Are AI English conversation apps free?

It depends on the app. According to the official sources we checked, Speak has a 7-day free trial, ELSA Speak has a 7-day trial for Premium, and Loora gives one free lesson. Duolingo’s core courses are free, and Max trial terms are not stated on the pages we read. Praktika is free to download, but we could not confirm its trial terms. DORS.AI has a Free plan (up to 8 messages per day) and a 7-day free trial with conditions. After a trial, a paid plan may start automatically, so check the renewal setting and how to cancel before you begin.

Do these apps explain things in my own language?

Praktika says its tutor can speak your native language, and ELSA Speak says beginners can start conversations in their native language. Duolingo’s courses depend on the language you learn from. DORS.AI has an interface in Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, Indonesian, Spanish and Russian. Official pages do not say how much of each lesson is translated, so try the free version first.

Can an AI app replace a human teacher or a language school?

One is not simply better than the other. With an AI app you do not need to book a lesson, and you can repeat a sentence many times without worry. A human teacher can give things an AI app may not, such as a real conversation with a person. Some learners use both.

Can I try several apps?

Yes. Say the same sentences, or practice the same situation, in each app and compare the feedback and how easy the app is to use. If you start several free trials at the same time, write down each end date and check the auto-renewal setting so that you are not charged by mistake.

What should I check when I compare prices?

Prices change with the billing period (monthly or yearly), the country, the store or website you use, and promotions. For example, Speak says that the most accurate price is the one shown in the app. The prices in this article come from official pages checked on 2026-10-21, so please confirm the price on the purchase screen. For DORS.AI, see the pricing page.

COMPARISON GUIDE

AI English conversation apps compared: how to choose

Choose an app by what you want to practice, whether it supports your language, and how it feels in a free trial. This guide does not rank apps. It lists facts from official sources.

Written by Light & Land Inc. (株式会社ライト＆ランド), the company that publishes DORS.AI. Information checked: 2026-10-21.

Try DORS.AI on the web Go to the comparison tables

SHORT ANSWER

What to know first

This article does not rank apps or pick a winner. It lists facts from official pages and explains how to choose.
Differences you can see in official sources: Speak combines lessons with AI conversation and teaches several languages. ELSA Speak focuses on pronunciation and speech analysis and is English only. Praktika offers AI tutors with different personalities and accents. Duolingo Max adds Roleplay and Video Call to a game-like app for 40+ languages. Loora is an English-only speaking app with open conversation. DORS.AI connects an assessment to a personal plan, AI conversation, pronunciation practice, scenarios, news, English diary and review.
Most of these apps have a free trial, a free lesson or a free plan, but the terms are different. Read the terms for each app before you start.
Information checked: 2026-10-21. Prices and features change, so check the official site before you subscribe.

There are many AI English conversation apps, and they are not all the same. They share some good points: you do not need to book a lesson, and you can say a sentence again as many times as you like. But each app is built for a different kind of practice. This guide compares Speak, ELSA Speak, Praktika, Duolingo (Duolingo Max), Loora and our own app, DORS.AI. It is written for people who learn English as a second language, including learners who use Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Spanish or Russian every day.

How this article was written

Sources: each app’s official site, its US App Store listing, its Google Play listing, and its official help center or blog. We did not use comparison sites or user reviews as evidence.
Information checked: 2026-10-21. When an official page does not say something, or two official pages disagree, we write “Check the official site”.
No ratings and no ranking: we do not use star ratings, rankings, user numbers, or words like “No. 1” or “best” for any app. The order of the apps in the tables is not a ranking.
Who wrote it: this article was written by Light & Land Inc. (株式会社ライト＆ランド), the company that publishes DORS.AI. We used the same rule for DORS.AI as for the other apps: only facts we can confirm, and we also say where DORS.AI may not fit.

Five points for choosing an AI English conversation app

1. Decide what you want to practice

Do you want to talk a lot, fix your pronunciation, prepare for work or travel, or study other languages too? Official pages show different priorities. For example, ELSA Speak puts pronunciation and speech analysis first, Loora is built only for English speaking, and Duolingo is a general language app that is not only for speaking. Read how each app describes itself.

2. Check that the app supports your language

Beginners often need explanations in their own language. Some apps say their tutor can explain in your native language (Praktika and ELSA Speak do). The US App Store language lists also differ: Duolingo lists every language DORS.AI supports (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Spanish, Russian), while the others list some of them. A language list shows the languages of the app, not how much of each lesson is translated, so test the app before you decide.

3. Look at the kind of feedback

Apps describe feedback in different words: pronunciation, phrasing, grammar, word choice, fluency. The official text does not tell you how detailed or how easy to understand the feedback is. The safest way is to say the same sentences in each free trial and see which feedback helps you.

4. Check how scenarios work

Apps count content in different ways (lessons, topics, scenarios), so the numbers cannot be compared. It is more useful to check whether you can choose a situation yourself, such as a job interview or a hotel check-in, and whether you can create your own.

5. Check price, free trial, devices and exams

Check the length of the free trial, whether it turns into a paid plan automatically, the monthly and yearly prices, and where you can use the app (iOS, Android, web). Prices can differ between the website and the store, and between countries. If you need exam preparation, check carefully: some listings mention exams such as IELTS or TOEFL, but DORS.AI does not present itself as an exam-preparation app.

Comparison table 1: features

Information checked: 2026-10-21. Based on official sites, US App Store listings and official help pages. The order is not a ranking.

Features of six AI English conversation apps, from official sources
App	AI conversation	Pronunciation and feedback	Content and scenarios
Speak	Conversation with the “Speak Tutor” after lessons	Real-time feedback on pronunciation and phrasing (official site)	Lessons with a teacher, then practice, then conversation. Premium Plus adds custom lessons
ELSA Speak	AI role-play conversations. Beginners can start in their native language	Speech Analyzer with detailed feedback. Pronunciation training and word-stress guidance (App Store)	Workplace and interview coaches. Accent choices such as American, British and Australian (App Store)
Praktika	AI tutors with different personalities and accents. Free conversation on any topic	Corrections on pronunciation, grammar and word choice (official site)	1,000+ lessons (App Store). Role-play. Lessons made from your own photos, PDFs or videos. Personal study plan
Duolingo (Max)	Max only: Roleplay and Video Call with Lily. Some courses only	Pronunciation feedback in Max: check the official site	Short, game-like lessons in 40+ languages
Loora	AI speaking partner. Lesson types: Classic lesson, Role-play, Read and Talk. “Unlimited Talk” for open conversation	Real-time pronunciation and grammar feedback. A key takeaway after each lesson	Business English modules for interviews, meetings and presentations
DORS.AI	Six AI Buddies with different personalities and difficulty, by text or voice. Translation, sentence and word explanations, playback speed, saving to notes	Pronunciation practice: phonetic symbols, real-time score, practice for difficult sounds	Hundreds of built-in scenarios and custom scenarios. News, English diary correction, review of saved items

Comparison table 2: platforms, languages, free trial and price

Information checked: 2026-10-21. Prices and features can change. Check the official site and the checkout screen before you subscribe. The order is not a ranking.

Platforms, app languages, free trial and price of six AI English conversation apps
App	Platforms	App languages (US App Store listing)	Free trial or free plan	Price (USD)
Speak	iOS, Android (you can also sign up on the website)	Listed: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Spanish. Russian is not listed	7-day free trial	App Store: Premium $17.99 per month or $83.99 per year. Premium Plus $39.99 per month or $164.99 per year. Speak says prices vary by plan, region and promotion
ELSA Speak	iOS, Android	English only is listed. The site mentions a bilingual AI tutor for beginners	7-day free trial for Premium (App Store). The site shows an Individual plan as “Free” with an upgrade	Check the official site
Praktika	iOS, Android	Listed: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Russian. Indonesian is not listed	Free to download. Trial terms: check the official site	Check the official site
Duolingo (Max)	Duolingo: iOS, Android, web. Max: iOS and Android only	All are listed: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Spanish, Russian	Core Duolingo is free. Super Duolingo has a 14-day trial (App Store). Max trial: check the official site	Max: check the official site
Loora	iOS, Android	Listed: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish. Indonesian and Russian are not listed	One free lesson before you subscribe (help center)	Check the official site. Loora says prices vary by country and promotion
DORS.AI	iOS, Android, Web	Interface languages: Japanese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Spanish, Russian	Free plan: up to 8 messages per day (text and voice combined). 7-day free trial for eligible users (conditions apply)	DORS Unlimited, web checkout: 1 month $7.50, 3 months $22.50, 6 months $27, 1 year $36. See the pricing page for the current price

The apps one by one

Below, we summarize what each official source says. “Good fit if…” is only a guide that we took from the official descriptions. It is not a promise of results.

Speak

Speak is a multi-language app. English is one of the languages it teaches, together with Spanish, French, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Chinese.
Its method has three steps: learn phrases in a lesson, practice them, and use them in conversation with the AI “Speak Tutor”. The official site says you get real-time feedback on pronunciation and phrasing.
The apps are for iOS and Android. You can create an account on the website.
There is a 7-day free trial. The two paid plans are Premium and Premium Plus. Premium Plus adds custom lessons made from your mistakes and the full Speak Tutor, according to the official FAQ.

Good fit if: you want a lesson first and conversation after it, or you want to study another language in the same app.

Check before you subscribe: Speak says that its prices vary by plan, region and promotion, so check the price in the app. Russian is not in the US App Store language list. We did not find a web learning app described on the official pages.

Sources (checked 2026-10-21): official site, US App Store listing (apps.apple.com/us/app/speak-language-learning/id1286609883), Google Play listing (id com.selabs.speak)

ELSA Speak

ELSA Speak is an English-only app for iOS and Android.
The official site describes AI role-play conversations, a bilingual AI tutor that lets beginners start in their native language, and a Speech Analyzer with detailed feedback.
The App Store listing mentions pronunciation training, word-stress guidance, accent choices (American, British, Australian and more), and interview and workplace coaches. It also says exam preparation (for example IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and EIKEN) is available with ELSA Premium.
The listing says Premium starts with a 7-day trial, with monthly and yearly memberships.

Good fit if: pronunciation is your main goal, or you want to practice interviews and workplace conversations.

Check before you subscribe: the US App Store list shows many different amounts for ELSA plans, and we could not find one current price on the official pages, so we do not give a price. The US App Store lists English only as the app language. We did not find a web learning app described on the official pages.

Sources (checked 2026-10-21): official site, US App Store listing (apps.apple.com/us/app/elsa-speak-english-learning/id1083804886), Google Play listing (id us.nobarriers.elsa)

Praktika

Praktika is a multi-language app for iOS and Android. You talk with AI tutors that each have their own personality and accent.
The official site says your tutor can speak in your native language and give corrections on pronunciation, grammar and word choice. It also offers free conversation on any topic and a personal study plan.
The App Store listing mentions 1,000+ lessons, role-play, and the option to make a lesson from your own photos, PDFs, videos or voice notes. It also lists IELTS and TOEFL preparation among its lessons.

Good fit if: you like practicing with a named AI tutor, want explanations in your own language, or want to turn your own material into a lesson.

Check before you subscribe: we could not find free-trial terms or one clear price on the official pages, so check both. Indonesian is not in the US App Store language list. We did not find a web app described on the official pages.

Sources (checked 2026-10-21): official site, US App Store listing (apps.apple.com/us/app/praktika-ai-language-tutor/id1624701477), Google Play listing (id ai.praktika.android)

Duolingo (Duolingo Max)

Duolingo teaches 40+ languages, including English, in short, game-like lessons. The App Store listing says every course is free. It works on iOS, Android and the web.
Duolingo Max is a higher subscription. According to the official help center, it includes the Super Duolingo benefits plus two AI features: Roleplay and Video Call with Lily.
Max is available only in the iOS and Android apps. You cannot buy or use it on the web. Some AI features are not available in every course.
Roleplay for English learners is listed for speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French. Chinese, Korean, Indonesian and Russian speakers are not on that list. Video Call is listed for iOS and Android (version 13 and later) for several courses, including English.

Good fit if: you like short daily lessons, want to study other languages too, or your native language is one of the five listed for Roleplay.

Check before you subscribe: the help center page changes over time, so check which Max features your course has. We could not confirm the Max price or a Max trial on the official pages we read. Duolingo as a whole is not an app only for speaking.

Sources (checked 2026-10-21): official site, help center (Duolingo Max), US App Store listing (apps.apple.com/us/app/duolingo-learn-languages/id570060128), Google Play listing (id com.duolingo)

Loora

Loora is an English-only speaking app for iOS and Android. The help center says you get real-time feedback on pronunciation and grammar while you talk.
You choose a Classic lesson, Role-play or Read and Talk. The help center says there is no daily limit on lessons, and “Unlimited Talk” opens for open conversation after your first lesson of the day.
The official site mentions Business English modules for interviews, meetings and presentations. The help center says it is for adult learners at any level.
The help center says you get one free lesson before you need a subscription. All plans have the same features and differ only in the billing period (monthly, 3 months or yearly).

Good fit if: you want an English-only app focused on speaking, with open conversation and role-play.

Check before you subscribe: Loora says its prices vary by country and promotion, and the US App Store list shows many different amounts, so we do not give a price. Indonesian and Russian are not in the US App Store language list. We did not find a web app described on the official pages.

Sources (checked 2026-10-21): official site, help center, US App Store listing (apps.apple.com/us/app/speak-english-with-loora-ai/id1552708303), Google Play listing (id com.loora.app)

DORS.AI

DORS.AI: what it offers, and where it may not fit

DORS.AI is an AI English learning app. It assesses your conversation ability, creates a personalized learning plan, and supports AI conversation, pronunciation practice, scenario training, news, English diary and review. See What is DORS.AI? for the full overview.

What you can do in DORS.AI

Assessment and personal plan: the assessment looks at four things: pronunciation accuracy, pronunciation fluency, semantic relevance and natural semantic expression. The personal plan is made of scenario training and pronunciation practice for your weak points.
Conversation with AI Buddies: you talk by text or voice with six AI Buddies who differ in personality and difficulty. You can use translation, sentence and word explanations, playback speed control, and saving to your notes.
Pronunciation practice: phonetic symbols, a real-time score, and practice for the sounds you find difficult.
Scenario practice: hundreds of built-in scenarios, and custom scenarios for your own goals.
News, English diary and review: international news rewritten at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, AI correction of your English diary, and review of the words and sentences you saved.
Devices and languages: DORS.AI works on iOS, Android and the web with one account. The interface is available in Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Spanish and Russian.
Price: the Free plan allows up to 8 messages per day (text and voice combined). The paid plan is DORS Unlimited. For web checkout, the prices in USD are $7.50 for 1 month, $22.50 for 3 months, $27 for 6 months and $36 for 1 year. Eligible registered users can also start a 7-day free trial. Please check the pricing page and the checkout screen for the current price.

Where DORS.AI may not fit, and what to know

The Free plan has limits: 8 messages per day. If you want to talk a lot every day, you will reach the limit. On Free you can see your speaking assessment results, but creating new personalized learning plans and daily plans needs the trial or a paid plan. See the pricing page for the full list of limits.
It is not presented as an exam-preparation app: we do not describe DORS.AI as a way to prepare for exams such as IELTS, TOEFL or TOEIC.
It is for English only: if you want to study several languages in one app, a multi-language app is a better fit.
Your partner is an AI: AI Buddies are AI characters, not human teachers.
No outcome data: we do not publish learning-progress rates or user numbers.
The free trial has conditions: guests, people with an active subscription, and people who already used a trial are not eligible. Subscriptions renew automatically.

Try DORS.AI on the web Learn more about DORS.AI

Frequently asked questions

See all DORS.AI FAQ

Want to check your English speaking level for free?

DORS.AI takes you from an assessment of your conversation ability to a personal plan, conversation with AI Buddies and pronunciation practice in one app. The Free plan includes up to 8 messages a day (text and voice combined).

Try the web app What is DORS.AI? Pricing