Best App to Learn Korean (2026): 8 Compared
Last verified: September 20, 2026. Prices and features come from each app’s official pages and the US App Store listings. They change often, so confirm the price for your country at checkout.
The best app to learn Korean depends on your stage. Duolingo is the best free start, and its Korean course now runs through CEFR level B2. LingoDeer is a paid, grammar-based course with free starter units, Talk To Me In Korean gives you a large library of lessons in one plan, Pimsleur is best for learning by ear, and Teuida is built around speaking practice with AI feedback. Hangul, the Korean alphabet, is quick to learn, so the harder part is grammar and speaking, which is where a tutor helps most.
Quick picks by goal
| Your goal | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Start for free | Duolingo | A free tier; Korean is one of nine courses that now run through B2 |
| A structured paid course | LingoDeer | A grammar-based curriculum, with free starter units |
| A big library of lessons | Talk To Me In Korean | 1,700+ lessons in one plan, from about $7 a month billed yearly |
| Learn by ear | Pimsleur | Audio-first lessons using the Seoul dialect |
| Speak with AI feedback | Teuida | Speaking-first lessons with AI pronunciation feedback |
| A full course with community | Busuu | Complete Korean, K-Drama and Hangeul courses |
| Learn through vocabulary videos | Memrise | Native-speaker video clips and vocabulary practice |
| Immersion-style lessons | Rosetta Stone | Korean is one of its 25 languages |
The 8 apps at a glance
| App | Best for | US price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | A free start | Free; Super about $96 to $120/year | Hangeul alphabet sessions; AI Video Call in Korean with Max |
| LingoDeer | Structured grammar | $14.99/month; $95.99/year | Free alphabet and first unit |
| Talk To Me In Korean | A lesson library | From $7.12/month billed yearly | 1,700+ lessons; mobile app access |
| Pimsleur | Audio learning | About $20/month | Seoul dialect; 7-day trial |
| Busuu | Community feedback | Free tier; App Store paid plans | Complete Korean, K-Drama and Hangeul courses |
| Memrise | Vocabulary with video | Free tier; Pro about $62/year (App Store) | Native-speaker clips; AI speaking bots |
| Teuida | Speaking practice | From about $15/month (App Store) | iPhone only; AI pronunciation feedback |
| Rosetta Stone | Immersion | $19.99/month or $159/year | 25 languages in one plan |
Duolingo: best free start
- US price: free with ads and an Energy limit; Super about $13 to $17/month or $96 to $120/year
- Level: Korean is one of nine courses that Duolingo says now teach through B2 (April 2026)
- Speaking practice: speaking exercises and a free Practice Hub; AI Video Call in Korean with Max
Duolingo’s blog describes a Hangeul tab and alphabet sessions in its Korean course. It is the easiest place to start without paying, and to learn the alphabet. Many learners add a grammar-focused course and speaking practice as they progress. See Does Duolingo Work? for the evidence on how far it goes.
LingoDeer: best structured paid course
- US price: $14.99 monthly, $39.99 quarterly, $95.99 annually (marked down from $159.99); 3-year ($189.99) and 6-year ($239.99) one-time plans on its pricing page
- Free: the alphabet, Unit One, review, test-outs and a travel phrasebook; offline mode and sync are paid
- Guarantee: 7 days on certain plans
- US App Store rating: 4.7 from 28,000 ratings
LingoDeer has a grammar-based curriculum and free starter units, so you can try it before paying. The App Store lists lifetime options that do not appear on its official pricing page, so check which plans are available.
Talk To Me In Korean: best lesson library
- US price: Smart Save yearly plan $7.12 a month ($85.40 a year before tax, no trial); Standard yearly plan $10.17 a month ($122 a year, 7-day trial); monthly plan $16.99 (7-day trial)
- Covers: every plan includes 1,700+ lessons and mobile app access
Talk To Me In Korean sells a large library of Korean lessons on a subscription. Its official pricing page shows three plans, and the cheapest requires paying for a year up front with no trial. Subscribe through its official site, and check the developer name on any app-store listing before you install.
Pimsleur: best for learning by ear
- US price: about $20 a month
- Free: a 7-day trial for new customers and a free lesson
- US App Store rating: 4.7 from about 30,000 ratings
Pimsleur’s Korean course teaches the Seoul dialect through roughly 30-minute audio lessons, which suits listening and speaking. It is less suited to learning Hangul, so pair it with an alphabet tool. See our Pimsleur review.
Busuu: best full course with community
- Courses: Complete Korean, K-Drama and Hangeul, with 185+ lessons; no CEFR levels are shown on the course page
- US price: a free tier, and App Store paid plans from about $70 to $140 a year
- US App Store rating: 4.7 from about 101,000 ratings
Busuu offers a full Korean course plus a Hangeul course and a K-Drama course, with feedback from native speakers. Its speaking and AI tools sit in the more expensive tier.
Memrise: best for vocabulary with video
- US price: free tier with ads; on the US App Store the annual plan is listed around $62
- Covers: native-speaker videos, vocabulary practice and AI speaking bots
- US App Store rating: 4.8 from about 217,000 ratings
Memrise lists Korean among its languages and works well for building vocabulary and listening. Its prices vary by offer, so check the paywall. See our best language learning apps guide for how it compares.
Teuida: best for speaking practice
- US price: on the US App Store, one month from about $15 to $18 and twelve months from about $60 to $90
- Covers: speaking-first lessons with AI pronunciation feedback
- Platform: iPhone only
- US App Store rating: 4.9 from about 58,000 ratings
Teuida is built around speaking. Its App Store listing describes speaking-first lessons and AI pronunciation feedback. It is iPhone only, and its official pages were not readable when we checked, so its prices come from the App Store.
Rosetta Stone: best immersion-style option
- US price: $19.99 a month or $159 a year
- Free: a one-time 7-day trial
- Covers: Korean is one of 25 languages in one subscription
Rosetta Stone teaches through immersion, with no translations, and adds pronunciation feedback. See our Rosetta Stone review.
More options: free courses, K-dramas and tutors
- Free courses: in 2022 the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the King Sejong Institute Foundation offered free online Korean courses, but we could not confirm they are still running, so check the King Sejong Institute site.
- K-dramas: Lingopie lists Korean among its languages, with dual subtitles for shows. See our Lingopie review.
- Tutors: italki lists 500+ Korean tutors, with trial lessons from about $5, and Preply lists more than 4,500. See our Preply review.
How to combine apps for Korean
- Free stack: Duolingo for lessons and the alphabet, Busuu’s free tier for extra practice and Lingopie’s trial or K-dramas for listening.
- Paid stack: LingoDeer or Talk To Me In Korean for structure, Teuida or a tutor for speaking.
- By ear: Pimsleur for listening and speaking, plus an alphabet course for reading.
How long does Korean take?
Hangul is the easy part: the National Institute of Korean Language’s rules set the number of basic Hangul letters at 24, 14 consonants and 10 vowels. The rest of Korean takes much longer. The US Foreign Service Institute places Korean in its hardest category, with an estimated 88 weeks, or about 2,200 class hours, for its students to reach level 3 on the government’s ILR proficiency scale, against 24 to 30 weeks for Spanish, French and Italian. FSI students also do about 17 hours of self-study a week. Duolingo’s B2 course is a big curriculum, but reaching that level is a multi-year project, and speaking with a person speeds it up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best app to learn Korean?
There is no single best app. Duolingo is the best free start, LingoDeer is a strong paid grammar course, Talk To Me In Korean offers a large lesson library, Pimsleur is best by ear and Teuida is best for speaking. Combine one course app with speaking practice.
What is the best free app to learn Korean?
Duolingo is the best free start, and its Korean course now runs through B2. LingoDeer has free starter units, Busuu has a free tier with Korean, Hangeul and K-Drama courses, and Memrise has a free plan. Free tiers have limits, so add a tutor as you progress.
What is the best app to learn Korean for beginners?
Duolingo suits beginners on a budget, with alphabet sessions, and LingoDeer suits beginners who want grammar-based lessons with a free first unit. Busuu also has a dedicated Hangeul course. Learn Hangul first, because the alphabet is quick to pick up.
Can you learn Korean with Duolingo?
You can get a long way. Duolingo says Korean is one of nine courses that now teach through B2, and it includes alphabet sessions. Most learners add grammar-focused lessons and speaking practice, because one app rarely covers everything.
How do you learn Hangul?
Start with an alphabet course: Duolingo’s Korean course has Hangeul alphabet sessions, and Busuu has a separate Hangeul course. Hangul has 24 basic letters, 14 consonants and 10 vowels, per the National Institute of Korean Language, so many learners read it within days.
Is Talk To Me In Korean worth it?
It is worth considering if you want a large lesson library in one plan: 1,700+ lessons from about $7.12 a month when billed yearly. Its official pages show plans with and without a 7-day trial, so read the terms before you subscribe.
How long does it take to learn Korean?
The US Foreign Service Institute estimates about 88 weeks, or roughly 2,200 class hours, for its students to reach level 3 on the ILR scale, compared with 24 to 30 weeks for Spanish, French or Italian. Self-study with apps typically takes longer and depends on daily practice.
Do I need a tutor to learn Korean?
Apps cover the alphabet, vocabulary and grammar well, but speaking needs practice with a person or a speaking-focused AI app. A tutor on italki or Preply helps with pronunciation and producing sentences aloud, even for a few lessons.
Sources and how this was researched
This guide compares information published by each app and by app stores as of September 20, 2026. It does not claim first-hand testing of every app. Main sources:
- Duolingo: courses now teach advanced content and Korean course updates
- LingoDeer: pricing; Talk To Me In Korean: pricing; Pimsleur: learn Korean; Busuu: Korean course
- US App Store listings for each app, including Memrise
- National Institute of Korean Language: Online Ganada; Korea.net on the free Sejong courses
- Tutors: italki’s Korean page and Preply’s Korean page; benchmarks: US Foreign Service Institute