Mondly Review: We Tested It for Weeks – Here’s Why You Need This App

Title image: © ATI Studios

The Mondly language-learning app shines with outstanding ratings and has been winning one award after another. That made me curious, so it was about time to spend several weeks exploring Mondly to gather my own impressions. I have to say, I’m impressed. And if you are taking language learning serious, read on…

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Table of Contents

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Overview: Mondly in Our 2025 Review

Brief Conclusion: Mondly belongs on every language learner’s smartphone!

Mondly is considered a rising star among language-learning apps, and after my 6-week trial, I fully understand why. Our entire editorial team tried Mondly, and a friendly competition emerged over who could secure the top spot.

But be cautious when buying in-app! You could easily end up overpaying. We recommend always accessing it through this website to save up to 70 euros per year! We especially like the “special offer”: Access to 41 language courses for life! Best of all: No subscription!

However, this deal is limited and not always available. By clicking the button below, you can check anytime if it’s currently active:

Is there a downside? Unfortunately, yes. But honestly, I still kept learning with Mondly, whereas I had already given up with Duolingo, Drops, or Memrise long before. So I can overlook certain teaching deficiencies. More about that in the detailed review below.

By the way, since January 2023, Mondly has also allowed free testing of the premium features for 30 days. Just sign up here, and you can enjoy all the premium functions free for 30 days. But be aware this is a subscription that becomes paid if you don’t cancel before the trial period ends. You can read more about it, including how to cancel Mondly subscriptions, in our complete Mondly Guide.

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Mondly Experiences: What Did We Test?

I used Mondly myself for Spanish and Hebrew for over six weeks. As usual in my reviews, I try one language I’m somewhat familiar with and one I know almost nothing about. Most of my time was spent on the Android app, though our team also tested the iPad version.

At the same time, I also tried out the web version in a browser, so you don’t necessarily need a smartphone to gain your own Mondly experience.

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First off, everything ran smoothly, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well it’s been implemented technically. Considering that Mondly is still relatively new in the language-learning scene, it proves it can hold its own on the technical side. In fact, some older companies could take a page from Mondly’s playbook.

Besides my own premium-access trial, I also got a second opinion from a more “typical” user, just to balance out my sometimes overly critical viewpoint.

Scope and Features: Mondly Impresses in This Trial with Numerous Functions and Languages

Mondly itself recommends using the Android or iOS (Apple) app. I agree with that advice, because only then can you access all (premium) features, which include:

Mondly Offers a Wide Range of Topics

Overall, the main language course contains 40 chapters, each with 7 lessons. These cover a variety of content and real-life scenarios. Here are a few examples:

Keep in mind that Mondly continues to expand its content. Once you have purchased Mondly, these updates are added automatically. The Mondly language course keeps growing over time.

With the premium versions, you can switch to all available languages—there are 41 total, meaning most learners can find what they need at Mondly.

These Are the Languages You Can Learn with Mondly

Specifically, Mondly offers the following: British English, American English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Romanian, Afrikaans, Croatian, Polish, Bulgarian, Czech, Thai, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Hindi, and Indonesian.

In April 2020, Mondly added Bengali, Catalan, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovak, Tagalog, and Urdu.

Beyond that, Mondly has partnered with Oxford University Press to offer English-level tests. While this feature is currently only for English, it shows Mondly’s commitment to expanding and adding new services—fantastic news.

Learning Approach: More Pros Than Cons

How strong is the learning method? How well-presented is the material? And can you truly learn a language this way? Those are the questions we ask under “teaching approach.” Unfortunately, there are some rough edges. Let’s start with the positive highlights we noticed in the Mondly review.

Mondly Combines Various Learning Techniques

Whether you’re matching newly learned vocabulary to images or reconstructing spoken sentences, Mondly uses a broad range of exercises. They’re not reinventing language learning, but the lessons are short and engaging, usually wrapped up in under eight minutes (often faster).

I particularly like the recap at the end of each lesson, which revisits the new words you learned and uses various learning-optimized elements (for instance, subliminal learning) to reinforce them.

Each thematic block has seven lessons, with the last lesson set up as a review session in dialogue form, so you revisit all the new vocabulary. Typically, you start with single words and end up embedding them in complete sentences.

That approach is quite logical (more info can be found in our GedächtnisHACK, see HACKlist), but it’s also where my chief criticism lies.

Content Weaknesses = Instructional Flaws

All too often, I found myself rolling my eyes. There are obvious mistakes in the teaching materials that stand out in longer sentences.

I’ll illustrate different shortcomings with two examples. In the left screenshot, you’re learning times of day. Suddenly, you’re asked to learn the Spanish word for “Second,” but the scenario strongly suggests the word for “Second” in the sense of “one second on a clock,” not “second” as in “the second in a series.” The Spanish “segundo” can mean both, but context matters here.

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Or you might learn that “to see” is “ver” in Spanish, but the sample sentences immediately switch to “mirar.” Even though those words can both mean “to look,” they’re used differently. Mixing them early confuses new learners and reduces the overall benefit.

In my Mondly experience, I sometimes got the feeling that an algorithm might be behind these translations, similar to Google Translate. Whenever context is missing, the machine might choose the wrong term.

Another issue I encountered is that compound words aren’t recognized correctly. For instance, if you’re checking the Spanish for “to stop” (a verb that includes “stop” + prefix in Spanish), Mondly might only display the base verb for “listen” or “hear.”

But let’s keep this in perspective: these errors mainly show up in the daily lessons, and even there only occasionally. They do stick out once you notice them, similar to advanced or unusual terms appearing very early on (like “soulmate,” which is a lovely word but might not belong in the first few sessions).

Ninety-five percent of the content is good and, as my Mondly experience shows, really fun. That’s easy to overlook if you focus on a handful of errors. Still, Mondly could address these issues by letting native speakers review each lesson. It really does feel like these small glitches come from automated translations. While the AI is good, it still makes occasional mistakes.

Innovative Learning Concepts Bring Variety to the Mondly Trial

All that said, technology definitely offers advantages too, as demonstrated by the feature called “chatbot.”

The chatbot includes eight chapters and also appears at the end of each regular topic. You can practice with the AI on subjects like:

Most of the time, the AI asks a question you need to answer. You can optionally see suggested responses and speak them out loud, creating a brief conversation.

However, Mondly—like many other language-learning apps—doesn’t always get voice recognition right. Sometimes it doesn’t understand me. Even with languages I speak fairly well, it occasionally misinterprets my answers.

I can only recommend the FocusHACK to the Mondly team!

Gamification: On the Learning Path, You Earn Points

Now we come to the two biggest strengths that make me wholeheartedly recommend Mondly despite the earlier criticisms.

As you follow the structured course path, each chapter and lesson grants points. If you make mistakes, points are deducted. Naturally, you aim for the highest possible score.

And here is where the so-called “gamification” effect, grounded in positive psychology, really shines. Gamification takes elements from games and applies them to language learning—if it keeps you playing in a game, it’ll keep you learning here!

This is reinforced by two features:

1. Leaderboards. You can see how other learners rank. As you finish your lessons and collect points, you climb the leaderboard. You can track a list of your friends or check the global list. It’s actually very motivating.

2. Daily learning is rewarded. If you follow us, you know our ChallengeHACK. That’s where you learn daily and mark an “X” on the calendar. The goal is to create a chain of consecutive days without breaking the streak. Mondly does the same: “I still need to do my Mondly lesson today!” is a thought you’ll often have because you don’t want to lose that streak.

From my own Mondly experience, it really stings if, after three months of daily practice, you skip one day and your streak resets to zero. That’s when having a friend or two to keep you motivated really pays off.

Especially if you’re learning with friends, it’s even more enjoyable, and your motivation soars. Naturally, you want to impress them with your progress.

The Daily Challenge and the Review Manager

That daily challenge or lesson ties into the second point. Sometimes you’re just short on time, and the standard course lessons are a bit longer. The daily challenge only takes about two minutes, which you can usually squeeze in no matter how busy you are. This helps Mondly keep you on track day after day.

Based on the spaced repetition system, Mondly’s Review Manager resurfaces previously learned words until you truly internalize them. It’s a useful tool, although I think other online language courses sometimes do it even better. Here, it’s not always clear which words get reviewed when. Babbel, for instance, handles this more transparently.

Teaching Approach Conclusion: Mondly Shines in This Trial as a Motivation Champion

Yes, Mondly still has some areas to improve when it comes to actual content and methodology, but the motivational aspects more than make up for it. Also, don’t forget that Mondly is still a relatively new platform. I’m sure they’ll continue to refine it, and the updates will benefit everyone in the long run.

User-Friendliness: “Very Good” Based on My Mondly Experience

Install the app, unlock it, and start learning. In my opinion, Mondly’s interface is exceptionally clear. Most of the core content is shown on a single screen, and you follow a learning path (literally).

So you can go through lessons and chapters in order, or just jump around to topics that interest you.

In any case, navigation is extremely straightforward. That goes for the exercises, too. Switching between two languages is also a breeze.

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As a final verdict on Mondly’s user-friendliness: “Very good,” because it’s both intuitive and simple!

Price/Value: With Mondly, You Get a Lot of Language Course for Your Money

Good prices that are sometimes hard to find—this is my short summary. You really do get a lot for what you pay. However, I deduct a few points whenever I can’t easily find a clear price list on a website, which is something Mondly could improve. Anyway, these are the Mondly costs (as of December 2024)—with a little warning attached.

The Mondly Yearly Subscription – It’s Fine After the Discount

The premium package costs 479 euros per year! That’s definitely a shocker, but it’s followed by good news: new users generally get a 90% discount, so you can unlock all languages for a year at 47.99 euros! That’s much better, right? Of course, it still involves a subscription. The good news is that Mondly now offers a 30-day free trial for new yearly subscribers—just sign up here and start learning.

That breaks down to around four euros a month, which is quite a good deal compared to many competitors. Yet, in my view, there’s an even better deal…

The Special Offer – A Real Bargain

Our clear recommendation is to choose the “special offer.” Yes, you’ll pay a bit more upfront, but it’s a one-time payment that grants lifetime access to all 41 languages and courses! That’s outstanding value for the money, and I can’t think of another provider that gives you so much language training at this price.

However, there’s a small catch: this special offer price can vary, sometimes between about 80€ and 130€. Anything under 100€ is an absolute steal, although even at the higher end it’s still worth it for the strong teaching approach and large selection of languages. Click the orange button above to see which version of the deal is currently active.

We recommend this offer to anyone who wants to study, brush up on, or maintain multiple languages.

The In-App Purchase – Warning: Don’t Buy!

It’s rather unfortunate how the in-app instructions guide you once you install Mondly. Yes, you can get a 7-day trial if you sign up for a subscription through the app—but that subscription is currently 14.99 euros per month on Android!

It doesn’t take a math genius to see how expensive that can get if you’re starting a new language and might need several months to really get somewhere.

So our clear advice is to book directly on the website and then log into the app with your account, saving you a lot of money in the long run!

Cancellation – Unnecessarily Complicated

Unfortunately, another criticism is that canceling Mondly is overly complex. You have to do the following:

1. Log in to “2checkout” (a third-party payment provider) using the email address you used for Mondly or the order number (found in the subscription confirmation email)
2. You’ll get another email, unfortunately in English
3. Click another link in that email that takes you back to the third-party site
4. Change the language to German in the top-right corner if needed
5. Click “My Products”
6. Select “Cancel Subscription” and choose a reason

After these too many steps, you’re finally done. On top of that, some text and buttons during the process are in English, which won’t help many German speakers. It’s a shame, Mondly, and hopefully you’ll simplify it!

All the more reason to consider the lifetime option. There’s no subscription and no need to cancel anything. Plus, it unlocks all languages with one single payment.

Target Audience: Who Is the Mondly Language Course For?

It’s a bit tricky to define Mondly’s ideal learner profile. Mondly, like Babbel, appeals to multiple learning styles by addressing many senses—though usually in a “light” version. Yes, everything is voiced, but a purely audio-based course would obviously offer more listening content, for example.

That’s good in one sense, because Mondly, in my experience, can serve a wide range of learners. On the other hand, if you prefer mostly auditory learning, especially while multitasking, Mondly might not be your first choice—unless you combine it with something else. That brings me to the most important point.

Let’s be honest: yes, every provider promises you can master a new language entirely using their (online) program. In practice, though, all these tools are just part of the puzzle.

Sure, used correctly, these tools can propel you toward your goal of speaking a foreign language. That’s where Mondly stands out for me: It’s a really solid online course that keeps me wanting to learn longer. Combined with other language-learning HACKS, you can genuinely make substantial progress in just a few weeks.

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So the conclusion is obvious: If you’re open to learning languages on your smartphone, Mondly is one of the best solutions!

Alternatives: Our Mondly Experience Compared to Other Providers

There are countless language apps in the app stores, but which of them have the quality Mondly has? Here are three Mondly alternatives:

Langotalk: Modern AI Learning

Langotalk is not the only, but one of the best AI-based language tutors that have popped up on the language-learning market recently. With lifelike virtuals personas and a wide range of scenarios to train your everyday skills, Langotalk is geat conversation practice for anyone who already has a baseline understanding of their target language. It’s also highly customizable thanks to being based on artificial intelligence.

With a free trial period, we definitely recommend Langotalk for anyone open to this different approach. There’s a fair one-time payment that unlocks all languages and courses for life, and of course it’s ad-free.

Mosalingua: More Than Just Vocabulary

If you feel Mondly doesn’t offer enough freedom to choose your vocabulary, you might want to try Mosalingua. They have fewer languages but combine all features of a classic flash-card style vocabulary trainer with well-thought out bonus content, making it quite a premium solution. Its easy to tailor to your exact needs.

Mosalingua is also moving with the current times, as they have recently integrated a clever chatbot-feature with a way broader range than Mondlys as you can freely choose your topic. You can also use the basic app for free! However, to unlock all features that make Mosalingua stand out to us, we still recommend their subscriptions. No worries, there’s a free trial period!

Rosetta Stone: The Learning Suite with Its Special Method

If you’d like a different learning concept that includes live practice in a virtual classroom, you might look at Rosetta Stone. It’s essentially a more comprehensive “learning suite,” which Mondly can’t match in sheer breadth.

Aside from the main course, Rosetta Stone includes language games, written texts, and audio passages. This broad suite also comes at a higher price point. Still, if you embrace the Dynamic Immersion method, you can achieve excellent results.

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talkREAL Tip! Check out our Mondly Guide for direct comparisons between Mondly and other language courses. Read on!

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Which of These Courses Is Most Worthwhile?

That question is best answered by comparing various options. To save you time, we’ve created an overview. Here you’ll find the best and most popular language courses side by side, all at a glance. We also offer some tips on how to get the most for your money.

Speaking of saving money: language learning doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out these top coupons and discounts to start your language journey for less. Act quickly! Besides the Mondly alternatives mentioned above, there are other providers with innovative solutions. Make sure to take a look!

Conclusion: Mondly Performs Excellently in This Review

– Thanks to fantastic long-term motivation, Mondly delivers outstanding results –

Mondly has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on Google Play. That piqued my curiosity enough to do a deep dive. After six weeks with the app, I can only say that my own Mondly review aligns with those stellar scores.

These five points are what make me recommend Mondly in 2025. But let’s be honest: it’s really point #1 that wins me over. The rest are nice, but Mondly’s ability to keep me learning is unmatched. If you keep learning for longer, you’re bound to speak better. That’s how simple it is. And that’s why we can forgive a few teaching flaws.

That’s why talkREAL.org has also named Mondly the winner for “Best Long-Term Motivation”!

If you study longer, you inevitably improve in your new language. Simple as that. Hence, those few shortcomings in content design are easy enough to overlook.

Mondly is a top recommendation for everyone and deserves a spot on every smartphone! Just be sure you register using one of the above links. The in-app pricing can be more expensive. Personally, I’m a big fan of the special offer — 41 languages, all courses, lifetime access — available here.

Overall Rating: 9 / 10