Memrise review 2027

What problem does Memrise solve, and who is it for?

Memrise is a vocabulary app. Its tagline is "Vocabulary from thousands of video clips of native speakers, with spaced repetition that actually sticks," and that is the job it does: it builds words and phrases into memory. The verdict from our 30-day test is that it made words stick better than any other app we ran, and hearing real people say them is the reason. It does not teach grammar or structure, so as a sole course it scored mid-table. That is why it is best used as a vocabulary companion to any other course rather than as your only route into a language.

How did Memrise score in our test?

Memrise finished on 7.2 out of 10, eighth of the eight apps in this category test. The score came from five weighted criteria.

• Teaching method — 19 of 30. This criterion measures speaking practice, grammar explanation, spaced repetition and real dialogue, and what the 30 days actually built. The spaced repetition and native-speaker video carried it; the absence of grammar explanation held it back.
• Measured result — 16 of 25. Every app sat the same A1 placement test after 30 days. Memrise scored 64%.
• Languages & depth — 13 of 15. It covers 23 languages and takes you to A2–B1.
• Value — 16 of 20. Pro costs from $8.49/mo on the annual plan, and the free tier is usable.
• Experience — 8 of 10. Apps, offline mode, speech recognition and live tutoring options. Memrise has speech recognition and offline lessons on Pro, but no live tutors.

What does Memrise do better than other apps?

The strongest single feature is native-speaker video for every phrase, which our testers rated the best listening practice in this group. Spaced repetition then scheduled reviews we actually remembered, so the words came back at the right moment instead of piling up. Pro adds MemBot, an AI conversation partner, and the free tier is usable rather than a demo. The measured result backs this up: 64% on the same A1 placement test after 30 days, across 23 languages.

How does the technology behind Memrise work?

Spaced repetition is a scheduling method. Each word you answer is given a review date; words you recall easily are pushed further into the future, and words you miss come back sooner. Over a month the app spends your time on the items you are about to forget rather than on ones you already know. Speech recognition compares your pronunciation against a model and tells you whether it matched. Neither idea is complicated, and both are named in Memrise's spec sheet.

What do you get, and where does it run?

Memrise runs on iOS, Android and web. It covers 23 languages and takes you to A2–B1. Speech recognition is included, offline lessons are available on Pro, and there are no live tutors. The free tier is usable, and Pro starts at $8.49/mo on the annual plan.

How does Memrise compare with the apps it was tested against?

Babbel scored 8.6 and costs from $8.95/mo on the annual plan. It covers 14 languages, takes you to B2 in major languages, and includes grammar explained in plain English plus live tutors through Babbel Live. Babbel posted the highest A1 score in our test. Memrise is ahead on language count, 23 against 14, and behind on grammar teaching, level reached and tutoring.

italki also scored 8.6. It is one-to-one video lessons with tutors in 150+ languages, priced by the tutor at typically $8–$30 per hour, with no free tier and no offline lessons. Its speech recognition is human. Memrise is far cheaper per month and works offline, but it cannot match a live tutor for speaking practice.

Busuu scored 7.9 and costs from $6.95/mo on the annual plan. It has 14 languages, a free tier, speech recognition, offline lessons, live tutors through Busuu Live, and CEFR-structured courses that take you to B2, with writing and speaking corrected by native speakers in the community. Memrise covers more languages; Busuu goes further and corrects your output.

Pimsleur scored 8.0 at $19.95/mo for one language, with 51 languages, a 7-day trial, Voice Coach speech recognition, offline lessons and a B1 ceiling. Duolingo scored 7.8, is free with Super at $6.99/mo annual and Max at $29.99/mo, covers 40+ languages, and reaches A2–B1 in major languages with offline lessons on Super only.

Where does Memrise fall short?

The method is vocabulary only, and that is where it lost the most ground. There is no grammar teaching at all, so nothing explains why a sentence is built the way it is. Community courses were removed from the app, which takes away a large body of user-made material. Progress is measured in vocabulary, not conversation, so you can accumulate words without becoming able to hold a discussion. As a sole course it scored mid-table for exactly these reasons.

Is Memrise good value?

Pro costs from $8.49/mo on the annual plan, and there is a free tier. On the value criterion it took 16 of 20 points, which reflects both the monthly price and the fact that the free version is usable rather than a locked preview.

Who should buy Memrise?

Buy it as a vocabulary companion to any other course. If you already have a class, a tutor or a grammar-led app and you want the words to stay in your head, Memrise is the piece to add. If you need grammar explained, structure taught, or live conversation practice, look at the apps above instead.