--- title: "Best Duolingo Alternatives for English in 2026 — Carna" description: "Looking for alternatives to Duolingo for English? Why learners leave, what to check before switching, and how Carna's eight-skill A1 to C2 tutor compares." canonical: https://carna.ai/en/alternatives/duolingo-alternatives/ lang: en dateModified: 2026-10-30T00:06:08+03:00 --- ALTERNATIVES TO DUOLINGO # Alternatives to Duolingo for English learners If Duolingo has stopped moving your English forward, here is what to check before you switch. [Join the early-access list](https://carna.app/individual-waitlist) [Carna vs Duolingo](https://carna.ai/en/compare/duolingo/) Duolingo is the gamified app that gets you started The short answer The rows of the table below that decide between Duolingo and Carna. | Question | Duolingo | Carna | | --- | --- | --- | | Use Duolingo when you want to dabble in several languages and start free. | | | | Free tier, no credit card Duolingo: All courses are freeCarna: The app will open with a free plan | Yes | No | | Use Carna when English is the one language you mean to take far, with eight skills scored on one path from A1 to C2. | | | | All eight skills | No | Yes | | Full A1 to C2 curriculum | No | Yes | Checked May 2026; free plan and price on 27 September 2026 — WHY PEOPLE LEAVE ## Three reasons, and what to check. These are the reasons learners look elsewhere. Under each is the question from the comparison that tests it, answered for Duolingo and for Carna as checked in May 2026. 1. ### The intermediate plateau A gamified format suits A1 to A2 vocabulary. Past B1, speaking and writing carry more of the weight, and that is where many learners start to look for more. What to check Full A1 to C2 curriculum - **Duolingo**: No - **Carna**: Yes 2. ### Little real speaking practice Repeating phrases aloud is not the same as holding a conversation, and a conversation is what many learners want to practise next. What to check Real conversation practice - **Duolingo**: No - **Carna**: Yes Live speaking practice with Mia, the AI tutor 3. ### No writing evaluation Essays, emails and free-form writing are central to real English use, and Duolingo's column in the comparison has no writing evaluation. What to check Essay & writing evaluation - **Duolingo**: No - **Carna**: Yes Writing scored by AI on four criteria — SIDE BY SIDE ## What to check before you switch. The same questions we ask of every app, answered for Duolingo and for Carna. Where Carna falls short, its column says so. Carna and Duolingo, feature by feature, checked May 2026 | Feature | Duolingo | Carna | | --- | --- | --- | | What you learn | | | | All eight skills | No | Yes | | Full A1 to C2 curriculum | No | Yes | | Real conversation practice | No | Yes. Live speaking practice with Mia, the AI tutor | | Pronunciation feedback | Yes | Yes. Scored from your own voice, one of eight skills | | Essay & writing evaluation | No | Yes. Writing scored by AI on four criteria | | Adaptive learning path | Yes | Yes. Each day's plan picked from your answers | | IELTS / TOEFL exam prep | No | Partly. An IELTS band on a practice grading, not a course | | How you get it | | | | Free tier, no credit card | Yes. All courses are free | No. The app will open with a free plan | Checked May 2026; free plan and price on 27 September 2026 The Duolingo column reflects the plans and features Duolingo publishes. Products change quickly: check its own site for the latest. The full comparison, Carna vs Duolingo, explains how the table was built. Running in schools today ## A level on every step. A course app runs you through its sequence; Carna's runs from A1 to C2 and says where each step sits. In Carna for Schools, which runs today, every module a student is assigned wears its CEFR level and the list runs soonest due first, so the climb is visible one module at a time. [Book a demo](https://carna.ai/en/schools/#demo) [See Carna for Schools](https://carna.ai/en/schools/) A student's Learn screen in Carna for Schools: the assigned modules, each with its CEFR level and the skills it works on, sorted by due date. Carna School London is a sample school; the names, courses, levels and scores are demo data. — THE FIELD ## Where the other options sit. Alternatives to Duolingo come in four kinds, and each kind has a strength. Carna is one option among them: a structured English tutor with an A1 to C2 path, in early access for individuals and running in schools and teams today. ### Which alternative to Duolingo fits you? - If you are leaving Duolingo for more speaking, the AI speaking apps put conversation first: Speak, Praktika, Loora and TalkPal each answer yes to it. - If you want a person to talk to, Cambly, Preply and italki connect you with live tutors, and Lingoda runs scheduled classes. - If you want your writing marked, italki and Lingoda do it with a teacher, and in the Carna app, which is in early access, writing is scored by AI on four criteria. - If you want English taken past B1 on one path, Carna runs from A1 to C2 with eight skills scored along it. - **Free**: All courses - **Paid, from**: Super from $9.99 a month (US App Store) Checked on 27 September 2026 on [duolingo.com/super](https://www.duolingo.com/super). - ### AI speaking apps Apps built around speaking out loud to an AI: drills, scenarios and accent work. - [Carna vs Speak](https://carna.ai/en/compare/speak/) - [Carna vs ELSA Speak](https://carna.ai/en/compare/elsa-speak/) - [Carna vs BoldVoice](https://carna.ai/en/compare/boldvoice/) - [Carna vs Praktika](https://carna.ai/en/compare/praktika/) - [Carna vs Loora](https://carna.ai/en/compare/loora/) - [Carna vs TalkPal](https://carna.ai/en/compare/talkpal/) - ### Language-learning apps Duolingo is here Course and vocabulary apps for many languages, with English as one of them. - [Carna vs Duolingo](https://carna.ai/en/compare/duolingo/) - [Carna vs Babbel](https://carna.ai/en/compare/babbel/) - [Carna vs Busuu](https://carna.ai/en/compare/busuu/) - [Carna vs Memrise](https://carna.ai/en/compare/memrise/) - [Carna vs Rosetta Stone](https://carna.ai/en/compare/rosetta-stone/) - ### Live tutor marketplaces Human tutors and classes booked by the hour or on a timetable. - [Carna vs Cambly](https://carna.ai/en/compare/cambly/) - [Carna vs Preply](https://carna.ai/en/compare/preply/) - [Carna vs italki](https://carna.ai/en/compare/italki/) - [Carna vs Lingoda](https://carna.ai/en/compare/lingoda/) - ### General tools and round-ups A general assistant used for English, and the round-up of the popular apps. - [Carna vs ChatGPT](https://carna.ai/en/compare/chatgpt-for-english/) - [Carna vs the top English apps](https://carna.ai/en/compare/best-english-learning-apps/) FAQ ## Common questions. Straight answers about Duolingo and Carna, including what the individual tutor cannot do yet. ### Can I switch to Carna if I've been doing Duolingo for years? Carna's material runs from A1 to C2, so there is a level for wherever your English is now. The individual tutor is not open yet, though: the early-access list is the way in, and schools and teams run on Carna today. ### Can I sign up for Carna the way I can for Duolingo? Not yet. The Carna app is in early access, so the early-access list is the way in, and we write once, when your place opens. Schools and teams run on Carna today. ### What is the biggest difference between Duolingo and Carna for English? Duolingo's strength is gamified practice across many languages. Carna goes deep on English: it scores all eight skills — speaking, writing, reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and general English — through a structured curriculum that goes to C2. — KEEP EXPLORING ## More guides. - [Carna vs Duolingo, in full](https://carna.ai/en/compare/duolingo/) - [Alternatives to Cambly](https://carna.ai/en/alternatives/cambly-alternatives/) - [Alternatives to Babbel](https://carna.ai/en/alternatives/babbel-alternatives/) - [Alternatives to Speak](https://carna.ai/en/alternatives/speak-alternatives/) - [Alternatives to ELSA Speak](https://carna.ai/en/alternatives/elsa-alternatives/) - [All the guides](https://carna.ai/en/alternatives/) - [The best AI English tutors, free and paid](https://carna.ai/en/blog/best-ai-english-tutor-2026/) - [What is an AI English tutor?](https://carna.ai/en/ai-english-tutor/) - [What is Carna?](https://carna.ai/en/what-is-carna/) EARLY ACCESS ## Ready for the switch? Weighing alternatives to Duolingo? Carna's personal tutor is not open to individual learners yet: leave your name on the early-access list and we write once, when it opens. Schools and teams run on Carna today and can book a demo. [Join the early-access list](https://carna.app/individual-waitlist) [Book a demo](https://carna.ai/en/schools/#demo)