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Duolingo works well at the beginner level, when you're learning basic vocabulary and simple grammar structures. But the further you progress, the more its limitations become apparent - there's no real conversation practice, and a teacher won't correct your accent or pronunciation mistakes. Paid courses usually include interaction with actual people, a structured program tailored to your level, and the ability to ask questions when you don't understand something.
In practice, it's easiest to combine them: Duolingo is for regular vocabulary and grammar review in small chunks, while a paid course or lessons with a tutor are for when you actually need to communicate and want to progress faster. If money's tight, you can start with Duolingo, get to an intermediate level, and then invest in a tutor course - by that point you'll have wasted less time overall.
Pro tip: if you found a paid course that interests you but the price is steep, check if it has a free trial period or recordings of past classes. A lot of teachers post sample lessons online - you can evaluate their teaching method before you pay.
Duolingo is free, while paid courses cost money - that's the main difference. But it's not just about the price. With Duolingo, you study on your own, at your own pace, short lessons in game format. It works if you want to gradually learn words and grammar without much effort. Paid courses are usually a structured program, sometimes with a live teacher who can answer your questions and correct your mistakes. They push you a bit, there are deadlines, a more serious approach.
If you're a beginner and just want to try it, start understanding the language - Duolingo is perfect for that. Honestly, it helps you get used to the language without extra spending. But when it comes to speaking, understanding native speakers, writing complex texts - you need a more serious approach there, and paid courses deliver that better.
I'd suggest starting with Duolingo, see if you even like it or not. If you get results and want to go further - then switch to something more serious. You can combine them too, by the way. Duolingo as background, paid courses as your main foundation.
The question is a bit off, because it's not really an either-or choice - lots of people actually combine both options! Duolingo is really convenient for daily practice and keeping your level up, but it's only enough if you already know something or you have other sources of information on the side.
Paid courses give you structure that the app won't have. A teacher there explains grammar properly, you can ask questions, and if you don't get something they'll help you out. With Duolingo you just pick answers and sometimes you guess without understanding why it actually works that way. If you're starting from scratch, you could waste months just on the app and not really learn anything.
I'd say start with a paid course (even a short, simple one), get the basics down, understand how the language is structured. And then use Duolingo for support - it's fun there and you spend minimal time. That's more effective than betting everything on one tool!
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