Mandarin Chinese · App comparison · 2026
Best apps to learn Mandarin Chinese (2026)
Mandarin is spoken by more people than any other language, and its grammar is deceptively simple — no tenses, no plurals — but tones and characters make app choice matter more than for almost any language.
Short answer: the best app to learn Mandarin Chinese depends on your goal. For real-life and relocation Mandarin Chinese, Language Lab is purpose-built; Babbel is the best structured course, Duolingo the best free habit-builder, and Pimsleur the best for speaking. The smart move is to pair a conversation app with a vocabulary tool like Anki.
This comparison is our own assessment, written for people learning Mandarin Chinese for real life abroad. Other apps’ features and pricing change often — please check each app directly before you decide. All product names belong to their respective owners.
The apps to learn Mandarin Chinese, at a glance
| App | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Language Lab | Real-life & relocation conversation | Free to start |
| Babbel | Structured, practical courses | Subscription |
| Duolingo | Free daily habit & basics | Free + paid tier |
| Busuu | Structured path + native feedback | Free + paid tier |
| Pimsleur | Audio speaking & pronunciation | Subscription |
| Memrise | Native-speaker video + AI chat | Free + paid tier |
| Anki | Vocabulary retention (flashcards) | Free (paid on iOS) |
The hard part of learning Mandarin Chinese
Two separate battles: the four tones (get them wrong and you say a different word) and the thousands of characters that carry no sound clues. You almost always need a character and vocabulary SRS tool alongside a speaking app that actually drills tones.
The apps, reviewed for Mandarin Chinese
1. Language Lab
Built for the reason many people learn Mandarin Chinese at all — moving to a Mandarin Chinese-speaking country. It teaches the real-life and bureaucratic conversations most apps skip and lets you rehearse them out loud with Sonia, a live AI voice tutor. Free to start; newer and pre-launch, but uniquely relocation-focused.
2. Babbel
The reliable structured course for Mandarin Chinese: short, practical, linguist-designed lessons that build steadily. The best paid all-rounder if you want a clear path rather than a game.
3. Duolingo
One of the best-known free ways to build a daily Mandarin Chinese habit and foundational vocabulary. Its style is game-like and focused on the basics, so in our view it works best as a warm-up alongside real speaking practice.
4. Busuu
A structured Mandarin Chinese course with a nice extra: native speakers can review your writing and speaking. A good option if you want feedback alongside lessons.
5. Pimsleur
Audio-first Mandarin Chinese lessons that focus on speaking and pronunciation, hands-free. More geared to listening and speaking than reading — a good fit for practising on the go.
6. Memrise
Its edge for Mandarin Chinese is thousands of short clips of real native speakers plus an AI chat partner — great for training your ear to how Mandarin Chinese is actually spoken.
7. Anki
The free spaced-repetition flashcard tool serious learners use to actually retain Mandarin Chinese vocabulary. A tool, not a course — pair it with one of the above.
Learning Mandarin Chinese because you're moving to China, Taiwan or Singapore and need to master tones and characters, not just pinyin?
Language Lab teaches the Mandarin Chinese of real life — start free and rehearse it out loud.
Start learning Mandarin Chinese freeMandarin Chinese: common questions
Do language apps teach Mandarin tones properly?
Many under-teach them, and tones are make-or-break — the same syllable means different things at different tones. Choose an app with real audio and speaking practice that actively checks your tones, not just character recognition.
Which type of app is best for Chinese characters?
A dedicated character SRS (spaced repetition) tool, because characters carry no sound clues and need steady, repeated review. Pair it with a speaking app so you train tones and characters as the two separate skills they are.