5 stars, making it one of the most highly-rated language learning apps on the market.

Pros:

• Various pricing options
• Personalized lesson plan
• Proven teaching method

Cons:

• Limited instruction or explanations
• Sometimes repetitive lessons
• Doesn't prepare you for conversational use

View now at Rosettastone

Memrise

Best for learning real-world phrases

Apple App Store

Have you ever used a language learning app and felt like the phrases you practiced were ones you'd never use in real life? Memrise addresses that problem by designing lessons filled with real-world phrases. In fact, you're learning from native speakers who are speaking in real-life situations. You can learn new words, watch videos of native speakers, and practice using real-world phrases.

Memrise Pro has three different pricing options. The month-to-month plan is available for just$8.99 per month, but if you upgrade to the annual plan, it comes out to just$7.50 per month. Finally, you can purchase lifetime access for$139.99, which is the equivalent of paying for the monthly plan for just over a year.

Memrise's app has excellent user reviews. With more than 175,000 reviews, the app has an average rating of 4.8 of 5. It also has an Editor's Choice Award for being one of the best language learning apps.

Pros:

• Designed to help you learn real-world phrases
• Game elements to make learning more fun
• Lots of content for each language

Cons:

• Exercises can be repetitive
• Varying quality of user-created content
• Focused on vocabulary, not grammar

View now at Memrise

Busuu

Best for goal-oriented learning

Apple App Store

Busuu takes a goal-oriented approach to language learning by allowing you to create study goals and a study plan to help you achieve those goals. The app uses topic-based lessons to help you learn vocabulary and increase your conversational skills gradually. Each lesson builds upon the previous one to help reinforce your memory, helping you reach fluency more quickly.

Busuu has three different plan options to choose from. The free Basic plan gives you access to one language and a limited number of features. The Premium plan (