What is the best completely free IELTS app?

The official IDP and British Council apps are completely free and trustworthy for sample questions and lessons. For free scored practice, Band9Prep offers a free tier with limited mock and AI-feedback access.

Can I prepare for IELTS entirely free with apps?

Yes for Listening, Reading and vocabulary. Writing and Speaking feedback is usually limited on free tiers, so combine free apps with the free practice tests and at least one scored mock before exam day.

Why do free IELTS apps limit Writing and Speaking?

Human-style scoring of essays and speech costs computing power or tutor time, so apps reserve it for paid plans or limited free trials. Be sceptical of any app promising unlimited free essay scoring.

Are free drill apps with ads worth using?

For extra Listening and Reading repetitions, yes — but verify question formats against official material, since some drill apps use outdated formats.

How do I build a free IELTS study plan with apps?

Use one official app for lessons, one drill app for daily reps, and a free mock tier for weekly timed tests. Track your week with a mock test guide and free practice tests.

When should I pay for an IELTS app?

Pay when your free practice shows a clear gap — usually Writing stuck below 6.5 or Speaking without feedback. One month of scored feedback is often cheaper than retaking the test.

Best Free IELTS Apps (2026): What Each Free Tier Really Includes

"Free" in the app store can mean anything from genuinely free to a three-question teaser behind an ad wall. Since free tiers change constantly, this guide focuses on what each free tier structurally includes — and how to combine free apps into a plan that actually covers all four skills.

1. IDP IELTS App — Free Official Companion

What free really includes: sample questions, test format explainers, booking tools, and test-day guidance. No paywall because IDP monetises the test itself, not the app.

Pros: 100% free and trustworthy; accurate format information; useful countdown and booking features.

Cons: no full scored mocks; no essay or speaking scoring; more reference tool than trainer.

Verdict: install it, keep it, but do not rely on it alone.

2. British Council IELTS Prep App — Free Lessons and Exercises

What free really includes: grammar lessons, vocabulary exercises, and practice questions across skills, all free from the co-owner of the test.

Pros: genuinely free lessons; good for bands 5.0–6.5 building foundations; no aggressive upsell.

Cons: stops short of predicted band scores; Writing feedback is self-check style rather than scored.

Verdict: the best free classroom in your pocket. Pair it with scored mocks from free practice tests.

3. Band9Prep — Free Tier With Real Scored Practice

What free really includes: limited access to timed practice sections and a sample of AI-scored Writing and Speaking feedback, so you can see your baseline band before paying anything.

Pros: the only free tier here that shows criterion-level feedback on an essay or speaking answer; full exam-like interface even on free tasks.

Cons: free usage is capped — unlimited scoring and full mocks need a plan (check the site for current limits).

Verdict: use the free tier as your diagnostic: sit one timed section, read the feedback, then decide. Follow a mock test guide for the full routine.

4. Magoosh IELTS — Free Sample Lessons

What free really includes: a rotating set of free video lessons and sample questions; the full question bank and schedules sit behind a paid plan.

Pros: free videos are genuinely clear and beginner-friendly; good for understanding question types.

Cons: free bank is small; not a full free prep solution.

Verdict: watch the free lessons for concepts, practise elsewhere.

5. E2 (E2Language) — Free Trial Classes and Samples

What free really includes: occasional free trial lessons, webinars, and sample questions; the structured courses are paid.

Pros: free tasters show real teaching quality; good for deciding whether guided study suits you.

Cons: not designed as an ongoing free tool.

Verdict: try the free class; budget separately if you enrol.

6. Free Drill Apps (IELTS Test Pro and Clones) — Free With Ads

What free really includes: large banks of Listening and Reading multiple-choice drills, usually free with ads or a small one-time fee to remove them.

Pros: high volume for daily reps; offline modes common; zero cost.

Cons: variable question quality; rarely updated to the latest format; no productive-skills scoring.

Verdict: fine for commute drills — verify tricky answers against official material.

7. BBC Learning English — Completely Free Immersion

What free really includes: everything — episodes, transcripts, grammar and vocabulary series, all free and ad-light as public broadcasting.

Pros: unlimited authentic listening; transcripts support shadowing; no account needed for most content.

Cons: not IELTS-formatted, so you must self-direct it into exam skills.

Verdict: the best zero-cost listening habit you can build.

8. Quizlet — Free Flashcards

What free really includes: core flashcard creation and study modes free; thousands of shared IELTS sets free; some advanced modes paid.

Pros: effective spaced repetition; strong for collocations and topic vocabulary.

Cons: shared sets vary in accuracy; ads on free tier.

Verdict: use curated sets 10 minutes daily; always learn words in example sentences.

Comparison Table

App	Free tier	Full mock free?	Writing/Speaking scored free?	Catch
IDP app	Fully free	No	No	Reference, not trainer
British Council app	Fully free	No	No	No band prediction
Band9Prep	Limited free	Sample	Sample	Caps on free scoring
Magoosh	Samples	No	No	Bank is paid
E2	Trials	No	Trial only	Courses are paid
Drill apps	Free w/ ads	Rarely	No	Quality varies
BBC Learning English	Fully free	No	No	Not exam-formatted
Quizlet	Core free	No	No	Shared-set errors

Verdict: A Complete Free Stack

Combine three free layers: the British Council or IDP app for lessons, BBC + Quizlet for daily immersion and vocabulary, and Band9Prep's free tier for your weekly scored check. When free feedback runs out and Writing is still stuck, one paid month beats one retake fee.

How to Combine Free Apps Into a Weekly Plan

A stack only works with a schedule. Here is a free-only week that covers all four skills without spending anything:

Monday to Friday (30 minutes daily): 10 minutes of Quizlet vocabulary, 10 minutes of British Council grammar or reading exercises, and 10 minutes of BBC listening with a transcript. Shadow one short segment aloud to keep Speaking warm.

Saturday (60 minutes): one timed practice section on Band9Prep's free tier — alternate Reading one week, Listening the next. Review every wrong answer the same day and log the question type that beat you.

Sunday (30 minutes): write one Task 2 paragraph or record one Part 2 answer on your phone, then compare it against official band descriptors (free PDFs from IDP and the British Council). Self-checking against descriptors is the closest free substitute for essay scoring.

Track the routine for four weeks. If Listening and Reading climb but Writing flatlines below 6.5, that is the signal to buy scoring rather than more free drills — targeted feedback on Task Response and Coherence moves Writing faster than another month of samples.

Free-Tier Traps to Avoid

Download counts mislead. Avoid apps that lock answer explanations behind paywalls (you learn nothing from a bare score), apps with no update in over a year (formats drift), and any app asking for payment outside the official store. Never pay for "official test booking" inside a third-party app — booking happens only through IDP, the British Council, or their verified centres, as explained in how to book your test.

Read next: best IELTS platforms, free practice tests, and the exam-day guide before you book.