Quick Answer
Busuu works best for steady self study: structured English lessons from A1 to C1, community feedback and, on Premium Plus, AI conversations. Mockly works best when a tech interview is coming and you need a person to run the round, at $50 per live hour. Choose Busuu to build the language, and Mockly to rehearse the interview itself.
Busuu and Mockly at a Glance
Busuu and Mockly both help people improve their English, but almost everything else about them is different. This table puts the facts side by side. Busuu facts come from busuu.com, checked on 24 October 2026.
| Busuu | Mockly | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Self-paced app on web, iOS and Android | Live 60-minute 1:1 video sessions on Google Meet |
| Who gives feedback | Fluent speakers in the Busuu Community, plus app tools | Sophie or Tom, UK-based data engineers who teach English |
| Levels | Courses from A1 to C1 | About B1 and above |
| Content | General English: grammar, vocabulary, speaking and real-world situations | Tech interview rounds and business English for tech roles |
| Speaking practice | Speaking assessments (Premium); AI conversations and pronunciation practice (Premium Plus), in select languages and platforms | A human interviewer and a debrief on what you said |
| Price model | Free to start; Premium and Premium Plus subscriptions | Free 30-min trial; $50 per session or packs |
Insight
Busuu is something you use most days for months. Mockly is something you book a few times around the interviews that matter.
What Busuu Premium and Premium Plus Include
Busuu lets you start learning for free. Its paid plans, as listed on Busuu's Premium page on 24 October 2026, are:
Busuu Premium
Described by Busuu as “for steady progress”. Includes grammar review, vocabulary review, speaking assessments, no ads and Busuu certificates. Busuu notes that some features are only available in select languages and on select platforms.
Busuu Premium Plus
Described as “for speaking fluency”. Adds AI conversations, pronunciation practice, exclusive content, streak protection and Skills (communication courses), plus everything in Premium. Some features are limited to select languages and platforms.
The Busuu Community is a distinctive part of the app: you can get feedback on your exercises from fluent speakers of the language you are learning. For a learner who wants another person to read their writing or listen to a recording, this is a useful free extra.
Insight
When we checked, the Premium page showed 12-month plans with a large “Save 51%” discount. Sale prices change and vary by country, so we do not quote a number. See busuu.com/en/premium for your price.
Self-Study App vs Live Interview Rehearsal
Self-study apps are good at the parts of English you can practise alone: grammar rules, vocabulary, listening, and short speaking exercises that the app can score. Busuu adds structure, levels and certificates on top of that, which keeps many learners going.
A tech interview tests something an app finds harder to simulate. You have to keep talking while you think, respond to an interviewer who interrupts, and choose words that sound confident without overclaiming. These moments are where non-native engineers most often lose points, and they are hard to practise with an app because the conversation does not go where you expect.
Mockly sessions are built around that second and third line. The coach runs the round, listens for where your English breaks down under pressure, and rewrites your answers into sentences you can actually say.
Grammar worth studying in an app because interviews use it constantly
- Past simple vs present perfect for STAR stories: “I led the migration last year” (finished) vs “I have worked with Kafka for three years” (still true).
- Comparatives for trade-offs: “cheaper but slower”, “more consistent than eventual consistency, but harder to scale”.
- Second conditional for scaling questions: “If traffic doubled, I would add a read replica.”
- Numbers out loud: thirteen vs thirty, milliseconds vs seconds. See the teen vs ty pronunciation mistake.
Busuu's written exercises and Community feedback can also help with the written English of tech work, such as pull request descriptions and Slack updates. Mockly covers that side too, as part of business English for tech roles, but it is taught in live sessions rather than through exercises.
Free Mini App
Check your tech interview English for free
Free, no card needed. Practise the spoken English of a tech interview before you book anything.
Try the Mini AppThree Learner Profiles: Which Fits You?
Ana, junior data analyst, A2–B1. She reads documentation in English but avoids speaking. She has no interviews scheduled. Better fit: Busuu. A structured course will build her grammar and vocabulary, and Premium Plus's AI conversations give her low-pressure speaking practice. Interview coaching would be premature.
Kenji, backend engineer, B2. He uses English at work in Slack, but in interviews he goes quiet while he codes and his system design explanations wander. He has a loop in four weeks. Better fit: Mockly. He does not need more grammar; he needs rehearsal of the exact rounds, with feedback on thinking out loud and structuring a design.
Leila, data engineer, B1. She is starting to look for jobs abroad and expects interviews in three to four months. Better fit: both. Busuu daily to keep improving, then Mockly sessions once applications turn into interviews.
Interview tip
Not sure which profile you are? Mockly's free mini apps, such as the tech interview English check, show you how your spoken English holds up on interview-style prompts, without an account.
When to Use Busuu and Mockly Together
Busuu and Mockly overlap very little, so using both is not wasteful. The trick is timing.
A simple split
- Months before interviews: Busuu most days for grammar, vocabulary and speaking confidence. Book the free Mockly trial once to find out which parts of interview English need the most work.
- When interviews are booked: keep a lighter Busuu routine and book Mockly sessions for the rounds you will face, for example one behavioural session and one system design session.
- In the last week: stop adding new material. Use your Mockly drill list and practise the corrected answers out loud.
Mockly also has an optional self-study course (Premium, $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial) focused on interview English: self-introduction, behavioural STAR, technical narration and culture questions. It does not include a coaching session. If you already pay for Busuu, you may not need a second subscription; the free course guides and mini apps may be enough.
Busuu vs Mockly: A Quick Checklist
Busuu is likely the better choice if…
Mockly is likely the better choice if…
Verdict
Busuu builds general English at your own pace and price. Mockly spends your time on the interview itself. If you tick boxes in both lists, use both, starting with Busuu.
More comparisons with language apps: Mockly vs Speak and Mockly vs ELSA.
Talk to an engineer-coach first
Book a free 30-minute Google Meet with Sophie or Tom. No card, no subscription. You practise a short interview-style prompt in English and leave with a plan for what to work on next.
Book a Free Trial →