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Update: a Duolingo spokesperson tells me that the company expects to break even (or come close to it) by the end of the year and that the company has a “fully fleshed out monetization plan.” We have updated the headline to reflect this.Ībout a year ago, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn announced that the company would start experimenting with ads and optional in-app purchases to figure out how each would impact app usage and the financial health of the company. It’s worth stressing that this subscription is completely optional and a company spokesperson told me that “Duolingo’s learning content will always be free.” It’s live now on Android and will come to iOS in the future.
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The new subscription service, which you can buy through an in-app purchase, currently costs $9.99 per month. In addition, there is also a feel-good aspect to this, as Duolingo highlights that subscribers to Duolingo Plus, as the subscription is called, will help “millions around the world learn for free.” Subscribers get two benefits: they won’t see ads in the app and they will be able to download lessons for offline use.
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Earlier this week, the popular language learning service Duolingo quietly introduced paid monthly subscriptions in its Android apps.
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