Duolingo
Grammarly
| Feature | Duolingo | Grammarly |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $9.99/mo | Free / from $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | language-learners, students, travelers, beginners | writers, students, professionals, non-native-speakers |
| Founded | 2011 | 2009 |
| Lessons | ✓ | ✗ |
| Stories | ✓ | ✗ |
| Podcasts | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Leaderboards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Streaks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Placement Tests | ✓ | ✗ |
| Grammar | ✗ | ✓ |
| Spelling | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tone | ✗ | ✓ |
| Clarity | ✗ | ✓ |
| Plagiarism | ✗ | ✓ |
| Browser Extension | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Duolingo Pros
- Completely free core experience
- Gamification makes learning addictive
- AI conversation practice
- 40+ language courses
✗ Duolingo Cons
- Limited for advanced learners
- Ads on free tier
- Grammar explanations can be minimal
✓ Grammarly Pros
- Works everywhere
- Clear suggestions
- Tone detection
- Plagiarism checker
✗ Grammarly Cons
- Premium is pricey
- Can over-correct
- Privacy concerns
The Verdict
Duolingo is built for language learners and students, with a focus on lessons and stories. Grammarly targets writers and students and leads with grammar and spelling.
Pricing is close: Duolingo starts at $9.99/mo versus $12/mo for Grammarly — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Duolingo offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Grammarly takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for students — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.
