Is Duolingo Max Video Call free? Duolingo Max AI conversation and free alternatives
Video Call and Roleplay, Duolingo’s AI conversation features, belong to Duolingo Max, a paid tier above Super. Here is what the free plan includes, and where you can talk to an AI in English for free instead.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | Gamified course; AI conversation (Video Call, Roleplay) only on Max | The whole course; no AI conversation on the free plan | Super from $9.99 a month on the US App Store; Max sits above Super and its price is shown only in the mobile app | A daily habit; AI conversation only if you pay for Max |
| ChatGPT (voice mode) | General assistant with voice conversation | Voice on the free plan, with a limit OpenAI does not publish as a number; it resets every 24 hours | Go $8 a month; Plus $19.99 a month | Free-form voice conversation |
| Google Gemini (Gemini Live) | General assistant with live voice conversation | Free with a Google account; Gemini Live is on the free plan in the mobile apps | AI Plus $4.99 a month; AI Pro $19.99 a month | Free live voice conversation on your phone |
| Gliglish | AI conversation partner in the browser | 10 minutes a day with no sign-up; conversations up to 50 messages, restricted at peak hours | $8 a month or $49 a year | 10 free minutes a day, no sign-up |
| TalkPal | AI tutor for 130+ languages, English among them | Basic chat with a 10-minute daily limit, with an account; a 14-day Premium trial | Premium for 1, 12 or 24 months; $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year on the US App Store | 10 free minutes a day, with roleplays |
| Google Translate (Practice) | AI listening and speaking practice inside the Translate app (beta) | Free in the Translate app, for speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, French, German and a few more learning English, in supported countries | Nothing to pay | Free speaking practice inside Google Translate |
| 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 | Correction while you speak, free to start |
Is Video Call on the free plan?
No. The free Duolingo plan is the whole course, with no AI conversation. Video Call (the call with the character Lily) and Roleplay are Duolingo Max features. Max sits above Super, which starts at $9.99 a month on the US App Store, and its own price is shown only in the mobile app.
Free alternatives for AI conversation
ChatGPT’s voice mode and Gemini Live are free with an account, with a daily limit. Gliglish gives 10 minutes a day with no sign-up; TalkPal 10 minutes a day with an account. Google Translate now has a free Practice mode for speakers of Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi and a few other languages learning English. Fluvia’s first conversations are free with no account or card.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Duolingo Max Video Call free?
- No. Video Call and Roleplay are Duolingo Max features; Max is a paid tier above Super.
- How much does Duolingo Max cost?
- Duolingo shows the Max price only in the mobile app. Super, the tier below it, starts at $9.99 a month on the US App Store.
- What is a free alternative to Duolingo Max for speaking?
- ChatGPT voice or Gemini Live with a free account, Gliglish (10 minutes a day, no sign-up), TalkPal (10 minutes a day) and Fluvia.