Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Drops vs phase6
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Drops |  phase6 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5 | €0 |
| Price per month | $11 | €3 to €5 |
| Price per year | $69.99 | €35.99 to €59.99 |
| 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 | Arabic, Chinese, Danish, English, Finnish, French, Greek, Ancient Greek, Italian, Latin, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, Turkish |
| Lifetime price | $150 | Not confirmed |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 5 | Not confirmed |
| Offline use | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Kids version | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Family subscription | Not confirmed | Yes |
Same on both: Free tier (Yes), Free trial length (7 days), Money-back period (14 days).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- phase6 scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.2.
- Languages: only Drops offers Ainu, American English, Basque.
- Languages: only phase6 offers Chinese, English, Ancient Greek.
Our verdict on each
Drops
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.
phase6
This app is the pick for self studiers who want broad language choice at the lowest entry point in the group. It suits learners who will practise daily in the app and who like a family plan, and the annual option at €35.99 to €59.99 keeps renewal low.
Score breakdown
| Area | Drops | phase6 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4Entry at $5, a yearly plan at $69.99 and a lifetime payment of $150 keep both horizons affordable. | 10.0HigherEntry price sits at €0, monthly billing at €3 to €5 and annual billing at €35.99 to €59.99. |
| Offer | 8.9A free tier leads into a 7 day trial, with a 14 day money-back window on the paid plans. | 9.0HigherA free tier, a 7 days trial, a 14 days money back period and a family subscription sit behind the app. |
How the counts compare
| Fact | Drops | phase6 |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial length | 7 days | 7 days |
| Money-back period | 14 days | 14 days |
Where these facts come from
Drops
- languagedrops.com: 15 facts, checked September 30, 2026
phase6
- phase-6.de: 12 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Drops | phase6 |
|---|---|---|
| Language learning apps | 12 of 46 | 5 of 46 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Drops | phase6 |
|---|---|---|
| Learning method | App | App |
| Legal entity | PlanB Labs OÜ | phase-6 GmbH |
| Headquarters | Estonia | Germany |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre | Email, Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Drops | phase6 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial length | 7 daysat the median | 7 daysat the median | 7 days |
| Money-back period | 14 daysbelow the median | 14 daysbelow the median | 30 days |
| Lesson length (minutes) | 5lowest quarter | Not confirmed | 30 |
Median across 33 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Drops
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.
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.
phase6
Pros
- Entry price of €0 and monthly billing of €3 to €5 sit well under the €9.49 group median.
- A free tier and a 7 days trial let you try the app before paying anything.
- A 14 days money back period is longer than the 14-day lower quartile in this group.
Cons
- A 14 days money back period ranks near the back of this group at 20 of 29, so a long trial is the safer first test.
- A 7 days free trial also sits low at 8 of 21, shorter than the 14-day group upper quartile.
- Support runs on email and help centre only, with no live chat or phone line listed.
Who each suits
Drops
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.
phase6
Who it suits
- Self taught learners who want a free start and decide later whether to pay
- Households planning to share a single family subscription across several learners
- Learners of the older or classical languages in Arabic, Chinese and Danish, such as Latin or Ancient Greek
Who should look elsewhere
- Learners who want a longer free trial than 7 days to judge the app properly
- Anyone who needs live chat or phone support, since contact runs on email and help centre only
- Learners who want Spanish or Japanese structured drilling rather than a general app, where Bunpro or SpanishPod101 fit more closely
Questions about each
Drops
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.
phase6
What does this app cost to start?+
Entry costs €0, and a free tier is included, so there is a way in before any payment. Once you subscribe, monthly billing runs €3 to €5 and annual billing runs €35.99 to €59.99. Compare that entry point with Reading Eggs at £6.99 and SpanishPod101 at $4.
How much does the annual plan cost at renewal?+
The annual option runs €35.99 to €59.99, and the monthly option runs €3 to €5, both covering the same app access. The yearly figure is the number that matters once the first period ends, and it ranks the service second of 18 brands at 2. That keeps the renewal year cheap.