Memrise in 2026: Still the Best Vocab App?

Is Memrise Worth It?

★★★★★ 4.2/5

Quick Verdict: Memrise is one of the best language learning apps for building vocabulary fast. The native speaker videos make words stick. The AI language tutor gives you unlimited speaking practice. But it’s weak on grammar and not great for advanced learners. If you want to learn new words and common phrases in a new language, Memrise delivers.

✅ Best For:

Beginners who want to build vocabulary with real native speaker videos and spaced repetition

❌ Skip If:

You’re an advanced learner who needs deep grammar lessons or full conversational skills training

📊 Languages	20+ official courses	🎯 Best For	Vocabulary building
💰 Price	$24,99/maand	✅ Top Feature	Native speaker videos
🎁 Free Plan	Yes, with limits	⚠️ Limitation	Weak grammar coverage

How I Tested Memrise

Want to learn a new language but hate boring textbooks?

You download an app. You try a few lessons. Then you quit after a week.

Sound familiar?

Enter Memrise.

This language learning app uses real video clips of native speakers to teach you relevant words and phrases.

I used it every day for 90 days to learn Spanish. Here’s exactly what happened.

Memrise

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Wat is Memrise?

Memrise is a language learning app that teaches you vocabulary and phrases through video clips of real people.

Think of it like watching short videos of locals speaking your target language.

Then the app quizzes you on what you gehoord.

Here’s the simple version:

You watch native speakers say words and phrases. The app uses spaced repetition to help you remember them. You practice listening, speaking, and reading in short daily lessons.

The language learning program focuses on practical, real-world vocabulary.

Unlike Duolingo’s cartoon style, Memrise shows you actual people in real places.

This makes the language learning experience feel more natural.

Wie heeft Memrise gemaakt?

Ed Cooke En Ben Whately started Memrise in 2010.

Ed is a Grand Master of Memory. He can memorize a deck of cards in under two minutes.

He wanted to use memory aids and brain science to make language learning fun and fast.

Today, Memrise has:

• Over 70 million Memrise users worldwide
• 20+ official language courses
• Won “Best App” at the 2017 Google Play Awards

The company is based in London, England.

You can read the Memrise blog for language tips and updates from the team.

De belangrijkste voordelen van Memrise

Here’s what you actually get when you use Memrise:

• Learn Real Words Fast: Memrise helps beginners jump from zero to the B1/B2 level. It covers around 3,000 of the most frequent words and phrases in your target language.
• Remember What You Learn: The spaced repetition system puts new words into your long term memory. You review them at the perfect time before they fade.
• Hear Real Accents: Native speaker videos show you how locals actually talk. You practice listening to different topics and real conversations.
• Speak Without Fear: The AI language tutor gives you unlimited speaking practice. You get feedback on your pronunciation without any judgment.
• Learn on Your Schedule: Lessons take 5 to 15 minutes. You choose how many new words to learn per session. Fit it into your daily life easily.
• Stay Motivated: Points, streaks, and leaderboards keep learning fun. Memrise daily goals help you build a habit that sticks.
• Access Tons of Content: Beyond official courses, community courses cover hundreds of other languages and different topics. Users can create their own courses too.

Best Memrise Features

Here are the standout features that make the Memrise app worth your attention.

1. Video's van moedertaalsprekers

This is what sets Memrise apart from other language apps.

You watch short video clips of real native speakers saying words and phrases.

These aren’t actors in a studio. They’re real people filmed in real places.

You see their body language. You hear their natural accent. This helps you practice listening in a way most apps can’t match.

Not gonna lie — this feature alone makes Memrise worth trying.

2. AI-gestuurde tools

Memrise added several AI buddies in 2025.

There’s a Grammar Buddy that teaches you sentences. A Translator Buddy for quick help. And a Culture Buddy that shares local tips.

The AI adapts to your progress. It gives you harder challenges as you improve.

Dit is waar de pro version really shines. Free stuff is limited here.

3. Voortgangstracker

The app tracks every word you learn.

You can see how many new words you’ve mastered. You can check which certain words need more practice.

The progress dashboard shows your daily streaks and total words learned.

Met een pro account, you get detailed stats about your learning speed and weak areas.

4. Spreekvaardigheidsoefening

Memrise uses speech recognition to check your pronunciation.

You listen to a native speaker. Then you repeat what they said.

The app tells you how close you got. It’s like having a patient teacher who never gets tired.

This speaking feature helps you build real conversational skills over time.

5. AI-gesprekken

The MemBot chatbot lets you have real conversations in your target language.

You can type or speak your answers. The AI responds like a real person would.

It stays in your target language. So you get practice without any English speakers butting in.

I was surprised how natural the sentences felt. It’s great for building confidence.

6. Taalgalerij

Memrise offers courses in 20+ languages.

Popular choices include Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and German.

But you can also find courses for less common languages like Mongolian, Yoruba, and Icelandic.

The community courses cover even more. You can find Latin courses, ancient Greek, and hundreds of minority languages.

7. Gespreksscenario's

Memrise organizes lessons around real-life situations.

You learn vocabulary for ordering food. Asking directions. Meeting people. Reis situations.

This means you learn relevant words you’ll actually use in real life.

Instead of random vocabulary, you get words and phrases for specific scenarios.

Memrise Pricing

How much does Memrise cost? Here’s the full breakdown.

Gratis proefperiode: The Memrise free version gives you access to basic lessons and some native speaker videos.

Geld-terug-garantie: Memrise offers refunds through the app stores if you cancel quickly.

📌 Opmerking: The annual plan saves you over 79% compared to paying monthly. That’s about $5.17 per month.

Is Memrise Worth the Price?

De gratis versie is good enough for beginners. You can start learning without spending a cent.

But the paid version unlocks the best features. Native speaker videos, AI conversations, and offline access make the Memrise Pro worth it.

You’ll save money if: You commit to the annual plan and use Memrise daily for at least 6 months.

You might overpay if: You only use the app once or twice a week. Stick with the free plan instead.

Memrise Pros and Cons

✅ What I Liked

❌ What Could Be Better

Is Memrise Right for You?

✅ Memrise is PERFECT for you if:

• You want to start learning a new language from scratch
• You learn best by watching and listening to real people
• You want to build new vocabulary and common phrases fast
• You need a fun app that keeps you motivated every day

❌ Skip Memrise if:

• You need deep grammar lessons and sentence structure
• You’re an advanced learner who already knows the basics
• You prefer live tutoring with a real teacher

My recommendation:

If you’re a beginner who wants to learn vocabulary fast, Memrise is one of the best language learning apps you can pick.

Use the free plan to start. Upgrade to Pro when you’re ready for unlimited speaking practice and full access to all courses.

Memrise vs Alternatives

Hoe werkt dat? Memrise stack up against other language apps? Here’s the full picture:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: Duolingo — free, fun, and covers 40+ languages
• Best budget option: Memrise — strong free plan with native speaker videos
• Best for grammar: Babbel — deeper grammar coverage and structured lessons
• Best for live practice: Preply — real human tutors for conversations

🎯 Memrise Alternatives

Op zoek naar Memrise alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 👶 Preply: Live one-on-one tutoring with real leraren. Best for serious learners who want human interaction and personal feedback.
• 🌟 Duolingo: The most popular free language app with 40+ languages. Great gamification and bite-sized lessons for beginners.
• 📚 Babbel: Structured grammar lessons designed by language experts. Better for learners who want conversational skills and grammar rules.
• 🎨 Drops: Beautiful visual vocabulary app with quick 5-minute sessions. Perfect for visual learners who want fast vocab building.

⚔️ Memrise Compared

Zo werkt het Memrise stacks up against each competitor:

• Memrise vs Preply: Memrise is for self-study vocab learning. Preply gives you live human tutors. Pick Preply if you want real conversations.
• Memrise vs Duolingo: Memrise has better native speaker videos. Duolingo has more languages and stronger grammar. Both have great free plans.
• Memrise vs Babbel: Memrise wins on vocabulary and listening. Babbel wins on grammar and sentence structure. They’re great together.
• Memrise vs Drops: Both focus on vocabulary. Memrise has native speaker videos. Drops has better visual design. Memrise offers more depth.

My Experience with Memrise

Here’s what actually happened when I used Memrise:

The project: I wanted to learn Spanish well enough to order food, ask directions, and have basic conversations on a trip.

Tijdlijn: 90 days of Memrise daily use, 15 minutes per session.

Resultaten:

What surprised me: The native speaker videos made a huge difference. I could understand real Spanish speakers at a café after just 6 weeks. The video clips trained my ear better than any textbook.

What frustrated me: Grammar was almost absent. I learned hundreds of words but struggled to put full sentences together. I had to use other resources for grammar rules.

Would I use it again? Yes — but paired with a grammar app. Memrise is perfect for building new vocabulary. It’s not a complete language learning program on its own.

Slotgedachten

Get Memrise if: You want to build vocabulary fast with native speaker videos and fun daily lessons.

Skip Memrise if: You need a complete language learning program with deep grammar and advanced content.

My verdict: After 90 days, I learned more Spanish vocabulary with Memrise than any other app I’ve tried.

The native speaker videos are a bit of a game-changer for listening skills.

But it’s not perfect. You’ll need other resources for grammar.

Memrise is best for beginners who want to start learning a new language in a fun, natural way.

Rating: 4.2/5

Veelgestelde vragen

Is Memrise still free?

Yes. Memrise offers a free plan that gives you access to basic lessons and some video content. You can use Memrise for free forever. But the free version has limits. You won’t get unlimited speaking practice, offline downloads, or the full AI tutor. Serious learners should consider the Pro plan.

How much does Memrise cost?

Memrise Pro costs $24.99 per month. The annual plan is $61.99 per year, which works out to about $5.17 per month. There’s also a lifetime plan for $329.99. The free plan costs nothing but has limited features. The annual plan is the best value for most learners.

Is Memrise better than Duolingo?

It depends on what you need. Memrise is better for vocabulary and listening with its native speaker videos. Duolingo is better for grammar and offers more languages. Both have great free plans. Many learners use both apps together for the best language learning experience.

Is Memrise shutting down?

No. Memrise is not shutting down. The app moved community courses to a separate website in 2024. This confused some users. But the main Memrise app is still active with 70+ million learners. The company continues to add new features like AI buddies and updated courses.

What are the disadvantages of Memrise?

The main downsides are weak grammar teaching, limited content for advanced learners, and declining support for community courses. The paid version is needed for the best features. Speech recognition isn’t perfect. And the app works best on mobile — the desktop version has fewer features.