Busuu vs Drops
Overview
Busuu is a language learning app with 120+ million learners. It targets all aspects of communication: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. Lessons are interactive and fun and your written and spoken work can be submitted for feedback from native speakers. An AI tool tracks your progress and revisits content you need to work on more closely.
Drops is a slick, game based vocabulary app. It introduces new words and phrases with audio recordings and images and then helps you commit them to memory through game play. Games involve matching, sorting and true/false challenges. Drops also lets you track your progress, provides extra practice for words you’re struggling with and earn badges for various achievements.
Pros
- Comprehensive - Covers speaking, listening, reading, writing and cultural tips
- Fun to use, easy to navigate, interactive and engaging
- Native {{targetLanguage.name}} speakers provide feedback on written and spoken work
- AI powered Smart Reviews revisit content at the right time based on individual performance (Premium membership only)
- You can personalize your language goals
- Lessons cover useful and relevant topics and content is regularly updated
- Available free (with ads)
- Effective at teaching vocabulary in a fun way that really sticks
- Clean and easy to navigate interface
- Review activities including Review Quiz and Review dojo
- Adaptable with ability to skip learned content
- Wide range of topics covered
Cons
- Free version ads are distracting and intrusive
- Fewer languages offered than its competitors
- Completion certificates are not accredited
- Quality depends on the language you choose
- Free version has a daily 5 minute limit
- Does not teach sentences or grammar - but does have a travel talk category for phrases
- No voice recognition software for pronunciation practice
- Desktop version can be a little glitchy
Best for
Best for: Anyone from a beginner to intermediate ability in the target language as there’s a range of levels. And if you’re not sure of your level, you can take Busuu’s placement test. It’s also great wherever you want to learn, either on the go or on a desktop.
Best for: Those who want to learn another language from scratch and would like a head start by mastering some basic vocabulary. Also anyone who wants to supplement another more comprehensive method of learning with a reliable and effective vocabulary app. Especially suitable for people who learn through game play
Price
From $6.95 pm
From $7.50 per month
Number of users
500,000 active subscribers
40 million downloads
Overall
Overall: A fun, comprehensive app that effectively develops all areas of language communication. When you join you become part of the community of Busuu users and can submit written and spoken work to native speakers for feedback. I found Busuu to be very effective and started listening, reading and understanding right away. It’s priced competitively and for what’s on offer, it’s good value.
To providerOverall: Drops is great at what it claims to do. That is, teach vocabulary through game play in short daily sessions. It’s upfront about not teaching grammar and sentences and as long as you understand what it is and isn’t for, it represents good value. The free version gives you a good feel for what the app is like so you have nothing to lose by trying it out.
To providerSupported languages
Spanish, Japanese, French, English, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Polish, Turkish, Russian, Arabic and Korean.
Ainu, Arabic, ASL, Bosnian, Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Croatian, Danish, Dutch, English (American and British), Esperanto, Estonian, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Sanskrit, Serbian, Spanish (Castilan and Mexican), Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Te Reo Maori, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese and Yoruba.
About
“Busuu’s core belief is that amazing things happen when we learn together and combining human interactions, expert-created courses and smart learning technology is the best way to learn a language,” Neil Ballantyne, Busuu.
Busuu is a language e-learning service founded in 2008 designed to provide a complete self-study and language practice environment.
It’s now one of the best known names in the industry with 120+ million learners.
Via Busuu’s global community you have the opportunity to connect with millions of native speakers - proven to be the best way to learn a language.
Busuu also partners with experts on linguistics and learning to design their courses and keep them relevant and up to date.
Studies carried out by the Universities of New York and South Carolina show that 15 hours studying on Busuu premium is the equivalent of one semester of language college.
Drops was founded in Estonia in 2015 by Daniel Farkas and Mark Szulyovszky. Its mission was to make a game out of language learning. And it paid off.
By 2020 it had 25 million users and that number has now exceeded the 40 million mark.
Drops is now the fastest growing language app in the world and adds around seven languages a year to its offering. It spans mobile and web-based programs.
Though Drops does use gamification, its designers insist it is a gaming, not just a gamified, app. The difference being that gamification uses rewards to give you external motivation. Whereas being immersed in a game is an internally rewarding experience.
And though it’s fun, years of research have gone into what makes language learning effective and easy.
In November 2020, Drops was acquired by Kahoot!, the world's leading game-based learning platform. Testimony both to the fun and effectiveness of the Drops’ game based approach.
As part of Kahoot!, Drops continues to evolve and find more enjoyable and effective ways to learn new languages. It now has two companion apps: Scripts, which teaches learners how to read and write new alphabet/character-based writing systems, and Droplets, for children.
Drops also has a commitment to protecting culturally endangered languages, such as Hawaiian, Samoan, and Maori and they have worked with UNESCO to support this aim.
How it works
To get started on Busuu you simply sign up for a free account on your laptop or download the app.
You will be asked some simple questions about which language(s) you want to learn and what you hope to achieve. You then either choose your level or take a placement test if you are unsure what level you're currently at.
All Busuu courses fall into 4 levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This provides an approved standard for identifying language proficiency. Each level contains several lessons which target writing, reading, listening and speaking.
- Beginner A1
- Elementary A2
- Intermediate B1
- Upper Intermediate B2
Drops is a games based app designed to make language learning a fun part of your daily routine.
You download the app by pointing your phone camera at the QR code, or by using Google Play or the Apple app store, or from your desktop. Then you can use it for free for a limit of 5 minutes a day or subscribe to Premium with a free 7 day trial.
Once you’ve downloaded Drops, you just choose the language you want to learn.
Then you adapt Drops to your needs by answering questions about your goals for learning, your age, your existing knowledge, when and for how long you want to spend learning each day and your personal interests. Drops then designs a program based on your responses. You can change language any time after you’ve started your learning.
Sessions are around 5 minutes long. Each one introduces words from a topic relevant to your interests and reasons for learning. The words will be spoken and written out with a matching visual and you’ll play various games to help you memorize them. You can indicate which words you feel you’ve mastered so the app won’t test you on them as often.
During your session you will be given point scores and encouragement to keep you motivated and, at the end, a summary of your progress so far. If you’re in free mode, you’ll need to wait 10 hours before you can take another session.
What a lesson is like
Busuu’s lessons are grouped around communication topics depending on your purpose for learning (eg: business, travel, etc.). Each one is designed to teach useful phrases and sentences which you then practise.
Practice activities include gap fills, multiple choice questions, sentence reordering and writing activities. You can also have written and recorded speaking exercises corrected by native speakers. Or use a private messaging facility, which allows you to chat with language partners in the community.
Generally, whatever the level or language, lessons are structured in a similar way.
- They start by teaching the target vocabulary for that level and topic using video flashcards, translations, audio clips, gap fill, matching and writing activities, etc.
- Within the first couple of lessons you will be given the chance to connect with the community to receive feedback from native speakers. You’ll also be asked what your native language is and will receive requests for feedback from others learning your language
- After each group of lessons there is a checkpoint. This may include quizzes, puzzles, games, missing word exercises and word identification. You must score at least 80% to move to the next level
Lessons consist of introducing new words and phrases using audio and a matching image.
After 3 or 4 new words or phrases have been introduced, you play a variety of games delivered in quick succession requiring you to:
- Carry out different sorts of matching activities
- Spell out words and phrases by selecting letters or combinations of letters
Indicating whether what the app is displaying is correct or incorrect
Words you already know will be repeated and revisited to help commit them to long term memory. You can choose which words you feel you don’t have to review, and the app won’t test you on them as frequently.
There are also a number of review tools such as quiz mode that you can engage with to strengthen your knowledge.
Lessons last 5 minutes and there is a countdown to keep you motivated and engaged.
Who is it good for?
The Busuu learning style would suit anyone who:
- Wants to learn a new language from scratch
- Has some grasp of a language and wants to improve
- Has a busy schedule and needs to fit lessons around their life
- Loves interactive apps with a strong community feel
- Wants a focus on developing conversational language
Likes the flexibility of learning on mobile and desktop
While Busuu would be ideal for anyone who’s always wanted to start learning a new language it will also suit those who are relatively proficient but want to improve.
Right away Busuu will have you speaking, listening and improving your conversational skills and grammar in your chosen language.
Bearing in mind that Drops is a vocabulary learning app, I would say it would suit anyone who:
- Wants to learn another language from scratch and would like a head start by mastering some basic vocabulary
- Wants to supplement another more comprehensive method of learning with a reliable and effective vocabulary app
- Enjoys learning through game play
Features
- Gamification
- Personalized learning
- Fun, interactive lessons that touch all learning styles
- Checkpoints
- Cultural insights
- Flexible learning
- Speech recognition
- Ability to connect to native speakers
- Smart reviews
- 45 Languages
- Review tools
- Game based approach
- Gamification and challenges
- Supplementary Apps
Is it worth it?
Busuu aims to help you become confidently conversational in your target language and it does a pretty good job of achieving that aim.
I found it easy to use and thought the lessons were well structured, engaging, effective and ‘sticky’. Not surprising when Busuu partners with the likes of Pearson, McGraw Hill, and El País to keep abreast of the most cutting edge teaching and learning methods.
Busuu’s stand out feature is its strong community feel. Your written and spoken work can be submitted for feedback from native speakers which is the best way to authentically learn a new language.
It’s also comprehensive, helping you to improve all aspects of communication: speaking, reading, writing, and listening.
That said, there’s always room for improvement. Busuu does not offer as many languages as some other apps, and its quality is not consistent across all the languages offered.
It’s great for the more common languages like Spanish and French, but its Chinese, Arabic, and Russian courses aren’t as comprehensive. That said, you can use the free version to see if the language you want to learn is taught in a way that suits you before committing to a subscription.
There’s no free trial, but you can use the free version for as long as you like to see if this is the right platform for you. The pricing point is very competitive and there are frequent discounts available making it even better value.
Busuu is well worth your time and money if you’re considering learning a new language. With the option to use the free version for an unlimited period of time, plus a 14 day refund window if you do purchase premium membership, what have you got to lose?
If you’re looking to learn a ton of vocabulary in a super fun way that really sticks then yes.
I found the app to be very compelling, it really holds your attention. I really enjoyed all the games and found I was learning tons without even noticing. And it’s not just fun, but visually appealing with a clean, easy to use interface.
But if you’re looking to learn a language in the round, with sentences, conversation, spoken exercises and cultural sensitivity, Drops is not for you.
I would say Drops is best for someone wanting to get into pole position in a new language by learning key vocab. Or those needing a fast and fun recap in a language prior to travel. It would also sit well alongside another more comprehensive language learning resource.
That said, the freemium version is available to you for five minutes a day. And if you love it, you can trial the app for 7 days before commiting to a subscription. So there’s nothing to lose by giving it a try.