It's a near tie: both score 8.0, with Memrise ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Memrise wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Speak on 2, with 1 tied.
Learners who want to understand and speak everyday language
Learners who understand a language but freeze up when it is time to speak
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Memrise | Speak |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning | Learning |
| Category rank | #10 of 12 | #12 of 12 |
| Developer | Memrise Limited | Speakeasy Labs |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Subscription |
| Usable for free | Yes | No |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is Memrise better than Speak?
It's a near tie: both score 8.0, with Memrise ahead by a hair, so the right pick depends on what you need. Memrise wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Speak on 2, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Memrise or Speak?
Memrise: Free with ads; Pro listed at $61.99 a year or $329.99 lifetime in the US App Store. Speak: 7-day trial; Premium from $17.99/month or $83.99/year on the App Store. On value for money, Memrise scores higher.
Do Memrise and Speak work on the same devices?
Only Memrise runs on Web.
Which is more private, Memrise or Speak?
Memrise scores higher on privacy (6.8/10). App Store label: identifiers may be used to track you; contact info, your content, IDs and usage data are linked to you. Google Play says device IDs may be shared with third parties.
Strengths and weaknesses
Memrise
- Real people speaking real, everyday language
- AI chat partner for speaking practice
- An Editors' Choice app on the App Store
- The free plan is limited and shows ads
- No offline mode
- Community courses were moved out of the app
Memrise teaches the language people actually speak. Lessons are built around short videos of native speakers in everyday situations, and then you practice talking with MemBot, its AI chat partner. Official courses cover the popular languages, and newer extras add exam prep and stories. The free plan is limited and shows ads, there's no offline mode, and the old community courses no longer live in the app.
Full Memrise review
Speak
- Gets you speaking out loud from the first lesson
- Open-ended AI chats feel close to a real tutor
- Low-pressure practice without a human audience
- Little free use beyond a 7-day trial
- Weak on reading, writing and long-term vocabulary review
- The newest AI tutor features need the pricier Premium Plus
Speak is built for the hardest part of learning a language: actually talking. You repeat phrases, then hold open conversations with an AI tutor that corrects your pronunciation and phrasing, and new tutor calls let you chat about anything. It is great for getting past the fear of speaking. The catch: no free use beyond a trial, thin reading and vocabulary review, and some ad tracking. Pair it with a structured course.
Full Speak review
