StudySes vs Speak
Speak drills one language with an AI tutor and a paid plan after a trial. StudySes talks in 9 languages and preps IELTS Speaking for free. Who fits which.
Speak is the AI-first language course from Speakeasy Labs: a scripted lesson, repetition drills, then a conversation with the Speak Tutor, all built with a formal OpenAI partnership. It is one of the most polished apps in the category and it is also a subscription product after a trial, available in seven languages at most. Compared on 4 Nov 2026 using speak.com, help.speak.com and Speak’s App Store and Google Play listings; StudySes facts come from our own product notes.
The short version: Speak teaches one language thoroughly and charges for it. StudySes covers more languages, costs nothing to start, and is the only one of the pair that prepares you for the IELTS Speaking test.
| Feature | Speak | StudySes |
|---|---|---|
| AI conversation in the language | Yes | Yes |
| Role-play scenarios | Yes | Yes |
| IELTS Speaking Parts 1–3 | Not on Speak's site | Yes |
| Languages | 7 (6 for English speakers, plus English) | 9 |
| Free to start | 7-day trial, then a subscription | Free, optional in-app purchases |
| Human tutors | No | No |
Side by side
| Speak | StudySes | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, Android; sign-up on the web | iPhone and Android |
| Languages | Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Simplified Chinese for English speakers; English for 15 native languages | English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Italian, German, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese |
| Method | Learn → Practice → Apply loop | AI conversation, role-plays, speaking lessons |
| AI conversation | Speak Tutor, with feedback | AI conversation partner, with feedback on what you said |
| Role-plays | Situational Roleplay | Travel, work and everyday scenarios |
| Pronunciation | Pronunciation Coach (English learners only) and spoken feedback | Audio pronunciation guide; no scoring |
| IELTS Speaking | Not mentioned | Parts 1–3, sample questions, study plans, full mock tests |
| Vocabulary and grammar | Smart Review | Flashcards and grammar lessons |
| Offline | Not stated | Downloaded lessons work offline |
| Price | 7-day free trial, then Premium or Premium Plus (prices shown in the app) | Free, with optional in-app purchases |
Details reflect each app’s public pages on the date above; both apps change often, so check the current store listing.
Where Speak is better
A real curriculum behind the conversations. Speak’s three-step Speak Method — Learn an expression in a short lesson, Practice it across new situations until it is automatic, then Apply it in a back-and-forth with the Speak Tutor — gives beginners a path rather than a blank chat screen. If you have never studied the language, that scaffolding matters, and StudySes’s speaking lessons are lighter than Speak’s full course.
Pronunciation feedback. Speak’s store listing says its AI Tutor gives real-time feedback on pronunciation, intonation and fluency, and the help centre lists a Pronunciation Coach for English learners. StudySes gives you an audio pronunciation guide to listen and imitate, but it does not score how you sound. If accent work is your goal, Speak is ahead.
The OpenAI partnership and lesson generation. Speak states that it has a formal partnership with OpenAI and that Premium Plus lets the Speak Tutor build a lesson around a topic, situation or goal you name, with “Made for You” lessons unlimited on that tier. StudySes does not offer custom-generated lessons.
Where StudySes is better
Nine languages, one free app. StudySes’s AI conversation partner talks with you in English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Italian, German, Portuguese or Mandarin Chinese. Speak offers six languages to English speakers and only English to everyone else; its help centre says a learner whose native language is not English cannot take the non-English courses. A Portuguese speaker who wants Spanish, or anyone who wants German, is out of Speak’s range.
IELTS Speaking preparation. This is the clearest gap. StudySes carries IELTS Speaking practice for Parts 1, 2 and 3 — sample questions, study plans and full-length mock tests — in the same app as the conversation partner. Speak’s website, help centre and store listings do not mention IELTS. If a band score is the reason you are practising, Speak’s lessons are aimed at a different target.
Free to start, not a trial. StudySes is free to download with optional in-app purchases, so the conversation partner and the role-plays are yours to try for as long as you like before paying for anything. Speak gives you seven days, then a subscription; its site says the exact price “is always within the app” and varies by region. For a student who is not yet sure the AI-conversation format suits them, the free route is the lower-risk one. Download StudySes for free and compare the two conversations yourself.
Role-plays plus exam practice in one place. StudySes’s role-play scenarios cover travel, work and everyday life, and sit next to the exam material, so an IELTS candidate can rehearse a Part 2 cue card and then book a hotel room in the same session. Speak’s Situational Roleplay is a comparable feature on its own; it is the pairing with IELTS that Speak lacks.
Who should pick which
Pick Speak if you are learning Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Italian or Simplified Chinese from English (or English from one of its 15 supported native languages), you want a full lesson sequence that leads into conversation, you care about pronunciation feedback, and a subscription after the trial is acceptable to you.
Pick StudySes if you are preparing for IELTS Speaking, you want to practise in a language Speak does not teach (German, Portuguese, or any pairing that does not start from English), you would rather start free and decide later, or you want role-plays and exam practice together.
Use both if you are an English learner on Speak who also has an IELTS date: keep Speak for the course, and add StudySes for the Part 1–3 question banks and mock tests. For a wider field, see our round-up of the best AI apps to practise speaking and the comparisons with the conversation-first Pingo AI and with Duolingo.
Neither app offers live human tutors; Speak’s pages do not mention them and StudySes does not provide them.
StudySes is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IELTS test owners.
Download StudySes for free
StudySes gives you an AI conversation partner in 9 languages, role-play scenarios for real situations, and IELTS Speaking practice for Parts 1–3 — free on iPhone and Android, with optional in-app purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Speak app free?
No. Speak's website (read 4 Nov 2026) says it offers a 7-day free trial, after which you need a Speak Premium or Premium Plus subscription; prices are shown only inside the app and vary by region. StudySes is free to download with optional in-app purchases, so you can hold an AI conversation or sit an IELTS Speaking mock test before deciding whether to pay for anything.
What languages can you learn on Speak?
Speak's help centre (page dated 3 July 2026) lists six languages for English speakers — Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Italian and Simplified Chinese — plus English courses for speakers of 15 other native languages. Non-English courses are only available if your native language is English. StudySes offers nine languages, including German, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese, in one app.
Does Speak use ChatGPT?
Speak says on its website that it has a formal partnership with OpenAI and is backed by the OpenAI Startup Fund, and that the partnership supports its conversation practice, feedback and lesson generation. It does not say which OpenAI models power the Speak Tutor. StudySes does not publish which model powers its AI conversation partner either.
What is the difference between Speak Premium and Premium Plus?
Both plans include the full Speak curriculum, Situational Roleplay, Ask Speak Tutor, Smart Review and, for English learners, Pronunciation Coach, according to Speak's help centre. Premium caps Made For You lessons at three a day and limits the Tutor's personalised lessons; Premium Plus makes both unlimited and adds a Personalised Study Plan and targeting of frequent mistakes.
Is there a Speak alternative for IELTS Speaking?
StudySes is built for it: IELTS Speaking Parts 1, 2 and 3 with sample questions, study plans and full-length mock tests, alongside the AI conversation partner. Speak's website and store listings, read on 4 Nov 2026, do not mention IELTS preparation at all, so if the test is your reason for practising, Speak is the wrong tool however good its lessons are.