5 Top Language Apps to Learn Spanish in 2024

Successful integration abroad means familiarizing yourself with local customs and culture.

For students, tourists, or digital nomads traveling to Spain or Latin America, learning the national language is a great way to connect with native speakers.

Remitly has compiled this list of the top language learning apps to help improve your Spanish proficiency.

Why learn Spanish using apps?

Mobile app-based language learning is overtaking traditional methods for several reasons:

• It’s accessible. Over 4.3 billion people globally own a smartphone today. As technology becomes more accessible, so do language learning methods.
• It’s more convenient. Language apps provide a flexible learning experience. You can master a new language at your own pace.
• It’s easier. They also offer a personalized learning journey, allowing you to set goals, track your progress, and study customized Spanish courses based on your fluency level.
• It’s cost-effective. The free version of most language apps provides access to plenty of learning resources. A premium subscription might unlock even more material than traditional courses.

Unsurprisingly, most learners prefer language apps for grammar lessons to improve their conversational skills.

These innovative tools provide a learning platform for speakers at all levels.

5 best apps to learn Spanish in 2024

Whether you’re working, starting a business, volunteering, or simply planning to enjoy stunning landscapes in Spain or Latin America, learning the Spanish language will give you a significant advantage.

Here are some of the best Spanish language learning apps to help you interact with native speakers:

Duolingo

Duolingo is one of the most popular Spanish learning apps in the world. It achieved its status by harnessing innovation, blending technology and gamification to provide an interactive learning experience.

The Duolingo app offers bite-sized lessons, each lasting five to ten minutes. Its Spanish courses incorporate language skills, conjugation, translation, and personalized quizzes and stories.

Key features

• Personalization: A custom algorithm lets Duolingo tailor learners’ experiences through personalized feedback.
• Interactive exercises: These immersive exercises optimize your learning journey, providing opportunities to practice reading, writing, listening, thinking, and responding in Spanish.
• Progress tracking: Regular practice and participating in challenges help you earn experience points (XP), allowing you to unlock higher levels.
• Global community: Compete against friends or teams worldwide in “Leagues” to earn XP and rank on Duolingo’s weekly leaderboards. You’ll also reach new levels as you gain real-world conversational skills.

Duolingo also offers podcasts and accredited tests. It’s available on the web and on both Apple and Android devices.

A pro is that the app offers a free version, as well as optional premium subscriptions. The biggest complaint from users is that the exercises can seem repetitive.

Babbel

Babbel is a self-paced language learning platform. According to researchers, novice Spanish speakers need only 15 hours on the Babbel app to pass one semester of traditional college-level Spanish classes.

It’s a great app if you’re just starting to learn Spanish as it emphasizes conversational skills. You will develop these mostly through real-life dialogue, but Babbel also helps you develop reading, writing, and listening skills.

Key features

• Speech recognition: Babbel’s interactive audio lessons integrate speaking exercises. You can repeat and practice new words and phrases with its speech recognition function.
• Tailored lessons: The mobile app personalizes your learning experience and uses flashcards to build on what you’ve already learned.
• Cultural insights: Lessons also incorporate topics on travel, diving into culture, cuisine, and natural attractions of Spanish-speaking countries. The app provides contextual grammar and conjugation tips based on location.

Babbel offers quality, comprehensive, and well-structured content tailored to each language and different language combinations. It’s available on iOS, Android, and the web, but it’s only available with a paid subscription.

Rosetta Stone

This foreign language learning software takes an immersive approach that blends visual and audio cues.

Through its ‘Dynamic Immersion’ approach, the app prompts you to match pictures with new words in Spanish, practicing your pronunciation in the process.

Rosetta Stone was first launched in 1992 and is one of the oldest, most well-known language platforms.

Key features

• Extended courses: Rosetta Stone structures grammar lessons as ‘courses’ available at varying proficiency levels. Language coaching, live-streamed lessons, and pronunciation tools complement the core program.
• Offline access: Rosetta Stone’s ‘Offline Mode’ feature lets you download and complete lessons directly to your smartphone. The mobile app automatically syncs your progress once you’re reconnected to internet service.
• TruAccent: Rosetta Stone TruAccent speech recognition is one of its flagship technologies. It uses the accents of thousands of native Spanish speakers to correct and refine your pronunciation.

Rosetta Stone’s comprehensive, five-level curriculum helps you master new words and phrases and feel comfortable speaking to native speakers. However, the extensive curriculum does come at a higher cost.

Busuu

Busuu is a practical tool that grounds your conversational skills. Its structured and immersive courses provide feedback from native Spanish speakers, and its powerful speech recognition tool enhances your learning experience.

Key features

Grammar lessons: Busuu provides Spanish courses for beginner to advanced learners. The study plan responds to your needs, and you can personalize the curriculum based on your schedule.

Social interactions: Busuu Live is a premium subscription service providing personal tutoring. It facilitates social connection, linking you with ‘friends’ in your target country who can teach you the nuances of their native language.

Offline mode: You can download your lessons and study uninterrupted, even without an internet connection.

Busuu has a user-friendly interface and offers excellent community support. It’s available on iOS, Android, and online, but its free version has limited functionality.

Memrise

Memrise uses innovative techniques like spaced recognition and multimedia content to build your vocabulary. Its algorithm exposes you periodically to new words using flashcards, improving your memory and recall.

Key features

Multimedia learning tools: Official Memrise delivers professionally made courses featuring various tools, including native video and audio, precise translation, and speaking practice with chatbots.

Immersive exercises: The app supports an immersive learning environment. From flashcard decks and engaging quizzes to user-generated tips from native Spanish speakers, you’ll master difficult new words with ease.

Progress tracking: Keep weekly logs and track the progress toward your Spanish language goals.

Memrise uses scientific techniques that boost memory and recall, making it effective for vocabulary retention. Its biggest con is that some critical features are accessible only behind a paywall.

Read more: 5 Top Language Apps for Learning English

How did we rank the top Spanish learning apps?

There are currently dozens of mobile apps designed to help you learn Spanish and other foreign languages. Here are the most studied languages online today:

(Source, 2024)

Other widely studied languages include German, Russian, French, Arabic, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and Japanese.

By downloads alone, the apps line up as follows:

(Source, 2024)

To identify the best apps, we chose a more well-rounded approach, considering reviews, content quality, features and learning tools, user-friendliness, cost, and overall utility.

Which Spanish learning mobile app will you choose?

Many other mobile apps exist to fast-track your plan to learn Spanish. FluentU, for instance, allows you to learn a new language using subtitles while watching TV shows or movies on Netflix. Pimsleur harnesses emerging AI technology to power its speech recognition system.

Check out this summary of each app’s key elements: