Busuu Farsi Review: The Course That Doesn't Exist
Busuu doesn't offer Farsi. Neither does Duolingo or Babbel. This isn't a review — it's an explanation of why mainstream apps ignore Persian, and what to use instead.
This is the shortest review I'll ever write, because there's almost nothing to review.
Busuu does not offer a Farsi course.
Level: N/A | Time: N/A | Cost: Freemium (.99/mo) | Best for: Not Farsi
The Verdict: 1/10
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Persian Specificity | 1/10 |
| Real-World Usefulness | 1/10 |
| Value for Money | 2/10 |
| Elyar's Verdict | 1/10 |
Not "Busuu's Farsi course is limited." Not "Busuu's Farsi is formal." Not "Busuu's Farsi needs improvement." Busuu. one of the most popular language learning platforms in the world, with over 120 million users and courses in 14 languages. has simply chosen not to include Persian.
If you Googled "Is Busuu good for learning Farsi," the answer is: it doesn't exist. But the why behind that absence tells you more about the state of Farsi learning than any app review could.
Why Busuu Doesn't Offer Farsi
Busuu builds high-quality, structured courses with native speaker community corrections, CEFR-aligned curriculum, and (since their acquisition by Chegg in 2022) AI-powered features. Each language they add requires significant investment: content creation, native speaker recordings, quality assurance, community building.
Their 14 languages are all high-demand, high-market-size choices: Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Korean, Turkish, Polish, Indonesian, and Dutch. Every one of these represents millions of potential paying subscribers.
Persian doesn't make the cut because the market is too small. The global population of people who want to learn Farsi and are willing to pay a monthly subscription is. by Busuu's calculation. not worth the investment. This isn't a slight against Farsi. It's business math.
What This Tells You About Learning Farsi
The absence of Persian from Busuu, Duolingo, and Babbel reveals something important: mainstream language apps are not designed for languages like Farsi.
These platforms optimize for scale. They need millions of users per language to justify development costs. Persian has roughly 110 million native speakers, but the learner market. non-native speakers actively studying Farsi. is tiny compared to Spanish, French, or Japanese. Most Farsi learners are:
- Heritage speakers reconnecting with family language
- Partners of Iranians
- Academic researchers and diplomats
- Iran travel enthusiasts
- Culture/literature aficionados
These are niche audiences with diverse needs that don't fit a one-size-fits-all app template. A heritage speaker who understands spoken Farsi but can't read needs a completely different program than an academic who reads Persian poetry but can't order food in Tehran.
This is why the best Farsi learning resources tend to be small, specialized, and human-driven rather than algorithmic and mass-market.
What To Use Instead of Busuu
If you arrived here looking for a Busuu-style structured course for Persian, here's what actually exists and works:
| What You Want | Use This Instead |
|---|---|
| Structured audio course | Pimsleur ($20/mo, 60 lessons) |
| Free podcast with curriculum | Chai and Conversation (free, 200+ episodes) |
| Gamified daily lessons | Ling App ($9-15/mo) |
| Reading and vocabulary | LingQ ($10/mo) + Anki (free) |
| Free beginner course | Mango Languages (free via library) |
| Live conversation practice | italki ($5-15/session) |
| Sentence repetition drills | Glossika ($17/mo) |
| Actual spoken Farsi with a teacher | A tutor who teaches colloquial Persian |
The Bigger Lesson
Every app review I've written circles back to the same conclusion: no single app can teach you Farsi the way mainstream apps teach Spanish or French. The market is too small for platforms to invest in the quality content Persian deserves. The language itself. with its massive spoken/written gap, cultural complexity, and non-Latin script. resists the cookie-cutter app template.
The learners who actually achieve fluency in Farsi are the ones who stop looking for the perfect app and start building a personalized system: a beginner foundation, consistent vocabulary practice, listening exposure, and. crucially. a human who speaks the language as it's actually spoken and can guide you through the parts no algorithm can teach.
Busuu's absence from the Farsi market isn't a failure. It's a signal: you need something Busuu can't provide. For a full breakdown of what's actually available, see my best apps for learning Farsi guide.
Busuu doesn't have a Farsi course. ZabanYar does. purpose-built for Persian, with all 32 letters, shape-based mnemonics, and adaptive quizzes that adjust to your level. And it's free.
Ready to learn the Farsi that apps can't teach?
Book a lesson with me on Preply. I specialize in the language that mainstream platforms ignore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Busuu have a Farsi course?
Why doesn't Busuu offer Farsi?
What is the best alternative to Busuu for learning Farsi?
Will Busuu add Farsi in the future?
Why do most apps skip Persian?
For the full comparison of every Farsi learning tool, see our complete resource guide.
Get it wrong and the worst that happens is a warm laugh and a story they’ll tell for years. Get it right — refuse the tea twice, accept on the third — and you’ll watch a face open up. You didn’t just speak Persian. You played the game.
A teacher from Tabriz, based in Milano. 5.0 on Preply across 42 reviews, 1,100+ lessons taught. He curates the growing dictionary behind this site.
