The 6 Best Lingokids Alternatives in 2026 Compared

A fair word first: Lingokids gets a lot right. The app is ad-free, beautifully produced, and with its "playlearning" mix of games, songs and videos it is a gentle introduction to English, especially for very young children. If you are still looking for alternatives, you probably have a specific reason, and that is exactly how this list is organized. For a broader look at the whole field, see our guide to the best language learning apps for kids.

Why do parents look for a Lingokids alternative in the first place?

The three most common reasons: Lingokids is at its core an English-only app, the child mostly stays in a receptive role of tapping, watching and listening, and some families simply do not want another subscription. None of these points makes Lingokids bad, they just mark the boundaries of where the app is strong.

If you want to introduce a two-year-old to English songs and videos in a playful way, Lingokids remains a great choice, hardly anyone offers this breadth of child-friendly English content. If instead you want your child to speak, to learn Spanish rather than English, or to skip the subscription, you need one of the following six alternatives. We took a closer look at the app itself in our Lingokids review.

Which Lingokids alternatives are there at a glance?

Six apps cover the most common wishes, each with a clear focus. The table shows what each alternative stands for, deliberately without prices, because those change by country and promotion.

Plaudan Kids: which alternative actually gets my child speaking?

Plaudan Kids is the alternative when your child should not just hear a language but speak it. Children aged 4 to 10 have real spoken conversations with four 3D animal friends: Leo the lion is brave and warm, Finn the wolf clever and curious, Zoe the zebra playful, Bruno the bull strong and patient. Full transparency: Plaudan Kids is our own app.

The difference from Lingokids sits at the very core. In Lingokids your child taps and watches, in Plaudan your child holds down the mic, says something, and the animal friend answers with a real voice. That trains pronunciation and the confidence to speak, exactly what tap-based apps barely cover, as we show in speaking vs tapping apps. On top of that come stars, stickers and treasure milestones as rewards, a parent dashboard with progress and gentle time limits, no ads, no trackers, and purchases only in the parent area. One family subscription from about 5 euro per month on the yearly plan covers multiple child profiles and can be cancelled anytime. More than 40,000 families already use Plaudan, in the browser or as a PWA on tablet or phone, made in Austria and GDPR compliant.

Best for: Children aged 4 to 10 who should really learn to speak English, Spanish, French or Italian. Think twice if: You mainly want songs and videos for very small children, Lingokids stays stronger there. The take: The best choice when "my child dares to speak" is the goal.

Studycat: which alternative offers games in several languages?

Studycat is the obvious alternative if you like the game-based concept of Lingokids but want a language other than English. The app offers playful lessons in several languages and targets a similarly young audience.

The feel stays familiar: short games, colorful worlds, a child-friendly pace. Your child builds vocabulary and listening comprehension through mini-games, with speaking only appearing occasionally. If you enjoy the Lingokids style and simply need Spanish or French instead of English, this is the smoothest switch.

Best for: Families who like game-based learning and want a language beyond English. Think twice if: Your child should actively speak instead of tapping. The take: The Lingokids style, just with more language choice.

Dinolingo: where do kids get an especially wide range of languages?

Dinolingo is the alternative with the widest language range in the classic kids-app format. The platform works with videos, flashcards and simple exercises and covers many languages, including some that hardly any other kids' app offers.

The approach is clearly more receptive than anything else on this list: the child watches, listens and repeats, but produces little language. For families with roots in another country who want to keep a rarer heritage language alive, exactly this breadth is still worth a lot.

Best for: Families looking for a rare language, for example a heritage language. Think twice if: Your child needs interactive play or real speaking to stay engaged. The take: Unbeatable language range, but little interaction.

Gus on the Go: which alternative works without a subscription?

Gus on the Go is the answer if the subscription model of Lingokids is what bothers you: the app is bought once per language, and no ongoing costs follow. Content-wise it is about playful basic vocabulary in several languages.

As you would expect, the scope is smaller than with the subscription services, there is no steady stream of new content, no videos, no conversations. But as an affordable, pressure-free entry point where a child picks up first words in a new language, the concept works charmingly, especially for families who deliberately keep app use small.

Best for: Families who want a one-time purchase with no running costs. Think twice if: Your child needs fresh content over many months. The take: Small scope, fair model, a good way to dip a toe in.

Duolingo ABC: where can my child start for free?

Duolingo ABC is the free alternative, but with a different goal: the app playfully teaches young children to read in English, it is not a conversation or vocabulary app in the Lingokids sense. For a no-strings first contact with English letters, sounds and words, it is still an honest recommendation.

The right expectation matters: your child learns reading and early literacy here, not speaking or conversational understanding. If you want both, combine Duolingo ABC with a speaking-focused app, the skills complement each other well.

Best for: Families who want to start English reading for free and without risk. Think twice if: You are looking for listening, speaking or languages other than English. The take: Strong for learning to read, the wrong tool for everything else.

Novakid: when are lessons with real humans worth it?

Novakid represents the alternative at the far end of the scale: real live lessons with human teachers over video. That offers something no app can replace, a real person responding to your child.

The flip side is price and planning: live lessons cost considerably more than an app and happen at fixed times, so your child cannot spontaneously practice for ten minutes whenever the mood strikes. For older or highly motivated kids who should push to the next level, it is a serious option, often combined with an app for daily practice in between.

Best for: Families with the budget who want real human contact and fixed structure. Think twice if: You value spontaneous practice or have a smaller budget. The take: The premium route, if schedules and costs work for you.

How do you pick the right alternative for your child?

Ask yourself one single question: what should my child be able to do in six months that they cannot do today? If the answer is "dare to speak out loud", the path leads to Plaudan Kids or Novakid. If it is "get to know a specific other language", look at Studycat or Dinolingo, for English reading at Duolingo ABC, and for a small one-time spend at Gus on the Go.

Whichever app it becomes, what matters most is that screen time is planned and accompanied. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a solid foundation for that with its Family Media Plan. And to see how Plaudan and Lingokids do in a direct head-to-head, read Plaudan vs Lingokids.

Try it yourself

If real speaking is the reason you are looking for a Lingokids alternative, just let your child chat with Leo, Finn, Zoe or Bruno. No ads, no hidden purchases, cancel anytime.

Discover Plaudan Kids