Education

Top 12 English Learning Websites in 2025

Alex Ovdienko
Author Alex Ovdienko

An English learning website is the perfect option for people who would like to develop their language knowledge, where they are and with what they have. Learning English online is a cost-effective way to reach your target, whether it is about passing an exam, finding a new job, or improving your communication skills.

In this article, you will find a selection of the top websites for learning English which suit different levels and purposes, as well as budgets. Let’s review the sites for you to choose the premier platform for your goals!

List of English learning websites

Koto English

Perfect for: Learners who need a well-structured and gamified platform for self-study.

Access: Free access with optional premium subscription.

Target level: A1 – B2

Bite-sized lessons, visually appealing design, and engaging materials make Koto English one of the best websites to learn English among freemium sites. Koto doesn’t just provide quizzes — it teaches students with clear grammar explanations, full guides, and real-world samples.

Busy learners can access Koto English across a website or a mobile app available for Android and iOS, making studying more convenient. They receive help with developing grammar, vocabulary, and listening skills, powered by personalization for knowledge level, desired topics, and more.

What stands out:

  • Competitions with friends and other real learners
  • Visible progress bar with goal streaks, XP earned, and badges
  • Best suited for people who study on their own
  • Gamified learning for discipline and engagement
  • Constant updates for learning modules

Best suited for:

People who are looking for a game-like experience in studying English and an efficient way to become fluent in the language.

Busuu

Busuu

Perfect for: Beginner-level students who want to receive a personalized English course.

Access: Freemium with different levels of access.

Target level: A1 – B2

Among the best free English learning websites, learners will find Busuu, a platform that enables individuals to study at their own speed and schedule, with interactive elements. It allows people to make connections with others through the online community and even study offline as an option.

What stands out:

  • Weekly goals system
  • Feedback from other members
  • CEFR-based standards and certification
  • Learning for businesses

Best suited for:

Learners who are looking for interactions with people globally, personalization in studying pace, and want to develop their grammar skills, train vocabulary, practice writing essays and emails, speaking capabilities, and more.

HelloTalk

HelloTalk

Perfect for: Learners who need to improve their communication skills.

Access: Free core functions and paid additional features (like viewing visitors and so on).

Target level: A1 – C1

When searching for a “learn English website” with a focus on real-life communication with other learners, users will find HelloTalk, which is used as an app to exchange knowledge online, with functions like chats and “Moments.” In chats, students can translate sentences, record audio messages, receive and make corrections, and more.

What stands out:

  • Over 60 million users worldwide
  • Coins and an in-app shop for profile customization
  • Lifestreams and Voicerooms
  • Speak with locals and learning natural English

Best suited for:

People who would like to learn through communication or use an additional source to get an acknowledgement of real-life English. They can share moments in the feed, receive likes, comments, leave them for other users, and more.

Memrise

Memrise

Perfect for: People with visual-based memory who have little time to study vocabulary.

Access: Free access with paid options to use more tools for memorizing and more.

Target level: A1 – B1

One of the top English learning websites aimed at helping learners work on their vocabulary through words and phrases. The site focuses on authentic pronunciation and interactive activities that keep users engaged and also help them memorize new words. For now, it has AI-powered tutors that help students become fluent.

What stands out:

  • Based on real-life experiences context (like small talks)
  • Ability to perceive local accents
  • Practice for the pronunciation of words and phrases
  • “Conversations,” “Videos,” and “Scenarios” sections

Best suited for:

Memrise is the perfect option for expanding vocabulary for beginners and intermediate students, for example, for those who want to prepare for life in English-speaking countries and learn real-world language.

BBC Learning English

BBC Learning English

Perfect for: Students looking for free information about British English.

Access: Fully free, with access to a podcast and other materials.

Target level: B1 – B2

Browsing for free English learning websites, BBC Learning English from the BBC World Service can be an option for self-studying people. With free materials, it has become one of the most significant main or additional sources for effective language mastering. From Work English to News English and courses, users can find everything.

What stands out:

  • 3 levels of English courses
  • Many downloadable content
  • Podcasts and dramas
  • Office English for workers

Best suited for:

Learners with strong discipline and motivation who can create their own study plan and use BBC English to develop their proficiency in English. Business representatives can also find useful information for email-oriented English, work environments, and more.

Preply

Preply

Perfect for: New and experienced learners who would like to study with tutors.

Access: Paid, with pricing for a lesson.

Target level: A1 – C2

Preply is one of the English language learning websites that provides private tutoring through videos, with built-in features for a seamless studying process. Students browse the list of premier teachers, select one, then choose the time and date, and start learning.

What stands out:

  • 33k+ English professionals
  • Real studying through videos
  • Engaging activities
  • Personalization for every user

Best suited for:

Those seeking a flexible way to study from natives and experts, with a structured system and strong support at every stage to keep motivation. Private lessons mean adjusting to unique goals: career, speaking, IELTS, TOEFL, etc.

FluentU

FluentU

Perfect for: People who like to learn through visual and interactive content.

Access: 2 weeks of free trial and a paid subscription for full access.

Target level: A1 – B2

Among available websites to learn English, this one is concentrated on helping people to study with interesting Netflix and YouTube content. There is a lot of content for newcomers: each video is played with subtitles that a user can read, translate, and expand their vocabulary.

What stands out:

  • Top-tier materials
  • Custom player for a better experience
  • Quizzes for word studying
  • Web and mobile access 24/7

Best suited for:

Students who are after video content (especially series and blogs) and want to see the real-world English usage with slang, idioms, accents, and more. They can read and listen to sentences at the same time and develop two skills.

italki

italki

Perfect for: Learners looking for a study community and/or private/group tutoring.

Access: Paid lessons from italki teachers and free access to discussions.

Target level: A1 – C1

italki is known among users who like to receive private tutoring and discuss various topics as the best website to learn English. Native speakers and professionals in language — they give 1-to-1 and group classes directly on the platform, allowing users to choose them, book a free timeslot, or just participate in discussions that come from real people worldwide.

What stands out:

  • 5k+ English community teachers
  • Different budgets
  • Articles, quizzes, prompts, etc.
  • Tutors for different skills

Best suited for:

People who like to be engaged in communication with other learners and take classes with a teacher who dedicates their time to them. Beginners and intermediate learners can practice writing small posts and direct messages with other community members.

Duolingo

Duolingo

Perfect for: Students who want to be consistent in learning English within available time frames.

Access: Free with a premium subscription option.

Target level: A1 – B1

Through English learning sites, Duolingo has an engaging method of studying with gamification and personalization (plus the latest AI-powered update).

For more access, students can apply for Super Duolingo, a paid subscription, which allows learners to study without ads and have limitless attempts to do the test over and over, or Duolingo Max with AI-based functions.

What stands out:

  • Suitable for kids and adults
  • Motivation engagement: streaks, leaderboard
  • Bite-sized lessons for on-the-go studying
  • Engaging and fun content in lessons

Best suited for:

New learners and those who want to be consistent with their English language study. They are capable of getting new phrases and mastering listening skills through repetitive content that makes it easier to memorize these concepts.

Coursera

Coursera

Perfect for: Online learning to access university-level degrees or courses.

Access: Mostly free, with the ability to pay for certification.

Target level: A1 – C1

If you are looking for the best site to learn English on an academic level, then Coursera is your best bet, with courses for TESOL, IELTS, basic grammar, business English, and more. It also provides courses for native learners who would like to improve their communication for career growth or personal development.

What stands out:

  • Lessons from basic to advanced levels
  • Certificates that can be added to a CV or LinkedIn
  • Ability to earn a degree online
  • Supportive community of students

Best suited for:

Newcomers in language and pros who need to grasp skills in English will definitely benefit from this site. With an academic orientation, they will receive more than fundamental knowledge, but also career-focused and university-based courses.

Open English

Open English

Perfect for: People who would like to learn through lessons with native speakers.

Access: Time-limited free pass and paid option.

Target level: A1 – C1

This one is amidst websites for learning English that have over 2M users now, while primarily it started as a portal for South American and Latin people who need to develop their English skills. This site has a few options: students can participate in groups, apply for one-to-one lessons, and access content sources.

What stands out:

  • Around-the-clock access
  • No limits on the number of classes
  • Flexibility for busy learners
  • Wide content for studying
  • Advanced personalization

Best suited for:

Individual learners and businesses who are seeking a service to build strong English knowledge. Open English has a corporate option for departments and teams as well, with a focus on reliable skills.

EnglishClass101

EnglishClass101

Perfect for: Casual learners

Access: Free account and paid subscriptions.

Target level: A1 – B2

One of the English study websites that opens access to a course of Survival Phrases, over 100 lists of vocabulary, and a 7-day premium trial. There is a lot of video and audio content that is recorded by professionals for learners to perceive a native experience.

What stands out:

  • YouTube channel with thousands of videos
  • Podcast with topics like “English Word of the Day”
  • Personalized studying with a private teacher or self-study
  • Application for Android and iOS (iPad as well)

Best suited for:

People who would like to start learning English from the beginning or develop basic knowledge to an intermediate level. The platform has a Free Lifetime Account with a lot of open content for those who want to keep learning without being charged, but they can upgrade access with 3 subscription models.

What is a website to learn English?

It is a platform where you can find information about the English language and start learning or improving your current level. They are designed to be helpful for learners from A1 to C1 with different goals.

According to the latest statistics, there are ~1.5 billion people who are proficient or native in English, and you can join them! You will learn how to choose a site that is aimed at learning this language with ease from our comprehensive list. Keep reading and find out which source fits your needs the best.

Comparing the best learning English websites

After you decide to learn English, you need to find a top-tier site that will help you study effectively. To check the fit for you, we prepared comparison tables that cover core aspects of each platform. It ensures that you will save your time and money as you select the proper portal on the first attempt.

Let’s compare the best websites to learn English online so that you can find the suitable one:

Suitability for learners

People have unique goals and lifestyles, as well as study styles, and someone wants to learn on their own, making notes, working with a gamified platform. Indeed, someone needs tuition for the best results.

Suitability for learners

Access and pricing

Depending on your capabilities, you can choose among free, mostly-free or fully paid English learning websites. When it comes to tutors, you will pay for each lesson, and in other apps, you can use it for free, with limited features, watch ads for more access, and pay for VIP versions if needed.

Access and pricing

Accessibility

It is important for some users to have mobile access (perfectly offline as well to make progress anywhere), and some of them need a browser-based one to work on a laptop or tablet. Below, you will find the range of the best websites to learn English for free, which have only web or both versions.

For example, EnglishClass101* can be found on mobile within the Innovative Language Learning app available for all devices.

Accessibility

For now, you are able to opt for the perfect site that meets your studying path and needs. Further, you will learn the exact steps for the choosing process.

How to select the right English learning site?

You have seen a lot of options above, and the core moment here is to seek a reliable website among them, focusing on your goals. Here, you will find the 4 main stages that are common for every learner who has just decided to learn (or keep learning) the language.

How to select the right English learning site

Step 1. Ask yourself, “Why?”

This question is essential because all sites have their own purpose, just like you, and defining it will help you match with a platform. Let’s say that your answers look like this:

  • “I want to be more confident in communicating with others” — you need to learn grammar, correct word pronunciation, and use conversational portals with live chats.
  • “I have to pass IELTS/TOEFL/etc.” — You may want to receive structured studying with private teachers or academic-based courses.
  • “I would like to focus on learning phrases and vocabulary” — you can study English with flashcards, sites for memorizing words, and more.

Let’s move to the second phase.

Step 2. Define your learning style

Are you a gamer who likes to learn new things with a gamified experience? Or maybe you are more interested in studying while consuming content? It will define which platform suits you, so give the answer to “What is my English learning method?” and look for the website.

Step 3. Go for the free trials

Typically, you can use the premium featured version without being charged or even entering your credit card data for a week or two. It is preferable to use this offer, decide if the portal suits you, and if you want to pay for a subscription.

If you are looking for a tutor, you may apply for a free lesson or group class, which can last up to 45 minutes, and then make a decision.

Step 4. Check your progress

You study the English language and would like to ensure it is worth it and you are moving toward your goal. Our advice is to track what you learned with tests and reviews to show how far you have come and if it is effective for you.

You are armed with information to select a reliable website, so let’s disclose how to use that particular platform to make your progress more impactful.

How do learning platforms help you learn faster?

Simply, the English language learning process can be done faster with the right resources, as you may even study for 10 minutes a day and make better progress. The advantage is hidden in the consistency and high-quality materials they provide you with.

Gamified apps have bite-sized lessons that you can accomplish in under 15 minutes while waiting for your order in a cafe or commuting to school/office. Some students can study while doing their cardio sessions in a gym — that’s totally fine as long as you are concentrating on the topic.

You also receive a personalized learning path, not generally studying one grammar concept and moving to another, even if you didn’t get the previous one. You will develop skills in English faster by learning what you need, and not just a random grammar concept.

Moreover, the instant feedback you gain in an app or a website allows you to resolve mistakes immediately. When studying English, you will take quizzes, check marks and answers, work on the mistakes, and move on to the next topic.

Tips for successful online English learning

Having a reliable site is not going to make you fluent — you need to put some effort into this process and actually use it. Still, there are some tips that will help you make mastering your skills easier and more engaging.

Tips for successful online English learning
  1. Dedicate time regularly. You noticed that we mentioned this point before, and that’s because of how you make progress, by doing it over and over and over. Practice when you have time, even for small timeframes, and you will see the difference.
  2. Use the most out of a site. Despite the portal you select to learn the English language, it is advisable to work with its tools: vocabulary, flashcards, competitions, discussions, live content, and more.
  3. Combine different platforms. In some cases, you may need to use two or three sources, which allow you to focus on multiple purposes: reading, grammar, listening, and writing (to chat with other learners or practice writing essays).
  4. Actively recall what you learned. Some websites have midterm quizzes and exercises that help you check if you remember grammar/words/phrases/etc. By taking them regularly, you will improve your knowledge and solve mistakes.

Use the tips above to keep yourself motivated and learning faster. You can add more of them and choose those that fit your goal and opportunities.

Final thoughts

After reading this article, learning English is a piece of cake for you, despite your knowledge level. You are able to choose the site that works toward your goal and get on track with your free time aligned, needs defined, and more.

If you are looking for a platform with interactive and professional content, consider studying with Koto English, which has all grammar concepts with explanations, interactive tests, vocabulary learning, and more sections.

FAQ about the online English learning website

Are online English courses effective?

Yes, if you stay consistent and dedicate time and effort even to small steps, like 10 minutes a day or even less. Their main benefit is your ability to study anywhere, with online or sometimes even offline access, and communicate with other users, learn new vocabulary, and more.

It is also a perfect option for learners who have a part-time or full-time job, or the majority, and have less time for studying. How to take the most advantage of online learning? Keep going, even if you have a small amount of time.

What website is best for beginners?

Beginners need small and well-structured lessons with fun and useful materials. They are typically more motivated at the beginning of the studying path, and need to keep this passion, so it is better to choose a site with strong fundamental grammar, interactive and simple tests, and vocabulary for A1.

How much do online English platforms charge?

The price depends on their focus and what they offer. If it’s about private lessons, you will pay for the amount of time. Moreover, italki has no pre-vetted rates for teachers, and each of them can select their own.

For the other types of websites and apps for learning English online, like Preply, they have rates up to 50% for a class, and it will also be defined by group or private kind you select. Some sites have subscription models for annual/monthly or lifetime accounts, which range differently: $5, $15, $40, and so on.

How long does it take to see results from online English learning?

It depends. You can learn basic grammar fast, in under a few weeks, as well as expand your vocabulary to a hundred words if you are learning actively. The factors that affect the speed of results are commonly the following:

  • free time
  • learning environment
  • your motivation
  • methods

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