The most authoritative IELTS app on this list costs nothing. That one fact should shape how a London candidate spends the rest of their prep budget, and it's why this guide is organised around gaps rather than a straight countdown.
If a university place, a visa or a professional registration depends on your band score, you don't need ten apps. You need the official material, plus one or two tools aimed at whichever skill is actually holding you back. Here's how the field breaks down.
The ten, side by side
| App | Strongest at | Price (approx.) | Platforms | Store rating* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Council IELTS Prep | Official practice tests, all four skills | Free | iOS, Android | 4.7 |
| ELSA Speak | Pronunciation coaching | Free, Premium from £11.99/month | iOS, Android | 4.7 |
| Magoosh IELTS | Video lessons, study plans | From £89 one-time | iOS, Android, Web | 4.6 |
| IELTS Prep App by IDP | Listening and Reading simulations | Free, in-app purchases | iOS, Android | 4.5 |
| BBC Learning English | General fluency | Free | iOS, Android | 4.6 |
| IELTS Pulse | Writing and Speaking diagnostics | Free, Premium from £9.99/month | iOS, Android | 4.5 |
| Lingua IELTS | All-in-one prep | Free trial, £14.99/month | iOS, Android, Web | 4.4 |
| IELTS Word Power | Topic vocabulary | Free | iOS, Android | 4.3 |
| Fixolang | AI Speaking mock tests | Free, Premium from £7.99/month | iOS, Android | 4.4 |
| Duolingo | Daily study habit | Free, Super from £6.99/month | iOS, Android, Web | 4.7 |
*Ratings out of 5, as listed when this guide first ran in August 2026. Store ratings and prices change, so check before you subscribe.
Start where the exam is made
IELTS is co-owned by three organisations: the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Two of them publish free prep apps. No third-party developer can match that for authenticity, so download both before paying anyone.
British Council IELTS Prep got a proper overhaul in 2026, adding interactive video, webinar integration and a built-in version of its IELTS Word Power vocabulary module. The core is what matters: timed Listening and Reading tests using real exam question types, and Speaking prompts drawn from past papers with model answers. It's the foundation. Everything else on this list is a layer on top.
The IDP app leans harder into Listening and Reading, with simulations built to mirror the pacing and interface of the computer-delivered test. Its better trick is analytics: you can track results by question type, which exposes weak spots that an overall band estimate hides. The free tier is enough for a serious diagnostic, and extra full-length tests are in-app purchases. If you booked through an IDP centre, it also ties into your booking and results.
Speaking is where self-study breaks down
You can mark your own Reading answers. You can't easily hear your own intonation. That's why Speaking is the skill where honest feedback matters most, and where two apps earn their place.
ELSA Speak works at the level of individual sounds. It shows which phonemes need fixing, compares your intonation with model speakers and tracks progress over time. Its 2026 IELTS modules let you choose a British, American or Australian accent target. Worth remembering: IELTS assesses how clearly you're understood, not whether you sound British, so treat the accent setting as a reference point rather than a goal. The free version is generous; Premium starts at about £11.99 a month.
Fixolang is for a narrower problem: being stuck at Band 6.0 to 6.5 in Speaking without knowing why. It runs full mock Speaking tests and maps AI feedback to the four official criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Instead of an open question bank, it sets a daily programme that gets harder as you go. From about £7.99 a month, it's a cheap stand-in for a conversation partner. Just remember that an AI score is a training signal, not the verdict of the examiner you'll face in person.
Getting your writing marked without a tutor
Magoosh IELTS pairs every practice question with a video explanation and builds a study plan around your test date. Its Writing feedback is specific, covering cohesion, task achievement and grammatical range rather than vague encouragement. At about £89 one-time, it has the highest upfront cost here, but there's no subscription quietly renewing after your exam.
IELTS Pulse is built around one clever feature, Scan and Score. Handwrite a Task 2 essay, photograph it, and get a band estimate with feedback on task response, coherence, vocabulary and grammar. That's genuinely useful if you're sitting a paper-based session or simply think better with a pen. Premium starts at about £9.99 a month. Again, an estimate is an estimate.
One app instead of a folder full
Lingua IELTS covers all four modules in one place, moving from a diagnostic to targeted practice to full mock exams. Its adaptive engine pushes you towards weaknesses instead of letting you replay your favourite section. The catch is the price: at about £14.99 a month, six months of prep costs roughly what Magoosh charges once. It suits people who'd rather follow one system than build their own.
The vocabulary ceiling
Lexical resource is one of four criteria in both Writing and Speaking, so it accounts for a quarter of those scores. IELTS Word Power, from the British Council, spans six levels and focuses on frequent IELTS themes such as environment, education, technology, urbanisation and health. Quizzes and spaced repetition do the rest. It's free and does one job well, which is exactly what a candidate with solid grammar and repetitive vocabulary needs.
Two picks that aren't IELTS apps at all
BBC Learning English has no mock tests or band scores. What it has is short daily lessons, the long-running 6 Minute English series and news-based vocabulary, all free. For a London student, it doubles as commute listening and a crash course in how English actually sounds in British media and everyday conversation. English carries a lot of weight in the world; if you have opinions on how much, our vote on the most powerful languages in the world is open.
Duolingo won't teach exam strategy, won't simulate test conditions and won't take anyone from Band 5.5 to 7.0 on its own. It's here for one reason: streaks and bite-sized lessons are very good at getting people to study every day, and consistency is what self-study usually lacks. Super costs about £6.99 a month, but the free version is enough. Warm-up, not workout.
A sensible stack for a London week
- British Council and IDP apps for official practice. Free.
- One skill-specific tool for your weakest area: ELSA or Fixolang for Speaking, Magoosh or IELTS Pulse for Writing.
- Word Power or BBC Learning English on the commute.
Short answers for test-takers
Can I prepare for IELTS using only free apps?
For Listening and Reading, largely yes, thanks to the British Council and IDP apps. Speaking and Writing benefit from feedback, which is where paid tools or a tutor come in.
Are AI band scores reliable?
Treat them as practice estimates. Your real Speaking test is with a certified examiner, and your official score comes only from the exam itself.
Which single paid app is the best value?
It depends on your timeline. Magoosh's one-time fee makes sense for longer prep; a monthly app is cheaper if your test is only weeks away.
