Is Duolingo good for learning Italian? An honest review
Updated 24 October 2026 · 7 min read
SpeakingVibes makes one of the tools compared here. We've tried to be fair: where another option is better for something, we say so.
Duolingo is where most people's Italian begins, because it's free, it's on your phone, and the owl is persistent. The question everyone asks after a few months is the same: is this going to get me speaking? Here's an honest answer — including what changed in 2026, what the Italian course does well, and what to add so the streak turns into a conversation at the bar.
What the Italian course actually covers
For years Italian was one of Duolingo's smaller courses — four sections, capped at A2. In April 2026 Duolingo extended it to B2, one of nine languages to get the longer path, so the course now runs to around a thousand units in its current version. Around it: roughly a thousand Stories, DuoRadio listening episodes, and — on the top paid tier — short AI video calls. There's no Italian podcast, and the interactive Adventures that Spanish and French have are thin or absent for Italian.
The exercises are mostly reading and tapping: translate this sentence, pick the word, match the pairs. There are listening items, and speaking items where you repeat a sentence into the microphone — but nothing where you have to produce a sentence of your own and have it corrected.
What it does well
- The habit. Nothing is better at getting you to open an Italian app every day. For the first months, that is most of the battle.
- The first few hundred words. Practical vocabulary, enough repetition, and the Stories give it context.
- Listening, now. Stories and DuoRadio are real graded listening — something the old Italian course barely had.
- It's free. With ads and a cap on mistakes; Super removes both for roughly $7 a month on an annual plan, around $13 month to month.
Where it falls short for Italian
- Speaking. This is the big one. Repeat-after-me is not speaking. People who finish the tree regularly report that they can read a menu and cannot order from it.
- Articles and gender by pattern, without explanation. Italian has seven definite articles (il, lo, la, l', i, gli, le) chosen by sound and gender; Duolingo shows you the patterns but doesn't explain them, so many learners finish knowing that gli exists without knowing when.
- The new sections are new. Learners on the forums noticed the 2026 extension feels uneven and introduces literary tenses like the passato remoto surprisingly early. Expect it to improve; don't expect it to be as polished as the Spanish course yet.
- Recognition, not retrieval. Tapping vorrei from a word bank is not the same skill as finding it with the barista waiting.
What the paid tiers add
Super removes ads and the mistake cap. The top tier adds AI roleplay and video calls, at around $30 a month where it's still offered — and Duolingo has said publicly that it's reviewing that tier's future, so don't plan around it. For Italian, Super is worth it if the ads and hearts are what make you quit; the top tier isn't, because the same money buys more daily speaking elsewhere. Prices vary by store and change often; check in the app.
So is Duolingo good for Italian?
As one part of a plan, yes — and a better part than it used to be. As the whole plan, no. The learners who get somewhere with it treat it as the ten-minute vocabulary-and-listening habit and put their real effort elsewhere: an audio course that explains the grammar, and daily speaking that forces them to produce Italian.
What to pair it with (or replace it with)
| Gap in Duolingo | What fills it | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding how Italian works | Language Transfer's Introduction to Italian — 45 free audio lessons | Free |
| A structured course with explanations | Coffee Break Italian (free podcast, three levels) or Babbel | Free, or ≈ $7–18/month |
| Speaking, with answers and corrections | Matteo on SpeakingVibes — open conversation out loud, corrected afterwards | Free daily credits; Plus $9.99/month |
| Human feedback and accountability | A tutor on italki or Preply, once a week | ≈ $10–25 per hour |
| Listening to real Italians | Easy Italian, Podcast Italiano, Italian series with Italian subtitles | Free |
If you keep Duolingo, keep it to ten minutes. If you drop it, you won't lose much as long as the speaking is daily. For the full method, see how to learn Italian as an adult; for the head-to-head, SpeakingVibes vs Duolingo for speaking Italian.
Questions people ask
- Is Duolingo enough to learn Italian?
- No, but it's a good first step. It builds the habit, the first few hundred words and some listening. It doesn't practise speaking beyond repeat-after-me, so pair it with daily conversation — a tutor, a partner, or an AI conversation teacher.
- What level does Duolingo Italian get you to?
- Since April 2026 the course runs to B2 on paper. In practice reading and listening get well ahead of speaking, which tends to stall around A2 until you practise conversation elsewhere.
- Does Duolingo Italian have Stories?
- Yes, around a thousand, plus DuoRadio listening episodes. There's no Italian podcast, and the AI video calls are on the top paid tier.
- Can I learn Italian on Duolingo alone?
- You can learn to read basic Italian and a few hundred words. You can't learn to speak it on Duolingo alone; you'll need something that makes you talk, a tutor, a partner, or an AI conversation teacher.
- What are the best Duolingo alternatives for Italian?
- Language Transfer (free, explains how Italian works), Coffee Break Italian (free structured podcast course), Babbel (grammar explained), Busuu (human corrections), Pimsleur (pronunciation by ear), a tutor on italki or Preply, and SpeakingVibes for daily spoken conversation with corrections.
Add the speaking Duolingo doesn't do
Ten minutes out loud with Matteo, corrected gently. Free account, no credit card.
Talk with Matteo — it's free