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LangX vs Tandem, HelloTalk, Duolingo and 13 other language apps

The open source language exchange app, next to every app people compare it with — including where they are the better choice. Real people, unlimited corrections, free packs to learn from, and no ads.

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Free plan, no ads. iPhone, Android and the browser.

Example screen. Names and numbers are demonstration data.
Unlimited
corrections and replies, on every plan
5
new conversations a day, free
182
languages in the app
18
free Echo packs to learn from, in 6 languages
0
ads, on any plan
Head to head

Which app are you comparing?

Pick one. The same six rows for every app, and the full write-up one tap further.

LangX Two-way exchange with corrections and translation in the chat, plus free Echo packs to learn from
Tandem Large language exchange community with chat, calls and group Parties
Kind Language exchange + Echo packs Language exchange
Talk with real people Yes Yes
Free plan Yes Unlimited replies and corrections; 5 new conversations a day Yes Free version with daily limits; paid Pro tier
Ads None Free plan only
Open source Yes (BSD-3) No
Best for Practice that teaches, without ads Live calls and a very large partner pool

Both put you in touch with real people. Tandem shows ads on its free plan; LangX shows none on any plan. LangX is open source; Tandem is not.

Read LangX vs Tandem Try LangX free
By the numbers

Who ticks which box

All 18 apps on this page, one row per thing that decides a comparison. A lit icon has it.

  • Talk with real people, free A person to chat with, without paying a tutor
    8 of 18
  • A free plan you can keep Not a trial and not one lesson
    11 of 18
  • Free lessons or packs to study alone Something to learn from before anyone replies
    4 of 18
  • No ads on any plan Not even on the free one
    7 of 18
  • Open source The code is public and yours to run
    1 of 18

From the side-by-side table below, checked against each app's own site and store listing in September 2026.

the difference is a person.

Courses drill you and AI tutors answer you. LangX matches you with someone who speaks the language you are learning and is learning yours, so every chat teaches both of you — and any message can be corrected, without limit. Before anyone replies, Echo gives you free packs of phrases to review.

  • Matching in both directions
  • Unlimited corrections, on every plan
  • Free Echo packs to learn from
  • No ads. Open source.
Start for free See the plans
Example screen. Names and numbers are demonstration data.

What kind of app is it?

“Language app” covers five different things. Most people end up using one from two of these groups — a course or a tutor for structure, and people to talk with. LangX is in two of them: the exchange is the product, and Echo's free packs are the part you can study alone.

Language exchange

You talk with people learning your language

Pen pals

Longer, slower letters and messages

Paid tutors

Lessons with a teacher, booked and paid

Courses

Structured lessons; little or no talking to people

AI tutors

You talk with an AI, not a person

Language apps, side by side

Every app on this page in the same six columns. Each cell is a mark and a word; the row for LangX is tinted.

AppKindTalk with real peopleFree planAdsOpen sourceBest for
LangX Two-way exchange with corrections and translation in the chat, plus free Echo packs to learn fromLanguage exchange + Echo packs Yes Yes None Yes (BSD-3)Practice that teaches, without ads
Tandem Large language exchange community with chat, calls and group PartiesLanguage exchange Yes Yes Free plan only NoLive calls and a very large partner pool
HelloTalk Social language exchange app with Moments, Voicerooms and livestreamsLanguage exchange Yes Yes Free plan only NoSocial learners who want feeds and group voice
Duolingo Gamified course app with bite-size lessons in 40+ languagesCourses No Yes Free plan only NoBeginners building a daily habit
Speaky Exchange app to message partners, plus AI practice partnersLanguage exchange Yes Yes Yes NoFree, low-friction chatting in many languages
Conversation Exchange Long-running website for in-person, pen pal and chat partnersLanguage exchange Yes Yes Free plan only NoFace-to-face exchange partners in your city
Lingbe Press a button for an instant voice call with a native speakerLanguage exchange Yes Yes Yes NoLive speaking practice on demand
Busuu Structured course app with native-speaker corrections on exercisesCourses Corrections only Yes Free plan only NoBeginners who want a structured course
italki Marketplace for paid one-to-one lessons, plus a free communityPaid tutors Paid tutors Trial or limited None NoLessons with professional teachers
Slowly Anonymous pen-pal app; letters arrive with a distance-based delayPen pals Yes Yes Yes NoLong, thoughtful letters
InterPals Long-running pen-pal and cultural exchange communityPen pals Yes Yes Yes NoPen pals and long correspondence
Cambly Paid live English video lessons with tutorsPaid tutors Paid tutors No None NoOn-demand live English speaking practice
Preply Tutor marketplace for one-to-one lessons in 90+ languagesPaid tutors Paid tutors No None NoRegular weekly lessons with a tutor
Babbel Structured course app with AI speaking practice (Babbel Speak)Courses No Trial or limited None NoClear grammar and structured lessons
Memrise Vocabulary app with native-speaker videos and AI chatCourses No Yes Free plan only NoVocabulary and listening
Speak AI speaking tutor with a structured courseAI tutors No No None NoGuided, pressure-free speaking drills
Praktika AI avatar tutors for conversation practiceAI tutors No Trial or limited None NoA lifelike AI tutor for shy beginners
Bilingua Gone from the app stores since 2023 Exchange app that matched partners by interestsLanguage exchange No No — NoFormer users looking for a new app

LangX vs each app

Roundups and guides

Reviews

What people say

Rated 5.0 on the App Store and 4.4 on Google Play. Every quote below is a public Google Play review, as written.

  • Amanda Hernandez Google Play
    Great app!! If you are wanting to have real conversations with someone that speaks the language you are trying to learn, this app is what you need!
  • Erica Harris Google Play
    The admin team are awesome. This app has so much potential and they are working on it everyday to improve the experience.
  • Burak Google Play
    As an English teacher, I came across it by chance with the idea that my students could get extra practice. I'm already looking forward to it. I definitely recommend it!
  • Aaron Ros Google Play
    I must say this app look gorgeous. It's simple and straightforward but on the other hand has it's style and I personally have enjoyed signing up and completing my profile.
  • Dasha Durneva Google Play
    Simple yet user-friendly design encourages to chat with language learners like myself. Highly recommend this app!!!
  • Martín Didoli Google Play
    The application is open source and the team behind it is really cool. Try it and meet cool people.
  • Mubarak Google Play
    It's the best app.. way better than tandem and other learning platforms
  • Elias Google Play
    Really good language learning app. Free, without ads and open source.
  • Albert Coca Abello Google Play
    It's my first Language Exchange App, so far it's quite good! No advertisement and I'm starting to talk to some people, Spanish learning Chinese! It's also Open Source
  • Ray Carnes Google Play
    Great free App to connect with others wanting to brush up on language skills!!
  • Layla Kabbaj Google Play
    Great concept & great admin! Love that it allows you to connect with people
  • Emre Kutuk Google Play
    It is a perfect app. Zero cost and lots of practice. It is also easy to use and supporting web, ios, android.

Read every review on Google Play

Questions

Before you decide

Yes, and not as a trial. Replying to anyone and correcting anyone are unlimited for everyone. The free plan gives you 5 new conversations and 20 translations a day, with no ads. Pro lifts those limits; prices are set per region and shown in the app.

It depends on what you want. Tandem and HelloTalk have far larger communities, group rooms, and calls in their phone apps; LangX's calls are on the web for now. LangX matches in both directions, keeps corrections unlimited on every plan, shows no ads and is open source. For the biggest pool of partners they are the better choice; for a focused exchange whose code you can read, LangX is. The full write-ups: LangX vs Tandem and LangX vs HelloTalk.

Not as a course. Duolingo teaches along a lesson path; LangX is the conversation with a real person that a course leaves out. It does give you something to study alone: Echo, free packs of phrases in six languages that you review on a schedule, with the sentences from your own chats beside them. Plenty of people use one of each. See the social alternative to Duolingo.

Both. Echo is spaced repetition, free on every plan: eighteen packs of phrases in six languages at three levels, every one read aloud, so a new account has something to learn from before anyone replies. One tap turns any message, correction or feed post into a card of your own. There is no lesson path or grammar course; a partner's correction is the lesson.

An AI tutor answers you. A partner on LangX is learning your language too, so the conversation is worth something to both of you, and a correction comes from someone who speaks the language every day. LangX Copilot, private AI feedback on your own messages, is coming later for Pro.

LangX is made by New Chapter Technology LLC and published under the BSD-3 licence: the app and its API are on GitHub for anyone to read, check or run. There are no ads and nothing is sold. You must be 16 or older to use it.

On iPhone, Android and in your browser. It is the same app everywhere.

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