The best apps to practise business English speaking in 2026
By the Katie AI team · Updated
What is the best app to practise English for work?
To speak English more confidently at work, practise the real situations you face: meetings, presentations, client calls and small talk. Katie AI is an AI speaking coach for professionals: it practises the situations from your own job, teaches the business phrases and vocabulary you need, remembers what you practised, and corrects every sentence as you speak. ELSA Speak focuses on pronunciation. If you want a coach who knows your industry, a human tutor on Preply or Cambly is the better fit.
Key takeaways
- Best overall for business English: Katie AI
- Best for pronunciation at work: ELSA Speak
- Best for a structured course: Speak
- Best for an industry-specific coach: Preply
- Best for live practice with a person: Cambly
Written by the Katie AI team. We list a real limit for every app, including our own. Free plans and trials are from the US App Store and each app's website, as of October 20, 2026.
At a glance
- Katie AI
- Best overall for business English
- Free plan: No (free speaking test) · Trial: 3 days
- ELSA Speak
- Best for pronunciation at work
- Free plan: Yes, limited · Trial: 7 days
- Speak
- Best for a structured course
- Free plan: No · Trial: 7 days
- Preply
- Best for an industry-specific coach
- Free plan: No · Trial: Trial lessons are paid
- Cambly
- Best for live practice with a person
- Free plan: Not stated · Trial: Not stated
| App | Best for | Free plan | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katie AI | Best overall for business English | No (free speaking test) | 3 days |
| ELSA Speak | Best for pronunciation at work | Yes, limited | 7 days |
| Speak | Best for a structured course | No | 7 days |
| Preply | Best for an industry-specific coach | No | Trial lessons are paid |
| Cambly | Best for live practice with a person | Not stated | Not stated |
1. Katie AI
Best overall for business English
Katie remembers your past conversations and builds a learning path around your day-to-day life, with the phrases and vocabulary you will actually use. No generic curriculum. Role-play meetings, presentations and everyday work talk. Katie corrects you on every sentence, and you can practise any time before a big meeting.
- Free plan:
- No (free speaking test)
- Free trial:
- 3 days
Good to know: Katie teaches English only, so it is not the pick if you are learning another language. It is built for people who already know some English, so complete beginners may want a beginner course first. If what you need most is someone to hold you accountable, or a teacher's judgement on your career or exam, a human tutor still wins.
2. ELSA Speak
Best for pronunciation at work
Pronunciation and accent coaching for work situations.
- Free plan:
- Yes, limited
- Free trial:
- 7 days
Good to know: Some recent App Store reviews mention slow loading and speech not being recognised well.
Katie AI vs ELSA Speak →3. Speak
Best for a structured course
Lessons that build up to open AI conversation.
- Free plan:
- No
- Free trial:
- 7 days
Good to know: Almost nothing is free after the 7-day trial.
Katie AI vs Speak →4. Preply
Best for an industry-specific coach
Choose a human tutor who specialises in business English.
- Free plan:
- No
- Free trial:
- Trial lessons are paid
Good to know: Lessons run in 28-day cycles, and unused lessons can expire.
Katie AI vs Preply →5. Cambly
Best for live practice with a person
Live video lessons with native-speaking tutors.
- Free plan:
- Not stated
- Free trial:
- Not stated
Good to know: Lessons are booked in advance, so practice depends on your plan and the tutor's schedule.
Katie AI vs Cambly →
How we compared these apps
- We looked at the 11 English speaking apps and tutor services people compare most often: Katie AI, Speak, ELSA Speak, Loora, Praktika, TalkPal, Fluently, ChatGPT Voice, Cambly, Preply and Duolingo.
- For each one we checked its US App Store listing, its own website, and its most recent US App Store reviews, on October 20, 2026.
- Where an app does not publish something, we say "Not stated" instead of guessing.
- Each app's limit comes from its own website or from patterns in recent reviews. We make Katie AI, and we list a limit for Katie too.
Frequently asked questions
How can I speak English more confidently at work?
Practise the exact situations you find hard, out loud, before they happen. A short daily practice with feedback builds confidence faster than one long class a week.
Does Katie AI remember previous conversations?
Yes. Katie remembers what you talked about before and what you want to learn, so it feels like talking to a person who knows you, not starting over with a new app each time. It uses that to choose topics that matter to you and to pick up where you left off.
Read next
Sources
- Katie AI on the US App Store
- ELSA Speak website (plans)
- ELSA Speak on the US App Store (App Store listing)
- Speak FAQ (trial, plans)
- Speak on the US App Store (App Store listing)
- Preply trial lessons
- Preply billing
- Preply on the US App Store (App Store listing)
- Cambly plans
- Cambly on the US App Store (App Store listing)