Start with the free tier and the trial length
A free tier tells you whether an app is still useful after a trial ends. ABA English, Baibu, Bunpro, Drops and Du Chinese each have one. AllRight, BaseLang and British Council - EOL English Online do not, so with those you are choosing between a paid plan and nothing at all.
Trial length is the other side of that question. Bunpro opens the longest window, at 30 days. ABA English, BaseLang, British Council - EOL English Online and Drops each give you 7 days to explore before you decide.
A trial is only useful if you test the right things. Speech input, offline lessons and the certificate matter more than the lesson count, so read the feature sections before you start the clock. Our language learning apps ranking groups the options by what each one includes.
Money-back windows tell you how much risk you carry
A free trial is a sample. A money-back window is a promise. BaseLang gives you the longest one, at 35 days, and AllRight follows at 28 days. Those windows are long enough to finish a full course cycle and still ask for your money back.
Du Chinese sits in the middle with 15 days. ABA English and Drops each offer 14 days.
Bunpro is the one to read carefully, because its window is a range rather than a single figure: 7 to 30 days. That flexibility helps if you are unsure, but check the terms to see which end applies to the plan you pick.
For a beginner the practical rule is simple. Choose the app with the longest window you are likely to use, sign up on a single term, and finish something small inside the period.
Speaking features: AI conversation and speech recognition
Two different tools often get bundled under the word speaking. Speech recognition checks whether the app heard your pronunciation. AI conversation holds a back-and-forth chat with a bot. An app can offer one without the other.
AllRight, Baibu and Bridge cover both, so you can talk, get scored and try a full exchange. The AllRight and Baibu write-ups show how each one puts those tools to work.
British Council - EOL English Online also lists AI conversation, which suits learners who want structured speaking practice alongside coursework. ABA English and Bridge pair speech scoring with live conversation practice.
EF English Live takes a different route, built around live classes with teachers. If you would rather practise with a person than a bot, our online language tutors and classes ranking is the better place to compare.
Offline access for commutes and flights
Offline access decides whether an app works on a train with no signal. ABA English, Drops and Du Chinese each let you download lessons and study without a connection.
Baibu is online only, so its lessons need a live connection every time. That is a fair trade for an app used at a desk, and a poor one if you travel. The Drops review covers how the offline library behaves in daily use.
Check whether offline covers video and audio or only text. Downloadable text helps with review, while downloadable audio is what keeps a speaking drill alive on a commute.
Certificates and what they are worth
A certificate matters when you are aiming at an exam, a school place or an employer. ABA English, British Council - EOL English Online and EF English Live each issue one.
A certificate you can show is not always the one a specific exam board wants, so read what the credential actually says before you rely on it. The ABA English page sets out what comes with the certificate option.
For everyone else, treat the certificate as a bonus rather than a reason to buy. Speaking scores and a course you finish to the end usually teach you more per month.
Kids versions and shared plans
If more than one person in the house is learning, family features decide the bill. AllRight offers a kids version and a family subscription, which makes it the most flexible choice here for a household.
BaseLang, British Council - EOL English Online and Drops also list a kids version. ABA English does not, so a parent and a child would need separate accounts. The Bunpro write-up looks at a different angle, drilling Japanese grammar through spaced review.
Du Chinese, Bunpro and EF English Live do not present a kids option in the same way, which is fine when the learners are adults.
How to weigh it all before you choose
Give each factor a weight before you compare. Learners who need to practise out loud should prioritise speech recognition and AI conversation. Commuters should test offline access on a real trip. Households should check kids versions and family plans. Anyone chasing a credential should confirm the certificate first.
Then put the two money questions side by side: whether a free tier exists, and how long the trial and money-back window run. An app with a free tier keeps a little learning going after the trial ends, while a longer money-back window lets you commit sooner with less risk.
Read the reviews for the apps that match your weights. A plan page tells you what is offered, while a review tells you how often learners actually use it. Ranking pages narrow the list and provider reviews settle the tie.