Is the ELSA Speak app free? What’s included & free trial guide

Ever wanted to reduce your accent, speak clearer English, or ace an upcoming interview? Then ELSA Speak is the app for you. But there is one common question that still remains: is the ELSA Speak app free? The short answer is yes. In this guide, we’ll break down what is included in the free version, how the ELSA Speak 7-day free trial works, and how to decide whether to stay on the free plan or upgrade.

Is ELSA Speak free or paid? 

ELSA Speak 7-day free trial: What to expect

Before selecting a subscription, new users can activate a 7-day free trial of either ELSA Pro or ELSA Premium. You will get unrestricted access to ELSA’s entire feature suite, which includes: 

• Real-time AI voice analysis: Helps learners pinpoint phonetic mistakes down to the exact syllable.
• Speech Analyzer: Record long-form speeches, presentations, or interview answers and receive feedback based on fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and intonation.
• Role-play scenarios: Practice real-world scenarios with ELSA AI, from workplace discussions, everyday conversations, to travel dialogues. 

What will learners receive during the trial period? 

During the trial period, the benefits available to you will depend on the plan applied to your account. You can refer to the table below for more details: 

How to sign up for the free trial 

Step 1: Open the ELSA Speak app. The “Continue to ELSA” screen will display several sign-in/sign-up options, including Google, Facebook, Email, or SSO. Choose your preferred method to continue.

Step 2: Select your native language for easier navigation and to help the AI recognize your speech, improving your practice experience.

Step 3: Complete the learning profile setup questions, including your English proficiency level and your reasons for learning English. This information helps ELSA Speak personalize your learning path.

Step 4: Provide additional information about your industry, job function, and interests so ELSA AI can tailor lessons to your work, needs, and preferred topics.

Step 5: Select the skills you want to focus on improving, such as Grammar, Vocabulary, Pronunciation, or Conversation. Then, set your daily learning goal: 10, 15, or 20 minutes per day.

Step 6: Set up your daily learning reminders by enabling notifications or selecting “Remind me later.” ELSA will then display a personalized learning path based on the information you provided. Tap “Confirm” to start learning.

Step 7: Once the setup process is complete, you can start exploring ELSA Speak and choose to try ELSA Premium/Pro free for 7 days to experience its advanced features.

What is included in the ELSA Speak free version? 

If you decide not to upgrade and cancel your trial before renewal, your account will automatically default into the permanent free tier. With this version, you can still receive access to several tools: 

Today’s tasks: 

Goal: Helps you define your daily learning goals instead of planning it yourself every day. 

How this works: Each day, ELSA generates a small batch of recommended exercises or lessons based on your initial diagnostic test. The Today’s Tab feature helps you maintain a consistent practice routine without choice paralysis. 

Pronunciation Coach: 

Goal: To help learners consistently practice their pronunciation and improve their speaking skills. 

How this works: Pronunciation Coach allows you to practice and receive feedback about your pronunciation. You can also pair with other core lessons and Shadowing practice to improve your speaking skills. 

Grammar Coach

Goal: Reinforce your core grammatical knowledge to assist with your conversational English skills. 

How this works: The features Vocabulary Coach, Grammar Coach, Dictionary, and Study sets assist learners with reviewing vocabulary and grammar. Learners can look up words, save ones they want to remember, and continue practicing what they have learned. 

AI Chats

Goal: Create more opportunities to practice speaking English instead of only learning language concepts.

How this works: Explore the speaking practice and AI-powered content available in the ELSA Speak free version, while also getting familiar with conversational practice with a variety of real-life scenarios.  

Speech Analyzer

Goal: Help learners clearly identify improvement in their speaking.

How this works: Speech Analyzer records and analyzes directly a recording on a specific topic. It then evaluates your speech based on 5 factors: pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, fluency, and intonation; helping you identify your strengths, mistakes, and areas for improvement. 

Curated courses and topics

Goal: Support English learning based on specific goals, such as exam preparation or developing specific skills. 

How this works: ELSA offers courses and content designed for a variety of learning goals. Learners simply can choose the content that best matches their needs and continue practicing toward their learning objectives. 

Tools for building consistent learning habits

Goal: To help learners stay consistent and motivated to practice learning every day. 

How this works: Start by using the Today’s Task feature, setting daily learning reminders, competing for a spot on the Leaderboard, maintaining a streak with friends, and tracking your daily learning time to stay motivated and consistent. 

How to get the most out of the free version of ELSA Speak?

To get the most out of the free version, try to build a consistent learning habit instead of studying for long periods and then stopping. Start with a manageable goal, complete your assigned tasks in Today’s Task everyday, and focus on correcting the frequently-occurred pronunciation errors.

When learning new vocabulary, look them up using the Dictionary feature. Listen to the pronunciation model, record yourself to check your pronunciation, and save the words to Study Sets for later review. Try using Pronunciation Coach and Shadowing Practice to improve your pronunciation, intonation, and fluency at the same time. 

After using the Free version for a while, evaluate whether the available features meet your learning needs. If: 

• You mainly need pronunciation practice and want to maintain a daily learning routine, the Free plan can be a good fit.
• You want to explore more conversation practice, speech analysis, or preparation for an exam, you may want to consider upgrading. 

When should you upgrade?

The Free plan works well if learners only want to warm up their voice or brush up on basic pronunciation. You should consider upgrading if: 

• You are interviewing with international companies.
• You are preparing for tests such as IELTS, TOEIC, EIKEN, etc.
• You want unlimited practice and full access to ELSA Speak’s feature suite. 

However, before subscribing, remember to check the plan’s name, including access, validity period, payment method, and renewal policy shown in the app or website. Pricing, promotions, and trial periods may vary depending on the time of purchase or the registration channel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ELSA Speak app free to use forever?

Yes. The basic version of ELSA Speak is permanently free to use. There is no mandatory requirement to upgrade to a paid tier.

Do I need to enter credit card information to use the free tier?

No. You can download the app, skip the initial subscription offer, and practice using the free tier without adding any payment details. Payment credentials are only required if you explicitly opt into the 7-day Premium trial.

We hope this article has helped answer your question “Is the ELSA Speak app free?”, how it differs from ELSA Premium, and when it may be time to upgrade. Try ELSA Speak today to explore the features that best suit your learning needs, and follow the News section on ELSA Speak for updates on new features, product updates, and effective English-learning tips.