8 English grammar apps: purpose, level and free access

For general grammar practice, start with LearnEnglish Grammar; for a structured course that places grammar in everyday situations, consider Busuu. If you can recognize the right answer but freeze when speaking, add a separate routine: adapt a pattern to your life, build the sentence from its meaning, then say it without reading. Learners using Japanese explanations can also compare the school-grammar and exam apps below; correct quiz answers alone do not demonstrate spontaneous speaking.

These are recommendations based on official descriptions, not hands-on reviews of third-party apps. We did not install them, create accounts or buy subscriptions. Facts were checked on 15 October 2026; the order is not a ranking. SpeakGain is our app and receives the same checks for purpose, level, free access and updates. It is not a grammar correction service.

Compare eight apps by purpose, level and continuing free access

The Japanese apps are examples for people who can read Japanese, not assumed English-interface options. Numbers retain their official units: books, activities and test questions are not interchangeable. iOS update dates below are UTC dates from Apple’s official release metadata, checked on 15 October 2026.

App / official source	Provider	Purpose	Level	Features / official quantity	Free access and paid limits	Latest iOS update	Checked
Hayauchi Eibunpo	StudySwitch	Relearn school grammar in Japanese	Japanese secondary school; adult review	Word order, gaps, spelling; release notes list 1,718 questions	All problems free with ads; paid ad removal	2025-10-15; about a year old	2026-10-15
Koko Eigo: grammar and usage	MASATO MISAWA	Japanese university entrance exams	Upper-secondary / entrance exams	Category lessons; iOS has 1,900+ questions	Problems and reading material free; review/random modes require paid plan	2026-10-06	2026-10-15
mikan	mikan	Japanese exam-prep materials	Depends on the selected exam/book	200+ vocabulary books; 300+ practical books across skills	Vocabulary available free; grammar practice in paid plans	2026-10-12	2026-10-15
Santa ALC	Socra AI / Japanese service: ALC	TOEIC study recommendations	First-time candidates through targets above 800	Diagnosis, suggested practice; 5,200 questions across test prep	Free diagnosis; after first 24h, one recommended-study cell/day; broader access paid	2026-09-22	2026-10-15
LearnEnglish Grammar, UK edition	British Council	Focused grammar practice	Four levels, A1–C2	Ten activity types; store describes 1,000+ practice questions	Store says practice is free; paid ad removal; provider website differs	2026-08-14	2026-10-15
Duolingo	Duolingo	Short general-language lessons	Course dependent; no universal CEFR inferred	Reading, listening, writing, speaking; grammar-only total not stated	Language courses free; paid conveniences such as ad removal	2026-10-12	2026-10-15
Busuu	Busuu	Grammar within a general course	English A1–C1	655+ Complete English lessons, not grammar-only	Essential course/community free; Grammar Review in Premium, subject to feature conditions	2026-10-04	2026-10-15
SpeakGain	SpeakGain (our app)	Practise your own sentence with audio	Your chosen sentence; no fixed CEFR	Own cards, generated audio and explanations; no grammar question bank	Japanese store: 50 combined adds/translations/pronunciation assessments; website advertises a trial instead	2026-10-09	2026-10-15

All eight have official iOS listings; Android listings or provider download links were also checked. OS features may differ. For example, Koko Eigo on Android lists 1,600+ questions and an 8 August 2026 update, so its iOS quantity and paid conditions must not be copied across platforms. Check your local store before subscribing. The Santa free-access notice and Busuu plan comparison define important limits.

Choose the task before the app

If you cannot explain where the verb belongs or why a tense changes, start with an explanation you understand and one small topic. If you understand the answer but cannot produce it, spend more of the session making a sentence without choices. If a test is approaching, prioritize its task types and the reason for each mistake. More advanced content is not automatically more suitable.

For example, English-speaking readers reviewing English grammar may need terminology or accuracy practice rather than beginner vocabulary lessons. Learners working through another language should also check that the course explanations are usable in that language. A translated store description does not prove a translated interface.

For tools specifically organized around producing short sentences, see our instant English composition app comparison.

Hayauchi Eibunpo: a qualified free school-grammar option

Suits: learners who read Japanese and want basic word-order practice. Official facts: the listing describes ordering, gap-fill and spelling tasks, five examples per item, and all questions free with ads. The latest iOS release is about a year old.

Our judgement, based on official information: a possible low-cost starting point, with an update-age reservation. Use: review one weak topic, explain one error, then write a new sentence about yourself using the pattern. Caution: we have not established compatibility on your latest OS. Selecting supplied words is different from producing a whole sentence. The provider also says its Japanese translations are deliberately close to the English structure.

Koko Eigo: organize Japanese entrance-exam grammar

Suits: Japanese-reading students reviewing upper-secondary grammar and usage. Official facts: the iOS listing offers 1,900+ questions and category material free; review, checklist and random modes belong to its paid plan.

Our judgement, based on official information: a focused exam-review candidate rather than a complete beginner conversation course. Use: distinguish unknown rules from vocabulary or usage mistakes, then revisit the relevant category. Caution: Android’s quantity and conditions differ. No speaking or audio features are inferred from this description.

mikan: bring selected exam materials together

Suits: people who read Japanese and already have a target exam or book in mind. Official facts: the store separates free vocabulary from paid practical work, including grammar, and lists 200+ vocabulary books and 300+ practical books across skills.

Our judgement, based on official information: convenient in scope if you want one material collection, but not our first choice for a free-only grammar requirement. Use: choose one grammar resource for the week and review why answers were wrong. Caution: 300+ is not a count of grammar books alone. Confirm your chosen book and exercise access in the actual plan.

Santa ALC: choose the next TOEIC task

Suits: Japanese-market TOEIC learners who want recommendations about what to study. Official facts: Santa ALC describes diagnosis, suggested practice, an introductory course, 5,200 questions and about 200 videos across exam preparation. Its support notice limits ongoing free access after the first 24 hours to one recommended-study cell daily from September 2026.

Our judgement, based on official information: consider it for task selection, without assuming the advertised forecast accuracy or score gains. Use: identify one grammar pattern behind an error and make an unrelated personal example. Caution: a cell is not a verified fixed question count. Santa outside Japan may focus on different exams, including TOEFL; do not assume the Japanese TOEIC service is identical.

LearnEnglish Grammar: practise a particular level and topic

Suits: learners who want focused grammar work outside a Japanese exam syllabus. Official facts: the official store lists four levels A1–C2, ten activity types, practice/tests and free practice questions. It also uses the separate unit “activities per level”; we do not sum those quantities.

Our judgement, based on official information: a useful candidate for targeted accuracy practice. Use: pick an understandable level, try one topic and return to an explanation when you cannot explain the answer. Caution: the provider website still mentions purchasing question packs, unlike the current store description. Current-device entitlement was not tested. Advanced exercises do not certify advanced speaking ability.

Duolingo: restart with a short general lesson

Suits: learners whose immediate obstacle is returning to regular study. Official facts: the store describes short lessons involving four skills, free language courses and paid conveniences. A grammar-only question total is not stated.

Our judgement, based on official information: a possible habit-building entry point, rather than the first choice for intensive review of one exam grammar item. Use: after a lesson, recall one pattern and say something true about your life. Caution: course coverage depends on the language pair. Free does not mean no advertising or restrictions, and a streak is not evidence that you can explain or produce a sentence.

Busuu: put grammar in a wider course

Suits: learners who want progression and everyday contexts alongside grammar. Official facts: Complete English covers A1–C1 with 655+ lessons overall. The official plans include the essential course/community free and place Grammar Review in Premium.

Our judgement, based on official information: consider it when grammar should connect to a general course; check the plan first if review tools are the reason you are choosing it. Use: adapt a course pattern to tomorrow’s plans or a recent event. Caution: feature access varies by language, level and device. Community access is not a promise of immediate professional correction.

Turn a grammar pattern into a sentence you can say

This is our editorial practice proposal, not a measured comparison of app effectiveness. Our original example is I’ve been cooking at home more often lately. It describes a recent repeated activity using have been + -ing, not uninterrupted cooking.

1. Make the meaning personal. Imagine telling someone about a recent change in your routine. If cooking is not true for you, choose your own activity. Understand the time and meaning before selecting the form. If the form is too difficult, start with a simpler sentence; get uncertain grammar checked through a reliable explanation or a teacher.
2. Hide the English and build it from meaning. Use a prompt such as “recently, I cook at home more often.” Identify whether you get stuck on the pattern, the verb or the frequency expression. Then revisit that piece. See the instant composition method.
3. Listen, say it, then remove the prompt. After making your answer, listen to reference audio and repeat. Finally, close both the sentence and its meaning prompt and give the update as if talking to a friend. Repetition after audio and independent production are two separate checks.

Then prepare one detail to continue the conversation, such as something you recently cooked. For the broader progression beyond isolated sentences, see how to become able to speak English.

SpeakGain: save your own sentence for audio practice

Suits: someone who has already chosen a personal sentence, rather than someone seeking a grammar syllabus. Official facts: the official description covers own cards, generated audio/explanations and review based on practice history. The Japanese store advertises 50 combined adds/translations/pronunciation assessments; the Japanese website instead describes a two-week trial and regional subscription pricing. Do not combine these into an extra free allowance.

Our judgement, based on official information: consider it for keeping an original sentence with audio; it is our app, and we do not recommend it as a grammar checker, scorer or correction tool. Use: decide the sentence yourself, establish its meaning and grammar separately, and use it for listening and saying practice. Caution: generated audio or explanations do not certify correctness. It has no fixed school level or grammar problem bank. See what SpeakGain is.

On Android, we followed Add → Library → Knowledge → Learn this card → Listening → Reveal answer → Answer. Listening hid the English and prompted listening, guessing and saying it aloud; Reveal answer displayed our exact sentence. This is an audio-first flow. For the meaning-to-English recall step above, use your own meaning prompt separately before reading the text. We did not use recording or assessment.

How we would combine grammar and speaking by level

These are editorial choices, not guaranteed time requirements. If basic word order is unclear, combine one explanation with one simple personal sentence. If you understand choices but cannot answer aloud, revisit only the pattern that blocks you and add meaning-to-sentence practice. Near an exam, prioritize its errors and task formats, adding one personal sentence as a short supplement. If basic sentences are easy but conversation stalls, add a relevant detail and real interaction.

For a ten-minute session, try four minutes of explanation/practice, three minutes writing a sentence and three saying it without reading. During the first part of the week, reuse a pattern with changed content; later, retrieve earlier sentences without looking. At the weekend, check one thing you can actually tell someone, rather than adding another app.

A book can supply the longer explanations while an app supplies short practice. See conversation books and practice resources; Japanese-language books there suit readers of Japanese.

Methods we do not recommend

Only solving questions silently, then calling speaking preparation complete: recognizing an answer does not check whether you can decide and express your own message. Keep silent practice for understanding, then add one spoken sentence.

Waiting until all grammar is finished before speaking: the endpoint can keep moving and postpone useful practice. Use a short form you understand today, then take a difficulty back to your grammar study.

Choosing by quantity or difficulty alone: a huge question bank may not address where you freeze. Nor should generated audio or an AI explanation count as proof that your sentence is correct. For a more specific diagnosis of hesitation, see when English words will not come out.

Frequently asked questions

Should an adult start again with beginner grammar?

Return to the basic topics you cannot explain or use. You do not need to restart every school unit if only one pattern causes trouble.

Can a grammar app alone make me conversational?

That conclusion is not supported by this comparison. Add your own sentences, out-loud recall and responses to another person’s questions.

Is free access enough?

It can cover basic review. Check whether grammar exercises, review tools and ad removal are separate paid features; a free download is not the same as free continuing practice.

Book or app?

A book can explain connected ideas; an app can provide portable exercises. One of each is a reasonable combination.

How many minutes daily?

We suggest trying ten minutes for one pattern and one sentence, then adjusting. Check understanding and independent production rather than minutes alone.

What if mistakes make me afraid to speak?

Start with a short message whose meaning and form you have checked. Keep a note of uncertainties for a teacher, without making complete grammar mastery a condition for speaking.

Does SpeakGain correct grammar?

We do not recommend it for that purpose. Treat it as an option for keeping and practising your own sentence with audio, and check correctness separately.

Our editorial verdict

Choose LearnEnglish Grammar for focused practice, Busuu for grammar in a general course, or Duolingo when restarting short daily lessons is the priority. Japanese-reading learners can compare the school/exam tools on their specific needs and free limits, with the older Hayauchi update clearly in mind. SpeakGain is an optional own-sentence tool after that choice, never the universal winner. Finish today’s session by making one true sentence and saying it without reading.

For a broader exam-preparation toolkit, see our TOEIC study app comparison.