Brandwave

italki vs Pimsleur:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, italki had more branded searches than Pimsleur among language learning apps worldwide. italki had about 246,000 branded searches, while Pimsleur had 74,000. italki made up 2.4% of all language learning app searches we track, and Pimsleur accounted for 0.72%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about language learning apps, italki and Pimsleur each appeared in four of the five answers. Pimsleur was mentioned before italki in four out of five answers.

Among language learning apps worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

italki, about 3 searches for every 1 for Pimsleur

italki 246K searchesPimsleur 74K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 4 of 5 answers.

italki in 4 of 5Pimsleur in 4 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Pimsleur, named ahead of italki in 4 of 5 answers

Pimsleur first in 4italki first in 1

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Top language learning apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, italki was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Pimsleur was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Pimsleur was listed before italki in four out of five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Duolingo1st
  2. Babbel2nd
  3. Busuu3rd
  4. Pimsleur4th
  5. italki5th
  6. Memrise6th
  7. Mondly–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Duolingo5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Babbel5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Busuu4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • italki4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Pimsleur4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Memrise1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Mondly0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about language learning apps

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is italki or Pimsleur more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for italki and Pimsleur by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven language learning apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

italki and Pimsleur among language learning apps worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for italki, Pimsleur. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthDuolingoBusuuitalkiBabbelMemrisePimsleurMondly
Oct 202589.3%2.5%2.4%2.6%2%0.71%0.53%
Nov 202586.6%3%2.8%3.1%2.9%1%0.63%
Dec 202588%3.1%2.3%3.1%1.7%1.3%0.53%
Jan 202685.9%3%3.4%3.7%2.4%1%0.63%
Feb 202688.4%2.6%2.9%3.2%1.7%0.86%0.53%
Mar 202687.5%3%2.8%3.1%2%0.85%0.65%
Apr 202688.8%2.5%2.9%2.6%1.7%0.86%0.65%
May 202689.1%2.6%2.9%2.6%1.4%0.86%0.66%
Jun 202689.7%2.6%2.9%2.2%1.4%0.87%0.45%
Jul 202687.9%3.1%3.4%2.6%1.4%1%0.53%
Aug 202689.9%2.7%2.9%2.1%1.1%0.87%0.44%
Sep 202690.8%2.6%2.4%1.8%1.1%0.72%0.54%

How has the italki and Pimsleur comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • italki was ahead of Pimsleur in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, italki’s share of searches among language learning apps worldwide held steady at 2.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 246K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pimsleur’s share of searches among language learning apps worldwide moved from 0.71% to 0.72%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 74K.

How did search popularity change for language learning apps worldwide in September 2026?

1 change
  1. In September 2026, italki fell from 2nd to 3rd among language learning apps worldwide.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using italki’s and Pimsleur’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

italki

1 branded search term

  • italki

Pimsleur

1 branded search term

  • pimsleur

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among language learning apps

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