Being AI Ready
AI Learning & Study Tools

Duolingo Max

Duolingo's premium AI tier, adding live conversational roleplay and an AI video-call partner on top of the standard Duolingo and Super Duolingo language-learning experience.

Visit website

What it does

Duolingo Max is the top tier of Duolingo’s language-learning app, sitting above the free version and Super Duolingo. Where the base app focuses on bite-sized, gamified exercises, Max adds AI-driven conversation practice: Roleplay, which walks learners through scripted real-world scenarios like ordering coffee or planning a trip, and Video Call, a live open-ended conversation with an AI character named Lily who remembers previous chats.

Max previously included Explain My Answer as an exclusive perk, giving detailed grammar breakdowns for right and wrong answers, but Duolingo made that feature free for all users in January 2026 — meaning Max’s value today rests mainly on its conversational features rather than answer explanations. It’s currently limited to a handful of languages when learning from English.

Ideal users

  • Existing Duolingo users who want real conversational practice rather than just exercises
  • Language learners who want structured, scripted roleplay for real-world situations
  • Learners studying Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, or Korean from English — the languages Max currently supports

Who should avoid it

  • You're learning a language Max doesn't yet support
  • You only wanted detailed answer explanations — Explain My Answer is now free for all users, narrowing what Max adds
  • You're price-sensitive — Max is a meaningfully bigger jump over Super Duolingo than Super is over the free tier

Key features

  • Video Call, a live spoken conversation with an AI character (Lily) that remembers past chats
  • Roleplay, scripted real-world conversation scenarios (ordering coffee, planning a trip) with AI feedback
  • Explain My Answer, detailed breakdowns of why an answer is right or wrong (free for all users since January 2026)
  • All standard Super Duolingo features: no ads, unlimited hearts, and offline practice

Pros

  • Live spoken conversation practice fills a gap most flashcard and exercise apps don't cover
  • Builds on Duolingo's large, gamified, habit-forming exercise library
  • Roleplay scenarios target practical, real-world conversation skills
  • A Family plan spreads the cost across up to six accounts

Cons

  • Meaningfully more expensive than Super Duolingo for what's now a narrower set of exclusive features
  • Only available for a handful of languages
  • Live conversational feedback is still AI-generated and can miss nuance a human tutor would catch

Pricing

Free — $29.99/month, or about $14/month ($168/year) billed annually

Sits above the free tier and Super Duolingo. A Family plan covering up to 6 accounts runs roughly $240/year. Explain My Answer, previously a Max-exclusive feature, became free for all users in January 2026.

Typical workflows

  • A learner finishes a lesson, opens Roleplay to practice the same vocabulary in a scripted real-world scenario, then places a Video Call with Lily for an open-ended conversation on a related topic.
  • A learner misses a question in a regular lesson and taps Explain My Answer for a grammar breakdown before moving on.

Integrations

  • iOS and Android apps alongside the Duolingo web app
  • Duolingo for Schools for classroom use (the conversational AI features are part of the consumer app, not the Schools product)

Privacy & security notes

Duolingo requires a parent's email to verify consent for Child Users (under 13 in the US, or the local age of digital consent elsewhere), collects only minimal data for them, and disables chat, social sharing, and contact syncing on younger accounts.

Frequently asked questions

What does Max add that regular Duolingo doesn't have?

The main exclusives are Video Call (live spoken conversation with an AI character) and Roleplay (scripted real-world scenarios with feedback). Explain My Answer, once Max-only, is now free for everyone.

Which languages support Duolingo Max's AI features?

As of mid-2026, Max's conversational features cover Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean when learning from English.

Is Duolingo Max worth it over Super Duolingo?

It depends on whether you specifically want live conversation practice — if detailed answer explanations were your main draw, that feature is now free, narrowing what Max adds on top of Super.

Is Duolingo safe for kids to use?

Duolingo requires parental email verification for Child Users, applies age-appropriate content filtering, and disables social and chat features on younger accounts.

Best alternatives