Compare Portuguese Learning Apps
Honest, side-by-side comparisons of the apps people actually consider for Portuguese, judged on one thing the big listicles skip: which dialect they teach. Most famous apps teach Brazilian Portuguese, a few teach the Portugal dialect, and knowing which is which saves you months. Every page below acknowledges where the competitor wins before it makes any case for us. Pick the comparison that matches what you are deciding.
- Every comparison names where the competitor wins
- Judged on the dialect, not just features
- 7-day free trial
Does this app teach European Portuguese?
The dialect-check pages, for when you already have an app in mind and just need to know whether it teaches the Portugal dialect or the Brazilian default.
- Does Duolingo have European Portuguese? No. Duolingo teaches Brazilian only, and here is what teaches the Portugal dialect instead.
- Babbel European Portuguese Babbel's one Portuguese course is Brazilian, by its own account. What that means for a life in Lisbon.
- Memrise European Portuguese Memrise does have a Portugal course with native-speaker clips. What it does well and where it stops.
- Pimsleur European Portuguese Yes, Pimsleur teaches the Lisbon dialect. What its audio drills nail and what they miss.
- Practice Portuguese review The strongest structured European Portuguese course, reviewed fairly, including where it stops.
Head to head
Two apps compared directly, with the European Portuguese angle both of the famous names tend to miss.
- Pimsleur vs Duolingo Audio drills against gamified habit, and the Portugal-dialect option neither is built for.
- Memrise vs Duolingo Vocabulary and native clips against a free daily habit. Only one of them teaches European Portuguese.
Alternatives and switching
For when you have decided to leave an app and want the honest map of where to go next.
- The best Duolingo alternatives A fair rundown across languages, plus the one built for European Portuguese.
- The Duolingo alternative for European Portuguese The full switch for people leaving the owl specifically for Portugal.
- The Practice Portuguese alternative An honest take that starts by admitting Practice Portuguese is excellent.
- Brazilian vs European Portuguese apps The best picks for Brazil, and how to tell if you actually want Portugal instead.
Not sure where to start?
If you have not picked an app yet, start with the best app to learn European Portuguese for the full field, or read up on the European Portuguese dialect itself before you commit to anything. Whatever you choose, insist on the Portugal dialect if Portugal is where you are headed.
"I would rather send you to a competitor that fits than sell you the wrong tool. Every comparison here says plainly where the other app wins. That honesty is the whole point, and it is why the right choice tends to become obvious by the end."
Frequently asked questions
Which Portuguese app teaches European Portuguese, not Brazilian?
A short list: Practice Portuguese, Memrise's separate Portugal course, Pimsleur's European audio course, and TangoLango, which teaches the Portugal dialect only. Duolingo, Babbel and Rosetta Stone are Brazilian only (checked July 2026). Each has its own comparison above.
What is the best app to learn European Portuguese?
There is no single winner. Practice Portuguese is the best structured course, Pimsleur is the strongest audio-only option for speaking, Memrise is good cheap vocabulary, and TangoLango is the daily-habit app that captures your real life and gives you a tutor. See the full comparison and try more than one.
Do these comparisons favour TangoLango?
Each page names where the competitor wins before it makes any case for TangoLango, and several recommend a rival outright for certain learners. TangoLango is built for one job, daily life in Portugal in the European dialect, and the comparisons say plainly when another app is the better fit.
Learn the Portuguese people actually speak here
Ten minutes a day, native audio, your own real-life sentences. Free for 7 days.
See how TangoLango teaches real Portugal Portuguese (free for 7 days)