Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Vocabulary.com VS Busuu

Compare Vocabulary.com VS Busuu and see what are their differences

Vocabulary.com logo Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary.com is the easiest, most intelligent way to improve your vocabulary.

Busuu logo Busuu

Join the global language learning community, take language courses to practice reading, writing, listening and speaking and learn a new language. Learn English with busuu's .
  • Vocabulary.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-23
  • Busuu Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-19

Vocabulary.com features and specs

  • Comprehensive Word List
    Vocabulary.com offers an extensive database of words, including definitions, example sentences, and pronunciations, making it a valuable resource for expanding one's vocabulary.
  • Personalized Learning
    The site uses algorithms to adapt to the user's level and preferences, offering a personalized learning experience that focuses on areas where the user needs improvement.
  • Interactive Quizzes
    Vocabulary.com features engaging quizzes and activities that test users on word meanings, usage, and pronunciation, making learning more interactive and fun.
  • Integration with Curriculum
    Teachers can integrate the tool into their curriculum, create custom word lists, and track students' progress, which makes it versatile for educational settings.
  • Mobile Accessibility
    The platform is accessible via mobile devices, allowing users to learn on-the-go, which adds to its convenience and usability.

Possible disadvantages of Vocabulary.com

  • Subscription Costs
    While Vocabulary.com offers some free features, access to its full range of tools, including progress tracking and advanced quizzes, requires a paid subscription, which may not be affordable for everyone.
  • Limited Contextual Learning
    The platform focuses heavily on individual word definitions and usage but may not provide enough context for how words are used in larger, more complex sentences or in different fields.
  • Overwhelming for New Users
    The sheer volume of features and resources available can be overwhelming for new users, potentially making it difficult for them to navigate the platform effectively.
  • Internet Dependency
    Since Vocabulary.com is an online platform, an internet connection is required to access its features, limiting its usability in offline scenarios.
  • Less Focus on Grammar
    The platform primarily emphasizes vocabulary learning and may not provide enough resources or activities for improving grammar, which is also crucial for language proficiency.

Busuu features and specs

  • Community-Based Learning
    Busuu allows users to interact with native speakers and other learners, providing real-world practice and feedback through its global community.
  • Offline Mode
    Users can download lessons to use offline, making it easier to study on the go without requiring a constant internet connection.
  • Structured Courses
    Busuu offers well-structured courses that cater to different proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced, allowing for clear progression.
  • Grammar and Vocabulary Features
    The platform includes comprehensive grammar exercises and interactive vocabulary drills to reinforce language skills effectively.
  • Certification
    Users can take a test to receive official McGraw-Hill Education certificates, which can be a motivating factor and an asset for job applications.

Possible disadvantages of Busuu

  • Limited Free Content
    The free version has limited features and lessons, pushing users towards purchasing a premium subscription for full access.
  • Language Selection
    While Busuu offers multiple languages, its selection is not as extensive as some of its competitors, which may be limiting for some users.
  • Repetitive Exercises
    Some users find the exercises to be repetitive, which can lead to boredom and reduced engagement over time.
  • Speaking Practice Restrictions
    Speaking practice sessions are somewhat limited without a premium subscription, which can hinder conversational skill development.
  • Community Feedback Quality
    The quality of feedback from the community can be inconsistent, as it depends on the proficiency of other users rather than professional educators.

Analysis of Vocabulary.com

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Vocabulary.com is considered a valuable tool for enhancing vocabulary skills. It is user-friendly and effective for both casual learners and those seeking to improve their language proficiency for academic or professional purposes. While it may not replace more comprehensive language courses, it serves as a beneficial supplement for targeted vocabulary development.

Why this product is good

  • Vocabulary.com is well-regarded for its interactive and engaging approach to vocabulary building. It employs adaptive learning technology, which helps tailor the experience to individual users' needs, making it suitable for a wide range of proficiency levels. The platform offers a vast array of words, meanings, and usage examples, alongside activities and quizzes designed to reinforce learning. Its community features, including leaderboards and achievements, can motivate users to continue improving their vocabulary.

Recommended for

  • Students looking to improve their vocabulary for tests and assignments.
  • Professionals aiming to enhance their verbal communication skills.
  • Language enthusiasts who enjoy daily challenges and word games.
  • ESL learners seeking to expand their English vocabulary knowledge in a structured yet enjoyable manner.

Analysis of Busuu

Overall verdict

  • Busuu is generally well-regarded for its user-friendly interface, effective course structure, and community interaction, making it a good option for language learners. However, its effectiveness can vary depending on the language and personal learning style, so it may work best as a supplementary resource.

Why this product is good

  • Busuu is a popular language learning platform known for its interactive and comprehensive approach. It offers a wide range of languages, exercises to enhance listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, and a community feature that allows learners to practice with native speakers. Additionally, its structure and courses are aligned with CEFR language levels, which can provide learners with a clear progression path.

Recommended for

  • Beginners and intermediate learners looking for structured courses.
  • Individuals who benefit from social interaction and peer feedback.
  • Learners seeking a mobile-friendly option with offline capabilities.

Vocabulary.com videos

How to use Vocabulary.com

Busuu videos

BETTER THAN DUOLINGO - Busuu Easy Language Learning App Review

More videos:

  • Review - I tried the Busuu language learning app | 12 languages in 1 app [review]
  • Review - Busuu Review - Learn a new language.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Vocabulary.com and Busuu)
Education
17 17%
83% 83
Studying
20 20%
80% 80
Language Learning
12 12%
88% 88
Languages
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Vocabulary.com and Busuu

Vocabulary.com Reviews

Vocabulary.com vs Lockcard
It's worth noting that Lockcard is a young app built by two language enthusiasts who happen to work as product designers by day. Therefore, there is a strong focus on smart interactions and minimalist visual design to give you a comforting experience every time you open the app. However, they currently lack in some resources; their dictionary is not as complete as...

Busuu Reviews

Best Memrise Alternatives (February 2025)ย โ€“ UPDATED
Busuu caters to beginners and intermediates the lessons are quite short and have word recognition, fill-in-the-blanks, and videos to keep the learner engaged.
Source: lingoly.io
15 Language Learning Apps Compared - Personally Tested
A language course was designed to combine language learning with the opportunity to interact in a virtual community. This language learning application incorporates the principles of Web 2.0 and tandem learning. The project is now growing beyond Busuu.
Source: www.krioda.com
Apps Similar To Duolingo: Best Language Learning Alternatives
Busuu is a social app that lets you practice with native speakers. It helps you improve your speaking skills and learn about different cultures. This approach makes learning a language more fun and interactive.
10 Best Babbel Alternatives in 2024
Busuu hosts robust language learning courses that blend grammar exercises, flashcards, and casual conversations. It organizes all lessons into chapters and matches you with a native speaker of the language you are learning.
14 Best Duolingo Alternatives to Learn New Languages
But if youโ€™re a serious learner who wants to start with the basics and then move on to advanced levels (something Duolingo falls short on), Busuu is well worth it. What makes this a great Duolingo alternative is that the lessons are still bite-sized but well-structured.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Vocabulary.com should be more popular than Busuu. It has been mentiond 67 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Vocabulary.com mentions (67)

  • Speaking of CB's shopping question...
    I happy Hobonichi releases their next year's lineup 4 months in advance. At first, I didn't get it, but now I understand! Hobonichi is pricey, and one needs to plan in advance on what to purchase but more importantly, what they need/see themselves actually using consistently throughout the year. So many unboxings on YouTube tells me, this is a great yearly splurge for most ppl in the planner world. I agree... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Resources for learning Somali
    Thank you! Probably ฤฐ will use any tools available but still Iโ€™m researching. My project is to improve the Somali language in any way possible, but my goal is opensource text-to-speech(tts) and speech-to-text(stt) models for language. ฤฐm learning ML so im still a beginner. As for now I collected 47k+ somali words & Somali-Somali dictionary in text file with different formats(Sql, Csv, txt). ฤฐ will be then creating... Source: over 2 years ago
  • What does this mean???
    Interestingly, according to vocabulary.com,. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Holy shit guys you're not bad at chess
    Definitions of chess player, per vocabulary.com. Source: over 2 years ago
  • I need serious helpโ€ฆ
    You can do this! There's nothing wrong with Junior college, very economical, even if you find a roommate and move to a different locale. The California system is Built on Community College. There might be tutors at your public library (there are in Miami, FL). Or a peer tutor (but that can be hard on an ego sometimes). a few other ways to boost RW- vocabulary dot com, membean dot com (am I allowed to write in the... Source: over 2 years ago
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Busuu mentions (14)

  • What is the best and easiest way to learn Dutch
    Give https://busuu.com/ a go, I think it does a much better way of explaining words and grammar than Duolingo. Good luck! Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Similar website as Lengalia for Italian?
    When I was starting out I used a subscription to Busuu and thought it was pretty good. They had listening exercises, vocab exercises, grammar/conjugation, and test exams. There's also a community feature where native speakers can correct some of the exercises you do (and vice versa). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • 30F Looking for a language partner to practice basic French. I can help with Portuguese (BR)
    I have been studying French for a few years (I still don't feel I would be very beneficial to you unfortunately, however) and a good place to look for language partners that I have found is busuu.com . A big section of it is connection to others learning your native language that speak your learning language. Just fyi if you want that info. (: Good luck!! Source: about 3 years ago
  • Duolingo is overrated
    Then I've tried Busuu premium, which is considerably better than Duolingo - at the very least tries to teach you grammar, and the video contents are really well produced. For an absolute beginner it is great! Source: about 3 years ago
  • article question
    I learn english at busuu.com. One of my lessons contain phrase "i had dinner" and also "i had pizza". I am confused. Dinner and pizza it is countable nouns. Should I use "a" article? Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Vocabulary.com and Busuu, you can also consider the following products

Memrise - Learn a new language with games, humorous chatbots and over 30,000 native speaker videos.

Duolingo - Duolingo is a free language learning app for iOS, Windows and Android devices. The app makes learning a new language fun by breaking learning into small lessons where you can earn points and move up through the levels. Read more about Duolingo.

Rosetta Stone - Rosetta Stone is the world's most popular software for learning languages. It is offered at a cost of just $169 when purchased outright, but it is also possible to purchase language programs in a subscription format that offers ongoing support.

Babbel - Babbel is a paid language learning service that aims to strike a balance between thoroughness and cost efficiency.

Bialect - Learn languages faster with personalized practice tailored to the words you're learning.

Clozemaster - Learn a language through mass exposure to useful vocabulary in context.