OnLearn Review: Free Online English Courses from Barcelona
OnLearn is a Barcelona-based platform offering free general English courses (Elementary to C1), exam prep (Duolingo, ESO), and Professional English tracks. Here's what teachers and students actually get, what works for self-study, and what to pair it with for classroom use.Ready to try OnLearn?
"Covers the full A1–C1 ladder with free video lessons, plus a dedicated Duolingo English Test prep track — rare on free platforms."
Best for
Independent learners who want a free, structured self-study path through CEFR levels with optional paid live classes and exam prep.
Pricing
Freemium
Pro tip — heads up before you bookmark it
A note on classroom use
OnLearn is a learner-side platform. There is no dashboard for assigning activities or tracking students — treat it as a self-study supplement you point students toward, not a teaching LMS you manage a class in.
What is OnLearn?
OnLearn is an online learning platform run by a Barcelona-based education company. It offers a structured ladder of English courses alongside other subjects, with the English catalogue organized into three families:
- General English — four CEFR-aligned courses: Elementary, Intermediate (B1), Upper-Intermediate, and Advanced (C1)
- Test & Exam Preparation — Duolingo English Test practice and ESO English (the official English track for Spanish secondary schools)
- Professional English — English for the Workplace and Presentation Skills in English
The general English courses are positioned as free; the exam prep and professional tracks are typically paid, often with live online classes. The platform mixes video lessons with downloadable materials and self-check activities.
It's a clean, mid-tier European language school product — nowhere near the polish of a Lingoda or Busuu, but the free tier covers more ground than most paid alternatives at the same price point.
How teachers use it
OnLearn is built for self-study, but there are real classroom adjacencies:
- Free self-study path — assign the Elementary → Advanced ladder as out-of-class work for motivated students who can't afford private tutoring.
- Duolingo English Test prep — the dedicated DET practice course is a slimmer help for adults who want a quick, low-cost, online-accepted English certificate.
- Presentation Skills in English — a usable supplementary resource for B2+ students preparing for academic or professional presentations.
- Homework videos — embed the lesson videos in your LMS as flipped-classroom input.
- CEFR ladder — the four general English levels give you a rough pre-assessment map for new students.
It's not a classroom LMS — there's no teacher dashboard, no gradebook, no class roster. Treat it as a learner-facing tool, not a teaching platform.
Is it worth your time?
Yes — if your students need a free, structured, video-led path through the CEFR levels and you don't need classroom-management features. OnLearn covers more ground on its free tier than most paid competitors at similar price points.
The dedicated Duolingo English Test practice track is unusual — most free platforms skip DET, even though it's become one of the most widely accepted online English tests in 2024–2026. If your adult students need a DET result for migration, university admission, or work, this is worth bookmarking.
Honest recommendation: use OnLearn as a self-study supplement, not a primary classroom tool. The free general English ladder is the strongest asset. The exam prep and professional tracks are worth trying via a free lesson or trial before paying.
The honest pros and cons
What works
- Free A1–C1 ladder Full CEFR coverage on the free tier. Rare.
- Dedicated DET prep Duolingo English Test practice course included.
- ESO English course Covers the Spanish secondary curriculum.
- Professional tracks Workplace and presentation skills courses.
- Video-led lessons Clean format, easy to embed in an LMS.
- EU-based Barcelona school, mid-priced option.
What doesn't
- No teacher tools No class roster, gradebook, or assignments.
- Paid for live classes General courses free, live coaching costs extra.
- Narrow exam prep Only DET and ESO — no IELTS/Cambridge dedicated track.
- Sparse community Fewer learner interaction features than Duolingo/Busuu.
- Unknown authority Brand recognition lower than BBC/British Council/Lingoda.
- Spanish-school bias ESO track is local; international teachers may skip it.
Best alternatives
If OnLearn isn't a fit, these are the resources teachers actually switch to:
BBC Learning English
Free, authoritative, CEFR-organized lessons with audio and video.
LearnEnglish (British Council)
Polished, free British Council courses with grammar, vocabulary, listening.
Lingoda
Live native-speaker group classes, CEFR-aligned, certificate-ready.
ESL Brains
Lesson plans built around TED talks and authentic videos.
Teach-This.com
3,000+ printable ESL worksheets, CEFR-aligned, updated monthly.
Frequently asked questions
What is OnLearn?
Is OnLearn free for ESL teachers to recommend?
What levels does OnLearn cover?
Can I use OnLearn content in class?
Is OnLearn good for exam preparation?
What are the best alternatives to OnLearn?
Does OnLearn give a certificate on completion?
Ready to send your students up the CEFR ladder for free?
Bookmark OnLearn as a self-study supplement. The free Elementary → C1 ladder and the Duolingo English Test prep course are the strongest assets — and unusual to find bundled on a free tier.
Visit OnLearn