Ling - Learn Languages Easily

Ling covers ground that Duolingo and Babbel simply ignore, offering over 70 languages including Lao, Khmer, Hokkien, and Cebuano alongside the usual European suspects. Built by Simya Labs and live since late 2018, the app targets beginners through advanced learners with bite-sized lessons, native speaker audio, and cultural framing. At 173 MB it is a reasonably lean install for what it promises, and a 4.63 store rating across 14,000 reviews suggests real user satisfaction rather than a honeymoon spike.

The Rare-Language Advantage

This is where Ling earns its keep. Finding structured, audio-backed lessons for Burmese, Javanese, or Mongolian in a single polished app is genuinely rare. The inclusion of native speaker recordings means learners are not stuck with synthesized pronunciation for scripts and tones that demand accuracy. For anyone targeting Southeast Asian or Central Asian languages, Ling fills a gap that most mainstream competitors leave completely empty.

Bite-Sized Format, Real Breadth

The lesson structure is designed to stay short and digestible, which works well for daily habit building. Covering speaking, reading, writing, and listening within that format is ambitious, and the cultural context layer adds meaning beyond rote vocabulary drilling. The app handles 70-plus languages through one consistent interface, which keeps the learning curve for the app itself low even when the target language is genuinely difficult.

Where to Temper Expectations

Free access likely means hitting a paywall before reaching intermediate content, a common friction point in this category. At version 8.4.1 the app is mature, but a 173 MB footprint and frequent updates through mid-2026 suggest ongoing refinement rather than a finished product. Learners chasing high-traffic languages like French or Spanish will find stiff competition from apps with larger content libraries dedicated specifically to those languages.