Education · head to head
Duolingo vs Securly
Securly
Education
Web filtering, student safety monitoring and device management for K-12 schools
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Duolingo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Duolingo free tier includes ads and energy-based hearts system limiting daily practice without paying; Securly pricing stacks by module and only Filter has rates that surface publicly, so the quoted total for Filter plus Aware plus On-Call is routinely several times the number a district budgeted from the filtering line alone.
- They diverge on capability: Duolingo covers 40+ languages, Securly covers Filter.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Duolingo and Securly actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Duolingo
- 40+ languages
- Gamification
- Streaks
- Leaderboards
- Stories
- Podcasts
- Speaking exercises
- AI tutor
Only in Securly
- Filter
- Aware
- On-Call
- Classroom
- MDM
- Pass
- Home
- Delegated admin
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Duolingo
- Language learningnot Securly
- Travel preparationnot Securly
- Career developmentnot Securly
- Cultural explorationnot Securly
Securly
- A district that must show CIPA compliance for take-home Chromebooks used on home broadband, where network-level filtering does nothingnot Duolingo
- A district whose safeguarding policy requires that a human being reads a self-harm alert within minutes at any hour, including school holidaysnot Duolingo
- A one-to-one iPad programme needing Apple device enrolment, filtering and classroom control from a single agent rather than threenot Duolingo
- A district under pressure from parents who want visibility of what their child does on the school device at home, without the school having to field each request by handnot Duolingo
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Duolingo
- Free tier includes ads and energy-based hearts system limiting daily practice without paying
- Gamification focus may appeal to casual learners but lacks depth for serious language study beyond conversational basics
- Limited to short, bite-sized lessons without extensive grammar explanations or cultural context
Securly
- Pricing stacks by module and only Filter has rates that surface publicly, so the quoted total for Filter plus Aware plus On-Call is routinely several times the number a district budgeted from the filtering line alone.
- The safety scanning generates false positives at volume, including song lyrics, creative writing and health-class assignments, and each one consumes counsellor or administrator time that the vendor does not pay for.
- Alerting on student writing is a surveillance decision with real community consequences, and districts that deploy it without an explicit board policy and parent notification have faced local objections after the fact.
- Coverage is strongest on managed Chromebooks; personal devices, non-Chrome browsers and encrypted apps outside the agent leave gaps that the compliance story quietly depends on nobody testing.
- Per-student pricing is charged on enrolment rather than on devices, so a district that issues devices to only some year groups still pays for every student on the roll.
Pricing, plan by plan
Duolingo
Free- FreeFree
- All language courses
- Ad-supported
- Limited hearts (5-heart system)
- Super$12.99/month
- Ad-free
- Unlimited hearts
- Extra practice tools
- Super Family$119.99/year
- Up to 6 users
- All Super features
- Family group
- Max$undefined/mo
- All Super features
- Video Call with Lily
- Roleplay scenarios
Securly
On request- Filter$undefined/year
- Web filtering on and off network
- Tiered per-student rates that fall as enrolment rises
- Published in some purchasing co-operative catalogues, not on the vendor site
- Aware$undefined/year
- Automated scanning of email, documents and search for safety risk
- Quoted per student, no public rate
- On-Call$undefined/year
- 24/7 human review and escalation of serious alerts
- Quoted per student, priced on top of Aware
- Classroom, MDM and Pass$undefined/year
- Sold as separate per-student modules
- Quoted
Which should you pick?
Choose Duolingo if
- You need 40+ languages.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want gamification.
Choose Securly if
- You need filter.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows.
- You also want aware.
Questions people ask
- Is Duolingo or Securly better?
- Neither clearly leads. Duolingo starts at Free and Securly at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Duolingo or Securly?
- Duolingo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Duolingo and On request for Securly.
- Does Duolingo or Securly run on more platforms?
- Duolingo runs on iOS, Android, Web. Securly runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows.
- Can I use Duolingo for free?
- Yes. Duolingo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Securly starts at On request.
- What is Duolingo best used for?
- Duolingo is most often used for language learning, travel preparation, career development, cultural exploration. Of those, language learning and travel preparation are not what Securly is typically brought in for.
- What can Duolingo do that Securly cannot?
- Duolingo covers 40+ languages, Gamification, Streaks, Leaderboards. Securly covers Filter, Aware, On-Call, Classroom.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Duolingo: What is Duolingo's pricing model?
Duolingo offers free tier with ads and limited features, Super Duolingo at $12.99/month (ad-free, unlimited hearts, extra practice), Super Family at ~$119.99/year for up to 6 users, and Duolingo Max with AI features like Video Call and Roleplay.
SourceSecurly: Does Securly publish pricing?
Not on its own site. Tiered per-student rates for Filter appear in some US purchasing co-operative catalogues, falling as enrolment rises, but Aware, On-Call, Classroom, MDM and Pass are quoted.
Duolingo: Is Duolingo effective for language learning?
Duolingo has 135+ million monthly active users as of Q3 2025, making it the world's most widely used language-learning app. Its gamified approach and free tier have driven massive adoption.
SourceSecurly: What is the difference between Aware and On-Call?
Aware is the automated detection that produces alerts. On-Call is the staffed service that reads the serious ones out of hours and phones your escalation contacts. Buying Aware alone leaves the triage with your own staff.
Duolingo: What AI features does Duolingo Max include?
Duolingo Max includes Video Call for conversation practice with AI character Lily and Roleplay for scenario-based speaking practice. As of January 2026, Explain My Answer became free for all users.
SourceSecurly: Does it filter on home internet?
Yes, filtering follows the managed device rather than the network, which is the point for take-home Chromebook programmes.
Duolingo: Does Duolingo work offline?
Duolingo is primarily online, though it may offer limited offline lesson downloads on some platforms. Full features require internet connection.
SourceSecurly: Is student data used for anything else?
Securly signs the US Student Privacy Pledge and district data processing agreements; check the specific DPA rather than the marketing page, since scanning scope and retention are negotiated terms.
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