My 60 Days with Drops — Honest Language App Review

Is Drops Worth It?

★★★★★ 4.1/5

Quick Verdict: Drops is a fun, visual language learning app that helps you learn words fast. It’s perfect for busy learners who want quick 5-minute sessions. But it won’t teach grammar or sentence structure. Use it as a vocab tool alongside apps like Duolingo or Babbel.

✅ Best For:

Busy learners who want to learn vocab in 5-minute sessions with fun games

❌ Skip If:

You need grammar lessons, sentence structure, or conversational practice

📊 Languages	45+ languages offered	🎯 Best For	Visual vocabulary building
💰 Price	$12.99/month	✅ Top Feature	Gamified learning sessions
🎁 Free Trial	7-day premium trial	⚠️ Limitation	Doesn’t teach grammar

How I Tested Drops

Want to learn a new language but have zero free time?

You’ve tried other apps. They feel like homework. You quit after a week.

Enter Drops.

This language learning app promises to teach you new vocabulary in just 5 minutes a day.

Sounds too good, right? I thought so too.

In this Drops app review, I’ll share what happened after 60 days of real use with this Drops language learning app.

Drops

Learn vocabulary in 45+ languages with fun, visual games. Each learning session takes just 5 minutes. Perfect for busy learners who want to learn words and phrases fast. Try the free version today or unlock everything with Drops Premium.

TRY DROPS NOW →

What is Drops?

Drops is a language learning app that teaches you new vocabulary through picture cues and fun games.

Think of it like flashcards meets a mobile game.

You swipe, tap, and match words with images. Each learning session lasts just 5 minutes.

The app covers 45+ languages. That includes popular ones like Spanish, French, Japanese, and Korean.

It also has rare options like Ainu and Igbo.

Unlike Duolingo, Drops doesn’t teach grammar or sentences. It focuses only on vocabulary.

Each language includes about 2,000 words. They’re sorted into topics like Travel Talk, Food & Drinks, and Daily Life.

The app uses spaced repetition to help you remember all the words you learn.

Who Created Drops?

Daniel Farkas and Mark Szulyovszky started Drops in 2015.

They were bored with old ways of learning languages. So they built something fun.

The app was created in Estonia by their company PlanB Labs OÜ.

In 2018, Google named Drops the Best App of the Year.

Fast Company listed it as one of the top 10 most innovative companies in education for 2019.

In 2020, Kahoot acquired Drops for $31 million. This Norwegian company now powers the app.

Today, Drops has over 40 million users worldwide.

Top Benefits of Drops

Here’s what you actually get when you use this language app:

• Learn Vocab Fast: You can learn words and phrases in just 5 minutes a day. The visual approach makes new vocabulary stick in your memory faster than boring textbooks.
• 45+ Languages to Choose From: Pick from languages like Mandarin Chinese, Mexican Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, American English, British English, European Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and French. Very few apps offer this many.
• Perfect for Busy Schedules: Each session is short. You can practice during a coffee break. The time limits keep you focused and make it easy to build a daily habit.
• Fun Game Modes: The animated activities and game modes make learning feel like play. You’ll actually look forward to your next session. It doesn’t feel like homework.
• Works for All Levels: Whether you need basic words or more advanced learners need to expand vocab, Drops has word lists sorted by topic. You pick what matters to you.
• Practice Writing Too: For some languages, you can practice writing new letters and scripts by tracing them on screen. This is great for Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese.
• Audio from Native Speakers: Every word comes with clear audio. You hear how real people say it. This helps you learn to speak with better pronunciation.

Best Drops Features

Let’s look at what makes this language learning app stand out.

1. Language with Fun Games

This is the heart of Drops. You learn new words through quick matching games.

Swipe left, swipe right, tap the right image. It’s addictive.

Each game mode teaches you vocab in a different way. Some test your audio. Others test your ability to match words and phrases.

I found myself opening the app just for fun. That’s rare for a language app.

2. Real Conversations

Drops gives you words and phrases you’ll actually use in daily life.

The topics include Travel Talk, Workplace Talk, and Food & Drinks. These aren’t random words. They’re things you need to speak in real situations.

For example, the Travel Talk section helped me learn basic words for my trip. I could order food and ask for directions.

3. Flexible Learning

You pick what you want to learn. No forced order.

Want to focus on food vocab first? Go ahead. Need workplace phrases? Jump right in.

This makes Drops great for language learners with specific goals. You don’t waste time on topics you don’t need.

You can also switch between different languages any time.

4. Speaking Confidence Builder

Every word comes with audio from native speakers.

You hear the right way to say each word. Then you can practice it yourself.

This builds your confidence to speak in your target language. The audio quality is excellent across all languages.

I tested it with Korean and Japanese. The pronunciation was clear and easy to follow.

5. Language Learning Method

Drops uses spaced repetition. This means the app shows you words at the right time to remember them.

After you learn about 50 new words, the Review Dojo unlocks. This feature lets you focus on words you find hard.

The method aims for 100% mastery of each word in your list. It keeps testing you until you know it cold.

6. Visual Dictionary

Drops has a built-in visual dictionary. It shows all the words in your topic lists.

Need a quick translation? Open the dictionary. Each word has an image, audio, and translation.

This is handy when you want to find a specific word without starting a full learning session.

Users appreciate how easy it makes finding words you’ve already learned.

7. Language Gallery

Want to learn new languages? The Language Gallery shows all 45+ options in one place.

You can start learning Spanish today and try Korean tomorrow. Switch any time.

The gallery includes rare languages too. Hawaiian, Ainu, Igbo, and Sanskrit are all here.

Very few language apps give you this many choices.

8. Battle Partner

Want to compete with friends? The Battle Partner feature lets you do that.

Challenge someone to see who can learn more words. It adds a social layer to the experience.

This makes the app even more fun. Competition keeps you motivated to practice every day.

9. Learning Competitor

Track your progress against other users on the leaderboard.

See how your vocab skills compare to other language learners around the world.

This feature helped me stay consistent. I didn’t want to fall behind on the board.

Drops Pricing

Free trial: Yes — 7-day free trial of Drops Premium. You get exclusive gameplay and new content unlocked.

Free version: You get 5 minutes of practice every 10 hours. No credit card needed. Enough to learn languages at a slow pace.

📌 Note: A yearly plan costs about $5.83 per month. That’s much cheaper than paying monthly.

Is Drops Worth the Price?

Here’s the honest truth. The free version is fine for casual learners. But the time limits are frustrating.

If you’re serious about building vocabulary, pay for the yearly plan. It’s about $6 a month. That’s less than a coffee.

You’ll save money if: You want a fun vocab tool alongside your main language app. The yearly plan is a great deal.

You might overpay if: You expect Drops to teach you a whole language. It only teaches words, not grammar or sentences.

Drops Pros and Cons

✅ What I Liked

❌ What Could Be Better

Is Drops Right for You?

✅ Drops is PERFECT for you if:

• You want to learn vocab in a fun, visual way
• You only have 5 minutes a day to practice
• You want to learn new languages like Korean, Japanese, or rare ones like Ainu
• You need a supplement to your main language app

❌ Skip Drops if:

• You need to learn grammar and sentence structure
• You want live conversation practice with a tutor
• You expect one app to make you fluent by itself

My recommendation:

I recommend Drops to anyone who wants a fun, quick way to build vocab. It’s one of the best apps for visual learners.

But don’t use it alone. Pair it with an app that covers grammar. That’s the winning combo.

Drops vs Alternatives

How does Drops stack up? Here’s the competitive landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Duolingo — Free, covers grammar and vocab with fun games
• Best budget option: Memrise — Cheaper than Drops with native speaker video content
• Best for beginners: Drops — Easiest interface and most fun for learning basic words
• Best for serious learners: Preply — Live tutors help you speak and learn fast

🎯 Drops Alternatives

Looking for Drops alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 👶 Preply: Best for live 1-on-1 tutoring with real teachers. Great if you want to speak fast and get personal coaching.
• 🌟 Duolingo: The most popular free language app. Teaches grammar, vocab, and sentence structure with addictive game modes.
• 📚 Babbel: Best for structured grammar lessons and real-world conversations. Feels like a proper language course.
• 🎥 Memrise: Uses video clips from native speakers to teach you real phrases. Great listening exercises and pronunciation practice.

⚔️ Drops Compared

Here’s how Drops stacks up against each competitor:

• Drops vs Preply: Preply wins for speaking and live coaching. Drops wins for quick solo vocab practice on the go.
• Drops vs Duolingo: Duolingo teaches grammar and sentences. Drops has better visual design and more languages offered.
• Drops vs Babbel: Babbel is better for conversations and grammar. Drops is more fun and faster for vocabulary.
• Drops vs Memrise: Memrise has native speaker videos. Drops has better design and more game modes for vocabulary.

My Experience with Drops

Here’s what actually happened when I used Drops:

The project: I wanted to learn basic Spanish and Japanese vocab before two work trips.

Timeline: 60 days of daily use. I also tested Korean, French, and Mandarin Chinese.

Results:

What surprised me: I didn’t expect to enjoy the app this much. The fun games kept me coming back every day. I never missed a session.

What frustrated me: Not gonna lie, the 5-minute time limit in the free version drove me crazy. I upgraded to Drops Premium after 3 days. Also, I couldn’t test myself with full sentences.

Would I use it again? Yes. But I’d always pair it with Duolingo for grammar. Drops alone won’t make you fluent. Together, they’re powerful.

Final Thoughts

Get Drops if: You want a beautiful, fun app to learn vocab fast in your spare time.

Skip Drops if: You need one app that teaches you everything about a language.

My verdict: After 60 days, I’m a fan. Drops made me learn words I still remember today. The visual approach works. But you need another app for grammar.

I recommend Drops to every beginner. It’s the most fun way to start with a new language.

Just don’t expect it to replace a full course.

Rating: 4.1/5

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Drops app free?

Yes, there is a free version. But it limits you to 5 minutes of practice every 10 hours. That’s enough for casual learners. If you want more time and premium content, you’ll need to pay for Drops Premium. Plans start at $12.99 per month.

What is better, Drops or Duolingo?

They serve different purposes. Duolingo teaches grammar, sentences, and reading. Drops focuses only on vocabulary through visual games. Duolingo is better as a standalone app. Drops is better as a vocab supplement. Many users use both together for the best results.

Is Drops good for learning languages?

Drops is excellent for learning vocabulary. It helps you learn words fast through fun, visual games. But it doesn’t teach grammar or conversational skills. It’s best as a supplement, not a standalone learning tool. I’d recommend Drops alongside Duolingo or Babbel for a complete experience.

How many languages can you learn on Drops?

Drops offers 45+ languages. These include Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, American English, British English, and many more. It even has rare options like Ainu, Igbo, Hawaiian, and Sanskrit. Very few language apps have this many choices.

Can Drops help you become fluent?

No, Drops alone won’t make you fluent. It only teaches vocabulary — about 2,000 words per language. It doesn’t teach grammar, sentence structure, or conversation skills. But it builds a strong vocabulary base. Pair it with a grammar app and speaking practice to make real progress toward fluency.