The Duolingo English Test (DET) has long competed with TOEFL on cost and speed — $59 and under an hour, versus TOEFL's higher fee and longer format. The 2026 TOEFL redesign narrows that gap considerably: TOEFL is now ~90 minutes with results in ~72 hours. Here's how the two compare now.
Quick Comparison: TOEFL (2026) vs Duolingo English Test
| Feature | TOEFL iBT (2026) | Duolingo English Test |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ~$185–245 USD (varies by country) | $59 USD |
| Duration | ~90 minutes | ~1 hour |
| Location | Test centre (Prometric) or Home Edition | Always at home (computer + webcam) |
| Results | ~72 hours | ~2 business days |
| Score scale | 1.0–6.0 per section (avg overall) | 10–160 (DET score) |
| Score validity | 2 years | 2 years |
| Adaptive format | Yes (Reading and Listening) | Yes (most sections) |
| Accepted institutions | Widely accepted globally, especially US universities | 5,000+ institutions, concentrated in the US |
Format Comparison
| TOEFL (2026) | Duolingo English Test | |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Read an Academic Passage (adaptive) | Fill in the blank, identify real vs. fake words (adaptive) |
| Listening | Listen and Choose a Response, Conversation, Announcement, Academic Talk (adaptive) | Dictation, listen and type |
| Speaking | Listen and Repeat (no prep); Take an Interview (no prep) | Read aloud, describe image, spoken response, plus a 10-minute video interview |
| Writing | Build a Sentence, Write an Email, Write for an Academic Discussion | Sentence construction, paragraph writing |
| Section-level scores | Yes — 4 independent section scores (1.0–6.0) | Yes — 4 subscores (Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, Production) |
Key similarity in 2026: both tests now lean heavily on adaptive testing and short, varied task types rather than long single-skill sections. TOEFL's gap with Duolingo on speed and format has narrowed significantly compared to the pre-2026 TOEFL.
Score Conversion: Duolingo vs TOEFL
No official Duolingo-to-TOEFL conversion exists for the new 1.0–6.0 scale (it's new as of January 2026). During the 2026–2028 transition, your TOEFL report also shows a legacy 0–120 equivalent, which can be used with existing rough Duolingo-TOEFL references:
| Duolingo Score (approx.) | Legacy TOEFL Equivalent (approx., shown on 2026 report) |
|---|---|
| 150–160 | 110–120 |
| 135–149 | 100–109 |
| 120–134 | 90–99 |
| 105–119 | 79–89 |
| 90–104 | 65–78 |
Treat this as a rough starting point only — always check your target institution's specific published requirement for each test.
Where Duolingo Is Accepted vs Not
Universities (US-focused acceptance)
Duolingo is accepted at 5,000+ institutions, heavily concentrated among US universities. TOEFL has broader acceptance across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and beyond — for non-US destinations, TOEFL is generally the safer default. See our TOEFL Score Requirements for Universities guide.
Immigration
| Purpose | TOEFL | Duolingo |
|---|---|---|
| UK Student visa (UKVI) | ❌ Not a SELT | ❌ Not accepted |
| Australia immigration | Generally not used | ❌ Not accepted |
| Canada (IRCC study permit) | Generally not used | ❌ Not accepted |
| Professional registration (NMC, AHPRA, GMC, etc.) | Check specific body | ❌ Not accepted anywhere |
Neither test is generally used for UK/Australia/Canada immigration purposes — those typically require IELTS or PTE. See our TOEFL and US F-1 Visa guide and Is TOEFL Accepted for the UK Student Visa guide for more on this.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Duolingo If:
- All your target programmes explicitly list Duolingo as accepted (check the specific programme page, not just the university's general page)
- Cost is a major constraint ($59 vs ~$185–245)
- You want the fastest possible turnaround for a single application
Choose TOEFL If:
- Any target programme requires TOEFL specifically, or doesn't list Duolingo as accepted
- You're applying outside the US, where TOEFL has broader recognition
- You want a score that's useful across multiple programmes/countries, including ones that don't accept Duolingo
- You want MyBest Scores — Duolingo has no equivalent superscore feature; see our TOEFL MyBest Scores guide
Consider Both If:
- Your primary applications are US-based programmes that accept Duolingo (take Duolingo first, cheaply and quickly)
- But you also want to keep options open at programmes/countries that require TOEFL specifically
The Strategic Consideration
Duolingo's affordability and speed make it an efficient first step if your applications are concentrated at US institutions that explicitly list it. But TOEFL remains the more broadly recognised test — for students who haven't finalised their full list of target universities, or who might apply beyond the US, a TOEFL score is the more durable investment, and the 2026 format's shorter duration and faster results have narrowed Duolingo's traditional speed advantage.
Prepare for TOEFL with Gabble — AI-powered Speaking and Writing feedback for the 2026 format's Write an Email, Write for an Academic Discussion, and Take an Interview tasks, helping you reach a score that's accepted everywhere Duolingo isn't.