Normally they require users to pay for subscriptions but both have waived fees for K-12 students since the virus struck and Berlin-based Babbel is extending its free offer to college students. Von Ahn says the company is “breaking even” and close to turning a profit.ĭuolingo competitors Rosetta Stone and Babbel have also gained users during the pandemic. Only 3% of users pay, but with such a giant customer base, that adds up. Most of Duolingo’s revenue comes from its $84-per-year ad-free version. Though rates have slipped for media sites during the pandemic because advertisers don’t like their spots running next to grim news, Duolingo’s have held steady, says spokesman Sam Dalsimer. A cute green animated owl named Duo, the company mascot, pops up in your text screen and encourages you to keep learning.įifteen percent of Duolingo’s revenue comes from programmatic ads that run on the free version. Give the correct answers to your three-minute Spanish intro session and your phone makes a satisfying chime and rewards you with hearts, points and treasure chest icons. Fans love its game-like interface and short, multiple-choice lessons. The vast majority of Duolingo users opt for its free version. “That’s going to increase a lot,” he says. Von Ahn had projected a 12-month 2020 revenue run rate of $140 million before the pandemic struck. According to San Francisco-based Sensor Tower, which tracks data on mobile apps, during the third week in March, downloads of Duolingo surged more than ever before, increasing 42% worldwide, compared to the weekly average of the previous 30 days.Īll of this is great news for Duolingo’s bottom line. The growth in first-time users has been even greater in the U.S.
In China, where the virus first struck, the number of new users has more than doubled.
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