Start learning one of Europe's most important languages using one, or perhaps a few, of the best apps to learn Portuguese.
Rocket Languages, Busuu and PortuguesePod101 are top of our list when it comes to the best apps to learn Portuguese. Closely, following behind is Brainscape, Tandem and SpeakEasy.
Best Apps to Learn Portuguese
1. Busuu: 4/5
Cost: Free or $5.83 a month for Premium
Busuu is one of our favourite language learning apps and for good reason! It offers 12 languages, one of them being Portuguese, and includes content that covers all of the basics including reading, writing, speaking and listening. No matter your level, you'll be learning words and phrases that are actually used in Portuguese (Brazilian) and the conversation activities will encourage you to get speaking from the get-go. New topics and grammar are introduced step-by-step and rephrased in different activities until the penny drops and you feel confident. One of the best features of the app is its social feature, where you can connect with native Portuguese speakers from all over the world who can correct your writing or explain nuances of the language. Most of the features can only be accessed on the premium version, however, for an avid learner, the price is more than worth it.
What we like:
- Includes a Portuguese travel course and pronunciation course.
- The premium subscription offers a 7-day money-back guarantee.
- Connect with learners and native speakers across the globe.
- Offers personalised lesson plans.
What we don't like:
- Some features can only be accessed by the premium version.
- The app is quite limited: you may need to use other resources to become fluent.
2. Lingvist
Cost: Free or $9.99/month
Lingvist is a spaced repetition platform that uses neural networks and machine learning to offer some of the most innovative language learning software on the planet. Lingvist's goal is to “accelerate human learning”, starting with language learning, and they've developed the program to back up this claim. The main interface of Lingvist looks like a physical flashcard with high-quality human recordings (no synthesised voices here!), and offers the ability to build your own custom decks. Using the software to optimise your learning, you can memorise 5000 of the most commonly used Portuguese words like never before.
What we like:
- Includes a verb conjugator with over 40,000 verb forms.
- Interactive and user-friendly interface.
- Endless quizzes and flashcards to help you cement what you've just learnt.
What we don't like:
- Doesn't teach any grammar.
- Useful as a supplementary tool only.
3. Rocket Languages: 4/5
Cost: French Level 1 $149.95 for lifetime access.
Rocket Portuguese is a very comprehensive course and one of the best apps to learn Portuguese. With Rocket Portuguese you have access to an audio course, a culture course, as well as a language course (including writing and reading comprehension). Within the audio course, you follow the adventures of two hosts in Brazil. Each lesson includes conversation practice, exercises, and a transcript as well as games and tests to help you to reinforce your learning. These games include all aspects of language learning: listening comprehension, reading and writing comprehension, translation and even speaking. Finally, within the lessons, there are also cultural elements (hence, the culture course). These are interesting facts about Brazil, Brazilian society, history and more. With Rocket Languages, you can also track your progress, and use the voice recognition tool to practice pronunciation.
What we like:
- It gets you speaking and understanding real Portuguese very early on.
- The price is very reasonable for such a comprehensive course.
- Price includes lifetime access.
What we don't like:
- Only available through the Rocket Languages website.
- The voice recognition software isn't the best.
- Only Brazilian Portuguese.
4. Babbel: 4/5
Cost: $12.95/month
Babbel is a very popular app amongst today's language learners. It has a similar approach to the likes of Rosetta Stone, however, if you are a student on a budget, Babbel's prices are a lot more appealing. Babbel is a conversation-based app that starts by introducing you to vocabulary to help you start conversations about everyday topics. After each lesson, there is a selection of activities and some grammar explanations. With short 10-15 minute lessons, Babbel is one of the best apps to learn French if you have a busy life. Babbel can also track your learning so you can see how much progress you're making after each lesson.
What we like:
- Speech recognition technology helps you with pronunciation.
- Babbel tracks your progress so you can see how much you've learned.
- You will learn the basics of Portuguese very quickly if you are committed.
- Affordable for such a comprehensive course.
What we don't like:
- The activities can get quite tedious after some time.
- Limited lessons and activities are available.
5. Ling
Cost: Free
Brainscape's flashcard app will help you learn French quickly and effectively. After extensive scientific research, the creators of Brainscape concluded that spaced repetition is the key to foreign language retention. It is the only app on the market with a custom algorithm, and custom learning technology to help you drill thousands of French words. Brainscape also includes flashcards for verb conjugations and other grammar concepts. This is very handy as grammar can be quite tricky for language learners. Most recently, the team behind the app added a flashcard deck for listening comprehension, French history and pop culture. For this reason, it is one of the best apps to learn French, not only to learn the language but also to understand French society and culture.
What we like:
- One of a kind app on the market, following a unique algorithm.
- Learning with the flashcard method is quick and easy.
- Includes flashcards on French history and culture too.
What we don't like:
- Quite expensive monthly payments.
- Not a full course, only beneficial as a supplement to your studies
6. Duolingo
Cost: Free
An oldie-but-goodie, Duolingo is perhaps the most established app on this list. The app may have become a laughing point amongst language learners due to it's out-of-context examples (e.g. “The waiter is eating your croissant.”) but Duolingo is a great starting point for learning Portuguese. The app follows “learning should be fun” philosophy and offers short, concise lessons and games that you can fit into your busy schedule. You can learn vocabulary, reading and writing skills, pronunciation and listening skills. Duolingo even focuses on simple elements of grammar, like verb conjugations, but if you have no prior knowledge of Portuguese grammar, you may be left with unanswered questions. You can win badges, compete over high scores with your friends, and more. It's ideal for a casual learner who doesn't know how much time they want to commit to language learning, those with a busy lifestyle or a short attention span. If you are sick of school-like teaching, and you want a game-like approach to learning languages, then this is the app for you.
What we like:
- The app is free (no payments required at any time).
- European and Brazilian Portuguese is available.
- Great for casual learners.
- User forum where you can chat with other Duolingo learners.
- Duolingo Stories uses the power of storytelling to help you learn.
What we don't like:
- You will need to supplement your learning with other resources.
- The Duolingo Owl can be a little annoying (especially if you download the app on your phone)
- It may feel a tad childish for more mature students.
7. Beelinguapp
Cost: Free or $24.99 lifetime subscription
What could be better than a good story? How about a story that's been translated into your target language, written to fit your level, and has an accompanying glossary and audio book? Beelinguapp has 14 languages to offer and an entire library of stories for whatever your taste, from Alice in Wonderland to science articles! Whatever you choose to read, each page has a side-by-side translation in your native language (or another language if you really want a challenge) and a native speaker narrating the story. If you come across any new words, you can add them to your glossary to view them again at any time. There are still a few glitches and occasional bad audio quality that affects the overall experience, but there are regular updates and the developers seem to welcome feedback. If you're tired of the same old apps, Beelinguapp is a great option to start new learning habits.
What we like:
- Innovative and genuinely useful tool.
- Huge variety of reading materials.
- Different levels available from beginner to advanced.
What we don't like:
- Bad audio quality with some stories that gives it an “amateur” feel.
- Not suitable for complete beginners.
8. Memrise
Cost: Free or $8.99 / month for the pro version
Memrise offers 16 carefully curated language courses, and lucky for us one of them is Portuguese! It encourages learning through flashcard-like activities that focus on different elements of language learning, like vocabulary retention and sentence structure. Memrise helps you to learn new concepts by making connections and associations between them. For instance, you may upload your photo, or select a photo from the library to help you connect a new concept or word with a photo. One of the features that we recommend (that, unfortunately, is only available on the Pro version) is Lear with Locals video clips. Here, you can watch and listen to real native Portuguese speakers pronouncing common words, or discussing common topics. You can also record your pronunciation and compare it to that of native speakers.
What we like:
- Hundreds of courses available.
- Completely free!
- The pronunciation is recorded by real native speakers.
What we don't like:
- The games can get repetitive and boring after a while.
- Some of the best features are only available in the Pro version.
9. Rosetta Stone
Cost: $11.99/month for a 3-month subscription
Rosetta Stone is one of the oldest and most popular learning courses on the market. It has been teaching languages for over 25 years the same way a child would learn; through immersion, repetition and association. Rosetta Stone teaches you Portuguese purely in Portuguese, there isn't a word in English at any point throughout the course. During the lessons, you are exposed to words and later begin to create simple sentences and phrases to build on what you have already learnt. The downside of Rosetta Stone is that it is quite expensive, and there are a number of more affordable alternatives.
What we like:
- One of the most famous names in the industry.
- A very in-depth and comprehensive course.
- For one price, the course is yours forever.
What we don't like:
- Very expensive compared to other courses.
- The method may not be suitable for everyone.
10. Tandem: 5/5
Cost: Free
Tandem has been described as the “Tinder of Language Learning apps”. Whether that label may convince you or deter you, don't let it completely make up your mind as we think it's one of the best apps to learn Portuguese out there! Tandem is a conversation app that helps you practice your speaking skills with other Portuguese speakers. The concept is simple: build long-term language relationships (or tandems!) with people from all over the world. First, you complete your profile with a short description of yourself and your language goals. Then you can scroll through to the app to find others with similar language goals, or interests and hobbies. You can find a native speaker who will help you with your Portuguese, in exchange for you helping them with your native language. You can stick to messaging, leave voice notes, or make audio and video calls.
What we like:
- Ideal for those who are extroverts.
- The translation feature and the editing feature is effective.
- Takes advantage of one of the best ways to learn French: through chatting, or talking to native.
What we don't like:
- You need a basic knowledge of French.
- Not an actual course, only a supplementary tool.
11. Drops
Cost: Free or $9.99 a month
If problems with memorisation have been holding you back from fluency in Portuguese, it might be time to try Drops. This app combines satisfying artwork, flashcards and spaced repetition to convert drilling vocabulary into a enjoyable experience. As the name suggests, new words and phrases “drop” into your vocabulary bank and then repeat several times through different activities, with a limit of 5 minutes per lesson. Whatever your motivation, the library has topics to keep you busy, including nutrition, the workplace, travel, and cultural essentials. While it is severely lacking in grammar lessons, Drops' niche gives it an edge over other apps that are perhaps spread too thin.
What we like:
- Completely free!
- 500 conversations are enough to keep you going for a while.
- Exercises available after each conversation help cement what you’ve just learnt.
What we don't like:
- Doesn't include any grammar help.
- Occasional ads appear in the app and can interrupt your learning.
12. Learn Portuguese by MindSnacks
Cost: Free
MindSnacks is a free app available only on IOS. The app was originally designed for students of Portuguese at school, however, we think that you will find the game highly enjoyable even if you are a professional! The app follows a similar concept to other popular apps on the market. It teaches you Portuguese through games and by revising words. For instance, in one of the games, you have to match the picture to the word. Simple and fun! You can also track your points and try to beat your high score. The app focuses on common everyday topics like food, transport, sports and more. There are over 50 vocabulary sets available – that's tons of content!
What we like:
- Game oriented learning.
- This app is completely free (includes in-app purchases).
- 50 vocabulary sets available.
What we don't like:
- Originally geared towards students.
- Limited learning available.
13. MosaLingua
Cost: Free
MosaLingua is a free app ideal for vocabulary practice, learning phrases and using flashcards for repetition learning. One of the things that makes MosaLingua unique is its use of the Spaced Repetition System (SRS). SRS helps calculate what words should be popping up in your flashcards before you forget them. This way the words will go right into your long-term memory. There are over 14 categories and over 100 sub-categories, along with conversations, audio files and a phrasebook. That's a lot of content for a free app! The app has received tons of praise on the Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store. It's worth checking out.
What we like:
- Interactive French app.
- Unique Spaced Repetition System (SRS)
- Tons of vocabulary and topic categories.
What we don't like:
- Hard to practice speaking.
- Includes in-app purchases.
14. Anki
Cost: Free
Anki is a flashcard app available on IOS or Android. It is very similar to the likes of Memrise, however, unlike Memrise, it offers courses on anything and everything. With Anki, you can learn French vocabulary, phrases, some elements of grammar, while also learning about Portuguese history, society and culture. The app aims to help you retain as much vocabulary in your long-term memory by making you repeat them over and over again. The decks have the Portuguese word, or phrase, on one side and the English translation on the back. What is great is that you can also create your flashcards to customise your learning. This is a great feature if you're planning to study some unique or niche aspects of Portuguese.
What we like:
- You can use the flashcards available or create your own!
- The app is completely free to use.
- You can also learn about French history and culture.
What we don't like:
- No opportunities to practice speaking.
15. PortuguesePod101
Cost: Free
FrenchPod101 is an audio-visual tool produced by Innovative Languages who also offer 33 other languages, including Spanish. It offers high-quality audio and video lessons, plus a lot of bonus features such as flashcards. While it’s free version is helpful, you’ll need to invest in the premium FrenchPod101 to really benefit from this app. It’s monthly subscription may seem on the pricier side of things, but you have more than 850 lessons to make your way through, a well-structured course offering thorough grammar explanations, and you can even download the lessons for when you’re heading off grid.
What we like:
- Great value for money with more than 800 lessons included in Premium membership.
- Well-structured lessons that cover grammar too.
- Portable and downloadable.
- Continually updated with new videos and resources.
What we don't like:
- Free version is very limited.
- Too much English is used and not enough French!
- Marketing emails can get very annoying.
A Round-Up of the Best Apps to Learn Portuguese
That's all from the team at Actual Fluency on the best apps to learn Portuguese! We hope that with this comprehensive list of our favourite and most recommended language learning apps, you will be able to find something that best suits your wants and needs.