Want to boost your industry skills to stay competitive or perhaps land a higher-paying job? The right tools make all the difference. Today’s best learning apps put world-class education, career training and productivity support right in your pocket. Whether you want to build your knowledge base, master a new language or learn coding from scratch, there’s a platform built to help you get there.
In this guide, we’ve rounded up the best learning apps and subscriptions so you can choose the perfect mix for your goals. From trusted names like Coursera to powerful subscription services like Busuu, these platforms offer practical ways to learn faster, work smarter and upgrade your earning potential.
You’ll notice that we also added a section on Language learning apps. Language prowess makes you more employable in global companies, often leading to higher pay and expanded international job opportunities. Multilingualism has also been shown to sharpen problem-solving skills and improve memory, which are valuable both in and out of the workplace.
Here is a summary of the learning apps we recommend:
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STEM & Academics: Coursera, Khan Academy, Photomath, Quizlet, Anki
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Languages: Duolingo, Tandem, Busuu
- Coding: SoloLearn, freeCodeCamp
1. Coursera
Coursera brings top-quality university and professional courses directly to learners worldwide. Partnering with institutions like Stanford, Yale and Google, it provides access to thousands of courses across STEM, business, humanities and more. Learners can ‘audit’ (read course material) of most courses for free but have to pay for certification. This flexibility allows Coursera to cater to casual learners as well as professionals aiming for career advancement. A 12-month Coursera Plus Subscription costs US$399 (~S$513) and gives you unlimited access to 10,000+ courses, projects, Specializations, and Professional Certificates subscription .
Coursera emphasises employability, with many courses designed in collaboration with companies like IBM, Meta and Google to give learners practical skills. The platform also supports sub-2-hour guided projects for skill-building in specific areas like Excel, Python or digital marketing. With millions of learners and a reputation for quality, Coursera is a solid choice for anyone looking to grow academically or professionally. Its affordability compared to traditional education makes it a popular path for upskilling without taking on student debt.
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2. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a non-profit learning platform from India that offers free, high-quality courses in subjects like mathematics, science, economics and history. Its structured courses include instructional videos, practice exercises and progress tracking. It’s particularly strong in math and sciences, with material spanning from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus and physics. Teachers often use it as a supplement in classrooms, while individual learners benefit from its self-paced structure.
The platform stands out because it’s entirely free—no hidden subscriptions or premium tiers. This makes it a powerful equaliser for students who lack access to private tutors or expensive resources. Its personalised learning dashboard highlights strengths and weaknesses, guiding learners to practise where they need improvement. Beyond school subjects, Khan Academy also offers life skills such as personal finance and test preparation for exams like the SAT. With over 120 million learners annually, it’s one of the most impactful educational platforms globally, democratising knowledge for all.
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3. Photomath
Photomath is a mobile app designed to demystify mathematics by providing step-by-step solutions to problems. Users simply take a picture of an equation—handwritten or printed—and the app instantly breaks it down into each stage of the calculation. This is particularly helpful for students who understand concepts in class but struggle when practising alone. Rather than just giving the answer, Photomath emphasises the process, helping learners truly grasp the logic behind the problem.
The free version supports most core features, while Photomath Plus adds advanced solutions for higher-level mathematics such as calculus and statistics. Teachers and parents often use the app as a support tool, ensuring students don’t just copy answers but engage with the explanation. Its clear visuals and interactive graphs also make abstract concepts easier to digest. With millions of downloads worldwide, Photomath is an essential companion for learners aiming to build confidence and independence in mathematics.
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4. Quizlet
Quizlet is a digital study tool that helps learners memorise and retain information through flashcards, games and practice tests. Students can create their own study sets or choose from millions of pre-made ones covering every subject imaginable. Its interactive modes, such as “Learn,” “Match” and “Test,” keep revision engaging, while the “Live” feature enables group study sessions.
The app leverages active recall and spaced repetition— two proven learning techniques— to maximise retention. Quizlet’s free version is strong enough for everyday use, but Quizlet Plus adds offline access, personalised study paths and advanced tracking. With over 60 million users, it’s one of the most widely used study apps worldwide, especially among high school and college students preparing for exams. Its flexibility across subjects— from vocabulary to anatomy— makes it a versatile tool for learners of all ages.
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5. Anki
Anki is a powerful flashcard system that uses spaced repetition to help learners retain knowledge long-term. Unlike traditional cramming, Anki spaces reviews at scientifically calculated intervals, strengthening memory at just the right time. It’s highly customisable, allowing users to add text, images, audio and even code snippets to their flashcards. This makes it especially popular among medical students, law students and language learners who need to memorise large volumes of information.
Although it has a learning curve, Anki’s flexibility is unmatched. Users can download pre-made decks covering everything from anatomy to foreign languages or build their own tailored sets. Its open-source nature means it’s free on most platforms, with only the iOS app requiring a one-time purchase. The combination of efficiency and adaptability has earned it a loyal following among serious learners who prioritise mastery and long-term retention. For anyone tackling heavy memorisation, Anki is one of the best investments of time.
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6. Duolingo
Duolingo is a gamified language learning app that makes daily practice engaging through streaks, leaderboards and playful lessons. It covers dozens of languages, from Spanish and French to less common ones like Irish or Swahili. They even have music and chess! The bite-sized lessons fit neatly into a busy schedule, perfect for learners who want consistent progress without heavy time investment.
While the free tier is more than enough for casual learners, Duolingo also fosters habit-forming behaviour through reminders and achievements. The colourful, game-like design appeals to all ages and keeps motivation high, even for people who struggle with traditional language learning.
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7. Tandem
Tandem is built on the principle that the best way to learn a language is to practise with native speakers. It’s a language exchange platform where users connect globally through text, audio and video chat. The idea is simple: you help someone learn your language while they help you with theirs. This creates a natural, conversational style of learning that goes beyond vocabulary lists and grammar drills. It’s especially effective for improving fluency, pronunciation and cultural understanding.
The app supports more than 300 languages, including less common ones and even allows users to find tutors for structured sessions if they prefer. While the free version enables unlimited exchanges, Tandem Pro adds features such as translation tools, unlimited translations and location-based search to connect with speakers nearby.
Unlike traditional apps, Tandem is less about completing lessons and more about building relationships and confidence in real conversations. For learners seeking immersion but unable to travel, Tandem bridges that gap, offering authentic practice anytime, anywhere. It’s a perfect choice for learners who want to supplement structured study with real-world dialogue.
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8. Busuu Premium
Busuu takes language learning a step further by focusing on interaction and feedback from real people. The app offers structured lessons across 14 major languages, ranging from English and Spanish to Japanese and Turkish. Unlike purely gamified apps, Busuu provides grammar explanations, dialogue exercises and practical tasks that mirror real-world scenarios. One of its standout features is the ability to submit your exercises for correction by native speakers in the Busuu community, which builds accountability and adds a human dimension to the experience.
The free version allows access to limited daily lessons, but Busuu Premium unlocks full courses, offline mode, grammar training and personalised study plans. This makes it particularly appealing for learners who are serious about making progress and want structured pathways.
Another strength is its flexibility — you can choose to follow a guided study plan with reminders or simply pick lessons as needed. With over 120 million users worldwide, Busuu has established itself as a reliable and practical alternative to more game-like language apps. It’s best for learners who want both independence and real feedback, making it ideal for professional or academic goals.
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9. SoloLearn
SoloLearn is a mobile-first platform designed to make coding accessible for beginners. It offers short, interactive lessons across multiple programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, Java and C++. The app encourages learning in bite-sized chunks, with quizzes and coding challenges to reinforce each concept. Its community-driven model allows learners to share code, ask questions and even enter coding competitions.
While the free tier provides access to most courses, the Pro version unlocks more personalised practice and progress insights. SoloLearn is particularly appealing for those who want to start coding without committing to long courses or expensive bootcamps. Its portability means you can learn while commuting, during breaks or whenever you have a few minutes. With tens of millions of learners worldwide, SoloLearn has become a go-to entry point for anyone curious about coding, providing a gentle but engaging introduction to the world of programming.
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10. freeCodeCamp
freeCodeCamp is a free, online learning platform for coding and web development. It offers interactive lessons in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, data science and other related fields of study. It stands out for its combination of lessons with hands-on projects, which gives students the opportunity to build a portfolio from the very start of their coding learning journey.
Each course consists of real-world coding challenges, each of which earns you a unique certification. This bottom-up, wide-based approach is what makes the skills learned through their curricula so applicable in everyday coding. Programming beginners, self-taught programmers, and even those who have already built skills and experience the industry will benefit from taking a course at freeCodeCamp.
The best thing is that these technical skills are yours to learn at no cost. The freeCodeCamp platform has a large and supportive that’s very active in forums and study groups, making it accessible and engaging. If you want a career in tech, freecodeCamp is one of the best places to start.
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