Do you want to learn and grow but lack time for courses? Are paid courses or subscriptions beyond your budget? There is a solution: free microlearning apps.
Microlearning has already become a major trend in e-learning, and free microlearning apps make this kind of learning accessible anywhere in the world. The secret to its popularity is that you can master even serious skills with the help of short videos. This format is ideal, with its narrow profile and short topics, and the perfect choice for busy schedules.
Microlearning apps are digital platforms that offer quick, engaging lessons using bite-sized content. They combine text, multimedia (such as video and audio), images (photos and illustrations), interactive games, tests, and quizzes into a concise format that makes learning fast, fun, and accessible on the go.
Top 5 microlearning apps to download instantly
Headway
SC Training
Duolingo
EduMe
Nerdish
The following article offers additional information about these and other apps, helping you choose the best one for yourself.
Top 8 free best microlearning apps in 2025
Check out all the benefits of the most famous microlearning apps.
1. Headway
The Headway is an educational app that helps you read a book in 15 minutes. It collects a concise content library and the main ideas of 1000+ high-quality nonfiction publications on business, motivation, and psychology. The publications are categorized and available in text and audio formats.
A startup of the same name developed the app in March 2019 to help people worldwide learn and grow independently. People use the Headway app in 140 countries, but mainly in the US, Canada, Australia, Britain, and India.
Humanity is now focusing on lifelong learning experiences, utilizing various tools. Thus, if you are interested in comprehensive personal development and like reading books (or don't like reading but want to be smart), this option is excellent for you!
Advantages of the Headway app:
The Headway app is very user-friendly. Its interface is simple and stylish, the audio format is accessible, and the app features short summaries and blocks.
You can listen to or read the book's main ideas in just 15 minutes a day. The book's summary is conveniently divided into smaller blocks: chapters, insights, main ideas, quotes, and a conclusion.
The app is perfect for various groups: busy managers, students, parents, and anyone who values time while wanting to learn from the best books.
During registration, the app asks you what goals you pursue, and it will select and offer you content and books that meet your goals and preferences.
The Headway app has daily goals and series, spaced repetitions, an opportunity to join the challenge with other people, and widgets that provide a source of motivation.
Pricing:
A free version allows access to one nonfiction book summary each day and daily reviews presented in a short story format. Additionally, you can take a 7-day app trial to see all its pros.
Annual subscription plans are available for $12.99/month, $29.99/3 months, and $89.99/year. Prices may vary by location or promotional campaigns.
2. SC Training (Edapp)
EdApp is a learning management system (LMS) for today's digital habits. It delivers engaging and effective microlearning courses directly to your users' devices anytime, anywhere. LMSs are digital platforms for creating and promoting learning programs of any complexity.
Key features:
The platform is mobile-first, designed for Millennials and teens who carry smartphones everywhere 24/7. Learning is accessible even when there is no mobile internet. In offline mode, students can download their course when connected to Wi-Fi and take it on the go.
Completing a course on a mobile device is much faster than on a computer. Lecturer support is available in various formats, from group chats between students to real-time individual mentoring.
The platform offers over 80 templates for course creation. Gamification is represented by built-in games for conducting interactive lessons adapted to the training content.
Gamification elements that maintain student engagement include an achievement system with custom banners and badges to mark learning modules.
Learners can create custom-branded certificates from a library of templates.
The system automatically sends notifications to students about continuous learning and the number of lessons they need to review before completing the course.
3. Duolingo
Duolingo is a free language learning platform for over 40 languages with fun, short lessons. It allows you to practice speaking, reading, listening, and writing and to improve your vocabulary and grammar skills.
Key features:
Duo is a green owl that personally motivates you to learn languages. If you miss a lesson, you will receive a letter with a crying owl. When you reach your goal, Duo will be happy and give bonuses in the form of diamonds and extra lives.
The app is AI-powered. It learns the user's answers and mistakes and assigns tasks with a corresponding level of difficulty, making it easy to maintain engagement and the desire to continue learning.
The AI assistant Birdbrain can discern each person's own pace of learning, which can be significantly different from the typical trajectory. And this allows for much more personalized learning that Duolingo prepares for a particular person.
The app's main feature is that you can compete against other real players. The more diamonds you have, the higher your rank in the ranking table. You can earn diamonds by learning a language and passing (opening) levels. It looks like an exciting game, the main prize of which is foreign language skill development.
If you aim to integrate into a school or educational LMS, you should consider Duolingo for Schools, which fully supports SCORM and other LMS standards.
4. EduMe
EduMe is a learning platform enabling practical, real-time employee training by integrating familiar communication tools.
Key features:
EduMe integrates with HR and communication tools that professionals already use, such as Workday and Microsoft Teams. It provides easy-to-use learning content for onboarding, training, and upskilling, making it ideal for organizations with employees interested in effectively learning new skills.
EduMe has built-in authoring — educational content creation occurring directly within the platform without the need for external authoring tools.
5. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a unique opportunity for students of all ages to gain quality knowledge retention. The educational project is not commercial; to receive free education, all you need is a computer with internet access and a desire to master new knowledge. An American, Salman Khan, created the project, confident that education should be accessible to everyone, regardless of age or place of residence.
The main components of the Academy:
A personal learning engine allows you to track what you have learned and gives recommendations for further knowledge acquisition.
Its library contains 6,500 educational videos, all licensed under Creative Commons.
All content meets official educational standards, such as the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and the US Common Core Standards, which ensure that children have fun and acquire basic skills.
The official app does not contain all of Khan Academy's content. However, you can access features such as discussion forums, computer programming, and standardized test preparation directly through the website. Additionally, administrative tools for parents, teachers, and school districts are limited.
6. Coursera
Coursera is an international educational platform that offers online courses. The training includes video lectures, consultations, discussions on forums and social media, assignments, and tests. Students receive certificates upon successful completion of some courses. Coursera is not a classic microlearning in its pure form (like Duolingo or Khan Academy) but actively uses microlearning approaches.
You can complete the training on a personal computer or mobile device.
Institutions worldwide use Coursera to improve their skills and retrain their employees, citizens, and students in areas such as data science, technology, and business.
During the course, students must watch weekly video lectures (videos are most often divided into parts lasting 15-20 minutes), read recommended articles, and complete homework. Homework can be in the form of tests, essays, creative tasks, or projects.
While tests are graded automatically, Coursera has developed technology for peer assessment, allowing students to evaluate and provide feedback on each other's work.
The app allows you to take small lessons "on the go," which is ideal for mobile learning.
7. TalentCards
TalentCards is a micro-learning platform that trains employees through short, interactive modules with flashcards via a mobile app. It simplifies content creation by allowing users to create interactive cards quickly for effective microlearning.
Through a reflexive web interface, you can create cards to develop new skills for employees. This convenient, self-paced app takes little time, just a few minutes a day.
Employees gain new knowledge through short videos or other learning paths (text, image, audio, video, link).
The app also has a game mode with points and competitions between employees, with a leaderboard. It is entirely free and has easy functionality.
8. Nerdish
Nerdish is an app that helps users become smarter in just 10 minutes a day, focusing on issues that a modern, educated person must know.
Nerdish is a new way to learn and develop yourself throughout your life. Its microlearning content consists of concise articles that provide essential knowledge on various topics, allowing for quick learning of the basics.
The app regularly features new articles covering various issues, including art and culture, science and technology, history, health, society, and politics.
Nerdish has a monthly, three-month, and annual subscription. However, you can use the app absolutely free by watching ads.
Which microlearning app is best for me?
It all depends on your goals for microlearning.
If you want to develop yourself personally and gain knowledge and new skills quickly, Headway and Nerdish are the best microlearning apps for you.
In the last few years, microlearning has become one of the top trends in corporate e-learning. If you need to organize or advance employee training, it is better to choose platforms for creating educational content: SC Training (Edapp), EduMe, and TalentCards.
If you want to learn a language or teach children, the best options are Duolingo and Khan Academy.
If you have more time and are willing to take longer courses to earn a certificate for completing the training, consider choosing Coursera for this format.
Make reading a daily microlearning experience with Headway
Try the Headway app; it's the perfect option for microlearning. Why? And how does it work?
Download the app and take a quick quiz to set your goals, select topics that interest you, and define how much time you can dedicate to learning each day.
Get personalized book recommendations based on your preferences. For example, if you choose leadership, Headway will offer you top-rated and bestselling book summaries on that topic.
Learn in just 15 minutes per summary. You can listen or read—ideal for language learners too. Read and listen simultaneously to improve comprehension and vocabulary. Many summaries are also available in Spanish, French, and a limited number in Ukrainian.
Enjoy bite-sized lessons packed with value. Each summary delivers practical insights in a clear, accessible format, giving you a mini-lesson that fits your busy day.
Read the personal stories of Headway users here:
Jason Suttie, a busy business strategist
Rahaf Sobh, a university student
Find time in your busy workflow to listen to book summaries and grow with the Headway app!
FAQs
What is a free microlearning app?
Microlearning apps are mobile or web-based programs that offer short, focused lessons or learning blocks that fit easily into your daily routine. The basic functionality of these apps is often free, with the option to pay extra for advanced content. Such apps are especially popular among busy people who don't have time for full-fledged courses but want to develop gradually and systematically.
Are free microlearning apps effective?
Yes, free apps can be effective, especially regarding microlearning. It depends on your consistency in learning and the content the app offers. However, combining more profound knowledge or serious goals (studying a profession, preparing for an exam) with full-fledged courses, books, or mentoring is better.
Can I use microlearning apps offline?
Yes, you can use some microlearning apps offline, but not all of them. For example, apps like Headway, Duolingo, Coursera, and Khan Academy allow you to download specific materials in advance; simply download the content you want to go through.
Is Headway completely free?
Yes, if you're willing to listen to one book's summary daily. Key features like unlimited summaries, offline downloads, interactive cards, and advanced personalization require a subscription.
How can soft skills be improved with free microlearning apps?
You can improve your soft skills with microlearning apps like Headway. The Headway app has a selection of summaries in the following categories: communication, leadership, emotional intelligence, productivity, and critical thinking. Instead of scrolling, turn on a 15-minute audio summary on confidence-building or negotiation.
How can microlearning be deployed?
1. Standalone app
The user downloads and uses the application without being tied to a corporate or school platform.
2. For employees via email or work chats
You can use daily reminders, small tasks, a test, or a video directly in chat.
3. For students, integration into the learning management system
For example, in Moodle or Google Classroom, you can add links to microlessons or embed tests/videos from the app.