Duolingo made language learning feel like a game, and it deserves the credit. Short lessons, a streak counter, leagues, an owl that won't leave you alone. It now teaches math, music and chess too. For a lot of people it was the first learning app that stuck, and any Duolingo alternative gets measured against it.
But if you're searching for a Duolingo alternative, something probably stopped working. Maybe the streak became the goal and the learning didn't. Maybe you open TikTok forty times a day and Duolingo once, if you remember. The short answer is that they solve different problems. You might want both.
The short version
| Feature | Quizlock | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Where you learn | In front of the apps you already open, like Instagram and TikTok | Inside the Duolingo app, when you decide to open it |
| What gets you to practice | You want to scroll. One right answer earns 2 minutes. | Streaks, XP, leagues and reminders |
| Subjects | Anything you type, plus your own PDFs, photos of notes and links | Languages, math, music and chess |
| Session length | One question at a time, dozens of times a day | Lessons of a few minutes |
| Cuts screen time | Yes, locked apps cost a right answer | No, it adds an app to your day |
| Price | $69.99 a year or $12.99 a month, 7-day free trial | Free version, plus paid plans |
| Platforms | iPhone | iPhone, Android, web |
Duolingo subjects are from Duolingo's own blog as of October 2026. For Duolingo's paid plan prices, check the Duolingo app.
The problem with apps you have to open
Every learning app has the same weak spot. It needs you to choose it, over and over, in a moment when something easier is one tap away. Duolingo's answer is the streak. Keep it alive or lose it. That works well for a while, because nobody likes losing a 200-day streak.
The trouble is what the streak teaches you to do. You do the easiest lesson at 11:58 pm to keep the number going. The goal shifts from learning Spanish to not breaking the chain. And it still asks for a decision every day. On a tired evening, the decision usually goes to the feed.
- Reminder notification
- Ignore it, open TikTok instead
- Remember the streak at midnight
- Do the shortest lesson to save it
Learning competes with scrolling, and scrolling usually wins.
Quizlock- Open TikTok out of habit
- Quizlock asks a Spanish question
- Answer it right, earn 2 minutes
- Scroll, one word further along
Learning sits in front of scrolling, so the habit you already have does the work.
How Quizlock is different
Quizlock doesn't ask you to build a new habit. It uses one you already have too much of. You pick the apps that eat your time, and Quizlock locks them through Apple's Screen Time system. Each time you open one, you get a question on what you're learning. Get it right and you earn 2 minutes of scrolling. Minutes stack in a wallet up to 30.
The second difference is what you can learn. Duolingo teaches the courses it has built. Quizlock builds questions from whatever you type in as a topic: Japanese, the French Revolution, organic chemistry, wine regions. You can also give it your own material. Upload a PDF of lecture slides, take a photo of your notes, or paste a link, and the questions come from that.
That is why we'd call Quizlock a Duolingo companion as much as an alternative. Duolingo is a structured course you sit down for. Quizlock catches the dozens of small moments you'd otherwise hand to the feed, and makes each one count for something.
Apps like Duolingo for other subjects
A lot of people searching for apps like Duolingo aren't after another language course. They want that same short, daily, game-like practice for something else: biology for an exam, history, wine, the driving theory test. Duolingo covers languages, math, music and chess. Outside those, you're mostly on your own.
Quizlock doesn't have a fixed course list. You type a topic and it writes the questions. You can also hand it your own material: a PDF of lecture slides, a photo of handwritten notes, or a link to an article. The questions then come from that, so you're tested on what your class covers, not on a general syllabus.
The delivery is the other difference. With Duolingo you open the app for a lesson. With Quizlock the questions show up when you open Instagram, TikTok or any app you've locked. One right answer earns 2 minutes, so a subject you'd never sit down to study gets practice every time you reach for the feed.
Using both
This works well, and it's what we'd suggest if you're learning a language. Keep your Duolingo course for structured lessons. Set Quizlock to the same language, and lock Instagram, TikTok or YouTube. You get structured practice when you choose it, plus review every time you reach for your phone without thinking.
- Keep Duolingo for lessons
Use it the way you already do, for new material and structure.
- Add your language in Quizlock
Type the language and level you're working on as your topic.
- Lock your scroll apps
Pick the apps you open on autopilot. Each unlock becomes a review question.
Where Duolingo is the better pick
- You want a structured course that takes you from zero, step by step. Duolingo is built for that, and Quizlock isn't a course.
- You want speaking and listening practice inside a full course. Duolingo's paid tiers add features like AI roleplay.
- You're on Android or a computer. Quizlock is iPhone only.
- You don't spend much time scrolling. If there is no habit to borrow, Quizlock has less to work with.
Pick Quizlock if your phone time is the problem
If Duolingo is working, keep it. If you keep meaning to practice and end up in the feed instead, Quizlock puts the practice in the feed's way. Any subject, a question at a time, and fewer mindless opens as a side effect.
- Learning shows up where you already are, no new habit needed
- Any topic you type, or your own notes and PDFs
- Cuts screen time on the apps you lock
What is a good Duolingo alternative?
It depends on why Duolingo isn't working. If you struggle to open it, Quizlock puts questions in front of the apps you already open, so practice happens without a separate session.
Can I use Quizlock and Duolingo together?
Yes, and it works well. Use Duolingo for structured lessons and set Quizlock to the same language for quick review every time you open a locked app.
Does Quizlock only teach languages?
No. You can type in any topic, from history to biology to wine. You can also make quizzes from your own PDFs, photos of notes and web links.
Can a learning app cut my screen time?
Quizlock can, because it sits in front of the apps you lock. Each open costs a right answer and earns 2 minutes, so autopilot opens stop being free.
How much does Quizlock cost?
$69.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $12.99 a month. It is an iPhone app.
