Best App to Learn Russian For Effective And Quick Learning In 2024
Do you want to learn Russian? It is an essential language for understanding Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Learning this language will help you with your career, travel, and other opportunities.
With so many apps available on the market today, it can be difficult to find one that meets all of your needs and provides a good experience.
This blog post reviews 19 different apps for learning Russian and gives recommendations based on what level you are at as well as what features each app offers. We hope after reading this article, you feel fully equipped to take on learning Russian.
Best App to Learn Russian
It’s never too late to learn a new language, and that is especially true for Russian.
The world has changed dramatically in the last few years, and Russia is now one of the most critical geopolitical establishments. If you want your business or military career to be successful, it might be time for you to pick up some basic Russian vocabulary and phrases.
This article will help guide you through the process of choosing an app to learn Russian with and how best to use it.
1. Babbel to learn Russian
Babbel is one of the most popular paid language learning apps on the market. The app offers bite-sized lessons like Duolingo that are personalized to the user’s needs.
For Whom
Babbel is for beginners. The first ten minutes are free, so you can test out the app before spending any money.
On the price front, you can subscribe to Babbel’s monthly plan at $12 per month or learn from their annual plan at $96 per year(which saves you 20%). Free trial is available.
Structure
There are different methods within each lesson, including video, audio, text, and interactive exercises that keep students interested in learning Russian.
Each lesson is 30 minutes long and broken up into three different sections; introduction, new material, and review.
There are also interactive exercises you can play after each set of vocab or phrases to make sure the Russian vocabulary sticks in your head.
Each lesson is broken up into small segments with an explanation, new words or phrases, and practice sessions.
Users can either test out of lessons or keep moving forward until they have mastered each level.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT BABBEL
2. Pimsleur to learn Russian
Pimsleur is one of the oldest language apps available like Rosetta Stone.
The app uses a method called “audiolingual,” which teaches students to learn through repetition, drills, and pattern recognition.
There are three different levels of lessons; introductory, intermediate, and advanced.
For Whom
This app is for people who want to be able to speak Russian on more than just a basic level. Pimsleur’s main focus is on conversation ability rather than understanding or reading Russian text.
This means that you will grow more comfortable speaking Russian but might not have knowledge about all the vocabulary used within each lesson or how it translates into English so you can understand Russian literature.
The basic version comes with 30 lessons and is free, but if you want to unlock access to everything, it will cost $15 per month or $150 for a one-time payment). Free trial is available for apps tools.
Structure
There are three levels, each broken up into 30 different sessions that focus on different aspects of building vocabulary and conversation skills related to that topic area.
You learn how to use these topics within real-life scenarios providing extra context for learning Russian phrases and words. At the end of each session, there is a ten-question quiz to test your comprehension.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT PIMSLEUR
3.iTalki: popular language learning platform
iTalki was started as a language exchange app for people who wanted to learn different languages or teach their native tongue.
On the price front, the language exchange app has since evolved and now offers paid subscriptions and in app purchases to its service, which provide users with the ability to take part in conversations with native Russian speakers plus find a tutor and access thousands of lessons available online through video course, audio course, and text course.
For Whom
If you want to practice speaking the Russian language but don’t have many opportunities within your everyday life, then iTalki might be right up your alley.
On the price front, you can sign up as a student or tutor on the site for free, but those looking for more guided lessons will need to purchase one of iTalki’s premium price subscriptions. The tutor are available at different pricing like $6.99 per month or more.
Structure
There aren’t any lesson plans included with the app features, but if you purchase an iTalki subscription or individual tutoring session, then your tutor will provide material that will help you progress as a student.
You can schedule face-to-face lessons or use iTalki’s messaging features to communicate with your tutor over the platform.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT ITALKI
4. I Will Teach You A Language:
I Will Teach You a Language is an app that focuses on teaching absolute beginners Russian.
It focuses on providing users with material that they can learn from at their own pace and in any environment using various digital tools such as videos and interactive games.
For Whom
If you’ve never studied Russian before, I Will Teach You A Language might be a good place to start because it is free, easy to use, and interactive.
There are no lessons plans included with the app, but there are hundreds of interactive games and activities that will test your vocabulary and Russian grammar skills as you go through the different levels. This is one of the best apps to learn grammar and have fun course features. Free trial is available for apps features.
Structure
The main focus for this app is self-guided learning through material created by I Will Teach You A Language’s team of language experts.
The content provided within the apps is broken down into smaller units and covers everything from basics like colors and numbers to more advanced subjects such as the Russian alphabet and conversation skills.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT I WILL TEACH YOU A LANGUAGE
5. Mondly: One of the best Russian Learning Apps
Mondly is an app that focuses on teaching its users conversational Russian.
The lessons are structured around dialogues and conversations, so you will get the chance to practice speaking with native speakers or personal trainers 24/7.
For Whom
Mondly might be a good option for people looking to learn conversational Russian in an interactive way, and the app offers personal trainer lessons, which give you the opportunity to speak with native speakers during your learning sessions.
These sessions can also be recorded and monitored by your trainer, which is great for feedback and correction purposes.
Mondly has both free course options (limited access), features in-app purchases or premium subscriptions ($13 per month or $59 per year). Free trial is available for apps features.
Structure
The main focus of Mondly’s content is on conversational lessons. These are divided into categories like “Meeting People,” “Family,” “My Town,” and more. This is the best app to learn the Russian alphabet and Russian words.
Each category will have different conversations based on a specific topic, so you can learn how to hold a conversation about your family or what a typical day looks like where you live.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT MONDLY
6. Red Kalinka
It is an excellent app for people who want to learn Russian quickly.
For Whom
The platform itself is designed for people with different levels of knowledge, so whether you are an absolute beginner or already have some past experience with the language, this app will be able to provide lessons that cover your needs.
This could be a good option if you want to take things seriously from day 1 since you’ll start from the very beginning and learn everything in a step-by-step manner.
Structure
The main focus for this app is building a solid foundation when learning the Russian language, and it does that by including lecture-style videos and homework exercises all meant to teach beginners how to read, write and speak Russian.
There are also useful vocabulary lists where you can find all the Russian words that were included within each lesson plan.
It would be best if you went through these lessons with another person or at least used some other learning materials alongside Red Kalinka so that you have more variety when it comes to learning on your own. Free trial is available for apps features.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT RED KALINKA
7.Lingodeer to learn Russian 
Lingodeer is an interactive and engaging app that focuses on teaching its users the Russian language and how to speak it. The lessons were designed in a way that makes them easy to follow and also fun. This is one of the best apps with fun course features
For Whom
Lingodeer is one of those apps where beginners will be able to feel comfortable since everything has been structured around learning the basics, which means no complicated grammatical rules or words at first.
If you want an approachable platform for learning Russian, this would be a good option since every single lesson plan includes useful tips and info about verb conjugation, Russian grammar, and sentence structure. Free trial is available for apps features.
Structure
When it comes to having a step-by-step structure for learning Russian, Lingodeer does have that covered, the lessons will guide you through the basics of the language, and they’re divided into levels which means that each level has more Russian words for you to learn.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT LINGODEER
8. Memrise for the Russian Language
Memrise is an online platform designed for language learners who want to improve their skills in foreign languages by using vocabulary-building techniques combined with cognitive science methods.
For Whom
Memrise is an excellent choice for people who want to learn the Russian language quickly since this app includes effective ways to study new Russian words.
The lessons all focus on vocabulary-building skills, so if that’s your primary goal, then Memrise will work great for you. Free trial is available for apps features.
Structure
This online platform is completely interactive, and there are tons of different activities included within the courses which will help you memorize words and phrases in no time.
What makes this one of the best language learning apps and a really good option for learning Russian quickly is its spaced repetition system which helps users remember newly learned grammar and vocabulary long after they’ve been studied. This is the best app to learn Russian for both beginners and intermediate learners.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT MEMRISE
9. Anki to learn Russian
The name of this app is pretty much self-explanatory since “Anki” literally means memorization in Japanese. This online tool will help you memorize anything you want with the use of flashcards. This is the best app to learn Russian using alphabet image.
For Whom
If you’re looking to learn Russian with the use of flashcards, then Anki is one of those great options where everything is customizable so you can choose any words or phrases within the language and have them turned into flashcards.
While are tons of apps out there that focus on this method of learning Russian, what makes Anki really special and one of the best apps is its use of spaced repetition way to learn Russian, which will help you memorize the Russian cyrillic words and phrases long after they’ve been studied. Free trial is available for apps features.
Structure
Since flashcards are quite useful but they can also be tedious sometimes, so it all comes down to how much time you want to invest in learning vocabulary of the native language.
If you decide to go for this app, make sure to study words or phrases within small chunks at first because study sessions should never go over 10-15 minutes.
Anki also has the option for audio lessons.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT ANKI
10. Lingvist to learn Russian
Lingvist app is a fairly new online platform that specializes in teaching its users the Russian language with the use of effective and innovative methodologies in Russian Course.
For Whom
Lingvist app will work great for people who want to study on their own because this app does not require one to have any preexisting knowledge of Russian Course, which means it’s also an excellent choice for beginners. Free trial is available for apps features.
Structure
The apps learning languages lessons were broken down into different sections where each section has tons of different Russian alphabet, which means that Lingvist really stands out when it comes to having both memorization and refinement sections within each lesson plan, grammar course.
One of the things that makes this online platform so effective is its use of machine learning. What this does is help users study the Russian alphabet in a more convenient way since Lingvist will predict which lessons you’ll be having trouble with.
This opens up new possibilities for revising cyrillic phrases within these lessons.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT LINGVIST
11. Clozemaster to learn Russian
Clozemaster is a game-based platform where you’ll find hundreds of words and phrases within the Russian language. These Russian Cyrillic words and phrases are all basically used for everyday conversations, so they’re pretty useful to have under your belt.
For Whom
If memorizing vocabulary is one of your main goals, then this option works great since every single phrase or word will be turned into a cloze sentence which means that you’ll have to complete missing words in order to create sentences out of the words you’ve studied thus far.
Structure
The lessons are divided into different difficulty levels, which means that users will not feel overwhelmed by too many difficult concepts at once. Everything is broken down into different chunks of information.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT CLOZEMASTER
12. Manga Method to learn Russian
Manga Method is the online platform where you’ll find tons of illustrated lessons that include the Russian alphabet, vocabulary, Russian grammar concepts, and even dialogues, but what makes this platform stand out is its use of manga illustrations that will help users learn how to visualize words and sentences more easily.
For Whom
If you’re looking for an alternative way to study Russian, then the Manga method can be a pretty great option since it was designed with effective learning in mind.
What makes the manga method so special is its use of illustrations which means that it’s perfect for people who like to study by reading comics or watching anime because it uses images with text which helps them increase their reading speed since they don’t have to spend time looking for objects or characters within the image which can be distracting sometimes. As the app provides image features to practice and learn grammar, it can be considered a great app.
Structure
What makes the manga method so effective is its use of different stages which means that everything was divided into three main categories. Similar to other apps, this one also offers beginners, intermediate and advanced lessons like Duolingo but it’s better if you study with a book at first since that way you’ll have an idea about how the language works which will help you understand each lesson easily.
The app focuses on common Russian new vocabulary, Cyrillic alphabet, reading, and listening skills, speech recognition, new words, Cyrillic grammar practice through its language courses.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT MANGA METHOD
13. Beelinguapp to learn Russian
If studying vocabulary and grammar within Russian course for free is your goal, then Beelinguapp is a great app that contains over 500 different lessons that are designed in a way where users will be able to follow the story while learning new Russian Cyrillic words and phrases that are relevant to the plot.
For Whom
If you’re the type of person who likes studying Russian Cyrillic vocabulary, Russian alphabet, and grammar through stories, then Beelingu app is one of the best options out there since it contains tons of different lessons like Duolingo that follow a plotline.
This is one of the best apps for learning Russian for intermediate learners through speech recognition, reading and listening Cyrillic alphabet, vocabulary Russian lessons like Duolingo. Free trial is available for apps features.
Structure
The app uses three main categories, which are easy, medium, hard, so users can easily study new concepts depending on their preferences which means that this app was made for people who want to take their Russian learning experience further.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT BEELINGUAPP
14. Speechling
Speechling is basically an online platform/app where learners will have the chance to improve their pronunciation skills by listening to audio files recorded by native speakers. These audio files will contain different sentences that are also recorded by the same native speaker, so users will have the chance to compare both of them.
For Whom
People who think that listening is one of their weak spots will definitely love using Speechling since it provides audio lessons like Duolingo recorded by real Russian speakers. This way learners can feel more confident while speaking with others.
Besides encouraging people to work on their pronunciation skills, the platform also helps people learn new Russian vocabulary and grammar through sentences.
Structure
Speechling adopts a different approach when teaching Russian because it encourages people to practice with real-life situations.
It means that they’ll be exposed to different kinds of vocabulary depending on what’s happening in each lesson which is pretty effective if you’re trying to learn how to speak like a native.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT SPEECHLING
15.HiNative to learn Russian
HiNative is basically an online platform where users will have the chance to ask specific questions about anything relating to the Russian language. What makes this platform so special is its use of different categories which means that you can find lessons on vocabulary, Russian grammar, pronunciation, and even culture related questions like Duolingo.
For Whom
If you want to expand your knowledge about the Russian language but don’t have time for classes, then
HiNative is a great option since it provides information regarding important aspects of the language through virtual conversations with other speakers, which are more engaging than just reading articles or blog posts.
Structure
Since HiNative adopts a question and answer format, it’s best used for people who are looking into specific topics instead of studying the whole language from scratch.
This platform is also suitable for people who want to ask about Russian culture since it contains a huge amount of questions and answers related to it.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT HINATIVE
16. Tandem Russian App
Tandem is basically a social media platform that helps Russian learners meet native speakers through online conversations. It means that both users will be able to study the language together by talking about different common topics.
Besides having conversations with real natives, you can also join different groups where other members are there only to help you improve your Russian speaking skills.
For Whom
If you’re looking into practicing your conversational skills, then Tandem is one of the best options out there because not only does it provide access to real native speakers but also to tons of other members who are willing to help you learn the language.
Structure
Tandem has a different approach when teaching Russian since it focuses on connecting learners with other users, which makes learning more fun and helps people create friendships by building up their confidence.
If you’re looking into practicing your speaking skills, then this is definitely one of the best resources out there.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT TANDEM
17.HelloTalk language learning Platform
HelloTalk is basically a Russian app that allows Russian learners to connect with any native speaker all over the world so they can practice their skills through online conversations in native language while learning vocabulary. It is one of the best apps for Russian Course.
Besides being able to talk about general topics, both users will also have access to virtual flashcards where they’ll be able to find new vocabulary learning process divided by categories which means that HelloTalk was created to be a social media platform that focuses on the development of speaking skills.
For Whom
Since HelloTalk was created as a tool for language exchange, it’s best if you use it with people who are at an intermediate or advanced level.
Besides having conversations with real natives, users will also have access to different kinds of learning materials which makes HelloTalk a great Russian app option if you want to study Russian but don’t have anyone nearby who can help you out.
Structure
Since both users will be able to talk about different aspects of their lives through HelloTalk, it’s best that those looking into connecting with native speakers do so from the beginning since this Russian app doesn’t provide grammatical explanations and other kinds of basic lessons like Duolingo.
What makes this Russian app platform so special is its use of flashcards, which means that it focuses on the development of speaking skills instead of reading and writing.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT HELLO TALK
18. LingQ language learning App
LingQ is basically an online platform created to help Russian learners learn vocabulary, Russian grammar, and sentence structures through online readings.
Besides having access to these learning materials, users will also have the chance to connect with other language learners so they can practice their conversation skills by talking about different topics or even working together to translate texts from one language into another.
For Whom
If you’re looking into studying Russian while still being able to read in English, then this is a great option since LingQ was built for foreign speakers who want to learn new languages by translating written content from their mother tongue.
For this reason, it’s best to check out LingQ if you’re an advanced Russian learner who wants to study the language through texts without having to worry about grammar rules.
Structure
Since the main purpose of LingQ is to help people learn new languages through translations and other kinds of written content, it doesn’t contain any resources related to conversation skills.
If you’re looking into practicing your speaking and listening skills, then this platform might not be ideal since it’s only focused on improving your reading and writing abilities.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT LINGQ
19. Readlang language learning App
If you want to improve your vocabulary or simply want a fun way of studying Russian, then Readlang is one of the most interesting platforms out there.
Since it was built as a tool that helps users read books, magazines, and other kinds of content in Russian while simultaneously providing translations for every new word that pops up on the screen, all you have to do is copy any text into Readlang’s interface and then choose either your web browser or mobile device to start reading.
For Whom
Readlang can be used by both beginners and advanced Russian learners since it features learning materials divided into different categories.
It means that this app doesn’t focus on improving all aspects of your language skills but rather giving you access to different kinds of learning resources depending on how much progress you’ve made so far with your studying.
Structure
Users who are just starting out with Russian might find Readlang a bit difficult at first since it doesn’t provide any explanations for new words or give you access to other kinds of study materials.
This means that all learning materials are not available from the beginning, which can be overwhelming for those who still have a hard time with basic grammar rules.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT READLANG
Conclusion
If there’s one thing we learned from researching and testing these 19 best apps to learn Russian in 2024, it’s that not every app will be a good fit. But as long as you’re looking at different features of each platform—and considering your own learning style—you should find an effective way to start studying.
My personal best is Babbel’s. Babbel’s captures the best of what mobile apps for learning Russian have to offer while avoiding all the annoying limitations. Babbel’s content is simple but thorough enough to keep you busy for quite some time, even if you’re an experienced learner.
It has everything from basic phrases and vocabulary words with reading practice exercises included to detailed modules on grammar that will challenge language learners at any level. And most importantly, it’s beautifully designed. With powerful features, such as an audio player and games, it’s fun to use and helps you learn faster than any other app. Suitable for kids and adults alike, Babbel was created with a user-friendly interface so that learners of any age can start speaking Russian today.
So go ahead and try out our top picks. We hope that by narrowing down your options with us today, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision about which Russian language-learning app suits your needs in 2024.
