Best apps to learn Thai: an honest 2026 comparison

We make Reply Thai. Here’s how we compare, including where other apps are better.

Search “learn Thai app” and you get a wall of lists that all crown a winner. We’d rather not. The honest answer is that each option is built for a different job, and the best one is the one that matches yours: reading the script, drilling speaking, collecting vocabulary on the bus, or finally answering your aunt in Thai.

So this page compares what each option does, from its own website, checked on 14 Oct 2026. No stars, no rankings, no review scores.

What do Thai learning apps actually teach?

Checked 14 Oct 2026 on each vendor’s own page (links in the sources below). Prices appear only where the vendor’s page showed them that day, exactly as shown to us in the US (the pages show “$”; prices may differ where you are); otherwise, see their site. Offline use is listed only where the vendor says so.

What about Duolingo? Duolingo’s course list for English speakers had no Thai course when we checked on 14 Oct 2026. We cover that, and what to use instead, in Does Duolingo teach Thai?

Who each one suits

Ling suits you if you want an app-shaped course with games and dialogs, and a free tier to try it on. The free tier is limited and has ads.

ThaiPod101 suits you if you want to learn to read. Its free-to-read alphabet guide charts the 44 consonants, names the five tones and covers writing basics, with a free practice-sheet PDF. Of the pages we checked, it’s the one most focused on script.

Pimsleur suits you if you learn best by listening and speaking out loud, say on a commute. It’s audio-led and says nothing about the script, so pair it with something else if you want to read.

Drops suits you if you want five relaxed minutes of vocabulary a day. It’s word-focused rather than conversation-focused, and Premium lists “Unlimited Time” as a perk, so expect limits on the free version; see their site for what they are.

Mondly suits you if you like a chatbot to practise answering. The App Store lists it as free with in-app purchases, and Thai is in its language list.

Memrise suits you if you want a Free Plan and conversation practice with a chatbot partner on your phone.

Glossika suits you if you already have some Thai and want lots of listening at sentence level. Its own site shows Thai sentences with romanization and English, but doesn’t say it teaches reading.

A tutor on italki suits you if you want a real person who adapts to you, can teach the script, and can practise exactly the conversations your family has. It costs money per lesson, and each teacher lists their own price.

Reply Thai suits you if you already understand some Thai from home and want to answer in it: on the video call, at the dinner table, with your partner’s family. It has over 100 short lessons, about five minutes each, built around family moments, with Thai shown in an easy romanization and the meaning. The audio is the iPhone’s own Thai voice.

Here’s where we lose, plainly:

• iPhone only. No Android, no web.
• Not free. A planned US$19.99, paid once. No subscription, but no free tier either. If you need free, Ling, Memrise, Mondly or Drops have free tiers.
• No alphabet. Reply Thai is speaking-first and doesn’t teach Thai script. For reading, use ThaiPod101 or a tutor.
• Not live yet. It’s coming soon to iPhone.

If you already understand Thai from home

Many people reading this aren’t beginners at all. You understood every word of the family argument; you just answered in English. That’s a heritage speaker, and it changes what to look for in an app:

• Replying, not recognising. Flashcards that show you words you already know won’t move you much. Look for practice where you produce the answer.
• Family register. Thai changes with who you’re talking to. Ending with ครับ (khrap) if you’re a man or ค่ะ (kha) if you’re a woman is the polite tone your elders hear. In Reply Thai you choose one, and every phrase follows.
• Kinship words. Thai calls people by their place in the family, and those words often stand in for “you”: ยาย (yaai) for mum’s mum, ย่า (yaa) for dad’s mum. Our guide to Thai family words has the whole tree.
• Kind feedback. If being corrected has ever made you go quiet, pick something that makes practice feel safe.

For the bigger picture on where to start, read learning Thai to talk to your family. If you’re the parent trying to keep Thai going for your kids, see raising bilingual Thai kids.

So, what is the best app to learn Thai?

The one that fits your need:

• Read the Thai alphabet: ThaiPod101 or an italki tutor.
• Speaking drills by ear: Pimsleur.
• Free to start: Ling, Memrise, Mondly or Drops.
• Short daily vocabulary: Drops.
• Lots of listening at sentence level: Glossika.
• A person who adapts to you: an italki tutor.
• Reply to your Thai family: Reply Thai, coming soon to iPhone.

Many people combine two: one for script, one for speaking. That’s not indecision; it’s how the jobs split.

Thai words on this page are a draft until a native speaker has reviewed them.