Every European language exchange app reviewed
Hannover (office also in Berlin), Germany
Founded 2015
Sign-up is free according to the Tandem homepage. A paid tier is not described on the pages we read.
Demo on request
Best for: Learners who want one-to-one conversation partners from a German operator
Tandem is a language exchange app that pairs members who each speak the language the other wants to learn, then gives them text, audio and video chat. Message correction and translation sit inside the conversation. The homepage says every application is reviewed, which limits spam accounts before they reach other members.
Tripod Technology GmbH runs Tandem from Hannover, with a second office in Berlin, and the about page dates the launch to 2015. The terms apply German law. Tandem states more than 35 million members, a vendor claim. The privacy policy says call contents are not recorded, that messages are stored, and that servers may lie outside the home country.
What Tandem does well
- Operator is a German GmbH in the EU
- Text, audio and video chat live in one app
- Corrections and translation inside the chat
- Applications are reviewed before members join
- Privacy policy says call contents are not recorded
Where Tandem falls short
- No hosting country is named
- Pages read describe no paid tier
- Chat messages are kept on file
- Member pool is smaller than HelloTalk's stated size
Standout feature. Tandem is the only partner app here that offers video calls, message correction and application review together.
Genappe, Belgium
The Speaky homepage states that Speaky is completely free to use, with no hidden fees or required subscriptions.
Demo on request
Best for: Learners who want a free partner app with a Belgian data controller
Speaky is a free language exchange platform where members create a profile, search for partners and talk by text or voice on iOS, Android and the web. The homepage lists user verification, word filtering, reporting tools and a support team as safety measures. It shows no video calls and no correction tool.
The privacy policy names Altissia International SA in Genappe, Belgium, company number 0876.816.058, as data controller, and the terms apply Belgian law. Speaky says it primarily uses infrastructure in the EEA but lets some service providers process data outside it. The terms use the name Speaky.com without an address.
What Speaky does well
- Data controller is a Belgian company
- Homepage promises free use without subscriptions
- Partner search with text and voice chat
- Verification, word filter and reporting tools
- Policy says infrastructure is mostly in the EEA
Where Speaky falls short
- Terms give no company address
- No video calls or corrections on pages read
- Some service providers sit outside the EEA
- No hosting company is named
Standout feature. Speaky is the only partner app here that promises a fully free model and mostly EEA infrastructure in its own texts.
Aix-en-Provence, France
The homepage describes learning for free with real people. A paid option is not described on the pages we read.
Demo on request
Best for: Learners who want a community with corrections and local events
Polyglot Club is a language exchange community on the web that offers partner search, writing corrections, events, trips, questions, videos, a forum and a wiki. Members can install it as a web app from Chrome, Edge or Safari. It states more than one million members, a vendor claim.
The legal notice names Vincent Scheidecker, self-employed in Aix-en-Provence, with a SIREN number, and lists Online SAS in Paris as host. One person runs the service, so continuity rests on him. We did not read the full privacy policy or a price list, and the chat room runs on Discord.
What Polyglot Club does well
- Publisher is registered in France with a SIREN
- Legal notice names a host in Paris
- Members can ask for writing corrections
- Offers events and local groups
- Homepage calls the community free
Where Polyglot Club falls short
- One self-employed person runs it
- Full privacy policy was not read
- No native mobile app is described
- Chat room depends on Discord
Standout feature. Polyglot Club is the only tool here that combines a forum, a wiki and organised events in a free community.
London, United Kingdom
Not shown on the pages we read.
Demo on request
Best for: Learners who prefer slow written exchange over instant chat
Slowly is a pen pal app where letters take time to arrive. A member writes a letter, picks a stamp and sends it, and the homepage says delivery takes longer the farther away the recipient lives. Matching follows shared interests and apps exist for iOS and Android with many interface languages.
Slowly Communications Ltd gives a London address in its terms, last updated on 13 September 2024, and the terms name English courts. Purchases are final except where local law gives a refund. The privacy policy did not load as text in our fetch, so hosting and retention remain unverified, and no price list appeared.
What Slowly does well
- Operator is a UK company with a London address
- Writing at length trains careful sentences
- Apps run on iOS and Android
- Interface exists in many languages
- Collectable stamps make letters playful
Where Slowly falls short
- Privacy policy did not load in our fetch
- No price list on pages read
- No correction tool is described
- Delivery delay is part of the design
Standout feature. Slowly is the only tool here in which the waiting time between messages is the product.
Berlin, Germany
Founded 2013
From about EUR 80/month depending on class volume
Demo on request
Best for: Learners who need to actually speak and want structured teaching
Lingoda is an online language school rather than an app with a chat feature. Certified teachers run live classes at any hour, in groups capped at five or one-to-one, following a curriculum aligned with CEFR levels and ending in certificates. Learners book single lessons instead of a fixed weekly slot.
Lingoda GmbH sits in Berlin and was founded in 2013. Prices start at about EUR 80 a month and grow with class volume, so the comparison is a local school, not an app. Only English, German, Spanish, French and Business English are offered, and teacher quality varies from class to class.
What Lingoda does well
- Classes are taught by certified teachers
- Groups hold five learners at most
- Lessons can be booked at any hour
- Curriculum follows CEFR levels and awards certificates
- Operator is a German GmbH in the EU
Where Lingoda falls short
- Costs many times more than any app here
- Offers five language options only
- Teacher quality differs between classes
Standout feature. Lingoda is the only tool here that ends a course with a CEFR certificate earned in live classes.
London, United Kingdom
Founded 2010
Free tier / Pro from about EUR 8/month
Demo on request
Best for: Building vocabulary and training your ear to real speech
Memrise is a vocabulary app that combines spaced repetition with thousands of short clips in which ordinary native speakers use the phrase being learned. The same phrase comes in different voices, ages and accents. An AI conversation partner lets nervous learners try a dialogue without a person listening.
Memrise Ltd is a London company founded in 2010, and the page places data in the UK or EU. A free tier covers core lessons and Pro starts at about EUR 8 a month. Grammar explanation is weak, community courses vary in quality, and the company has changed direction several times.
What Memrise does well
- Thousands of clips of real native speakers
- Review schedule works without configuration
- AI partner lowers the barrier to speaking
- Free tier covers the core lessons
- London-based company
Where Memrise falls short
- Grammar is barely explained
- Community courses differ widely in quality
- Product direction has shifted repeatedly
Standout feature. Memrise is the only tool here that shows each phrase in clips of several different native speakers.
Tallinn, Estonia
Founded 2013
Limited free tier / Unlimited from about EUR 10/month
Demo on request
Best for: Rebuilding or extending vocabulary in a language you partly know
Lingvist is an adaptive vocabulary tool that tests what you already know, skips it, and orders the rest by how often words occur. Words appear in complete sentences with grammar tips where relevant. Sessions are short and dense, which suits learners who want measurable progress in fifteen minutes a day.
Lingvist Technologies sits in Tallinn, Estonia, and was founded in 2013 by a former CERN physicist. The page places data in the EU. A limited free tier exists and the Unlimited plan starts at about EUR 10 a month. It teaches vocabulary only, with a small language catalogue and an austere interface.
What Lingvist does well
- Calibrates to your knowledge from the first session
- Orders words by how often they occur
- Shows words inside complete sentences
- Sessions are short and efficient
- Estonian company with EU data
Where Lingvist falls short
- Teaches vocabulary, with no grammar course or speaking
- Few languages are available
- Plain design can feel dry
Standout feature. Lingvist is the only tool here that builds its word list from a measurement of what the learner already knows.
Brasov, Romania
Founded 2013
Free tier / Premium from about EUR 10/month; lifetime option available
Demo on request
Best for: Breadth of language choice, and learners whose native language is not English
Mondly is a language app that teaches 41 languages and lets learners start from any of 33 native languages, so a Polish or Turkish speaker studies without English as a go-between. Daily lessons, a chatbot with speech recognition, leaderboards and augmented reality exercises make up the product.
The studio sits in Brasov, Romania, was founded in 2013 and belongs to Pearson, a British group. The page places data in the EU. A free tier exists, Premium starts at about EUR 10 a month and a lifetime option is sold. Smaller languages get thinner and more repetitive courses.
What Mondly does well
- Teaches 41 languages from 33 source languages
- Helps learners who do not speak English
- Chatbot with speech recognition scores pronunciation
- Offers augmented and virtual reality lessons
- One-off lifetime purchase is available
Where Mondly falls short
- Goes less deep than focused courses
- Courses in small languages repeat content
- Parent company Pearson is British
Standout feature. Mondly is the only tool here that lets a learner pick from 33 native languages as the language of instruction.
London, United Kingdom
Founded 2012
French/Spanish from about €14.92/month billed annually up to €28.49/month; discount for 2-year plans
Demo on request
Best for: Intermediate learners of French or Spanish who want their grammar gaps found
Kwiziq is a grammar diagnostic for French and Spanish. Its Brainmap records which grammar points a learner has mastered, and an AI coach called Kwizbot builds a personal plan from the gaps through micro-challenges and quizzes. It assumes a working base and does not teach speaking.
Kwiziq Ltd is a London company founded in 2012, and the founders have been recognised as UK EdTech Founder of the Year. A free plan gives ten kwizzes a month. Paid plans run from about €14.92 a month billed annually up to €28.49 monthly, with a seven-day money-back guarantee.
What Kwiziq does well
- Brainmap shows which grammar rules are weak
- Study plan is personal, not a fixed syllabus
- Helps intermediate learners who have plateaued
- Free plan plus a seven-day money-back guarantee
- London company with founder awards
Where Kwiziq falls short
- Teaches French and Spanish only
- Unsuited to complete beginners
- Diagnoses grammar, with no vocabulary or speaking practice
- UK jurisdiction rests on an adequacy decision
Standout feature. Kwiziq is the only tool here that points an intermediate learner to the exact grammar rule behind repeated mistakes.
Machern, Germany
Free content plus paid Lingolia Plus. A price is not shown on the pages we read.
Demo on request
Best for: Learners who want grammar practice to pair with a conversation partner app
Lingolia is a grammar website with explanations, free exercises and a level test for English, German, French and Spanish. A paid Lingolia Plus adds interactive practice, and a Lingolia Pro exists. It has no conversation partners, so it supports a partner app and does not replace one.
Lingo4you GbR in Machern, Germany, runs Lingolia, and the imprint names its partners. The privacy text names Timme Hosting in Lüneburg as web host, Sendinblue GmbH in Berlin for the newsletter and Google Ireland Limited. It also uses Cloudflare Inc. and Traffective GmbH, and shows no Plus price.
What Lingolia does well
- Operator is a German partnership in the EU
- Named German web host
- Grammar articles and exercises cost nothing
- Level test places you quickly
- Imprint lists the partners by name
Where Lingolia falls short
- Has no conversation partners
- Plus price absent from pages read
- Relies on Cloudflare Inc. and advertising services
- Four main languages
Standout feature. Lingolia is the only tool here that is a free grammar reference with a named German web host.
