I’m finally quitting Duolingo after this change (energy system)

Author: Megan Ellis · Type: media · Status: draft · Published: 2025-10-01 · URL: https://www.androidauthority.com/quitting-duolingo-energy-system-3599842/

Licence: Copyrighted commercial article; brief quotes used under fair use.

Summary

A 700+ day Duolingo user explains why the 2025 ‘energy’ system (which drains with every exercise, even perfect ones, unlike the old hearts system) pushed her to quit. Documents the widely shared complaint that the free experience is being degraded to force subscriptions - the backlash wave that reviewers report is sending users to Babbel and LingQ.

Insights

• Duolingo’s 2025 energy system penalizes even flawless practice, capping free users at roughly two to three lessons per day and generating mass documented resentment among long-tenured users. (high, draft) duolingo user complaints

  When doing full lessons, I run out of energy during the third lesson, even if I haven’t made any mistakes. — Main complaints section

• The perception that Duolingo is degrading the product to drive monetization is explicit and mainstream, creating a churn pool of motivated learners actively shopping for alternatives. (high, draft) duolingo user complaints pricing market gap

  The app offers an increasingly worse experience in its push for monetization. — Conclusion