Which AI English Speaking App Should You Use?
Every free tier and price on this page was read from the company's official website or help centre on 8 October 2026. TalkDrill is our own product; we have kept its row as plain as everyone else's.
- Free AI English speaking practice, every day: Google Gemini (Gemini Live is in the free plan) and ChatGPT's free plan (limited voice chats) let you talk at no cost, but give you no lessons, scores or reports. Free plans with a small allowance: TalkDrill (about 2 minutes of AI voice a day, with a session report) and Praktika (3 AI avatars, limited speaking practice). 7-day free trials: ELSA Speak and Speak.
- Best paid pick for structured daily speaking practice in India: TalkDrill Pro, ₹299 a month for 30 minutes of AI voice practice a day, with mock interviews, roleplay and IELTS Speaking practice.
- Best for pronunciation: ELSA Speak, with sound-by-sound feedback and AI role-plays. 7-day free trial; $89.99 to $99.99 a year on its website.
- Best guided lesson path: Speak, which teaches phrases and then has you use them with its AI tutor. 7-day free trial; price shown in the app.
- Already on Duolingo: Duolingo Max adds video calls with Lily, but its Roleplay feature is not offered on English for Hindi speakers.
AI English Speaking Apps Compared: Free Tier, India Price, Practice Style
| App | Free practice per day | Price in India | How you practise | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TalkDrill | ~2 min AI voice a day (free plan) | Pro ₹299/mo, Pro+ ₹799/mo | AI tutor calls, roleplay, mock interviews | Daily practice, interviews |
| ELSA Speak | Full app for 7 days (trial), then none | Not listed in ₹ ($89.99 to $99.99/yr) | Pronunciation drills, AI role-play | Accent and sounds |
| Speak | Full app for 7 days (trial), then none | Shown in app only | Lessons, then AI tutor talk | A guided lesson path |
| Praktika | 3 AI avatars, limited practice (free version) | Not listed in ₹ (~$8/mo) | AI avatar tutors | Talking to a face |
| Duolingo Max | None for Max (the regular course is free) | Shown in app only | Video Call with Lily | Duolingo users |
| ChatGPT | Limited voice chats; unlimited text | Go ₹399/mo, Plus ₹1,999/mo | Open conversation | Self-directed learners |
| Google Gemini | Gemini Live, within usage limits | AI Plus ₹399/mo | Open conversation | Free open talk |
Source: each company's official website, pricing page or help centre, checked from India on 8 October 2026. Where a company does not publish a rupee price we say so rather than convert dollars. TalkDrill prices include GST; trials are ₹7 (Pro) and ₹99 (Pro+) for 7 days.
What "Free" Really Means in AI English Speaking Apps
Almost every app here says "free", but there are three different kinds of free:
- Free general AI: Gemini's free plan (with Gemini Live) and ChatGPT's free plan (limited voice chats). You can talk without paying, but you plan your own practice, and nothing is scored or tracked.
- Free trial: ELSA Speak and Speak give you 7 days of the app, then ask for a subscription.
- Free plan with a small allowance: TalkDrill (about 2 minutes of AI voice a day, or 20 AI chat messages, up to about 8 minutes a week) and Praktika (a free version with 3 AI avatars, limited speaking practice and basic feedback, per its help centre).
So if you want to speak for free every day, a general AI like Gemini or ChatGPT gives you the most minutes. If you want an app that sets the task, corrects you and keeps a record, expect to pay after the first few days. Our guide to free AI tools to practise English speaking shows how to build a zero-cost routine from the free options.
App-by-App: What Each AI Speaking App Is Good At
TalkDrill: structured AI speaking practice, priced in rupees
TalkDrill is built for one job: getting you to speak English every day. You talk to AI tutors on voice or video calls, practise guided roleplays, sit mock interview rounds (including one built from a job description you paste in) and IELTS Speaking practice (Parts 1 to 3 with cue cards and a band estimate), and read aloud for a pronunciation score, with misread words highlighted. Each session ends with a report. (Disclosure: TalkDrill is our product.)
Used by 30,000+ learners, it also has things a pure AI app does not: two short Learn courses (English Grammar Basics and Everyday Spoken English), 1:1 voice calls and group voice Rooms with other learners, and bookable sessions with verified human tutors.
- Free: about 2 minutes of AI voice practice a day (or 20 AI chat messages), up to about 8 minutes a week (about 5 minutes on your first day). You can also try a free AI voice call without signing up.
- Price in India: Pro ₹299 a month (30 minutes a day) or ₹2,868 a year; Pro+ ₹799 a month (60 minutes a day plus 4 human tutor sessions a month). Trials cost ₹7 (Pro) and ₹99 (Pro+) for 7 days. GST is included. Details are on the pricing page.
- Limits: the free plan is too small for a daily routine.
- Best for: students and working learners preparing for interviews, placements, IELTS or everyday workplace English.
ELSA Speak: the pronunciation specialist
ELSA's core is pronunciation: it listens to the sounds you make and shows you what to fix, with American, British or Australian accents to choose from. Its ELSA AI feature adds role-play conversations: you pick a scenario, speak, and get feedback. For a direct comparison, see TalkDrill vs ELSA Speak.
- Free: a 7-day free trial.
- Price: ELSA Pro $89.99 a year and ELSA Premium $99.99 a year on elsaspeak.com; both include unlimited role-plays on ELSA AI. The website does not list a rupee price.
- Best for: learners whose main problem is being understood: specific sounds, stress and accent.
Speak: a guided lesson path with an AI tutor
Speak runs a three-step loop: learn phrases native speakers use, practise them until they are automatic, then use them in a back-and-forth conversation with the Speak Tutor AI. Its website says learners in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe and Latin America use it for spoken English; it has no India-specific site.
- Free: a 7-day free trial, then a paid subscription.
- Price: two plans, Speak Premium and Premium Plus. The website says pricing "varies by plan, region, and any current promotions" and shows it inside the app.
- Best for: learners who want the app to plan their lessons.
Praktika: talk to an AI avatar tutor
Praktika's tutors are animated AI avatars you speak with, and they give real-time feedback on pronunciation, grammar and word choice. Its help centre says Praktika is free to download and use, and that Premium unlocks all avatars, unlimited speaking practice and advanced feedback.
- Free: a free version with 3 AI avatars, limited speaking practice and basic feedback (Praktika help centre, checked October 2026).
- Price: shown as about $8 a month on praktika.ai; the help centre says rates vary by plan and region. No rupee price on the site.
- Best for: learners who find it easier to talk to a face than to a voice.
Duolingo Max: AI calls inside Duolingo
Duolingo Max is Super Duolingo plus two AI features, Video Call with Lily and Roleplay. Duolingo's help centre says Video Call is available to Max subscribers learning English on iOS and Android, while Roleplay is listed only on the English courses for Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, German and French speakers, so not on English for Hindi speakers. Max is bought inside the mobile app and cannot be purchased on the web.
- Free: the regular Duolingo course is free; Max is a paid upgrade.
- Price: shown in the app only.
- Best for: people who already have a Duolingo habit and want some speaking on top.
ChatGPT: a free conversation partner you have to steer
ChatGPT's voice mode is a capable conversation partner on any topic. It corrects your English only when you ask, and it has no English lesson plan or progress report. The free plan includes limited voice chats; the Go plan adds more.
- Free: free plan with limited voice chats.
- Price in India: Go ₹399 a month, Plus ₹1,999 a month.
- Best for: confident learners who will write their own prompts. Our ChatGPT practice guide has ready-made ones, and TalkDrill vs ChatGPT compares the two directly.
Google Gemini: free open conversation with Gemini Live
Gemini's free plan includes Gemini Live, so you can hold a spoken conversation at no cost with just a Google account. Like ChatGPT, it is a general assistant, not an English course: you choose the topic and ask for corrections yourself.
- Free: ₹0 with a Google account, Gemini Live included.
- Price in India: Google AI Plus ₹399 a month, Google AI Pro ₹1,950 a month.
- Best for: free, unstructured speaking time.
Which AI English Speaking App Is Right for You?
By your goal
- "I freeze in interviews or meetings": TalkDrill (mock interviews, including one built from a job description, and roleplay) or ChatGPT with an interview prompt.
- "I want to practise with people too": TalkDrill's peer voice calls with other learners, or its Pro+ plan with 4 human tutor sessions a month.
- "People don't understand some of my words": ELSA Speak.
- "I want someone to plan my lessons": Speak.
- "I just want to talk, for free": Gemini Live or ChatGPT's free voice chats.
- "I already use Duolingo": Duolingo Max, if your course has its AI features.
By your budget
- ₹0: Gemini Live and ChatGPT's free plan, plus the free trials to test the dedicated apps.
- About ₹300 to ₹400 a month: TalkDrill Pro (₹299), ChatGPT Go (₹399) or Google AI Plus (₹399).
- About ₹800 a month and up: TalkDrill Pro+ (₹799, includes 4 human tutor sessions a month) or ChatGPT Plus (₹1,999). ELSA's yearly plans are listed in US dollars ($89.99 to $99.99).
Looking for a different kind of tool? AI English tutor apps compared looks at which AI corrects and teaches you like a tutor, the best AI English learning platforms covers grammar, vocabulary and human tutors as well as speaking, and the best free English speaking apps lists free apps of every kind, AI or not.
The AI-powered language learning space is being transformed by companies investing in educational technology. Organizations like Softechinfra are developing AI tools that make quality English practice accessible to learners across all economic backgrounds.
Tips for Getting the Most from AI Speaking Practice
- Practise daily, not weekly. Fifteen minutes every day beats two hours on a Sunday, and an AI partner is always available.
- Speak out loud, always. Typing is tempting. Use voice mode, because speaking is the skill you are training.
- Read your feedback. Spend two minutes on the corrections after each session and note the mistakes you repeat.
- Pick uncomfortable topics. Explain your job, defend an opinion, tell a story. Discomfort is where you improve.
- Combine tools. For example, a structured app for daily practice, ELSA for specific sounds, and free chatbots for extra conversation.
How We Checked
On 8 October 2026 we read each app's official website, pricing page or help centre from India and copied its free tier and price exactly as published, writing "not listed" wherever a company does not publish a rupee price, and we took TalkDrill's numbers from its live plan settings on the same day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about AI English speaking practice apps.