Busuu took its name from an endangered language in the Furu-Awa region of Cameroon, currently spoken by only three people. It is a guiding star for the company, although it has recently updated its platform to focus on the major languages.
Launched in 2008, Busuu built out its platform on the web first, similar to competitor Memrise. The key difference was while Memrise built out most of its functionality through its community, Busuu focused on in-house material.
This has led to the premium version of the mobile app, which offers one-to-one tutorials with validated teachers, personalised study plans and AI-powered grammar training.
Busuu does have some community features, for example a native speaker can correct other users who are trying to learn the language. The user can then in turn either write or speak the language they are learning and be advised by native speakers.
Like Duolingo, Busuu offers a freemium version with adverts at the end of each session. Non-premium users are only able to learn one language at a time and some lessons are unavailable until they upgrade.
In comparison to other language learning platforms, Busuu focuses on sentences and phrases that are likely to be used in conversation. Through this, a user may more quickly be able to speak, at least in passing, to native speakers when on holiday.
In 2021, student media startup Chegg announced it was acquiring Busuu for $436 million. It had planned to IPO before the acquisition announcement, following in the footsteps of Duolingo.
We have collected data and statistics on Busuu. Read on below to find out more. Want expert insights on this app sector? Check out the education app report.
Busuu Key Statistics
- Busuu generated $39 million revenue in 2023, its first annual decline
- The app has over 100 million registered users
- Over 10,000 live teachers available on the platform for 1-to-1 tutoring
Education App Report 2024
Want to learn more about the Education app industry? In our Education App Report, we cover financials, forecasts, usage, downloads, demographics and benchmarking data.
Busuu Overview
| Title | Title 2 |
|---|---|
| Launch date | January 2008 |
| HQ | London, UK |
| People | Bernhard Niesner (co-founder, CEO), Joonas Kukkonen (CTO), Adrian Hilti (co-founder) |
| Business type | Subsidiary |
| Owner | Chegg |
| Industry | Language learning |
Busuu Revenue
Busuu made an estimated $39 million revenue in 2022, primarily through subscriptions to its premium service.
Busuu revenue 2017 to 2023 ($mm)
| Year | Revenue ($mm) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 25 |
| 2020 | 37 |
| 2021 | 45 |
| 2022 | 50 |
| 2023 | 39 |
Sources: Education App Report, Company data
Busuu Registered Users
Busuu has 135 million people registered to its platform, with approximately 500,000 active subscribers.
Busuu registered users 2016 to 2023 (mm)
| Year | Users (mm) |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 30 |
| 2016 | 60 |
| 2018 | 80 |
| 2020 | 100 |
| 2021 | 120 |
| 2022 | 130 |
| 2023 | 135 |
Sources: Education App Report, Company data
Busuu vs Competitors: Downloads
Busuu is a distant fourth, with Duolingo dominating the charts for downloads in the language learning app market.
Language learning app downloads 2023 (%)
Want to learn more? Read our language learning sector profile
Busuu FAQ
What is the average time spent on Busuu weekly?
In 2018, Busuu users spent 60 minutes on the app a week
How many tutors are available on Busuu?
Over 10,000 pre-vetted language tutors are available
What is the most active countries?
Russian users are the most active, followed by Turkey and Vietnam
More Education App Data
- Language Learning App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
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- Babbel Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Duolingo Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Online Courses App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Chegg Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
- Education App Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)
