How to Make a Language Learning App Like Duolingo?

With liberalization and globalization, it has become important to make a home for a foreign language.

For working professionals, it may become a challenging task to be physically present at the classes and attend all the sessions under their tight schedule.

Even for the students seeking to proceed with their higher studies abroad, learning a foreign language is a part that they consider to be socially active in the regions. A language learning app can become handy to them.

As an entrepreneur in the education industry, or with an already established business of language learning courses, creating an app like Duolingo should be your next step.

Now, the question is “How to make an app like Duolingo?”

Well, we have discussed the important steps for you in this blog.

Are you ready to discover more about the same?

Let’s get started.

Overview of Duolingo’s Success

Why only Duolingo and not Babbel, Busuu, Memrise, or any other?

Well, let’s learn about Duolingo, then.

Duolingo is a free app for learning about 40+ languages via quick, bite-sized lessons. Practice speaking, listening, and reading to build vocabulary and even develop grammar skills.

The app is among the most downloaded with over 500M+ users. This application is loved by hundreds of millions of learners worldwide.

Want to learn more? Let’s switch to the next section.

Why Create a Language Learning App Like Duolingo?

Still confused about why there is a need to make an app like Duolingo?

Here are some of the reasons along with educational app statistics to prove the facts.

♦ Growing Market Demand

The revenue of Duolingo, in the current era, is 33,287, 109 U.S Dollars. These statistics are continuously increasing in the coming years.

Additionally, by the end of the second quarter of 2024, the app had 8 million paid subscribers worldwide. Well, these stats provide an important reason to proceed with making an educational app like Duolingo.

♦ Source of Monetization

Creating an app like Duolingo will provide you with a strong source of earning money. Many monetization frameworks can be applied here such as advertising, in-app purchases, and many others.

Additionally, by developing an app like Duolingo, you will be able to make money by adding effective monetization parameters within the software.

♦ Global Reach

One of the best things about creating an app like Duolingo is it eliminates geographical barriers. Additionally, once the app is launched in the popular app stores, you may make the platform available for learners around the globe.

With the help of a language learning app, you can target a huge number of customers, and can even enter into the markets where you haven’t expanded your business.

♦ Encourages Fun-Based Learning

What if education or language learning becomes fun? Yes, that should be the target to attract the users who prefer to learn diversified foreign languages. When you develop an app that begins to attract students, you automatically drive great traffic to your business.

By creating an app, you might bring a revolution in the language learning procedure. This can enhance users’ interest in the business and you can cover the gap that exists in the education market.

♦ Provides Convenience and Flexibility

A language learning app provides convenience and flexibility to students and even to people who prefer to know foreign languages.

With a language learning app like Duolingo, you can provide users an opportunity to book courses based on their preferences anytime and anywhere. They can enjoy the classes being at remote locations. Thus, for availing of convenience, developing an app is profitable.

These were all the common reasons to be considered for creating an app like Duolingo.

Now, after learning “why” the question is “how to create an app like Duolingo?”

Let’s consider the following Section for the same.

Steps to Create an App Like Duolingo

A great app comes with the right guidance, and here’s a list to check for the steps to build a language learning app like Duolingo.

Step 1: Define Your App’s Unique Value Proposition

Before you switch to the complicated steps such as adding a feature of selecting technology for your app. It’s vital to know what actually your app can offer in the competitive market.

To understand the value proposition of your app, it’s vital to conduct market research and know the actual user, their preferences, demands, and requirements.

For deciding the value proposition of your app, it’s important to know about the competitors and list the benefits of your product and services.

Step 2: Essential Features of a Language Learning App

After deciding on the value proposition, it’s crucial to segregate the different features for your Duolingo-like App Development.

Let’s have a quick check over the type of eLearning app features you may include, below.

• Interactive Lessons and Language Courses

With the feature of interactive lessons and language courses, you can assist the users to have a wide range of courses and sessions that can encourage them to learn more languages. This feature assists the users to retain information effectively, by making their learning experience enjoyable.

• Offline Mode

This is a necessary feature for the education apps. It assists in measuring the continuous engagement of the students, even when they do not have stable internet connectivity. Under this feature, the users will be able to freely download educational material for availing the offline access.

• Progress Tracking and Analytics

Through progress tracking and analytics features, both educators as well as learners will have the ability to track progress. Under this feature, they can see what they are good at and how they may enhance their skills in the language learning process. It is an advanced tool to be implemented within the education app to help users to analyze their performance.

• Vocabulary Practice and Flashcards

Build an app like Duolingo, which is suitable for conducting vocabulary practice. Here the users can learn new words, practice them over the app, and memorize them with fun-based tricks. Along with this, under this feature, they can practice using the vocab in sentences that will be helpful to memorize them well.

• Multiple Language Support

Over Duolingo, the users can learn 40+ languages. Thus, you should offer this feature to the users to engage them for a long interval. Here they should be able to get the support of various languages while learning a new language. This pattern will assist them to evolve and learn in their own simplified manner.

Step 3: Design a User-Friendly Interface (UI/UX)

After selecting and implementing the features, you can be bothered about the impressive app design that can connect the users with the eLearning business.

The UI/UX app design should be simple and impressive to attract the users around globe. The design should be effective to allow the users to operate the app without any guidance.

Here you should develop a wireframe and prototype of the design and then select the best that goes with the business.

Step 4: Backend Development and Database Setup

Now, it’s time to work on the backend of the eLearning app. Select a tech stack with a suitable programming language, database, and infrastructure.

Let’s consider and understand the following technology set that will be helpful to you to select the best for building an eLearning app like Duolingo here.

♦ Choosing the Right Technology Stack

Selecting the right technology stack is essential when building a language-learning app like Duolingo.

• Front-end Development (React Native, Flutter)

For front-end development, you may master CSS Grid and Flexbox for layout control. Here you can visualize the app and then develop the graphical layout of the application.

• Back-end Development (Node.js, Python, Ruby on Rails)

Back-end development is all about working over the server-side software and focusing on each aspect that cannot be seen on a website. Here, you need to hire mobile app developers who can write code that will allow the database and an application to communicate with one another.

• Database (MongoDB, PostgreSQL)

You can probably select and build database servers such as PostgreSQL, and MySQL, along with web servers such as Nginx, Apache, etc. This database should belong to the type of app and its features.

♦ API Development

Create an app like Duolingo requires a robust API framework that enables smooth interactions between users and language learning features

• Cloud Infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure)

For the API development, you should create a cloud infrastructure and select the best cloud platform for developing an eLearning app like Duolingo. To create a successful cloud infrastructure, you should clarify the requirements, then design the API architecture, detail the responses, and test it before implementing it within the app.

Step 5: Build Interactive and Engaging Content

You cannot think of creating an elearning app without adding attractive content to it. Compelling writing and interactive fonts within the app will encourage them to participate in the language learning course.

It’s important to make the content relevant to the context and it should be inviting the users to buy the courses based on their interest.

Through minimalized content, you should build interactive sentences focused on engaging the users within the eLearning business.

Step 6: Gamification and User Engagement

Now, it’s time to opt for gamification within your eLearning app like Duolingo.

By incorporating the game-like elements comprising of points, badges, levels, and challenges, the app developers may create an experience that is fun, rewarding as well as engaging.

This is an essential feature to be considered here, an individual should be able to connect with the business and should be encouraged enough to attain their language learning goals.

Step 7: Monetization Strategies for Your App

Another crucial step is the adoption and implementation of monetization strategies. You should be aware of the monetization strategies for your eLearning app.

This process will be helpful to earn profits and revenue by enabling the users to utilize the opportunity to get extra benefits by paying an extra amount.

Some effective monetization strategies to note are advertising, in-app purchases, crowdfunding, etc.

Step 8: Testing and Quality Assurance

After adding monetization strategies to the app, the next step is to perform a mobile app testing procedure to ensure that the software is error-free.

Your app should be able to qualify for every test. Here it’s essential to perform quality testing such as performance testing, security testing, usability testing, installation testing, and automated testing.

This step is essential to identify the bugs and errors that may affect the functioning of an eLearning app like Duolingo.

Step 9: Deploying and Launching Your App

Now, it’s time to deploy the app over diversified channels or over the platforms that suit your business. Here you must decide between Android or iOS App.

Apart from this, you can go for a hybrid app that will be suitable for your business growth in the education industry.

After deployment, it’s essential to select a launch date for your educational app. It is one of the important parameters to consider before your competitor takes over the concept.

Step 10: Marketing and User Acquisition Strategies

Well, are you looking to market the app? Well, here it is essential to perform mobile app marketing by considering various social media platforms.

You should be bothered to create awareness about your eLearning app in the market. Here, connecting with a marketing agency might help.

With the help of the right user acquisition strategies, your app can be connected to the target audience.

Till now, we discussed about Duolingo app, the reasons to create it, and the steps to make a language learning app like Duolingo.

Now, let’s consider important concepts such as costs and time in the following sections.

How Much Does It Cost to Make an App Like Duolingo?

The average cost to build a language learning app like Duolingo can vary from $30,000 to $100,000.

The cost to develop an elearning app depends on different factors such as complexity and size, number and type of features, security, design, and many others.

Well, you might be thinking about how to cover the money invested to build an educational app like Duolingo.

Let’s switch to the next section.

Business Model of Duolingo & How Duolingo Makes Money?

What are the top app monetization strategies used by Duolingo to make money?

By 2017, the Duolingo app had used a business model based on crowdsourcing. Later, the company shifted to various monetization options.

Learn them all here.

► CrowdSourcing

Under Crowded apps like Duolingo, where the business has encouraged users to make crucial investments in the education sector.

With this monetization strategy, Duolingo had achieved a competitive advantage over other apps.

► Freemium Model

Under the freemium model, you should offer a free version of the app with the basic features and then charge for the additional or advanced features.

For the premium features, the users should be asked to pay an additional cost that can be helpful in earning money.

► In-App Purchases

Under in-app purchases, you should sell additional content comprising specialized courses along with extra practice materials.

This strategy can be useful in earning a permanent source of income. It is one of the essential frameworks impressive to attaining growth in the industry.

► Subscription Plans

You may develop diversified subscription plans depending on the users’ preferences. Here the users should be able to connect with the eLearning business based on their preferences and needs.

The price of the subscription plans should depend on the different alternatives such as course fees and competitors’ pricing strategies in the education market.

These were some of the monetization frameworks should be concerned with, now, the question is how much time should be invested to build an educational app like Duolingo.

The given section will be helpful in the same.

How Much Time Does It Take to Create an App Like Duolingo?

Here’s a table to be considered for identifying the time frame.

These months are estimated and can vary depending on different factors such as budget, complexity of features, and many other things.

If you are still confused about developing an eLearning app, connecting with an experienced company can help.

Build Your Own Language Learning App with Nimble AppGenie

Are you searching for an experienced company to make your dream app?

Nimble AppGenie is here to help. Our skilled team of developers is determined to deliver quality language-learning apps.

We are the best Education App Development Company focused on creating your app with dedication, honesty, and integrity.

Conclusion

To develop a language learning app like Duolingo, it’s important to proceed with the right series of steps comprising of identifying value proposition, evaluating the target audience, creating an app design, selecting a suitable tech stack, building interactive content, monetizing the app and then testing it rigorously.

Here the cost to create an app like Duolingo depends on different factors such as complexity, type of features, maintenance, security, and many others. Apart from this, the monetization strategies that can be utilized are advertising, in-app purchases, crowdsourcing, etc. You may connect with a skilled team of developers to learn more.

FAQs

Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.