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Source-backed analysis10

Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

10 reference sources

Information updated Nov 11, 2026

How we review
Memrise logo

Memrise Review

Vocabulary app built on native-speaker videos, with AI speaking practice

Editorial Team6.9/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
Freemium · $24.99/mo
Visit Memrise
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Decide at a glance

Our verdict

Memrise suits learners who want real native-speaker audio and goal-based vocabulary practice for exams or work, with courses in 149 languages. The trade-offs are a monthly price far above the annual one and a 1.6/5 Trustpilot score driven by billing and support complaints, in contrast with very high app-store ratings.

Best for: Learners building vocabulary and listening skills who want video of native speakers

Skip it if: People who need a structured grammar curriculum or live teacher-led classes

Pros

  • Native-speaker videos filmed in everyday settings help with accents and natural phrasing
  • Courses in 149 languages; the app interface is available in 22 languages per the App Store
  • AI Buddies and Podchats for speaking practice; Exam Prep gives projected scores and feedback from an AI examiner

Cons

  • Monthly billing costs far more than annual: $24.99/month vs $61.99/year on the US App Store; lifetime is $329.99
  • Trustpilot score is 1.6/5 from 143 reviews, many citing renewals, refunds and unanswered support; Memrise replies to about 3% of negative reviews
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • High store ratings with large counts: 4.8/5 from 218K on the App Store, 4.7/5 from 1.57M on Google Play

Cons

  • The privacy policy says in-app conversations are used to train Memrise's AI models
  • Community courses left the apps and memrise.com on 31 March 2024 and now sit on a separate site

Best for

  • Test takers preparing for IELTS, GCSE, A-Level, IB or CEFR-aligned exams who want AI-marked projected scores

Skip it if

  • Users who rely on user-created community courses, which are no longer in the app

Experience & key features

Memrise is a language-learning app from Memrise Limited (London), launched in September 2010 by Ed Cooke, Ben Whately and Greg Detre. Its About page cites courses in 149 languages and over 80 million learners. Its signature is short videos of native speakers in everyday settings.

Key features

Per the Google Play description, learners get scenario-based vocabulary lessons, native-speaker videos and speaking practice with AI Buddies. Memrise's blog says February 2026 brought Exam Prep (IELTS, GCSE, A-Level, IB, CEFR) with projected scores and feedback from an AI examiner, Podchats for voice conversations with an AI podcast host (aimed at intermediate and advanced English learners), and Stories in four languages. In May 2026 Mems, the visual memory aids, returned, now with AI-generated images.

Pricing and value

The free plan is limited; Pro unlocks all lessons and videos and unlimited speaking practice, and removes ads. The US App Store lists $24.99 monthly, $61.99 annual and $329.99 lifetime, plus a 3-Month plan at $24.99, subscription offers from $58.99 to $79.99 and a $131.99 lifetime offer. Memrise publishes no pricing page, so these figures come from the app store and may vary by region and over time.

More analysis

Notable change

Per Memrise's help page, from 31 March 2024 community courses are no longer on memrise.com or the apps and live on community-courses.memrise.com. The company first promised to keep that site until at least the end of 2024, then extended it to the end of 2025. A November 2025 blog post says Memrise is not shutting community courses down and is prototyping Community Word Lists, without giving a date.

Versus alternatives

Memrise leans toward vocabulary, listening and speaking for specific goals, while Duolingo focuses on daily habit, Babbel and Busuu on structured curricula, and Anki on self-made flashcards. Compare personal plans like for like, and try the free tier before paying.

Screenshots

App promo image on Google Play
App promo image on Google Play
App screenshot on Google Play
App screenshot on Google Play
App screenshot on Google Play
App screenshot on Google Play

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 11, 2026

Free

Personal

Free

Limited vocab lessons, videos and conversations; shows ads.

Pro

Personal

$24.99/mo

$5.17/mo billed yearly

All vocab lessons and native-speaker videos, unlimited speaking practice, no ads. US App Store in-app prices: $24.99/month, $61.99/year, Lifetime Plan $329.99; a 3-Month plan is also listed at $24.99, plus several discounted offers.

Free plan limits
Per the Google Play listing, the free plan has limited vocab lessons, videos and conversations and is not ad-free.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

The official pages checked do not state a refund policy. Google Play says subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled before the current period ends and are managed in the store account.

Privacy

Memrise Limited's privacy policy lists name, email, username, profile picture, learning data (answers, scores, progress), voice recordings for pronunciation and conversation features, plus IP address, device details and cookies. In-app conversations and messages are stored and analysed to train its AI models. Profile information, courses, learning scores and people you follow are visible to other users. Data may go to service providers such as Amazon Web Services and Google for hosting, email, customer support, analytics, marketing and advertising. Memrise says it does not knowingly collect data from children under 13. Users can change or delete data in settings on the website or the iOS app; under EU law they also have rights of access, rectification, erasure, objection and complaint to a data protection authority.

Memrise alternatives

Anki logo7.9/10

Anki

Open-source spaced-repetition flashcards, free on desktop and Android

Open source
Duolingo logo7.8/10

Duolingo

Bite-sized daily language lessons with streaks and leaderboards

Freemium
All alternatives

Controversies & incidents

Issues documented by the press, regulators, courts or the vendor itself. Every item is sourced; unproven claims are labelled as allegations. Last researched: Nov 11, 2026

  • Low impactConfirmedOther ·

    Community courses removed from the main app

    Per Memrise's help page, from 31 March 2024 user-created courses are no longer on memrise.com or the apps and live on a separate site.

    Read the full account

    Memrise acknowledged the change affected each learner differently. It first said the separate site would keep the courses until at least the end of 2024, then extended that to the end of 2025. Per Wikipedia, the courses can no longer be downloaded for offline use in the new app. Wikipedia records a pattern: a 2019–2020 plan to move community content to a separate Decks site was reversed after user criticism, and Mems were removed in 2022 despite overwhelmingly negative feedback. A November 2025 blog post says Memrise is not shutting community courses down and is prototyping Community Word Lists.

    Vendor response

    Memrise thanked users for their patience, extended the separate site's timeframe, invited feedback on exporting courses and later said it would not shut community courses down.

    Sources:Memrise help: Will Memrise delete Community Courses?Memrise blog: Changes to the Memrise appWikipedia: Memrise

Frequently asked questions

Is Memrise free?

There is a free plan, but vocab lessons, videos and conversations are limited and ads are shown. Pro unlocks everything and removes ads, per Google Play.

Does Memrise support Vietnamese?

Yes. The App Store lists Vietnamese among 22 interface languages, and Vietnamese is also in the course list on Google Play.

Are community courses still available?

They left the apps on 31 March 2024 and sit on community-courses.memrise.com, per Memrise's help page. In November 2025 the company said it was not shutting them down.

What does Memrise use AI for?

Speaking practice with AI Buddies, Podchats conversations, marking in Exam Prep and image generation for Mems, per Google Play and Memrise's blog. The privacy policy also says in-app conversations are used to train its AI models.

Review evidence & sources10

Scores

Ease of use
7.8
Why this score

The app interface comes in 22 languages per the App Store, carries a 4+ age rating and uses short video lessons. Since February 2026 it runs two tracks side by side (the older self-study courses and the new Exam Prep/Podchats), so newcomers have to pick a path.

Features
7.6
Why this score

Native-speaker video, spaced repetition, AI conversation, Exam Prep, Stories and Mems with AI-generated images. On the other side, community courses left the main app and Stories covers only four languages (English, Spanish, French, German).

Value for money
6.2
Why this score

The US App Store annual plan is $61.99 (about $5.17/month), far cheaper than $24.99 billed monthly; lifetime is $329.99. Memrise has no public pricing page, and Trustpilot reviewers complain about renewals and refunds (user opinions, not independently verified).

Performance
7.5
Why this score

A 4.7/5 on Google Play from 1.57M reviews and 4.8/5 on the App Store suggest the app works well for most users. There is no independent performance data and some Trustpilot reviewers report lost progress, so the score stays moderate.

Support
5.7
Why this score

Support is a Zendesk help centre and email requests, with no chat or phone. Trustpilot shows Memrise replying to about 3% of negative reviews, and many reviewers say tickets went unanswered for weeks (user reports).

Privacy & security
6.7
Why this score

The policy lists data types clearly, allows self-service deletion and sets out EU-law rights. Against that, in-app conversations are used to train AI, profiles and scores are visible to other users, and data goes to analytics and advertising providers. No reported data breach was found.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
Memrise Limited
Headquarters
United Kingdom
Launched
2010
Category
Education

Capabilities

  • AI features
  • Mobile app

Platforms

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android

Interface languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Indonesian

Support

  • Email
  • Help center

Change history

  1. Feature.Mems return, with AI-generated images.
  2. Feature.Exam Prep, Podchats and Memrise Stories launch; the previous version is renamed "self-study courses".
  3. Update.Memrise says it is not shutting community courses down and is prototyping Community Word Lists.
Full change history (8)
  1. Feature.Community courses leave memrise.com and the apps for a dedicated site.
  2. Feature.Memrise removes Mems despite overwhelmingly negative user feedback, per Wikipedia.
  3. Update.Wins "Best App" at the second Google Play Awards.
  4. Company.Memrise is selected as one of the Techstars Boston startups.
  5. Launch.Memrise launches, founded by Ed Cooke, Ben Whately and Greg Detre.
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