How Much is Duolingo Max? How to Decide if the Price is Right for You

Choosing a language app can feel overwhelming when features and prices blur together; among Top Language Learning Apps, Duolingo Max stands out for its AI-driven lessons and a higher subscription cost that makes you pause. How much does Duolingo Max cost, whether a monthly or annual plan saves money, and how does it compare to Duolingo Plus and other apps? 

This article breaks down Duolingo Max price, subscription tiers, free trials, student and family options. It offers practical advice to help you decide if the AI language learning app’s features justify the cost, while also noting how alternatives like Pingo AI compare in value.

What is Duolingo Max?

Duolingo Max launched in early 2024 as a higher-tier subscription that layers generative AI onto Duolingo’s lesson flow. It uses OpenAI models to generate personalized prompts, give deeper grammar explanations, and run interactive speaking scenarios. You still get all Duolingo Super features, plus new AI-driven interactions designed to feel more like a tutor than a drill.

Explain My Answer: Get Precise, Actionable Feedback

Explain My Answer lets you ask why a translation or choice was wrong and get a step-by-step explanation. You can request grammar rules, alternative phrasings, or short memory tips that match your level. Ask follow-up questions, and the AI expands the explanation or shows error patterns to help you correct recurring mistakes.

Roleplay: Practice Real Conversations with a Partner That Adapts

Roleplay creates short, simulated conversations tied to real tasks like ordering food, booking travel, or handling a job interview. The AI adapts response complexity to your skill level and corrects minor errors in context. You speak or type, and the scene reacts, so you practice both comprehension and production in a low-pressure setting.

New Interactive Extras: Games, Video Calls, Radio Skits

Since launch, Duolingo Max has added in-app games, video calls with Lilly, and call-in radio role plays that feel like short audio dramas. These extras mix listening, speaking, and quick decision-making into practice sessions that break up routine drills. You can treat them as short workouts or use them to simulate real-life moments.

Duolingo Max vs Duolingo Super: What Actually Changes

Duolingo Max keeps everything Super offers, such as ad-free lessons, unlimited hearts, and offline access, but adds the AI features Explain My Answer and Roleplay. Super remains the standard premium option for faster progress on the core tree while Max focuses on deeper, contextual practice and personalized explanations.

How Much Is Duolingo Max: Pricing and Billing Details

In the United States, Duolingo Max often lists around $19.99 per month and about $199 per year, though the exact subscription price varies by:

• Country
• Tax
• Platform fees

Understanding Purchase and Pricing

Apple and Google store purchases can cost more than buying on the web because of their store fees. Duolingo may offer a trial period or limited promotions from time to time. Student discounts and family sharing may not apply the same way they do for Duolingo Super, so check your account page before upgrading.

Who Benefits Most from Duolingo Max

Max works best for learners who want richer feedback, realistic conversation practice, and custom explanations tailored to their mistakes. Intermediate and advanced learners get more value, since the AI can push nuance and context. Are you someone who wants to ask follow-up questions during a lesson or rehearse exact real-world scenarios in the target language?

How to Upgrade, Try, or Cancel

Open the Duolingo app or go to your account on the web, find subscriptions, and choose Max if available in your country. Oversee the payment method when upgrading through Apple or Google. If you need to cancel, use the same store where you bought the plan or the subscription settings on the Duolingo website to stop renewals.

Privacy and AI Safety: What to Expect

Generated content and your interaction data feed the AI experience, and Duolingo stores usage data under its privacy and data policies. The company limits how models are used and allows users to review privacy settings, but you should review Duolingo’s privacy policy and any AI-specific terms before you enroll.

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Pricing Breakdown of Duolingo Max

Monthly Plan: Flexible Month-to-Month Access

The most common Duolingo Max monthly price you will see in the U.S. is about $29.99 per month. That plan suits someone who wants to test Max features without a long-term commitment. You can cancel at any time through the App Store, Google Play, or your Duolingo account settings.

Annual Plan: Lower Cost Per Month if You Commit

The annual individual plan typically lists around $168 per year, which breaks down to roughly $14 per month, reducing the monthly cost compared with the monthly option. That billing posts once per year to the payment method you choose during checkout.

Family Plan: One Subscription for Up to Six Learners

A family plan option commonly costs around $240 per year and covers up to six users under a single subscription. You manage members and invites from the subscription or family settings in your Duolingo account.

Regional and Platform Variations: Why the Price Differs

Prices change by country, local currency, and whether you subscribe through the Apple App Store, Google Play, or Duolingo’s website. App store transactions may include platform fees and local taxes, so the sticker price you see can be slightly different from that of another user in a different region.

How to See the Exact Duolingo Max Price for Your Account

Sign in to the Duolingo app or create an account, then go to Settings and open Manage Subscription to view the options available to you. If you prefer, trigger the in-app subscription flow on your device, and the exact price will display before you confirm.

Payment Routes, Trials, Renewals, and Small Gotchas

Subscribing through iOS or Android ties your renewal and refund policy to that platform, while web subscriptions follow Duolingo’s own billing rules. Free trials, promotional pricing, and eligibility for family plans may vary, so check the specific terms shown in your subscription flow.

Quick Snapshot of Typical Duolingo Max Pricing Now

Typical U.S. figures many users report are: Monthly about $29.99 per month, Annual about $168 per year (roughly $14 a month), Family about $240 per year for up to six users. These are approximate list figures, and your displayed price may differ by country and platform.

Can you check how Duolingo Max pricing currently appears in a particular country or device? Tell me the country and whether you use iOS, Android, or web, and I will outline what to expect.

AI Conversation for Fluency

Pingo’s AI language learning app focuses on conversation first practice, powered by expressive AI to help you speak naturally in real-world situations. Start for free to try adaptive feedback, personalized exercises, and two modes for beginners and advanced learners to build fluency and confidence.

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What Are You Getting for That Price? (Features)

When you get an answer wrong, Duolingo Max gives an instant, AI-generated explanation that goes beyond right or wrong. The tool breaks down grammar choices, points out word order or gender mistakes, and shows clear examples so you see the pattern. 

Want to probe deeper? Ask follow-up questions, and the AI will expand with alternate sentences, usage notes, and quick tips you can practice right away. How would that change the way you correct recurring mistakes during daily practice?

Roleplay with Lilly: Real Conversations That Follow You

Lilly appears as an AI roleplay partner who carries a natural, unscripted conversation. The sessions start simply and then adapt to your replies, letting you practice back and forth in an open-ended way. You can roleplay everyday scenes like ordering coffee or go off script into small talk. The system listens, responds, and corrects where needed so you get contextual fluency practice rather than rote repetition. Which scene would you try first?

Interactive Games — Problem Solving in the Target Language

Max adds mini games that challenge comprehension and decision-making in context. Tasks include guiding a confused traveler through an airport or solving a dialogue puzzle to reach an objective. The games require you to read, listen, and choose under changing conditions, reinforcing active language use. 

The short sessions fit into a daily routine and push you to apply vocabulary and grammar in problem-solving scenarios.

Personalized Practice: Focus on What You Weakly Know

Duolingo Max adapts review sessions to target gaps in your long-term recall. The system pulls items from lessons you completed earlier and builds focused drills so you revisit weak vocabulary and structures. That reduces pointless repetition and keeps the review efficient. You control frequency and intensity through settings, and the app tracks when to prompt another targeted review.

What You Get Beyond Super Duolingo: Feature Comparison

Max sits above the standard paid tier and adds AI-driven features not found in lower plans. Expect Explain My Answer, open-ended roleplays, AI-generated feedback, and enhanced mini games. The core gamified lessons, streaks, and leaderboards remain the same, so you still get the base learning system plus advanced coaching and conversational practice. Want a quick comparison to decide if you should upgrade right now?

Availability: Who Can Use Max and Where

Duolingo Max has been rolled out across many countries on iOS and Android. Feature availability varies by language pairing; currently, English speakers learning Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese can access the Explain My Answer and Roleplay features. 

The app updates rollout gradually, so new languages and regions may gain access over time. Check your device store or the app settings to confirm if your course supports Max features.

How Much Is Duolingo Max: Pricing, Plans, and Billing Options

Duolingo Max is a paid subscription tier sold as an upgrade inside the app. Pricing shows as a monthly subscription or an annual plan, and the cost varies by country, currency, and platform. Expect in-app purchase billing through your device store, regional taxes to apply, and occasional promotional or introductory offers. 

Checking Current Subscription Pricing

You can compare the subscription cost to Duolingo Plus to evaluate value, and many users look at price per month, annual savings, trial periods, and refund or cancellation policies before upgrading. Want to see the exact monthly price for your country right now? Open the Duolingo app or the store listing and view the current:

• Subscription fee
• Billing frequency
• Any available trial options

How to Decide Whether the Price Is Right for You

Decide what success looks like before you check the Duolingo Max price. Are you learning for travel, casual conversation, work, or near-fluent conversation? If you want basic vocabulary, daily habits, or passive review, the free plan or Duolingo Super will likely cover that. 

If you want conversational practice, step-by-step grammar explanations, and AI feedback that feels like a tutor, the Max features, such as Explain My Answer and Roleplay, matter more. Which outcomes do you actually need from the app?

Use It Enough to Pay Off: How Often You Must Practice

A higher subscription fee only pays off with steady use. If you practice five or more days a week and run frequent speaking or roleplay sessions, the cost per active study hour drops, and the advanced AI features start to deliver measurable gains. 

If your usage looks like a few weeks of focus followed by long breaks, the premium price will feel heavy. How consistent will you be over the next three months?

Check Language and Device Support Before Buying

Confirm that Duolingo Max supports your target language and your device. The most advanced Max features work for English speakers learning Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese on compatible iOS and Android builds. Availability varies by region and app version, so open the app store or Duolingo settings and verify which features appear for your language and device before you subscribe.

Price vs Payoff: How to Evaluate Budget and ROI

• Ask how much you will pay and what you expect in return. Duolingo Max's monthly price is usually higher than the basic premium tier, and many users find that the annual plan reduces the effective monthly cost. 
• Check current in-app pricing for the exact monthly and annual prices in your country.
• Compare that subscription fee to private tutoring, group classes, or marketplace tutors and measure the cost per hour of active learning. 

If you use the app daily, the cost per study hour can be very low. If you only open the app sporadically, that same subscription becomes expensive on a per-hour basis. What price per month fits your budget for a language tool you will actually use?

Other Features That Affect Value

Look beyond raw cost and list the specific Max features you will use. Explain My Answer helps with grammar and reasoning. Roleplay simulates conversation and builds fluency. If you value immediate, personalized feedback and unlimited AI practice, those add real utility compared with a basic subscription. 

Also, check for free trials, refund windows, and whether your region has promotional pricing that lowers the effective cost of Duolingo Max.

Other Routes to Fluency: Alternatives to Consider

If your priority is natural conversation, compare Duolingo Max to conversation-first apps. Pingo, for example, focuses on AI-driven dialogues that mimic fundamental interactions, with adaptive feedback and separate modes for beginner and advanced speakers. You can start speaking with Pingo for free to test how conversational practice feels. 

Ask whether you want a structured lesson flow or an app built around spontaneous speech, and then weigh the price of Max against alternatives and live tutors.

Quick Cost Calculations to Try Before Subscribing

Pull the current Duolingo Max price from the app store, then divide by the expected number of study sessions per month to get the cost per session. Estimate session length to get the cost per hour. Compare that number to the hourly rate of a private tutor or a conversation class. 

If the subscription price yields a per-hour rate that fits your learning budget and frequency, the plan will make sense. Will the numbers line up for you?

Try Before Committing

Look for free trials or short-term subscriptions so you can test Explain My Answer and Roleplay. Use a trial period to measure how often you open the app, how long sessions last, and whether AI feedback changes your speaking and grammar accuracy. That trial data gives you a concrete view of value for money and helps answer how much Duolingo Max will cost you per real hour of improvement. Want to test Max for a few weeks before you commit?

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Start Learning a Language with Pingo for Free Today

Pingo flips the usual app routine. Instead of memorizing lists or repeating drills, you practice conversations that reflect the moments you will actually face:

• Ordering food
• Asking for directions
• Making small talk

The interface pushes talk and response, not passive review. Try a short session, and you will notice how speech patterns and timing start to feel familiar.

How Pingo’s Expressive AI Simulates Real-World Talk

The app uses expressive AI to generate responses that sound human and unpredictable. That means varied vocabulary, false starts, and natural corrections from the virtual partner. You practice with dialogue that changes, so you learn to manage flow and nuance rather than rehearsed lines. Want a polite disagreement or a friendly joke? The AI adapts tone and style to fit the scenario.

Adaptive Feedback and Personalized Practice That Responds to You

Pingo listens, evaluates, and guides. You get instant corrections on pronunciation, grammar, and natural phrasing, plus targeted exercises that respond to your mistakes. Those exercises adjust difficulty as you improve, so sessions stay challenging without being frustrating. How would daily, bite-sized practice that actually targets your gaps change your progress?

Two Modes: Beginner Friendly and Advanced Speaking Practice

Pingo offers two distinct modes. The starter mode focuses on:

• Vocabulary
• Phrase building
• Confidence for first-time speakers

The advanced mode pushes fluid conversation, idioms, and nuanced responses for users ready to expand range and speed. Switching modes shifts the type of feedback and the complexity of the AI partner’s replies.

What Learners Gain: Fluency, Confidence, and Habit

Regular spoken practice builds muscle memory in speech, not just recall in the head. Users report more precise pronunciation and less hesitation when they talk with real people. Short, frequent sessions help create a daily speaking habit. Which matters more to you today: vocabulary or the ability to say what you mean under pressure?

Price and Value: How Pingo Compares with Duolingo Max and Subscription Options

Pingo invites you to start speaking for free. For learners who want more, optional subscriptions unlock extended scenarios, deeper corrective feedback, and longer practice sessions. Many users weigh features against price when choosing a premium plan. You might compare Pingo’s subscription value to Duolingo Max price points, Duolingo Max cost per month, and other paid tiers such as Duolingo Plus. 

Ask about free trials, monthly fee structures, yearly plan savings, family plans, and in-app purchase details before upgrading. How much you pay should match the AI features, session length, and personalized coaching you need.

Start Speaking with Pingo Today: Quick Setup and Immediate Practice

Sign up, pick your target language, and jump into a short conversation. The onboarding calibrates to your level, so the first interactions feel approachable. Want to try a scenario you expect to face on the trip or at work? Choose it, speak, and get real-time corrections. The app keeps each session focused so you walk away with clear next steps for improvement.