Portuguese · App comparison · 2026
Best apps to learn Portuguese (2026)
Portuguese comes in two flavours — European and Brazilian — that differ enough in sound and vocabulary that you should pick your target before you pick your app.
Short answer: the best app to learn Portuguese depends on your goal. For real-life and relocation Portuguese, 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 Portuguese 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 Portuguese, 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 Portuguese
Choose Brazilian or European Portuguese first; pronunciation and some everyday words differ. Portuguese is largely phonetic once you learn its nasal vowels, so speaking comes fairly quickly, especially for Spanish or Italian speakers.
The apps, reviewed for Portuguese
1. Language Lab
Built for the reason many people learn Portuguese at all — moving to a Portuguese-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 Portuguese: 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 Portuguese 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 Portuguese 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 Portuguese 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 Portuguese is thousands of short clips of real native speakers plus an AI chat partner — great for training your ear to how Portuguese is actually spoken.
7. Anki
The free spaced-repetition flashcard tool serious learners use to actually retain Portuguese vocabulary. A tool, not a course — pair it with one of the above.
Learning Portuguese because you're moving to Portugal or Brazil and want the right variety, not a generic mix?
Language Lab teaches the Portuguese of real life — start free and rehearse it out loud.
Start learning Portuguese freePortuguese: common questions
European or Brazilian Portuguese — which do apps teach?
Most default to Brazilian, so check before you start and pick the variety for where you're going. Pronunciation and some everyday words differ enough that choosing your target first saves you re-learning later.
Is Portuguese easy for Spanish speakers?
The vocabulary overlap gives Spanish (and Italian) speakers a real head start, though the nasal vowels and some sounds take adjustment. Speaking tends to come fairly quickly once you tune your ear to the pronunciation.