The Top 10 Apps to Learn European Portuguese (Free 2026 Edition)

With the rise of tech-assisted learning came new learning methods. For example, language-learning apps are becoming more popular every year. These tools bring many advantages for language learners. They are more flexible than regular lessons and more engaging than traditional programs.

An added benefit you will not want to disregard is that they are cheaper alternatives. Additionally, many popular apps now offer a Brazilian Portuguese or European Portuguese option. Thus, you can learn the Portuguese variant that is most interesting to you. Plus, you will not have to comb through online resources yourself.

But how can you use apps to acquire a new language? Can apps really help you speak Portuguese? If so, which should you choose?

Check out the ten best and most popular apps to learn Portuguese:

1. Memrise
2. Duolingo
3. Pimsleur (European Portuguese track)
4. Practice Portuguese
5. LingQ
6. Drops
7. Learnables
8. Mobiteach – Learn Portuguese for Beginners
9. Simply Learn Portuguese
10. 50LANGUAGES – Learn Portuguese

Discover the best European Portuguese apps you can start using today!

Why Opt For Language-learning Apps?

Many language learners are opting to step outside conventional teaching methods. They might want to diversify their routines or benefit from integrating a learning app into their current routine. Some even resort to these apps to build vocabulary for an upcoming trip.

Regardless of your motivation, apps are extremely helpful. With them, you can boost your foreign language skills like never before. About six years ago, we posted the video Top 10 European Portuguese Learning Apps on our YouTube channel. Back then, the options available were fewer. Today, apps are much more advanced and have plenty of advantages. Look into some of these benefits.

5 Benefits of Language-learning Apps

The benefits of using apps while learning Portuguese are countless. Studies show that these emerging technologies help students stay motivated and enhance their learning. Of course, apps also have a few downsides. But when used correctly, they can transform your learning for the better. Consider five general advantages.

Convenience

Unlike language classes and textbooks, a learning app is always one click away. Thus, it allows you to study whenever and wherever you can and want to do so. It is a resource that merges convenience and independence.

Besides, one of the biggest struggles for independent language learners is deciding what to study. After all, taking on the challenge of acquiring a second language can already feel overwhelming. Many apps follow a clear path that starts with learning simple words and useful phrases and moves on from there. This way, you do not become frustrated. Instead, you acquire the language in a lighter and more fun way.

Accessibility

Even the best apps will be less expensive than any formal language program or tutor. In some cases, as in The Journey, you can opt for a monthly or yearly subscription. This way, payments meet your budget needs and do not become overbearing.

Besides being cost-effective, apps are accessible to everyone with an electronic device. This way, more people can learn new languages without needing specific study materials or equipment.

Engagement

Apps often incorporate elements and features that make them more engaging. They might include videos, audio, images, and fun exercises. Some even help you learn while you play games, watch shows, or listen to music.

This aspect is crucial because it fosters motivation and boosts your ability to confront challenges. Besides, apps do not usually include a single activity or exercise. As an all-in-one solution, they contain a variety of engaging study methods, one of the keys to overcoming plateaus.

Updates and Integrations

Like all the other apps you have on your phone or tablet, language platforms are constantly receiving updates. Thus, you get new words and features with the click of a button. Some apps also have comprehensive integrations with other learning platforms you might use.

Additionally, most organizations today incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their apps. This complement boosts their current possibilities and adds further advantages. It allows apps to deliver a smoother and more personalized experience.

A Sense of Community

Loneliness is one of the less-discussed downsides of learning a new language online or through a device. When faced with challenges or periods of decreased learning rhythm, you will often feel alone and demotivated. That is when having support from a supportive community becomes vital.

Interacting with people whose native language you are studying brings you incredible insights. Moreover, connecting with fellow learners gives you a sense of belonging. This way, you always have someone to turn to, whether you need advice or want to share experiences.

Learn European Portuguese Vs. Brazilian Portuguese

Most apps you will find teach Brazilian Portuguese instead of the European variant. The number of native speakers from Brazil is much higher than all other variants and dialects combined. Thus, you will always see more content for students who want to speak Brazilian Portuguese.

Some apps include both variants, so you can pick the one that suits you best. This way, you can better understand the differences between them and learn to communicate with native speakers. Regardless of the variant you choose to learn, it is best to focus on a single one. When you reach your goals and acquire the language, it will be easier to explore its counterpart without confusing the two.

You can choose based on your motivation for learning Portuguese. If you have business in Brazil or often go on vacation there, you should learn Brazilian Portuguese. On the contrary, if you just bought a home in Portugal or are looking to expand your job opportunities there, learn European Portuguese.

The Top 10 Portuguese Apps

Here are the top 10 apps and platforms you can use while learning European Portuguese in 2024. Some of them also teach Brazilian Portuguese and other languages. 

In some cases, you will find a free version with limited resources. However, the cost is usually low, and you can choose the payment method and schedule that best fit your learning and financial needs.

Memrise

Memrise is a valuable tool for expanding your Portuguese vocabulary, especially if you plan to visit Portugal. The platform offers an interactive and powerful approach to language learning. Its user-friendly interface prioritizes functionality over flashy design, ensuring a smooth learning experience.

By utilizing spaced repetition, mnemonic techniques, and audiovisual aids, Memrise enhances retention. The platform’s adaptive learning algorithm customizes the learning journey. Its free version comes with limited features, and users can subscribe to Memrise Pro for a monthly, yearly, or lifetime fee.

Altogether, Memrise is a comprehensive learning solution for learners of all levels and backgrounds. However, a potential drawback is its limited emphasis on conversational practice. This limitation may leave you unprepared for real-life scenarios requiring practical language skills.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a popular app among English speakers seeking to acquire a second language. This award-winning app is user-friendly and emphasizes gamification. The app has an easy-to-use interface and a structured program. This way, users can easily navigate the language lessons.

The app is effective for improving vocabulary and fundamental grammar skills. Still, it lacks proper emphasis on conversational ability and cultural understanding. Besides, it only teaches the Brazilian variant of the Portuguese language. Its heavy emphasis on translation exercises is another drawback. It does not facilitate natural language learning or fluency in practical communication settings.

Duolingo provides a variety of exercises. It ensures a holistic learning experience through listening, speaking, writing, and reading activities. The app is free, but users can subscribe to Super Duolingo, its premium experience.

Pimsleur (European Portuguese track)

Pimsleur offers a dedicated European Portuguese audio course with a strong focus on listening and speaking. It emphasises pronunciation, spoken dialogue practice, and listening comprehension. While the app includes additional support features like flashcards and quizzes, its core strength is its audio‑first methodology.

In fact, the Pimsleur Method is an audio-based language learning system focusing on spoken proficiency. It is an effective method for you to learn to pronounce and speak Portuguese, but there are some downsides. However, it gives you little context regarding Portuguese culture. It also leaves you lacking in your writing and reading. Unfortunately, you will not move from a beginner to an intermediate level if you do not work on all of your language skills.

Practice Portuguese

Practice Portuguese is a popular language-learning website and app. It is tailored specifically for learners interested in learning European Portuguese. It includes an intuitive interface and an extensive content library. The app also offers a comprehensive approach to language acquisition.

One of the main advantages of Practice Portuguese is that it showcases cultural variety. Students can learn about the different accents and dialects of European Portuguese. They also learn idiomatic expressions and sayings from each region.

Users get access to various learning materials, including audio lessons and grammar explanations. They get vocabulary exercises and cultural insights designed to enhance proficiency in Portuguese. However, Practice Portuguese does not offer a free trial. It is a subscription-only platform.

LingQ

LingQ supports European Portuguese through user‑generated content. Learners can import authentic texts with integrated audio and dictionary lookups. It is highly flexible and enables learners to tailor their content, though the app interface is less polished, and quality can vary across imported texts.

Despite being one of the cheapest online courses available, it is best for advanced learners. Beginners will find it challenging to use the content provided to grow their skills.

Drops

Drops is a language app that provides an enjoyable method for learning new languages. The app features a simple and user-friendly interface. It is incredibly time-effective because of its brief lessons, each lasting just five minutes. Thus, you can easily incorporate language practice into your schedule.

Drops help users enhance their vocabulary, refine pronunciation, and boost their language proficiency. However, it offers limited free resources. Students can only learn new words and have a 5-minute daily usage limit. This means you will not explore other aspects of the language, like Portuguese grammar.

Still, Drops is a versatile learning platform that caters to diverse learning styles and preferences. It permits users to advance at their own pace, ensuring that language acquisition is attainable for all those eager to learn.

Learnables

Another reading-focused resource, Learnables, is a more niche platform. It has bilingual stories and native European Portuguese audio. One of its most significant advantages is that you listen to the pronunciation of Portuguese speakers.

The app is excellent for building comprehension through reading with audio support. Like most of the options on this list, it supports other languages as well. Still, it is pretty limited and does not help you grow your overall skills or reach more advanced learning stages.

Mobiteach – Learn Portuguese for Beginners

Available for both Android and iOS devices, Aprender Português Básico A1 by Mobiteach is a completely free app. It delivers an accessible introduction to Portuguese, with quality content tailored for beginners. In fact, it is a perfect starting point if you want to progress to deeper courses elsewhere.

The app focuses on early vocabulary and basic phrases in European Portuguese. It can be a great boost if you are already living in Portugal but do not speak Portuguese. Nonetheless, you will soon need more to reach your language goals. As its name says, the app will not help you reach beyond an A1 fluency level.

Simply Learn Portuguese

Following the same teaching style, another popular platform is Simply Learn Portuguese. It is a phrasebook‑style app that focuses on practical phrases and vocabulary. It is based on Portuguese -English learning and features audios recorded by native speakers from Portugal.

Suitable for early beginners, this app is useful for travel and survival language skills, but it will not take you much beyond that. It is a good complementary tool for more comprehensive courses, and it is free. However, you will not become fluent by relying on it.

50LANGUAGES – Learn Portuguese

50LANGUAGES is a platform that delivers one hundred lessons in over fifty languages. It focuses on supplementary vocabulary and basic language exposure. Although it is not a full course, it is a free app that includes European Portuguese lessons with audio and text. You can use it as a supplementary tool to learn everyday vocabulary and sentence structures.

Nevertheless, the app is limited, and speech is slowed down. This means that you will not develop your language skills even if you spend a lot of time on it. Besides, it is unlikely that you will understand native speakers since the platform does not emphasize real-life speed exposure.

The Journey – An All-in-one Adventure to Fluency

Have you travelled to Portugal with a completed Portuguese course just to arrive and not understand a single word of what the natives say? Or do you feel like you understand some Portuguese but can not say a sentence to save your life?

At Portuguese with Carla & Friends, we understand how frustrating it is to invest in the wrong learning material. You invest your hard-earned money and all of the little free time you have into a miracle course that, in the end, delivers no progress.

That is why we created The Journey. It is not a regular app or language-learning platform. Instead, it is an all-in-one adventure fully created by native Portuguese speakers. With one subscription, you get real-life exposure, exercises that grow all of your language skills, and different features to practice whenever, wherever, and for however long you feel like it. You can learn more about it here!

Our Video Review

Back in 2017, Marlon tried and tested the most popular Portuguese language apps and made a video about it. The Top 10 Free European Portuguese apps presented apps you could use to practice Portuguese.

At the time, Marlon rated them according to 5 main aspects:

• Audio quality and pronunciation of terms
• Student Engagement (whether it features images, videos, or perhaps how much it “gamified” the learning experience)
• The interface of the app itself
• Catalog (basically how big and how good its database of Portuguese vocabulary was)
• Value

*Value is there because even though all of these apps are free, most have in-app purchases.

Disclaimer

Of the apps mentioned in the video, the following are now mostly obsolete:

• Basic 400 Words
• LearnBots
• iVerbs
• Pocket Lingo
• MnemoLingo

Additionally, you can still find the following language learning apps, but they are very niche:

• Loecsen
• L-Lingo
• 6000 Words

Watch the video here!

The Ratings (Back From 2017)

Learning Portuguese (European) Basic 400 Words

By Yandong Liu

The good:

• Excellent Audio
• Easy interface
• Use of images

The bad:

• No quizzes
• very bare-bones

LearnBots Portuguese – Verbs + Pronunciation by a Native Speaker!

By iEdutainments

The good:

• Lots of verb conjugations
• Native speaker

The bad:

• The native speaker has a heavy northern accent
• Antiquated design
• Buggy
• Not very intuitive

Learn Portuguese – Phrasebook for Travel in Portugal

By Codegent

The good:

• You learn short, useful sentences
• You can slow down the audio

The bad:

• Audio is heavily compressed
• buggy
• poor design taste

iVerbs 2.0

By Bradley Reed

The good:

• Straightforward interface
• Lots of verbs and conjugations

The bad:

• No context is ever put with verbs
• Somewhat robotic pronunciation
• No images

Portuguese Pocket Lingo

By Apps Kitchen Inc.

The good:

• Quick sheets menu (or starred items) is a nice feature
• Word of the day
• You can record your own voice for comparison

The bad:

• Heavily compressed audio makes listening unpleasant
• No guidance features
• No articles with nouns

Loecsen

By Loecsen

The good:

• Non-stock images
• Articles on some nouns
• Notifications to get you quizzing
• A lot for free

The bad:

• Some spelling errors
• The translation is not always accurate
• Pronunciation is sometimes off

MnemoLingo Free – The Word Trainer

By BitKnights LLC Web

The good:

• Simple & easy interface
• Apple Watch app
• prompts you to learn with reminders
• syncs over iCloud

The bad:

• No images
• Esoteric, low-usage words
• Limited games
• Voice is robotic
• Sometimes tests you before explaining the vocabulary

L-Lingo Learn Portuguese

By Smart Language Apps Limited

The good:

• Use of images
• Audio is native and clear
• Verbs are coupled with nouns
• Allows for the slowing down of audio

The bad:

• The interface is not so intuitive
• No articles on nouns

6000 Words – Learn Portuguese Language for Free

By Andrian Andronic

The good:

• Excellent  and varied exercises
• Good pronunciation
• Slow down option
• Includes articles on nouns
• Reasonable price

The bad:

• More probing of the user would be beneficial
• No verbs

Memrise: learn languages

By Memrise

The good:

• Some videos with native speakers pronouncing terms/sentences
• Audio is not just native and great in quality, but expressive
• Course structured around an imaginative game
• Interface is beautiful, fast, fun, and rewarding
• courses sets developed by Memrise are top class (anyone can create sets)
• Verbs are thought of and slowly added to useful sentences
• Lots for free

The bad:

• hmm…Not a lot!