Duolingo targets 100 million daily active users by 2028 as AI reshapes language learning

Duolingo Shifts Strategy to Prioritize User Growth Over Profitability

Duolingo is making a deliberate pivot in its business strategy, choosing to sacrifice near-term profit margins in favor of accelerating user growth and artificial intelligence investments. CEO Luis von Ahn announced that the language-learning app aims to double its current base to reach 100 million daily active users by 2028, even as the company faces pressure from investors concerned about slower earnings growth 1

1

. The platform surpassed 50 million DAUs and generated over $1 billion in bookings for the first time in 2025, marking significant milestones despite the strategic shift 2

2

.

AI's Impact on Education Drives Strategic Recalibration

The company's shift comes at what von Ahn describes as "a pivotal moment" as artificial intelligence fundamentally reshapes how people learn. "In 2026, we are deliberately prioritizing user growth and teaching better," von Ahn stated in a shareholder letter released Thursday. "We'll focus on improving the learning experience to grow word of mouth and feed our next user growth engines like chess, math and music, even though that moderates near-term financial growth" 2

2

. This strategic recalibration reflects the broader transformation occurring across educational technology as AI-powered tools become increasingly sophisticated.

Growth Metrics Reveal Slowdown Prompting Strategic Shift

Duolingo's user growth has experienced notable deceleration that prompted this strategic reassessment. While year-over-year growth in daily active users maintained at least 40% in every quarter from Q2 2022 to Q2 2025, the metric slowed to 30% in Q4 2025. The company expects this to drop further to approximately 20% in 2026 2

2

. Von Ahn attributes some of this deceleration to natural scaling challenges, while acknowledging that the company's increased focus on monetization in recent years also played a role in dampening engagement.

Improving the Learning Experience Through AI-Powered Features

To boost user growth and engagement, Duolingo plans to enhance its platform by making its Video Call feature accessible to more users and providing AI-powered speaking practice to both free and paid learners. The company will also offer more advanced content around its nine most-learned languages 2

2

. Critically, Duolingo is reducing friction previously applied to encourage subscribers, effectively improving the free learner experience to drive word of mouth. The company is even repurposing part of its monetization team to work on user growth rather than subscription promotion, signaling a fundamental operational shift.

Expanding Beyond Languages to Sustain Long-Term Growth

Duolingo is dedicating more resources to what it calls "next user growth engines" including chess and music, alongside its existing math offerings. This diversification strategy aims to build a business that is not only larger but more durable in the face of AI disruption. While the near-term financial impact includes narrower profit margins and slower earnings growth, the company believes this approach positions it to teach billions of people and capitalize on the unique opportunities presented by advances in artificial intelligence 2

2

. The strategic bet hinges on whether enhanced free experiences and AI-driven teaching improvements can reignite the rapid growth rates that characterized Duolingo's earlier years.