Duolingo's top tier: AI Roleplay and Video Call on top of Super
Duolingo Max is a premium subscription tier of Duolingo, a game-based language learning app for casual and serious learners.
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AI Editor ApprovedApproved and published by our AI Editor-in-Chief after full panel analysis.Duolingo Max is the premium subscription tier of Duolingo, the game-based language learning app, aimed at learners who want AI-powered practice on top of the free platform. It keeps every Super Duolingo benefit and adds two AI-powered features: Roleplay, which lets learners practice open-ended conversations with AI characters in their target language and gives feedback afterward, and Video Call with Lily, an on-demand spoken conversation that remembers earlier calls and leaves a transcript. Unlimited hearts and an ad-free experience carry over from Super, and Max works only in the iOS and Android apps. The base app has a free plan; Max costs $29.99 per month, or $14 per month billed annually, with a family plan at $239.99 per year. TopReviewed's six-seat AI review panel scored it 7.3/10, praising the expert-written Roleplay scenarios while noting that Duolingo for Business sells discounted Super seats but not Max. It fits best for individual learners committed to language acquisition who value AI-driven conversation practice.
Duolingo structures language learning as a series of short, game-like lessons organized into a skill tree. Learners complete exercises involving translation, listening, speaking, and matching, earning points and maintaining streaks that encourage daily practice. Duolingo Max subscribers follow the same lesson structure and find the AI features on the path and in the Practice Hub.
The two headline features of Duolingo Max are Roleplay and Video Call with Lily. Roleplay lets learners practice real-world conversations with Duolingo's characters, such as ordering a coffee with Lin or going furniture shopping with Eddy, and gives AI-powered feedback on the accuracy and complexity of their responses afterward. Duolingo's curriculum experts write each scenario and its opening message. Video Call puts learners in an on-demand conversation with Lily, who usually opens with a topic they just studied, responds in real time, remembers earlier calls and leaves a transcript to review. Max launched in March 2023 on OpenAI's GPT-4. Explain My Answer, a personalized breakdown of why an answer was right or wrong, started as a Max feature and is now free for all Duolingo learners.
Duolingo Max is aimed at motivated language learners who want more than passive drill practice and are willing to pay for interactive, generative AI features. The free Duolingo tier remains fully functional; Super Duolingo (formerly Duolingo Plus) sits between free and Max, with no ads, unlimited hearts, personalized mistake practice and unlimited Legendary attempts. Duolingo Max is priced above Super Duolingo, and its AI features cover a limited set of courses: Roleplay for English speakers learning French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian (plus the English courses for Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French speakers), and Video Call for learners of English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese. Subscribers in other courses keep the Super benefits.
Duolingo is available as a web app and as native apps on iOS and Android, but Duolingo Max is sold and used only in the iOS and Android apps; it can't be bought or accessed on the web.
Duolingo's curriculum experts write each Roleplay scenario and its opening message, match it to where the learner is in the course, and steer where the AI takes the conversation. Max launched in 2023 on OpenAI's GPT-4.
Gives a personalized breakdown of why an answer was right or wrong, with grammar and vocabulary tips. It started as a Max feature and is now free for all Duolingo learners in courses such as Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian and Korean.
After each Roleplay, gives AI-powered feedback on the accuracy and complexity of the learner's responses, plus tips for future conversations.
Lets learners have simulated open-ended conversations with an AI character in the target language to practice real-world dialogue scenarios.
On-demand video calls with Duolingo's character Lily, who opens on a topic you just studied, responds in real time, remembers earlier calls and leaves a transcript to review. Available on iOS and Android for learners of English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese.
Removes advertisements from the learning experience as part of the paid subscription bundle inherited from Duolingo Super.
Roleplay covers English speakers learning French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian, plus the English courses for Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French speakers; Video Call covers learners of English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese.
Positioned as a premium subscription level above Duolingo Super, unlocking additional AI-driven learning tools.
Includes unlimited hearts and unlimited attempts at Legendary challenges, carried over from the Duolingo Super plan.
Available on iOS and Android as an upgraded tier within the existing Duolingo mobile app experience; Max can't be bought or used on the web.
For individual learners who want Max's AI-powered features (Roleplay and Video Call with Lily) on a flexible month-to-month basis; includes all Super Duolingo features. Sold in the iOS and Android apps only.
For committed individual learners wanting the lowest effective monthly cost (~$14/month) for full AI-powered Duolingo Max features, billed once per year.
For households or groups of up to 6 people who all want Duolingo Max's AI-powered features under a single shared annual subscription.
Duolingo's premium AI tier — the rare case where the brand pre-existed the AI feature, not the other way around.
“Founded 2011, public company, $29.99/month Max tier with AI Roleplay and Video Call. Duolingo Max is the AI play of a 15-year-old language-learning leader, not a standalone bet.”
Duolingo founded 2011. Public company since 2021. $29.99/month Max tier launched March 2023 on top of the existing Duolingo Super subscription. Three signals — durable parent, public-market accountability, established subscription business that AI extends rather than rebuilds.
Two things matter for the decision. One: this is a consumer subscription, not an enterprise or B2B product. The buying frame for executives is personal — it's not on the corporate procurement list. Two: the AI features (Roleplay, Video Call) run on an outside model provider — Max launched on OpenAI's GPT-4 — which means model-provider dependency is structural. Duolingo's scale gives them leverage, but the cost-vs-value math at $30/month per user only works at Duolingo's scale.
For a B2B buyer, this product isn't a procurement question. For an L&D buyer evaluating language learning, Super is more relevant than Max: Duolingo for Business sells discounted bulk Super accounts, not Max.
Default leader in language learning; AI features are competitive vs Babbel and Rosetta Stone but not differentiated.
Duolingo brand is universally recognized; risk of association is near zero.
New AI features layer on existing Duolingo workflow — immediate access, no learning curve for existing users.
Consumer subscription — wrong product shape for B2B or L&D evaluations.
Duolingo is public, profitable, 15 years old, and brand-dominant in language learning — strongest viability in the category.
Individual learners committed to language acquisition who value AI-driven conversation practice and explanation depth.
You are evaluating language learning at the corporate or L&D level rather than personal consumption.
Max's durable asset is the human-written Roleplay scenario library, not whichever model voices it.
“Duolingo Max now sells spoken practice through Roleplay and Video Call with Lily, on top of every Super benefit. The curriculum design is sound, but a language program can't buy Max through Duolingo for Business or use it on the web.”
Humans write every Roleplay scenario and its opening message, pitched to the learner's place in the course, and steer where the model goes. That's sound curriculum architecture. Max launched on GPT-4 in 2023, but the help pages now just say AI-powered; the durable asset is the scenario library.
The paywall line already moved once: in-lesson grammar explanations went free for everyone on January 1, 2026. What $29.99 a month buys now is speaking practice, meaning Roleplay with accuracy feedback and Video Call with Lily, who remembers earlier calls. Babbel Speak runs the same expert-designed pattern in a beta open to free accounts, so the scaffold isn't a moat.
The catch is deployment. Duolingo for Business sells discounted Super seats with an admin portal, not Max, and Max runs only on iOS and Android. I couldn't find an API or LMS integration, so I see no path to provisioning the AI tier centrally.
Babbel Speak runs the same expert-designed conversation pattern free in beta, which limits how far the scaffold alone sets Max apart.
Targets spoken production practice, though some courses don't get the AI features.
Max is iOS and Android only, Duolingo for Business provisions Super rather than Max, and I couldn't find an API or LMS integration.
The scenario library is the durable asset, but one paid feature already moved to the free tier, so the premium line can shift again.
Expert-written Roleplay scenarios steer the model and Lily remembers earlier calls: curriculum design, not a bare chatbot.
Self-directed learners who want spoken practice in a supported course.
Language-program leads who need to provision Max seats for employees.
$29.99/month is roughly double Duolingo Super at $12.99 — pricing the AI premium honestly.
“Max at $29.99/month or roughly $168/year is consumer-tier expensive for language learning. The math only makes sense for committed daily users.”
$29.99/month. Roughly $168/year on annual prepay (vs Duolingo Super at $84/year).
For a daily user, that's $0.55/day for premium AI features. For a 3-times-a-week user, it's $1.50/day — comparable to a coffee. Compare ChatGPT Plus at $20/month with broader use cases: Max is more expensive for a single-purpose AI feature set. Compare Babbel at $13.95/month: half the price, and its AI conversation practice, Babbel Speak, is open to free accounts.
The upgrade math from Super to Max is the real comparison: $17/month delta for two AI features. Pedagogically valuable for committed learners; overpriced for occasional users. Max does come as a family plan shared with up to five other users, which changes the math for households; Duolingo for Business volume pricing covers bulk Super accounts, not Max. Consumer subscription — finance signs off as personal expense, not corporate.
App Store / Play Store billing only — Max can't be bought on the web; consumer-grade simplicity.
Monthly or annual subscription; cancel anytime; no auto-renewal traps documented.
Max tier price is published clearly; comparison to Super tier is direct and honest.
Pedagogical value is real for daily users; ROI vs Super tier requires committed practice volume.
$168/year is consumer-expensive for language learning; only justifies for daily-active learners.
Daily-active language learners willing to pay for AI conversation and explanation features.
You use Duolingo a few times a week and the marginal AI value does not justify doubling the subscription.
Roleplay is the feature that finally makes Duolingo feel like talking to a person.
“Day-3 reality: Roleplay sessions are the daily 10-minute practice that traditional Duolingo lessons couldn't deliver. Day-30 reality: the Roleplay scenario library is the ceiling.”
Day one with Max, the Roleplay feature is the headline. You pick a scenario — ordering at a Paris cafe, a job interview in Spanish — and have an open-ended conversation with an AI-driven character. That's the language practice traditional Duolingo lessons couldn't deliver. Compare ChatGPT for the same use case: more flexible, less pedagogically structured.
Day-three reality: you settle into a daily rhythm. The standard Duolingo lessons stay the same; Roleplay is your 10-minute conversation practice. Video Call with Lily becomes the other habit — she opens on what you just studied and remembers the last call. Explain My Answer, now free for every learner, is still what you reach for when a translation choice surprises you. The Max features are well-integrated into the existing Duolingo workflow.
Day-thirty fight is content depth. Roleplay scenarios cycle quickly — you've done all the available restaurant and travel scenarios within a few weeks. Explain My Answer scales with question variety, but the depth ceiling is real for advanced learners. The brand-loyal learner stays; the seriously committed C1+ learner outgrows it.
Roleplay sessions deliver the conversational practice traditional Duolingo could not — daily-useful feature.
Help center is consumer-shaped — written for general users, not advanced language learners.
Roleplay scenario rotation is real; advanced learners hit content depth ceiling within weeks.
Two AI features are pedagogically sound but not deep — ceiling for serious language learners.
AI features layer cleanly into the existing Duolingo lesson flow without requiring new app or account.
Beginner to intermediate language learners who want AI-driven conversation and explanation practice.
You are an advanced (C1+) learner whose practice needs exceed structured pedagogy.
Video Call with Lily makes a good daily phone habit, but Max doesn't exist in a browser.
“Video Call with Lily and Roleplay slot straight into the daily lesson loop on iOS and Android. Neither one works in a browser, and both cover only a limited set of courses.”
Max lives on your phone. Open Duolingo in a browser and both AI features are gone, and you can't buy the plan there either. Lessons at a desk? Real hole.
On the phone, different story. Video Call with Lily is built for a daily habit: she opens on something you just studied, answers in real time, remembers earlier calls and leaves a transcript to reread. Roleplay (ordering coffee with Lin, say) ends with feedback on the accuracy and complexity of what you said. Both live on the path and in the Practice Hub. Routine, not homework.
The catch is coverage. Video Call covers six languages and Roleplay a similarly short list; outside them, Max is Super with a bigger bill. The answer explanations Max once included went free for all learners in January 2026, so the upgrade buys exactly two things. Take the calls daily or skip it.
Roleplay and Video Call show up on the path and in the Practice Hub, but open Duolingo in a browser and both are gone.
Lily remembers earlier calls, so month three builds on month one, as long as your course is on the supported list.
Max is built for the iOS and Android apps, where both AI features live; outside the apps it doesn't exist.
Upgrading takes a tap from the Shop tab or the Practice Hub, though a subscription bought in a browser can't be upgraded to Max.
Duolingo says Lily responds in real time; I couldn't find anything on how calls hold up on a weak connection.
Daily learners who practice on their phone in a supported course.
Learners who do most of their lessons in a browser.
Duolingo Max is brand-leverage AI — the parent product carries it more than the AI carries the parent.
“Three green flags from the parent. The yellow flag: $30/month for two AI features when ChatGPT Plus is $20 with broader scope.”
Duolingo founded 2011. Public company. Profitable. 15 years of category dominance. Three green flags from the parent that put Duolingo Max in a structurally different position than any AI-language-learning startup.
Green flags. Distribution is unbeatable — Duolingo counts 500M+ learners worldwide, and the AI features ride that audience for free. The pedagogical case for Roleplay and Video Call is sound. The pricing is honest about what Max is — a premium tier of an existing subscription, not a new product.
Two yellow flags. The $30/month price is high for two AI features when ChatGPT Plus at $20 covers more ground for language learners willing to drive their own practice. The other yellow: model-provider dependency is structural (Max launched on OpenAI's GPT-4) — Duolingo's margin compresses if model prices rise. Both yellows are absorbed by the parent's scale; for a smaller vendor, they'd be existential.
Brand and distribution are differentiated; AI features themselves are competitive vs Babbel Speak.
Subscription cancellation is clean; learning history is yours; AI conversation history is not exportable.
Parent durability covers most concerns; OpenAI dependency is the structural risk worth watching.
Pricing is direct, AI features are honestly described, no inflated language about 'reinventing' learning.
Founded 2011, public since 2021, with continuous category dominance — strongest survivor pattern in language learning.
Daily Duolingo users who value brand stability and structured pedagogy enough to pay the AI premium.
You are willing to drive your own AI conversation practice and ChatGPT Plus covers your needs at lower cost.
Common questions answered by our AI research team
Explain My Answer gives personalized explanations for why a learner's answer was right or wrong, with grammar and vocabulary tips. It started as a Duolingo Max feature and is now free for all Duolingo learners, so it is no longer something Max adds.
Roleplay lets learners practice open-ended conversations with AI characters in their target language in scenarios such as ordering a coffee or going furniture shopping, then gives AI-powered feedback on the accuracy and complexity of their responses.
Duolingo Max launched in March 2023 on OpenAI's GPT-4. Duolingo's current help pages describe Roleplay and Video Call as AI-powered but don't name the model behind them.
Yes, the Roleplay feature lets learners practice open-ended conversations with AI characters in their target language.
Yes. Duolingo Max includes everything in Super Duolingo, which builds on the free app, and adds two AI-powered features: Roleplay and Video Call with Lily.
Who Duolingo Max competes with, and how each one differs
Subscription-first, ad-free language courses built by in-house linguists rather than crowd-sourced gamified content; a smaller free tier than Duolingo's free-forever, ad-supported model, targeting adults who want structured lessons over game mechanics.
Pairs AI-personalized study plans with a native-speaker community that reviews learners' writing and speaking, competing on human feedback quality where Duolingo leans on automated AI grading (Duolingo Max) and gamified repetition.
Free, donor-funded education platform spanning math, science and humanities rather than language-specific content; competes with Duolingo for the same daily self-directed-learning habit and races it on AI tutoring (Khanmigo vs. Duolingo Max).
