Free learning apps for adults, and what free actually gets you
Almost every learning app calls itself free. Very few mean it. This guide separates the apps that are free forever from the ones with a free tier and a limit, and tells you exactly where each limit sits.
Disclosure: Learning Cadence publishes this article and makes Cadence, one of the apps listed. We have a commercial interest in Cadence. Every other app is described from its official pages, linked in each entry, and we say plainly where a different app is the better choice.
In app stores, free means anything from a nonprofit that will never charge you, to a seven-day trial that bills on day eight. Both say free on the listing.
So this guide sorts by what free means in practice. Truly free apps come first, then apps where the free tier is real but limited, and then a short note on the ones where free is a trial. Each entry says where the wall is before you hit it.
Start here
What free means for each app.
Swipe the table to see every column.
What free means for each app
App
What free means
Where the limit sits
Khan Academy
Free forever
A nonprofit with no paid tier and no ads.
MIT OpenCourseWare
Free forever
Real MIT course materials, no account needed.
TED
Free forever
Talks and transcripts, no subscription.
Anki
Free, except iPhone
Free on desktop and Android, paid once on iPhone.
Coursera and edX
Free to audit
Watch university courses free, pay only for the certificate.
Duolingo
Free with limits
All course content, with ads and a lesson meter on mobile.
Cadence
Free with limits
One lesson and quiz a day, including your own custom courses. This is our app.
Brilliant
Mostly paid
First chapter of each course, then a subscription.
The apps
Every app, with what it is bad at.
Each description comes from the app's official pages, linked in the entry and checked on the review date at the end of this article.
01
Khan Academy
School and university fundamentals
Khan Academy is a nonprofit that publishes full course sequences in maths, science, economics, and test preparation. Every lesson is free, there are no ads, and the practice sets tell you which idea you have not understood yet rather than just marking you wrong.
Best for
Rebuilding a foundation you missed at school, especially in maths and science.
Not for
Soft skills, workplace situations, and creative subjects.
Price
Free. It is funded by donations, not subscriptions.
MIT publishes the actual materials from its courses: lecture notes, problem sets, exams, and often video. There is no account, no upsell, and no certificate. It is the raw course, and you supply the discipline.
Best for
Self-directed learners who want depth and do not need a credential.
Not for
Anyone who needs structure, reminders, or someone to tell them what to do next.
TED publishes short talks from researchers, writers, and practitioners, with transcripts and subtitles in many languages. A talk is a good way to find a subject worth studying. It is not a course, and treating it as one is the usual mistake.
Best for
Finding your next topic, and listening while you do something else.
Not for
Building a skill. There is no sequence and no practice.
Anki is a flashcard tool that schedules each card for the day you are about to forget it. It is plain, it is powerful, and it does nothing to help you decide what is worth learning. Medical students and language learners rely on it for a reason.
Best for
Facts, vocabulary, and anything you must recall exactly.
Not for
Understanding a subject. Anki assumes you already know what belongs on the card.
Price
Free on desktop and Android. The iPhone app is a one-time purchase that funds the project.
Coursera hosts courses from universities and companies, with video lectures, readings, and graded work. Many courses can be audited for free, which means you can watch the material without paying. Graded assignments and the certificate are the paid part.
Best for
Subjects where the name on the certificate matters to an employer or an application.
Not for
A ten-minute daily habit. Most courses expect real study blocks.
Price
Many courses are free to audit. Certificates, some assignments, and the all-access plan are paid. Check the course page for what the free option includes.
edX was founded by MIT and Harvard and works much like Coursera. The audit track lets you follow a university course for free for a set period. Verified certificates and full programmes are paid.
Best for
Following a real university syllabus without paying for the badge.
Not for
Anyone who wants permanent access, since audit access is usually time limited.
Price
Auditing is free on most courses. Certificates and programmes are paid. Check the course page for the audit window.
Duolingo teaches languages through short exercises that repeat vocabulary and grammar until they stick. The streak, the daily goal, and the reminders are the reason many people keep going, and they are the most copied idea in the category.
Best for
Building and holding a daily habit while you learn a language.
Not for
Subjects outside languages, or getting to confident conversation on the app alone.
Price
Free with ads. On mobile the free tier meters how many lessons you can do through an energy system, so you wait, watch an ad, or spend gems to continue. The web version is less restricted. Paid tiers remove the ads and the meter. Check the app for the current price where you live.
Cadence takes a topic or a practical goal you type in, then builds it into an ordered course of short daily lessons. Each lesson takes about ten minutes, you can read it or listen to it, and the course remembers where you stopped. Lessons include quizzes or other checks, and you can ask a coach for another explanation without leaving the lesson.
Best for
Learning something specific that no fixed catalogue covers closely enough, at one lesson a day.
Not for
Anyone who needs a recognised certificate, a named instructor, or a language course with speaking practice.
Price
Free to start, with one short lesson and quiz a day plus custom courses, audio, progress, and coaching inside the published limits. Plus raises those allowances for US$39.99 a year on the web, with a 7-day trial.
Knowing which kind you are looking at saves you the unpleasant surprise later.
Free forever. There is no paid tier at all. Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseWare, and TED work this way, usually because a nonprofit or a university funds them.
Free to audit. The teaching material is free and the proof of completion is paid. Coursera and edX both do this, and it is the best value in the whole category if you do not need the certificate.
Free tier with a real limit. You can use the app forever without paying, but something is capped: lessons per day, ads, or advanced features. Duolingo and Cadence work this way.
Free trial. Not free. The app is paid and you get a window to cancel. Most book summary apps sit here, which is fine as long as you know it going in.
Worth knowing
The free option most people miss.
If you have a public library card, check whether your library provides LinkedIn Learning. Many library systems do, and cardholders get the full catalogue at no cost. LinkedIn publishes a help page for library patrons explaining the sign-in, and you do not need a LinkedIn profile to use it.
The same is worth checking with your employer. A lot of companies pay for LinkedIn Learning or Coursera seats that go unused because nobody announced them.
Where we fit
What the Cadence free plan includes.
We make Cadence, so here is the limit stated plainly. The free plan gives you one short lesson and quiz a day. That includes courses you create yourself on your own topic, lesson audio, progress, streaks, reminders, and the in-lesson coach, all within published usage limits.
One lesson a day is the intended way to use Cadence rather than a crippled version of it, which is why the free plan is shaped that way. Plus raises the course, lesson, coach, and audio allowances for US$39.99 a year on the web, with a 7-day trial.
If your budget is genuinely zero and you want maths, science, or exam preparation, Khan Academy is free forever and better at those subjects. We would rather point you there than have you pay us for the wrong thing.
See it in concrete terms
Open a real Cadence course.
These are Cadence courses you can start on the free plan. The syllabus and first lessons are visible before you sign up.
What is the best completely free learning app for adults?
Khan Academy, for most people. It is a nonprofit with no paid tier and no ads, and it publishes full course sequences with practice in maths, science, economics, and test preparation. MIT OpenCourseWare is the better choice if you want university-level depth and do not need any structure.
Can I take university courses for free?
Yes. Coursera and edX both let you audit many courses at no cost, which means you can watch the lectures and read the material. The graded assignments and the certificate are the paid part. MIT OpenCourseWare publishes full course materials free with no account at all.
Is Duolingo really free?
Yes, with limits. The course content is available on the free tier, alongside ads and daily limits. The paid tiers remove the ads and add features. You can complete a language course without paying.
How can I get LinkedIn Learning for free?
Many public libraries provide LinkedIn Learning free to cardholders, and LinkedIn publishes a help page for library patrons covering the sign-in. You sign in with your library card number and PIN, and no LinkedIn profile is required. Availability varies by library system, so check your library's website. Some employers also pay for seats that go unused.
Is Cadence free?
There is a free plan with one short lesson and quiz a day, which includes custom courses on your own topic, lesson audio, progress, streaks, reminders, and the in-lesson coach within published limits. Plus raises those allowances for US$39.99 a year on the web with a 7-day trial. Cadence is our app, so treat that as a disclosure rather than a review.
Are free learning apps worse than paid ones?
Not reliably. Khan Academy is free and is one of the strongest products in the category, because a nonprofit funds it instead of subscriptions. What free tiers usually cost you is volume rather than quality: fewer lessons a day, ads, or no certificate at the end.
Last reviewed
How we chose
What we checked, and what we did not.
We included apps adults use for self-directed learning that offer meaningful access without payment, then classified each one by what its free access actually covers: free forever, free to audit, or a free tier with a stated limit. Every classification comes from the app's official pages, checked on the review date shown on this page.
Direct checks: We opened the current official site or store listing for each app named here and checked what it says the free access includes and where the paid boundary sits.
Testing limits: We did not subscribe to the paid tiers of apps we do not publish, and free tiers can change without notice. No exact competitor prices are quoted because they vary by region, platform, and offer. Library access to LinkedIn Learning varies by library system, so check with yours.
Disclosure: Learning Cadence publishes this article and makes Cadence, one of the apps listed. We have a commercial interest in Cadence. Every other app is described from its official pages, linked in each entry, and we say plainly where a different app is the better choice.
Learning Cadence is not affiliated with any other product named on this page. Product names belong to their respective owners. Prices and free tiers change, so open the official page before you buy.
