Drops review
Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
Drops suits self directed learners who want the same app for a whole household, with lessons of 5 minutes and a free starting point. It scores 9.2 overall, and readers who need a phone line or a long refund window will find a narrower offer here.
Key facts
- Best for
- A free start, offline app lessons and a lifetime payment for a whole household.
- Price from
- $5 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price per month
- $11 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price per year
- $69.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Lifetime price
- $150 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Free tier
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Free trial length
- 7 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 14 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Languages
- Ainu, American English, Arabic, Basque, Bosnian, Brazilian Portuguese, British English, Cantonese, Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Chti, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Egyptian Arabic, Esperanto, Estonian, European Portuguese, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Greenlandic, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Maori, Mexican Spanish, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Sanskrit for Yoga, Serbian, Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Welsh, Yoruba (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Lesson length (minutes)
- 5 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Offline use
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Kids version
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- PlanB Labs OÜ (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Estonia (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Learning method
- Mobile app
- Official website
- languagedrops.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- The catalogue runs to Ainu, American English and Arabic, spanning regional variants and smaller languages alongside the major ones.
- Offline downloads are part of the service, so practice works on a flight or a commute.
- A kids version sits in the same app, and family profiles are the most common arrangement on the comparison, at 100% of the brands listed.
- The yearly plan ranks 4 of 18 brands on price, a stronger showing than the entry price at 13 of 35.
- Lessons run 5 minutes, so a practice session fits into a spare moment rather than a whole evening.
Cons
- The introductory price of $5 is a low entry point, but renewal lands on the monthly plan at $11 or the yearly plan at $69.99.
- The trial is short at 7 days against a 7 day median for language apps, and Drops places 8 of 21 brands on trial length.
- The money-back window of 14 days falls short of the 29 day median, and Drops sits 20 of 29 brands on that measure.
- Support runs on email and help centre only, so an account problem gets a written answer rather than a phone call.
Who it suits
- Learners who want to try a language at no cost before choosing a paid plan.
- Households with children, since a kids version runs in the same app.
- People who would rather pay once, at $150, than keep a subscription alive.
Who should look elsewhere
- Not for readers chasing a free entry price: one of the compared alternatives lists its entry price at €0.
- Not for buyers who want a long refund window, since the money-back period runs 14 days and the trial lasts 7 days.
- Not for cautious triallers who need longer to decide: the trial runs 7 days, shorter than the 7 day median for language apps.
Where it sits among rivals
Drops places 1 of 4 brands on lifetime price and 4 of 18 on yearly price, the strongest two rows in this group. The entry price sits at 13 of 35, the monthly price at 11 of 25, the trial at 8 of 21, and the money-back window at 20 of 29.
What it does well
Drops keeps the free tier, adds offline downloads on the paid side, and ships a kids version in the same app, so a single subscription covers a whole household. The trial runs 7 days, and a money-back window of 14 days gives room to change your mind after paying.
Pricing
The introductory price starts at $5. After that, the monthly plan runs $11 and the yearly plan $69.99, which is where renewals land. Buyers who expect to keep learning for years can pay once instead, through the lifetime option at $150.
Free plan and trial
A free tier sits at the front of the product, so the opening stretch of a course costs nothing. The paid trial that follows runs 7 days, and anyone who upgrades has a money-back window of 14 days to back out of the plan, a renewal charge included.
Who runs it
Drops is run by PlanB Labs OÜ, a company registered in Estonia. Support runs on email and help centre only, so account questions get a written answer and a help center rather than a phone conversation, which is worth weighing before paying.
How Drops compares
9.2 vs 9.0
9.2 vs 8.8
9.2 vs 8.6
9.2 vs 9.1
9.2 vs 8.7
Frequently asked questions
What does Drops cost at the start and at renewal?+
The entry price is $5, an introductory figure. From there the monthly plan runs $11 and the yearly plan $69.99. A lifetime option at $150 replaces both with a single payment, and the money-back window of 14 days covers a change of mind.
Is there a free plan, and how long is the trial?+
A free tier is available, so the opening stretch of a course costs nothing. The paid trial that follows runs 7 days, which is shorter than the 7 day median across language apps. Anyone who upgrades has the money-back window of 14 days as a fallback.
Can I use Drops without an internet connection?+
Offline downloads are part of the service, so lessons can be opened and reviewed without a connection. The method is app based, app, so the course is delivered on the phone rather than in a live class, and the same downloads cover travel and commutes.
Does Drops work for children as well as adults?+
A kids version is available inside the same product, so a single account can cover both adults and children. Family profiles are the most common arrangement on the comparison, appearing in 100% of the brands listed, which makes Drops a practical pick for a shared household.
Who runs Drops and where are they based?+
The service is operated by PlanB Labs OÜ, a company registered in Estonia. Support runs through email and help centre, so questions are answered in writing and through a help center rather than by phone. Buyers who need a local legal entity or a spoken line should check their own requirements before paying.
Is a lifetime payment worth it against a subscription?+
The lifetime option costs $150 once, against $69.99 for the yearly plan, and it ranks 1 of 4 brands on that measure. A learner who expects to keep studying for years can stop thinking about renewals, while a short course of study makes the annual plan the safer outlay.
How do I get help if something goes wrong with my account?+
Support runs on email and help centre, which covers email and the help center. A help center is the more common channel on the comparison, appearing in 71.9% of the brands listed, so a written answer is the normal route across this group rather than a spoken one.
Sources
- languagedrops.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Kids version, Lesson length (minutes), Learning method
“Droplets - Drops for kids”
- languagedrops.com/languages checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Languages
“Learn Ainu, Learn American English, Learn Arabic, Learn French, Learn Korean”
- languagedrops.com/premium checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Free trial length, Lifetime price, Offline use, Price from, Price per month, Price per year
“7 days free, then billed annually”
- languagedrops.com/terms checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Free tier, Headquarters, Legal entity, Money-back period, Support channels
“The basic version of the Services can be used completely free of charge”
Compiled from 4 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Related by the facts
Drops
A free start, offline app lessons and a lifetime payment for a whole household.