Duolingo vs Mondly: Which Spanish App Fits You Best?

By Stacy Ochuka

Reading time: 0 minute

June 29, 2025

Contents

Introduction

What’s Duolingo All About?

What Makes Mondly Unique?

How You Learn: Learning Method and Experience

Duolingo vs Mondly comparison

User Experience & Interface

Learning Outcomes: What Do You Get From Each App?

Cost & Platform Access

Which One Should You Use?

Final Thoughts: Duolingo vs Mondly Which Is Better?

Introduction

Learning Spanish has become easier than ever, thanks to popular apps like Duolingo and Mondly. If you’re wondering Duolingo or Mondly for Spanish, you’re not alone. We will compare Duolingo and Mondly. We will look at how each app works.

This will help you decide which one is better for your goals and style. We’ll look at features, technologies, learning outcomes, and more in this feature comparison.

What’s Duolingo All About?

Duolingo is a well-known app that makes learning feel like a game. You complete small lessons and earn points, unlock levels, and build a streak when you practice daily. The leaderboard system helps you compete with friends and keeps you motivated.

This style of gamified learning is perfect for beginners or casual learners. In this Mondly Vs Duolingo Spanish battle, Duolingo shines with its simplicity and fun.

What Makes Mondly Unique?

Mondly sets itself apart by using AR vs game technology, combining conversational lessons with augmented reality. Instead of only doing exercises, you may be asked to take part in real-life Spanish situations. For example, you could practice ordering food or asking for directions.

Mondly also uses chatbots for practice and even offers VR experiences. If you value real speaker videos, realistic dialogue, or conversation practice, Mondly might be your go-to.

How You Learn: Learning Method and Experience

Duolingo’s Approach

Duolingo breaks down Spanish into bite-sized lessons that feel like puzzles or quizzes. You match words, build sentences, and repeat vocabulary until it sticks. The app’s reward system points, achievements, daily streaks, and leaderboards makes learning feel like leveling up in a game. It’s a simple way to build vocabulary and grammar over time, though it doesn’t give you real conversation practice.

Mondly’s Approach

Mondly takes a more immersive path. Lessons are structured around practical situations, like greeting someone, ordering meals, or booking travel. It uses conversation simulations and sometimes AR filters that place virtual Spanish speakers in your room.

You’ll listen and respond, mimicking real-life dialogue. Mondly offers clear feedback and tracks your progress, helping you improve speaking and listening skills faster.

Duolingo vs Mondly comparison

Let’s break down the key differences between Duolingo vs Mondly in terms of features:

Gamification

Duolingo is built around game mechanics points, streaks, and levels. Mondly has a few gamified tools too but focuses more on realistic conversation.

AR vs Game Style

Duolingo is game-driven: tapping, matching, and choosing correct answers. Mondly offers AR experiences and real-life scenes to help you practice Spanish in context.

Leaderboards & Community

Duolingo’s leaderboards let you compete with friends and global users, pushing you to keep practicing. Mondly has progress monitoring but less emphasis on competition.

Conversation and Speech Practice

Mondly’s chatbots and AR-based dialogues provide better learning outcomes when it comes to speaking and understanding Spanish. Duolingo focuses more on written and basic spoken practice.

User Experience & Interface

Duolingo

Duolingo offers a bright, clean interface that’s easy to use. Lessons are clearly marked, and the owl mascot (named Duo) cheers you on after each activity. The app feels friendly and fun, especially if you like achieving daily goals and climbing leaderboards.

Mondly

Mondly has a sleek and modern design. It includes more visuals, virtual scenes, and spoken feedback. If you want an app that looks fresh and helps you simulate real conversations, Mondly might feel more immersive and high-tech.

Learning Outcomes: What Do You Get From Each App?

Duolingo

Duolingo helps you build a solid base: vocabulary, basic grammar, sentence structure, and simple dialogues. It’s easy to stay consistent because of the game-like rewards. Over weeks and months, you can reach an intermediate level. However, if you want strong speaking and listening skills, you might need additional practice outside the app.

Mondly

Mondly is designed for better conversational skills. Its AR and chatbot features help reinforce pronunciation and real-world usage. This method boosts speaking and listening skills. So, Mondly is a great choice for those practicing real-life Spanish conversations.

Cost & Platform Access

Both Duolingo and Mondly have free versions. This makes them easy to use for anyone who wants to learn Spanish without paying. However, if you're looking for more features or a deeper learning experience, both apps offer paid upgrades.

Duolingo: Free and Duolingo Super

Duolingo gives users access to the majority of its content for free. This includes lessons, vocabulary practice, grammar tips, and the gamified learning experience. The free version is ad-supported, so you’ll occasionally see ads between lessons.

For those who want an enhanced experience, Duolingo offers a premium subscription called Duolingo Super. With Super, you get several added benefits:

Ad-free learning, so your lessons aren’t interrupted.
Offline mode, which lets you download lessons and study on the go, even without internet access.
Extra review features like Mistakes Practice, which helps you focus on areas you’ve struggled with.
A streak repair feature, so you don’t lose your progress if you miss a day.

Duolingo is available across multiple platforms: web browser, Android, and iOS.

Mondly: Subscription-Based Access

While Mondly offers a limited free version, most of its standout features are part of the paid subscription. The free version lets you access daily lessons and some basic features. However, it is more limited than Duolingo’s free version.

To get the full learning experience, you'll need to subscribe to Mondly Premium, which unlocks:

Augmented Reality (AR) lessons and chatbot features that simulate real conversations.
Full access to all daily lessons, covering a wide range of vocabulary, grammar, and dialogue exercises.
Advanced feedback and progress tracking to help you improve faster.

You can get Mondly subscriptions on all major platforms. These include web, Android, and iOS. Your account syncs across devices, so you can learn from anywhere.

Which One Should You Use?

Choosing between Duolingo and Mondly depends on how you like to learn and what you want to improve in Spanish. Here’s a closer look at how each app fits different learning needs:

If you enjoy fun, game-style learning with a motivational system, then Duolingo is likely your best pick. It keeps you engaged with bright visuals, short challenges, and rewards like streaks and badges. The app is highly structured, which makes it easy to build Language learning habits.
If you want to practice realistic conversations and improve your speaking skills, then Mondly offers a better experience. It focuses on real dialogues. It also includes cool features like Augmented Reality (AR) and chatbot chats. These tools help you practice real-life situations.
For building up your vocabulary and grammar in an organized way, Duolingo provides a clear learning path. It introduces new concepts in small steps, reinforcing what you’ve learned before moving on. This approach is a fantastic way to develop memory techniques for new words and phrases.
If your goal is to improve your speaking and listening skills with more practical outcomes, Mondly might be more effective. It emphasizes pronunciation and understanding native speech through audio lessons and realistic contexts.
If you like a clear path from beginner to advanced, Duolingo arranges its lessons in a straight order. Each unit builds on the previous one, making progress feel smooth and measurable.
If you want to learn about real-life topics or explore specific scenarios, Mondly is a better choice. You can pick themes like travel, work, or school. Then, you can quickly learn the words and phrases you need for each situation.

Final Thoughts: Duolingo vs Mondly Which Is Better?

Both apps work well. However, the right choice depends on your personal goals when comparing Duolingo and Mondly.

If you’re a beginner and want game-based learning with streaks and leaderboards, Duolingo might be your best pick.
If you want to improve your speaking skills and have real conversations using tech like AR or chatbots, try Mondly. It might help you learn better.

The truth is, both apps can complement each other. You can start with Duolingo to learn vocabulary and grammar. Then, use Mondly for speech practice and real-life situations.

In Summary

Duolingo is great for structured, gamified learning that keeps you motivated with daily streaks and points. Mondly provides engaging conversation practice and tech-based lessons. It uses AR and chatbots to improve learning, especially in speaking and listening.

There’s no single “winner”, it’s about what works best for your learning style. Give both a try, see what keeps you engaged, then choose or combine them as you go.

Want Extra Help?

Need guidance on which app is best for your Spanish goals? At Comligo, we help learners pick the right tools, plan personalized lessons, and reach fluency. Whether you choose Duolingo, Mondly, or both we’re here to support you. Reach out to start your Spanish journey with confidence!

Stacy Ochuka

By Marketing Team

Stacy Ochuka is the Marketing Lead at Comligo, specializing in digital strategy, SEO, and automation-driven campaigns. With over six years of experience, she blends data insights and creativity to drive brand visibility and growth. Stacy is dedicated to creating high-impact marketing solutions that connect with audiences and deliver results.