ELSA Speak vs Speak vs Praktika (2026): which is best for English speaking, and is there a free option
Three of the best-known AI English apps do three different jobs: ELSA trains pronunciation, Speak is a course, Praktika is conversation with avatars. Here is how they compare on features, free option and price.
Checked 23 October 2026 against each app’s own pricing page or help centre; US App Store prices from our 21 October check. Prices move often and vary by country: take every figure as approximate.
| App | What it is | What is free | What it costs after | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELSA Speak | Pronunciation coach, with AI conversations | The Welcome lessons and the first 2 lessons of every topic, free; a 7-day trial ELSA says needs no card | Premium $19.99 a month or from $71 a year on the US App Store; on ELSA’s website, $29.99 a year or $79.99 lifetime | Pronunciation and accent, sound by sound |
| Speak | Guided speaking course with an AI tutor | No permanent free tier; a 7-day trial that asks for a payment method first | Premium $17.99 a month or $83.99 a year on the US App Store | A course with an order to it, built around speaking |
| Praktika | AI avatar tutors | A free version: 3 avatars, limited speaking, basic feedback (tap the ✕ on the paywall) | Weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly; from $49.99 a year on the US App Store | Relaxed conversation practice with AI characters |
| Fluvia | Spoken conversation with an AI that corrects you as you speak | A trial conversation and the first conversations, which do not expire, with no account and no card; listening tests, dictation and the level test unlimited | From US$5 a month, billed yearly | Open conversation with correction as you speak |
Which is best for what
ELSA Speak if your problem is being understood: it scores your pronunciation sound by sound. Speak if you want lessons in order that build up to conversation, plus Speak Tutor for questions and custom lessons. Praktika if you want to talk, with AI avatars that have personalities and remember your progress on Premium.
Is there a free option?
Praktika has a free version: 3 avatars and limited speaking. ELSA keeps the first lessons of every topic free and offers a 7-day trial. Speak has no permanent free tier: a 7-day trial that asks for a payment method first.
Price
On the US App Store: Praktika from $49.99 a year, ELSA from $71 a year or $19.99 a month, Speak $83.99 a year or $17.99 a month. Praktika and ELSA are the cheaper two; Speak is the most expensive and the only one without a free tier.
Frequently asked questions
- Is ELSA Speak or Speak better?
- For pronunciation, ELSA Speak. For a structured speaking course, Speak. They solve different problems; many learners use ELSA for sounds and a conversation app for fluency.
- Is Praktika better than Speak?
- Praktika is better for open conversation and has a free version; Speak is better if you want a course with lessons in order, and it is more expensive.
- Which of the three is free?
- Praktika (free version, 3 avatars) and ELSA (free first lessons, 7-day trial). Speak only has a 7-day trial.