When comparing Memrise vs Tandem Language Exchange, the Slant community recommends Memrise for most people. In the question“What are the best language learning apps?” Memrise is ranked 3rd while Tandem Language Exchange is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose Memrise is:
Memrise uses "mems" to increase your vocabulary, which are a way to connect a word to its meaning. A common example is associating a word with an image. Mnemonics are another one they use to help you remember new words. For example, "le parcours" (route or course) could be remembered with the mem "People who do parkour pick their own route".
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Helps grow your vocabulary quickly
Memrise uses "mems" to increase your vocabulary, which are a way to connect a word to its meaning.
A common example is associating a word with an image.
Mnemonics are another one they use to help you remember new words. For example,
"le parcours" (route or course) could be remembered with the mem "People who do parkour pick their own route".
Pro Free account without a time limit
The Basic account is totally free (has no time limit) and is very generous.
An upgrade (with more features) is available for 9 USD / month.
Pro Huge vocabulary
The courses can teach you a very large vocabulary (for example, the first level Spanish course has 1705 words).
Pro Android app can be used offline
You can download courses to use offline with the Android app. Great for when you're traveling.
Pro Easy to use
You will understand quickly what you should do, and you will begin to learn in less than a minute.
Pro Foreign keyboard on screen when necessary
This saves you from having to copy/paste characters or worry about your keyboard settings.
Pro It makes you write the words
If you choose this option, writing is a very efficient way of memorization.
Pro Learn from natives
Official courses have videos of natives, recorded recently, to help you along.
Pro Awesome community made courses
Pro Courses available using Tim Ferriss' method
Pro Easy to use
Pro Active
Pro Free
Pro Meet and chat to cultures all over the world - A proper global society
So much better than facebook instagram, able to share experiences, knowledge. Imagine how the worlds troubles could be resolved if you all understood one another more effectively, able to engage and understand culturally the differences that make us all different. This goes a lot further, as you are actively seeking to converse with people you other wise wouldn’t meet or have anything in common. In this case the thing we have in common is the will to engage and understand our weaknesses in this case the language barriers.
Cons
Con Doesn't teach much grammar
Memrise is more focused on increasing your vocabulary, so has very little on grammar and sentence structure.
Con No grammar
Con Typos and other mistakes in target languages
There is no guarantee that the word you just learned is the correct spelling, because there are so many errors throughout many of the user-made courses.
Con No context
Con Not really effective
Con Some useful functions like pinning your active courses were removed
It is hard to have an organized dashboard if you have more courses, which is most likely to happen, as starting them is the only way to bookmark them for later.
Con Lack of uniformity
It is driven by community, that can be good, but quality isn't always the same and it misses some uniformity.
Con Lack of diversity in some courses
Some courses will have a very poor diversity for vocabulary lessons. For example, a Russian reading lesson, will repeat the 5 same people names for 8 to 10 minutes. It can be annoying, or demotivating.
Con Low level and mistakes in the official courses
Memorization of a phrasebook is not a good system for many learners.
Con The search function is broken
It is very hard to find most courses, many user-made jewels are hidden at the bottom of the pile and are quite impossible to find without knowing precise details.
Con No way to rate courses in the official or the community made ones
Con Not funny
Con The staff doesn't communicate well with the userbase
Explanations of changes, responses to feedback by large groups of users, implementation of new stuff based on user's needs and not against them, all that could use improvement.
Con The app is too easy
Con Rhythm is too slow
Con Some "unfair" benefits for "pro" members
Con Limited access to built in translation tool can be counter productive for beginners
Limited access to built in translation tool, even though it is a google API that powers it, which as we all know is called google translate. I had to finish a conversation part way due to the limitation of the free version and using (said had translated to many times - WTF) the translation tool. Seems a little counter productive, especially if you are new to a language and sometimes both parties need the support to get off the ground.
Con Infinite waiting period
Con iPad version doesnt resize to landscape version only works in portrait mode
iPad Pro doesnt resize to landscape version because the app is made for mobile phones (which is great if you are on the move, but useless if you are studying).