Saloo English vs Duolingo: which app actually gets you speaking English?
The short answer: if your goal is to speak English fluently, Saloo English wins — a dedicated AI voice coach for conversation, cheaper than Duolingo Max, the only Duolingo plan that offered real AI conversations. If you want a free daily vocabulary game, Duolingo is unbeatable.
Verdict: choose Saloo English to speak: free-flowing voice conversations, shadowing, vocabulary tracking. Choose Duolingo for a fun, free daily habit — but know that the paid Super tier adds no content; it just removes ads and limits.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Saloo English | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $9.99 | Free / Super ~$12.99–13.99 / Max $29.99 |
| Annual price | $89.99/yr | Super ~$83.99–95.99/yr / Max ~$167.99/yr |
| Free tier | — | Yes (ads + daily energy limit) |
| AI voice conversations | Yes (GPT-4) | No — except video call and roleplay on Max, rolling out to Super |
| Shadowing exercises | Yes | No |
| Vocabulary tracking | Yes | No |
| Real-life guided scenarios | Yes (Emma & Alex) | No (short gamified exercises) |
| Languages | English only | 40+ |
| iOS / Android | Yes / Yes | Yes / Yes |
Prices shown on the App Store and official sites, October 2026. Prices vary by region and promotions.
Pricing: Super costs about the same, Max costs twice as much
Saloo English Premium: $9.99/month or $89.99/year. Duolingo Super: about $12.99–13.99/month or $83.99–95.99/year depending on the store. Annually they're close — except Super adds no content: you pay to remove ads and the energy cap, not to learn more. Real AI conversation at Duolingo was Duolingo Max ($29.99/month, ~$167.99/year), and in August 2026 the CEO hinted Max could be retired as video calling migrates to Super. In other words: to talk with an AI, Saloo costs about half what Max did.
Speaking practice: Duolingo drills, Saloo makes you talk
Duolingo excels at what it was built for: a daily vocabulary and grammar habit with addictive gamification. But speaking exercises stay short and scripted — you never hold a real conversation. Saloo English does the opposite: free-flowing voice conversations with an AI tutor that corrects you, shadowing exercises for pronunciation, and vocabulary that comes back later. They're different tools, not two versions of the same one.
Who should pick which?
Choose Saloo English if: your goal is to speak English — job interviews, meetings, travel — and you want live corrections on your speech.
Choose Duolingo if: you're starting out, you want a free, fun routine, or you're learning several languages at once. Then the free tier is enough: Super won't make you speak more.
Two minutes is enough to decide
Start a real spoken conversation with Emma or Alex: live corrections, built-in shadowing.
Scan to download the app
Frequently asked questions
Is Saloo English cheaper than Duolingo?
Saloo English Premium costs $9.99/month or $89.99/year — comparable to Duolingo Super (~$83.99–95.99/year), but about half the price of Duolingo Max (~$167.99/year), the AI-conversation tier. Duolingo also has a free version, which Saloo doesn't (App Store pricing, October 2026).
Can you learn to speak English with Duolingo?
Duolingo builds vocabulary and grammar, but its speaking exercises are short and scripted: you don't hold real conversations. For speaking, you need a conversation tool — AI like Saloo, or a human tutor.
Which app for preparing a job interview in English?
Saloo English: its real-life scenarios include professional situations, with live corrections. Duolingo offers no interview simulation.