Comparison
bleam vs Duolingo
Both help you learn a language. They just disagree about where that learning should happen. Duolingo builds a course you visit; bleam weaves your new language into the reading you already do, then brings each word back right before you'd forget it. Here's the honest breakdown.
| bleam | Duolingo | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you learn | Inside the web you already read — news, Reddit, Wikipedia. | Inside a separate app, on its own course content. |
| What you read | Real pages you chose, translated to your level (A1–C2). | Curated lessons and sentences written for the course. |
| Daily habit | No new habit — it rides along with reading you'd do anyway. | A daily streak you have to keep up. |
| Vocabulary tracking | Keeps every word you actually engage with, per word memory curve. | Tracks words seen inside its own lessons. |
| Reviews | FSRS-6 spaced repetition, timed per word to just before you forget. | Built-in practice and review within the app. |
| Price | Free 14-day trial, then $8/month. Dashboard free for good. | Free with ads; paid tier removes them and adds features. |
Which should you pick?
If you like structured, gamified lessons and want a clear path from zero, Duolingo is a great on-ramp. If you already read in your own language every day and want that time to quietly build a second one — without a new app or a streak to protect — that's exactly what bleam is for. Many people use both.
Try bleam free for 14 days