Alternatives
Alternative to Ling: Wekos
Ling covers 60+ languages behind a subscription. Wekos covers 8, in full, for nothing.
Ling's pitch is breadth: chatbot-style lessons across more than 60 languages, including several that barely exist on other apps. That's a real advantage if the language you want is obscure. For the eight languages Wekos teaches, it's a narrower comparison.
The short version
What Ling does well
Covering 60-plus languages under one app and one account is a genuine feat, and useful if you're learning something with almost no other app support. The chatbot format gives you a low-pressure way to see a language used in short exchanges.
Where Ling's free version stops
- The app itself is free, but nearly all lesson content requires a subscription to unlock.
- Plans run from about $15 a month to roughly $80 a year, with lifetime options priced higher.
- Depth on any one language is traded off against covering so many at once.
What Wekos does instead
Wekos covers eight languages, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese, and every one of them is the complete sixteen-unit course, free. What Ling spreads thin across 60 languages, Wekos puts entirely into these eight: sentence drilling, native audio in two voices, speaking cards scored on being understood, and on-device conversation practice.
Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese also get language-specific depth Ling doesn't offer at any tier: an interactive tone guide, classifiers taught with the noun they belong to, and romanization that sits beside the script rather than replacing it. None of it is behind a subscription, because there isn't one.
Also included, free:
- Three playback modes (auto, semi-manual, manual), with repetitions adjustable from 2 to 15.
- A story every unit, read aloud in character, with comprehension questions and a translation a tap away.
- A twelve-question quiz at the end of every unit, mixing in questions from earlier units.
- Resume exactly where you left off, and save any unit for offline use.
- Streak tracking and a self-issued CEFR badge at A1, A2 and B1.
| Ling | Wekos | |
|---|---|---|
| Languages | 60+ | 8 |
| Depth per language | Chatbot-style lessons | 16-unit sequenced course |
| Native audio | Yes | Male and female, adjustable speed |
| Speaking practice | Limited | Scored on being understood, on-device |
| Conversation partner | Not on free tier | 8 scenarios, on-device |
| Free content | App download only | The entire course |
| Price to unlock lessons | ~$15/mo or ~$80/yr | No paid tier exists |
Who should still use Ling
If the language you want to learn isn't one of Wekos's eight, Ling's breadth is a real reason to use it. There's no substitute for an app that covers it at all.
How to switch
- Check whether your language is one of Wekos's eight. If it is, sign up free, no card.
- Start at unit one, or take the placement test if you already know some of it.
- Keep Ling on hand for any other language it covers that Wekos doesn't, yet.
See the best free language learning apps roundup for the full field.
Try Wekos free
The whole course, all 8 languages, unlimited practice, no credit card and no paid tier to hit later.