Memrise Review
Video clips of actual natives
The best vocabulary and listening supplement in the category — but pair it with a course app that teaches grammar.
Where Memrise shines
- Native-speaker video clips train your ear for real speech
- Spaced repetition is well tuned and low-friction
- MemBot gives unlimited low-pressure chat practice
- Cheaper than most paid rivals
- Grammar instruction is minimal
- Removed user-created courses that many long-time users relied on
- Course depth varies a lot between languages
- Not structured enough to be your only resource
Memrise's insight is that textbook audio has trained a generation of learners to understand a language nobody speaks. Its answer is video: thousands of short clips of ordinary native speakers saying the phrase you just learned, at their own speed, in their own accent, in their own kitchen.
Around that sits a competent spaced-repetition engine and MemBot, an AI chat partner that will discuss whatever you like without judging your grammar. Together they cover vocabulary and listening comprehension unusually well for the price.
What Memrise does not do is teach you how the language is built. Grammar notes are sparse, and the removal of community-created courses cut a lot of the long-tail depth power users valued. Treat it as the listening and vocabulary half of a two-app routine.
What makes Memrise different?
Its library of short video clips of real native speakers, which trains comprehension of natural speech rather than studio audio.
What is MemBot?
Memrise's built-in AI chat partner for unlimited conversation practice.
Is Memrise enough on its own?
Not usually — it is strong on vocabulary and listening, weak on grammar and writing.
See how Memrise stacks up
vs Duolingo
vs Babbel
vs Rosetta StoneTechnology behind Memrise
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