HelloTalk Alternatives in 2026: Where to Go Instead
By Liebeastra
Quick disclaimer first: I build penfolk, which is one of the options below. I've kept the rest as fair as I can, and every price and feature comes from the app's own site or its US App Store listing, checked in October 2026.
HelloTalk is a good app. It has a huge community, translation and corrections inside the chat, a Moments feed, and group voice rooms. A lot of people learn a lot of language on it. But it isn't for everyone. The same few complaints keep coming up.
Why people look for a HelloTalk alternative
It can feel like a dating app. This one comes up most. Someone wrote in a post on HelloTalk itself that three of her close friends quit because men kept flirting with them and making them uncomfortable. FluentU's review mentions the same problem in its safety section. HelloTalk does ban accounts that use it for dating. Still, if you've had a few of those messages, you might just want somewhere else.
The free limits. According to FluentU, free users can start 10 new chats a day and use translation 10 times a day. Searching by gender or for people in your own city needs VIP, which costs $12.99 a month or $79.99 a year on the US App Store.
Conversations stall after small talk. FluentU lists this as one of its two cons, and anyone who has done language exchange knows the feeling. You both want to practice, you have nothing else in common, and after three days of "how was your weekend" it stops.
The feed. Some people love Moments. Others came for a language partner and don't want another feed to scroll.
The alternatives
| App | What's different from HelloTalk | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tandem | Screens every new member before they get in, focuses on 1-to-1 practice | Free, Tandem Pro (12 months listed at $69.99) |
| Slowly | Letters instead of chat, no photos, delivery takes hours to days | Free letters, optional Slowly Plus |
| Speaky | Simpler app, text and voice chat, no subscription | Free |
| Conversation Exchange | Website for finding penpals or people to meet in person | Free |
| penfolk | Matches on shared interests as well as languages, no algorithmic feed | Free, optional $2.99/month supporter tier |
Tandem
The closest thing to HelloTalk. You chat by text, send voice notes or call, with corrections and translation in the chat. The big difference: Tandem reviews every application before you can use it. That makes it more work to get in, and some people wait a while, but it's a direct answer to the "too many creeps" problem. The core app is free; Tandem Pro is paid.
Slowly
If the dating vibe is your problem, Slowly removes most of what causes it. There are no photos and no real names, just a nickname, an avatar and your letters. Letters take a few hours to a few days to arrive depending on distance. It's great for writing practice. Less so if you want to practice speaking.
Speaky
Free with no subscription. You search for native speakers and chat by text or voice. Fewer features than HelloTalk, which is the point if you found HelloTalk a bit much.
Conversation Exchange
A plain website where you can look for penpals, chat partners, or people near you to meet face to face. If you live somewhere with other learners around, meeting in person is still one of the best ways to practice.
penfolk
This is mine, so take it for what it is. penfolk is aimed at the "conversation dies after small talk" problem. Your profile shows the languages you speak and are learning, but also what you're into: your Spotify or Last.fm listening, Top 3 lists, and upcoming trips.
The Partners view ranks people by whether your languages fit both ways, then by how many interests you share. So the person you end up talking to likes the same music as you, or is going to the same city next month. You have something to talk about besides practice.
There's no recommendation algorithm; the feed is chronological by default. Messages have voice notes and inline corrections.
What penfolk doesn't do, compared to HelloTalk: it's much smaller, there are no video calls, and there are no voice rooms or livestreams. Free accounts can also start up to 10 new conversations a day, same as HelloTalk's free tier.
Which one should you pick?
- Too many flirty messages and you still want calls: try Tandem.
- You'd rather write than talk: Slowly.
- You want something free and simple: Speaky.
- You want to meet people offline: Conversation Exchange.
- Your chats keep dying because you have nothing in common: give penfolk a go.
You can also use more than one. Plenty of people keep HelloTalk for quick corrections and use something else for actual friendships.
If you want the full comparison of all these apps, I wrote that up in the best language exchange apps of 2026. And if penfolk sounds right, here's how language exchange works on it.
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to HelloTalk?
Yes. Speaky and Conversation Exchange are completely free. Tandem, Slowly and penfolk all have free versions you can use without paying.
Is Tandem better than HelloTalk?
Not better, different. Tandem screens new members and focuses on 1-to-1 conversations. HelloTalk has a public feed and group voice rooms. Which one you like more depends on how you want to practice.
Is there a HelloTalk alternative without the dating vibe?
Slowly is the strongest option here because it has no photos at all. Tandem's application review also helps. On penfolk you match on interests and languages, and you can report or block anyone.
Can I find a language partner with the same hobbies?
That's what penfolk is built around. You can filter people by interests and see their music taste and travel plans before you message them.
