Busuu vs Duolingo
Busuu vs Duolingo, compared side by side on 16 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: Busuu is on 55/100 and Duolingo on 67/100.
Where each one leads
Busuu
Leads on none of the measures we hold for both companies.
Duolingo
- our overall score: 67/100 against 55/100
- agent readiness: 53/100 against 42/100
- domain rating: 88/100 against 75/100
- funding raised: $35.0M against $18.2M
At a glance
| Measure | Busuu | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An online language learning platform connecting learners with native speakers and expert-created lessons. | Duolingo is the world's most popular way to learn a language, offering bite-sized, game-like lessons to make language learning fun, free, and accessible. |
| Category | EdTech, Language Learning, Online Education, Mobile Learning | Language Learning Platform, Language Learning |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2C | B2C |
| Offering | Platform | Not published |
| Founded | 2008 | 2011 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | Not published |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | Busuu | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | Not published | 1,962 |
| Open roles | Not published | 69 |
| Total funding | $18.2M | $35.0M |
| Latest round | Series B | Not published |
| LinkedIn followers | Not published | 741,708 |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | Busuu | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 55/100 | 67/100 |
| Traction | 36/100 | 58/100 |
| Team | 60/100 | 10/100 |
| Search visibility | 13/100 | 45/100 |
| Quality | 68/100 | 89/100 |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (42/100) | D (53/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 75/100 | 88/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | Busuu | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | AWS | AWS |
| CDN | CloudFront | CloudFront |
| Analytics | Not detected | Google Tag Manager |
| Open source | Yes | No |
Product and pricing
| Measure | Busuu | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| Key features | Not published | Gamified Lessons, Personalized Learning, Wide Range of Languages, Free Access, Progress Tracking |
Busuu vs Duolingo: common questions
Which is better, Busuu or Duolingo?
On our 0-100 score Duolingo rates higher (67/100 against 55/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 16 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do Busuu and Duolingo compare on the numbers?
Duolingo leads on our overall score (67/100 against 55/100), agent readiness (53/100 against 42/100), domain rating (88/100 against 75/100), funding raised ($35.0M against $18.2M).
Read the full Busuu review and pricing or the Duolingo review and pricing. You can also browse other Busuu alternatives we track.

