Guide
The best Speak alternatives, by what you need
The best alternative to Speak depends on why you're switching. For
anxious learners who dislike streaks and want to rehearse a real
conversation, Zonlo. For general AI chat, TalkPal. For avatar tutors,
Praktika. For an English coach who is always there, Loora. For a strong
free tier, Gliglish. For pronunciation, ELSA Speak.
Why look for something other than Speak?
Speak is a genuinely strong app, backed by OpenAI, and for plenty of
people it is the right choice. But learners go looking for something else
for a few honest reasons: the pricing is opaque and driven by promotions,
Premium versus Premium Plus confuses people, and the points, streaks, and
weekly Leagues add daily pressure some would rather live without. Others
just want something a different shape: private rehearsal with no tutor
character, deeper work on pronunciation, or a better free tier. The picks
below are sorted by what you're actually after.
The best alternatives to Speak
Sorted by what you need, not ranked one to six. Prices are as of July 2026
and vary by country.
Best if Speak's streaks and points stress you out
Zonlo
Free to download. Pro $9.99/mo or $39.99/yr (free week) · iPhone · Japanese, Spanish, English
Speak's points, streaks, and weekly Leagues motivate some learners and drain others. Zonlo is the opposite: nothing to keep up, no tutor character to perform for, just private rehearsal of one conversation you have coming up, with feedback that opens with what you got right and listening that happens on your phone. It covers Japanese, Spanish, and English.
Best for: Anxious or shy learners rehearsing one real conversation before it happens.
How Zonlo works →
Best general AI conversation swap
TalkPal
~$5 to $15/mo · iPhone, Android, web · More than 57
If what you liked about Speak was open ended AI conversation, TalkPal is the closest swap: chat, roleplay, debate, and characters across more than 57 languages, usually cheaper. It does not go as deep on grammar as Speak’s structured course.
Best for: Trying many languages and many ways of talking in one low pressure app.
Visit TalkPal →
Best swap if you want an avatar
Praktika
~$8/mo on the annual plan · iPhone, Android, web · About 9, Japanese included
Praktika replaces Speak’s voice tutor with fully animated 3D avatars, which some learners find warmer and easier to talk to. It is usually cheaper, though the paths are rigid and the avatars are not for everyone.
Best for: Learners who would rather talk to a face than a blank screen.
Visit Praktika →
Best coach if you only need English
Loora
~$10 to $20/mo · iPhone, Android, web · English only
For focused English practice, Loora gives you live voice roleplay, interviews and meetings included, with detailed feedback that sounds like a native speaker. It is English only, the character stays with you, and it is worth reading the cancellation terms before you subscribe.
Best for: English learners who want an AI conversation coach available any time.
Visit Loora →
Best free option
Gliglish
Free tier, then ~$25/mo · Web, iPhone · More than 30
Gliglish has the most genuinely useful free tier here: about ten minutes of open conversation a day across more than 30 languages, with a speed control. The feedback is shorter than Speak’s and it gets repetitive, but the price is hard to beat.
Best for: Free, easy, open ended conversation practice to warm up with.
Visit Gliglish →
Best for pronunciation
ELSA Speak
~$75 to $160/yr · iPhone, Android · English only
If what you actually want is a clearer accent rather than more talking time, ELSA Speak marks your English sound by sound and nobody does it better. It is English only and focused on sounds rather than whole conversations, so it works alongside an app for rehearsing rather than replacing one.
Best for: Perfecting English pronunciation and accent, one sound at a time.
Read: Zonlo vs ELSA Speak → Visit ELSA Speak →
Common questions
What is the best alternative to Speak?
There is no single winner. It depends why you are leaving. For anxious learners who dislike streaks and want to rehearse a real conversation, Zonlo. For general AI chat, TalkPal. For avatars, Praktika. For English coaching, Loora. For a free tier, Gliglish. For pronunciation, ELSA Speak.
Is there a free alternative to Speak?
Gliglish has the most useful free tier, about ten minutes a day. TalkPal has a limited free plan, and Zonlo is free to download with your first five conversations in each language free. Speak itself gives you a free trial for the first week rather than an ongoing free tier.
Is there a Speak alternative without streaks or points?
Yes. Zonlo has none of it at all: no streaks, no points, no leaderboards. Gliglish has almost none either. Speak’s Leagues can be turned off, but points and streaks stay part of it.
Do these Speak alternatives support Japanese?
Zonlo (Japanese, Spanish, English), TalkPal, Praktika, and Gliglish all support Japanese. Loora and ELSA Speak are English only. Zonlo also checks how polite your Japanese sounded, using a grammar tool as well as the AI.
Related: best apps for speaking anxiety, and the full Zonlo vs Speak and
Zonlo vs ELSA Speak comparisons.
A calmer way to practice speaking.
Zonlo rehearses the exact conversation you're nervous about, with no
streaks and no character to perform for. It is on the App Store now.