In this article we compare learning apps and software that you can use to learn Portuguese. Other than Rosetta Stone, Babbel or Duolingo, there are also some lesser-known apps that are at least as good or even better.
Mondly Portuguese App
The Best Alternative to Duolingo
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Learners, Students, Travel
Content: Portuguese vocabulary trainer (5000 words), playful exercises, grammar
Prices: Free (initial lessons), USD 9.99 (1 month and 1 language), USD 47.99 (12 months and access to all 41 languages)
Discount offer: USD 99 (Lifetime Access to all 41 Languages)
Overall Value: 
The Mondly App lets you learn the Portuguese language in a playful way with a series of interactive exercises.
This Portuguese learning program contains:
- Portuguese vocabulary trainer with 5000 words
- 50 topics and categories to choose from
- 2100 Portuguese lessons, including grammar
- Conversation trainer for common situations (speech recognition)
- There is even a virtual reality version of this learning app
Mondly has around 45 million users worldwide. This language course has the advantage of having 41 source languages and 41 target languages.
Summary: Mondly is very similar to the Babbel and Duolingo apps and even better in terms of quality. The cost-benefit ratio for the lifetime access to all 41 languages is unbeatable.
Link:
Mondly Portuguese App and Online Course
Rocket Languages: Portuguese
Learn Portuguese Without Subscriptions
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, PC and Mac
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, advanced learners, students, business
Content: Exercises with native speaker audio and speech recognition, writing, grammar, culture
Prices: Free (initial lessons), USD 89 (basic course), USD 249 (full course)
Overall Value:
Rocket Languages offers a complete Portuguese language course for download, without monthly subscriptions.
It covers the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels (A1-C2).
This Portuguese learning software and app features:
- 6000 Portuguese words in the lessons and exercises
- Complete grammar explanations and exercises
- Pronunciation and conversation trainer
- Portuguese native speaker audio and speech recognition
- Explanations of cultural differences via audio and video
You can use the Rocket Languages Portuguese course completely offline on the computer
and on your smartphone after the download.
Summary: Excellent premium Portuguese course on par with Rosetta Stone but without a subscription. You pay only once and own the software. There is also a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Link: Rocket Languages Portuguese Learning Software
Portuguese Basic Course
From 17 Minute Languages
Systems: Online Access (PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS)
Suitable for: Beginners and Advanced Learners, Students, Professionals
Content: 1300 words (basic course), 5200 words (complete course), grammar, verb conjugations, exercises
Prices: USD 29,95 (Basic Course), USD 97 (Complete Course)
Overall Value:
The Portuguese Basic Course contains a vocabulary trainer for the basic Portuguese vocabulary (1300 words) with native-speaker audio, as well as grammar explanations and various exercises.
The vocabulary trainer works with a long-term memory method, in which the new vocabulary is checked at increasing intervals.
You can choose between text input, multiple choice or simply confirming whether you knew a word or not.
The exercises include text comprehension questions, filling in word gaps or just vocabulary lists where one side is covered.
The basic course corresponds to the official language levels A1 and A2 (explanation of CEFR language levels).
The Complete Course contains:
- Basic course for beginners (basic vocabulary with 1300 words)
- Intermediate course (1800 more words)
- Advanced course for experts (2100 words)
- Additional specialized vocabulary
- Covers the official CEFR language levels A1 to C2
There are 17 different languages you can use to learn Portuguese with this app.
Summary: Much cheaper and even better than the famous Rosetta Stone. There is a free demo version available and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Link: Portuguese Basic Course and Complete Course
Link: Brazilian Basic Course and Complete Course
Rosetta Stone: Portuguese
Most Famous Language Learning App
Systems: PC, Mac, Android, iOS Apps
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, experts, professionals, business
Content: Portuguese lessons with native speaker audio and speech recognition
Prices:
USD 36 (3 months)
USD 145 (12 months)
USD 299 (Lifetime access)
USD 349 (Lifetime access for 24 languages)
Overall Value: 
The Rosetta Stone learning app teaches Brazilian Portuguese, which is not significantly different from European Portuguese.
How does Portuguese learning with Rosetta Stone work?
Rosetta Stone has a different approach to language learning than many other online courses or language apps such as Duolingo, Memrise and others.
The idea behind Rosetta Stone is to learn a language like you did as a child - by using pictures in combination with listening, speaking, and reading.
Each Rosetta Stone lesson includes the following exercises:
- Pronounce the words or phrases correctly (speech recognition)
-
When reading or hearing a word, click on the correct picture
-
When looking at a picture, click on the correct word
-
Type in a spoken word correctly, etc.
A possible disadvantage of Rosetta Stone is that there are no grammar explanations or translations of the Portuguese vocabulary.
Instead, you are supposed to learn the grammar and the meaning of words from the context or recognize the meaning from the pictures.
Rosetta Stone Apps and Online Version:
The Rosetta Stone Portuguese learning software can be used online with a subscription for 3 or 12 months or with a Lifetime Access.
In addition to the online version, there are now also Rosetta Stone apps for iPhones and Android smartphones.
Summary: Time-tested method, but the lack of grammar explanations and translations may make Rosetta Stone not suitable for everyone.
Link: Rosetta Stone App and Online Course
Babbel Portuguese App
Better than Rosetta Stone
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced, Students, Business Portuguese
Content: Vocabulary trainer with native speaker audio and speech recognition, grammar, exercises
Prices: Free (initial lessons), USD 12.95 (1 month), USD 84 (12 months)
Overall Value:
The Babbel Portuguese Learning App is quite similar to Rosetta Stone.
Babbel also focuses on combining pictures, listening, reading, writing and speaking. For this, Babbel has native speaker audio of all the words and speech recognition just like Rosetta Stone.
The Babbel App also offers improvements over Rosetta Stone:
- Classical explanation of grammar (Rosetta Stone has none)
- You are shown translations of words (unlike in Rosetta Stone)
- Traditional vocabulary trainer is included in the Babbel App
- The pricing of the Babbel app is much lower
Babbel is one of the oldest language learning apps and has over 10 million subscribed users world-wide. The Babbel learning app focuses on Brazilian Portuguese.
Summary: Babbel includes most of the advantages of Rosetta Stone and even eliminates its disadvantages. Highly recommended!
Link: Babbel Portuguese App and Online Course
LingQ Portuguese App
Innovative Approach to Learn Portuguese
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, advanced learners, students, professionals
Content: Video and text lessons, browser extension to import any Portuguese texts, vocabulary trainer
Price: USD 10 (1 month subscription)
Overall Value:
The LingQ Portuguese App is basically a translation program that is combined with a personalized vocabulary trainer.
In addition to the lessons and texts that are included in this app, any Portuguese text can be imported. LingQ has its own browser extension for Firefox, Safari and Chrome to import texts (including ebooks).
You can click on any word in the texts to see a translation and this adds the word to your personal vocabulary trainer.
LingQ also has many videos and podcasts, the content of which appears as a text next to the video or podcast — so that any word there can be clicked on and saved as well.
Unfortunately, there are no grammar lessons, meaning that this app will not suffice on its own to learn Portuguese.
Summary: Very interesting way to learn Portuguese vocabulary on any subject. However, you need other apps for Portuguese grammar and conjugations.
Duolingo Portuguese App
Well-Known Language Learning App
Systems: Android App, iOS App, PC and Mac
Content: Exercises with native-speaker audio
Prices: Free (with ads), USD 12.99 (1 month), USD 60 (12 months)
Overall Value: 
The Duolingo App offers beginner language courses for 36 languages, including Portuguese. Duolingo covers mostly the basics as well as some intermediate level Portuguese vocabulary.
The major drawback of Duolingo (just like Rosetta Stone) is that there are no grammar explanations.
The vocabulary learning with Duolingo is "gamified", which means it is structured like a game with levels, experience points, achievements, etc.
The interface is relatively similar to the apps from Mondly and Babbel (Babbel has no Portuguese course).
Summary: The vocabulary trainer and the exercises of the program are okay. However, it is not possible to learn Portuguese grammar with this app.
Mango Portuguese App
Includes Grammar
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online Version
Content: Portuguese lessons with native speaker audio, grammar, culture
Prices: USD 7.99 (1 month), USD 80 (1 year),
USD 18 (1 month and 70 languages), USD 180
(1 year and 70 languages)
Overall Value:
The Mango Languages App offers 70 languages, including Portuguese.
This app also has some grammar lessons and cultural explanations. The explanations in English are all recorded and well done.
However, the number of lessons for learning Portuguese is quite small, which means that this app is only suitable for absolute beginners.
There are no exercises, except for the repeated vocabulary tests.
You can also record your own pronunciation in the app and compare it with the recording of a native speaker.
Summary: Good quality, but not much vocabulary. Only for absolute Portuguese beginners.
MosaLingua Brazilian
App like Babbel, Mondly or Duolingo
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate learners, pupils, students, travel vocabulary
Content: Portuguese vocabulary trainer and most important grammar
Prices: USD 5 (Vocabulary Trainer App), USD 59 (12 months subscription to the full online version)
Overall Value:
The Brazilian App from Mosalingua can teach over 3000 words, which include native speaker audio and pictures.
The grammar explanations in this app are limited to the 20% that are most frequently used in practice according to statistics.
The online version for computers contains the entire Brazilian grammar.
As far as the exercises are concerned, there are classic vocabulary quizzes and also fun exercises like anagrams and word puzzles.
This Brazilian learning app also has a "Hands Free Mode" that allows you to learn words while driving or jogging.
Summary: For beginners, the Mosalingua vocabulary trainer app offers great value for the money. The full subscription version is comparable to Babbel or Duolingo and has a similar price.
Lingodeer Portuguese App
Learning Portuguese for Beginners
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, students, travel vocabulary
Content: Exercises with native-speaker audio and speech recognition, grammar
Prices: USD 12 (1 month), USD 60 (12 months), USD 99 (unlimited)
Overall Value:
The Lingodeer App is somewhat similar to Duolingo or Babbel, but has a more extensive list of features:
- Portuguese native-speaker audio for each word and speech recognition to practice the correct pronunciation.
- You can even choose between different speakers.
- 200+ lessons, vocabulary trainer, exercises, quizzes.
- Very good grammar explanations, significantly better than in many other apps such as Duolingo or Rosetta Stone.
- Suitable for beginners and intermediate level learners (A1-B1).
- User community (native speakers) can give pronunciation feedback.
- You can download the app and use it offline.
The use of playful exercises and "achievements" ("gamification") is supposed to make Portuguese learning more interesting and motivating.
Summary: The Lingodeer App impresses with excellent grammar lessons and speech recognition. However, this app has lessons only for beginners and intermediate level learners.
Busuu Portuguese App
Not really recommended
Systems: Android App, iPhone App, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, high school students, college students, travelers
Content: Lessons and vocabulary trainer with native speaker audio, grammar
Prices: USD 9,99 (1 month), USD 69 (12 months)
Overall Value: 
The Busuu App is a language learning app for 12 languages, including Portuguese. The interface is similar to apps like Duolingo, Babbel or Mondly.
- With this app you can learn Portuguese up to beginner or intermediate levels (A1-B2). The expert levels C1-C2 are not included.
- The Busuu app has Portuguese lessons with native speaker audio and pictures (no speech recognition), as well as a vocabulary trainer.
- The app can be used in offline mode.
- A unique feature of the Busuu app is a kind of internal social network where users can give feedback and correct each other.
Unfortunately, the grammar explanations here are not that good and the lessons are also structured strangely (difficult words before easier ones).
Summary: Definitely the weakest of the tested Portuguese learning apps in terms of quality.
Pimsleur Portuguese Course
Most Expensive Software to Learn Portuguese
Systems: PC and Mac (incl. Mobile App)
Suitabe for: Beginners, advanced, students, travel vocabulary
Content: Portuguese vocabulary, lessons with native-speaker audio and speech recognition
Price: USD 122 (Basics), USD 469 (Complete)
Overall Value:
The Pimsleur App is very similar to Rosetta Stone in that it does not give grammar explanations, verb conjugation tables, etc.
Instead, the Pimsleur method is supposed to let you learn Portuguese or Brazilian intuitively, just like your native language - by combining pictures, reading and speaking (speech recognition).
The complete course includes a total of five courses (levels 1 to 5). The beginner course is level 1.
Each of the five courses offers 30 daily lessons of 30 minutes each and there are various interactive exercises.
This Portuguese learning course for PCs and Macs also includes a mobile app for Android and iOS systems.
Summary: The most expensive Portuguese course, even though it is unlikely that learning with it is much better than with the cheaper apps.
Overview of the Portuguese Learning Apps:
| Learning App |
Subscrip-
tion? |
Price |
Systems |
Value |
| Mondly | No | $99 | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | |
| Mondly | Yes
(1 month) | $10 | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | |
| Mondly | Yes
(12 months) | $48 | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | |
| LingQ |
Yes
(1 month) |
$10 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Babbel |
Yes
(1 month) |
$13 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Babbel |
Yes
(12 months) |
$84 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Lingodeer | No | $99 | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | |
| Lingodeer | Yes
(1 month) | $12 | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | |
| Lingodeer | Yes
(12 months) | $60 | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | |
| Mango |
Yes
(1 month) |
$8 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Mango |
Yes
(12 months) |
$80 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Duolingo |
Yes
(1 month) |
$13 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Duolingo |
Yes
(12 months) |
$60 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
Mosalingua
(Basic App) |
No |
$5 |
Android, iOS |
|
Mosalingua
(Complete) |
Yes
(12 months) |
$59 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Busuu |
Yes
(1 month) |
$10 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Busuu |
Yes
(12 months) |
$69 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
17 Minutes
(Basics) |
No |
$29 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
17 Minutes
(Complete) | No | $97 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
Rocket
(Basics) |
No |
$89 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
Rocket
(Complete) |
No |
$249 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Rosetta Stone |
No |
$299 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Rosetta Stone | Yes
(3 months) | $36 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
| Rosetta Stone | Yes
(12 months) | $145 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
Pimsleur
(Basics) |
No |
$122 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
Pimsleur
(Complete) |
No |
$469 |
PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
|
