Updated November 2026
The 12 Best Apps to Learn Dutch in 2026
Quick picks: the best app for what you need
Best free start
DuolingoFree, builds a daily habit and your first few hundred words.
Best paid course
BabbelA clear lesson order from beginner to about B1.
Best for speaking
italkiA real teacher, 1-on-1. Median $36 per 60 minutes across 1,084 tutor profiles.
Best for listening at your level
Dutch FluencyLevel-tagged podcasts with transcripts. Our own product.
Best for vocabulary
AnkiFree spaced-repetition flashcards on desktop, web and Android.
Best audio-only for the commute
PimsleurYou answer out loud from the first minute.
Learning Belgian Dutch? See the best apps to learn Flemish.
All 12 apps at a glance
| App | Best for | Levels | Price model | Speaking practice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | A free first step | Beginner (roughly A1 to A2) | Free with ads; paid Super plan | Short repeat-after-me exercises |
| Babbel | A structured paid course | Beginner to lower intermediate (A1 to B1) | Paid subscription; first lesson free | Speech recognition in lessons |
| Busuu | Feedback from native speakers | Beginner to intermediate | Free tier; paid Premium | Record answers and get community feedback |
| Dutch Fluency | Listening at your exact level | Beginner to upper intermediate (A1 to B2+) | Podcasts free on Spotify and Apple; Dutch transcripts free to read, English translation with a free account, everything with a membership | Shadowing mode in the transcript player; picture-description practice with feedback |
| italki | Speaking with a real Dutch teacher | All levels | Each teacher sets a price per lesson; many offer a cheaper trial lesson | Live 1-on-1 video lessons |
| Anki | Free flashcards that stick | All levels | Free on desktop, web and Android; paid iOS app | None |
| Clozemaster | Vocabulary in context | Lower intermediate to advanced (A2 to C1) | Free; paid Pro plan | None |
| LingQ | Reading and listening to real Dutch | Intermediate and up (B1+) | Free with limits; paid Premium | None |
| DutchPod101 | Short lessons on everyday conversations | Beginner to advanced | Free lifetime account; paid plans, 1-on-1 teacher access only on Premium PLUS | Personal teacher feedback on Premium PLUS |
| Pimsleur | Speaking from day one, audio only | Beginner (A1 to A2) | Paid subscription; free trial | Core of the method: you answer out loud |
| Drops | A 5-minute vocabulary habit | Beginner | Free daily time limit; paid Premium | None |
| Memrise | Words with native-speaker clips | Beginner to lower intermediate | Free; paid Pro plan | Some listening and repeat exercises |
What each app is good for
1. DuolingoBest for: a free first step
Beginner (roughly A1 to A2) · Free with ads; paid Super plan
Good: Builds a daily habit and your first few hundred words at no cost. The game loop keeps many people going for months.
Watch out: Sentences stay short and artificial, and you hear very little natural Dutch. Most learners who only use Duolingo can read simple Dutch but not follow a conversation.
Visit Duolingo2. BabbelBest for: a structured paid course
Beginner to lower intermediate (A1 to B1) · Paid subscription; first lesson free
Good: Lessons follow a clear order, use realistic dialogues and explain grammar in English when you need it.
Watch out: You pay from the start, and the course ends around B1. You still need listening practice with real speech.
Visit Babbel3. BusuuBest for: feedback from native speakers
Beginner to intermediate · Free tier; paid Premium
Good: You can submit written and spoken answers and native speakers in the community correct them.
Watch out: Feedback quality depends on who replies, and the best features sit behind Premium.
Visit Busuu4. Dutch FluencyBest for: listening at your exact level
Beginner to upper intermediate (A1 to B2+) · Podcasts free on Spotify and Apple; Dutch transcripts free to read, English translation with a free account, everything with a membership
Good: 30+ podcast shows with 6,400+ episodes, each tagged by level. Transcripts follow the audio, with an English translation per sentence and a word list. Also a verb trainer and NT2 exam practice.
Watch out: It is a listening and practice system, not a step-by-step course from zero. Pair it with a course app if you are a complete beginner. (This is our product.)
Visit Dutch Fluency5. italkiBest for: speaking with a real dutch teacher
All levels · Each teacher sets a price per lesson; many offer a cheaper trial lesson
Good: You book professional teachers or community tutors for 1-on-1 video lessons, from 30 minutes up to 3 hours. Across 1,084 priced online Dutch tutor profiles on seven platforms, the median regular lesson costs $36 per 60 minutes (The Dutch Directory tutor price index, November 2026).
Watch out: Quality varies from teacher to teacher, and two or three lessons a week add up fast. Book a trial lesson before you commit to a series.
Visit italki6. AnkiBest for: free flashcards that stick
All levels · Free on desktop, web and Android; paid iOS app
Good: Spaced repetition shows each word right before you forget it. Community decks exist for NT2 word lists and the most frequent Dutch words.
Watch out: You set it up yourself, and the interface feels dated. It trains memory, not listening or speaking.
Visit Anki7. ClozemasterBest for: vocabulary in context
Lower intermediate to advanced (A2 to C1) · Free; paid Pro plan
Good: You fill the missing word in thousands of real Dutch sentences, which grows vocabulary faster than word lists once you know the basics.
Watch out: Too hard for absolute beginners, and some sentences are awkward translations.
Visit Clozemaster8. LingQBest for: reading and listening to real dutch
Intermediate and up (B1+) · Free with limits; paid Premium
Good: Import articles, podcasts and books, then look up and save unknown words as you read along with the audio.
Watch out: It shines once you are past A2. Before that, most real content is too hard to enjoy.
Visit LingQ9. DutchPod101Best for: short lessons on everyday conversations
Beginner to advanced · Free lifetime account; paid plans, 1-on-1 teacher access only on Premium PLUS
Good: Short lessons built around everyday Dutch conversations, plus flashcards and vocabulary lists. The free account needs no credit card, so you can judge the style first.
Watch out: Most of the useful extras sit behind paid plans and upgrade offers are frequent. Compare the plans before you pay.
Visit DutchPod10110. PimsleurBest for: speaking from day one, audio only
Beginner (A1 to A2) · Paid subscription; free trial
Good: Thirty-minute audio lessons make you answer out loud from the first minute. Good for commutes.
Watch out: Slow pace, little reading or writing, and the Dutch course is short compared with bigger languages.
Visit Pimsleur11. DropsBest for: a 5-minute vocabulary habit
Beginner · Free daily time limit; paid Premium
Good: Picture-based word games in five-minute sessions. An easy daily habit for busy people.
Watch out: Single words only, no grammar or sentences. A supplement, not a course.
Visit Drops12. MemriseBest for: words with native-speaker clips
Beginner to lower intermediate · Free; paid Pro plan
Good: Short videos of native speakers help you hear how words and phrases really sound.
Watch out: Strong for vocabulary and phrases, weak for grammar and longer listening.
Visit Memrise
Best apps to learn Flemish (Belgian Dutch)
Flemish is not a separate language. It is the Dutch spoken in Belgium, with the same grammar and spelling as in the Netherlands, so every app above teaches you the basics. What changes is the sound and some everyday words. Moving to Flanders or Brussels? Keep a course app for structure and add these for Belgian Dutch:
Full guide, with courses in Brussels and Flanders: the best apps to learn Flemish.
- NedBox
Free exercises built around real Flemish news, TV and media, from beginner to upper intermediate. The best free start for Belgian Dutch.
- Wablieft
Easy-language news from Flanders, written for adult learners. Good reading practice once you know a few hundred words.
- VRT NWS
The Flemish public broadcaster. Use the radio news and short videos to train your ear for Belgian pronunciation.
- Learn Dutch with Alain
A Flemish teacher on YouTube who explains Belgian words, expressions and pronunciation differences.
Need a course or school in Belgium? The free Dutch Directory lists schools, CVO courses and integration offices across Flanders and Brussels.
How to combine apps by level
Complete beginner (A0 to A1): one course app every day (Duolingo or Babbel) plus Drops or Anki for words. Start listening to beginner podcasts early, even if you only catch a few words.
Beginner to intermediate (A2 to B1): keep a course app, but shift most of your time to listening at your level with transcripts, and add Clozemaster for vocabulary in context. Book a conversation partner or tutor once a week.
Intermediate and up (B1+): drop the course app. Use LingQ or Dutch podcasts and news for real content, keep Anki for the words you meet, and speak as often as you can.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app to learn Dutch?
No single app is best for everything. For a complete beginner, Babbel (paid) or Duolingo (free) gives the most structure. To understand spoken Dutch, add a listening app at your level such as Dutch Fluency's levelled podcasts. Anki is the best free flashcard app for vocabulary.
What is the best free app to learn Dutch?
Duolingo is the best free way to start. Anki is the best free flashcard app. For listening, Dutch Fluency's podcasts are free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and the Dutch transcripts are free to read on the site; a free account adds the English translation.
Can you learn Dutch with Duolingo alone?
You can learn basic reading and a few hundred words, but Duolingo alone rarely gets people to conversation level. It has little natural listening and almost no free speaking. Most learners add listening practice and conversations with real people.
Which app is best for speaking Dutch?
Pimsleur makes you speak out loud from the first lesson. Busuu lets native speakers correct your recordings. Shadowing, repeating a speaker sentence by sentence, is another effective method, and Dutch Fluency's players have a shadowing mode. Apps help, but regular conversation with a person is still the fastest way to speak.
Which apps help with the inburgering or NT2 exam?
Start with the official practice exams: DUO publishes them on inburgeren.nl and the Staatsexamens NT2 site publishes them for Program I and II. Dutch Fluency's RickAI chat adds exam-style practice. General apps like Duolingo do not follow the exam format.
How long does it take to learn Dutch with apps?
The US Foreign Service Institute estimates about 24 to 30 weeks of full-time study for an English speaker to reach professional working proficiency in Dutch. With 20 to 30 minutes of apps a day, expect a year or more to reach a comfortable B1, faster if you add listening and speaking every day.
Are paid Dutch learning apps worth it?
A paid app is worth it when it gives you something the free options do not: structure (Babbel), human feedback (Busuu Premium) or the full transcript player and practice (Dutch Fluency). If you will not use it at least four days a week, stay on free tools.
What is the best app to learn Flemish?
Flemish is the Dutch spoken in Belgium, with the same grammar and spelling as Dutch in the Netherlands, so any app above works for the basics. To get used to Belgian words and pronunciation, add NedBox (free, built around Flemish news and media), Wablieft for easy news from Flanders, and VRT NWS for real Flemish radio and TV.
Not sure where to start?
Take the free level test. It tells you your level and which podcasts and exercises fit it.