Short answer: if all you want is two languages on screen at once, a free dual-subtitle add-on is enough, and you have several to choose from. If you want the words to stick after the episode ends, you need something that also quizzes you. That's the part BingeLingo adds.
This page compares four ways to learn a language inside Stremio: Strelingo, MultiSub, SubText and BingeLingo.
We make BingeLingo, so read this with that in mind. The other three are products of their own developers, and none of the four is affiliated with Stremio. Features and prices change, so check each project's own page for current details.
Stremio language-learning add-ons side by side
| On screen | After the episode | |
|---|---|---|
| Strelingo | Two existing subtitle tracks merged into one | Nothing |
| MultiSub | Dual subtitles | Nothing |
| SubText | Dual subtitles, with hover and click lookups on the page | Saved words and flashcards on the paid plan |
| BingeLingo | Dual, or mixed-language lines (Bridge and Immersion) | Automatic recap quiz, daily spaced review, Anki export |
The first two and BingeLingo are Stremio add-ons, so they work in the Stremio app. SubText is a browser extension. Price, accounts and devices are covered for each one below.
Strelingo
Strelingo fetches two subtitle tracks from OpenSubtitles and merges them into one file, so both languages appear together. You pick your two languages on its configuration page before installing. It doesn't machine-translate anything: both lines are human-made subtitles, which is good for quality but means you get nothing when one of the two tracks doesn't exist for that title.
It's free, needs no account, and the source code is public, so you can host it yourself.
Best for: people who want plain dual subtitles with nothing to sign up for.
MultiSub
MultiSub is a dual-subtitle service for Stremio covering 50+ languages, on desktop and mobile. You sign in to use it. Its plans are metered in translations per month. At the time of writing, the free plan includes 10 a month, with paid plans above that. Check their site for how each track is produced and what counts as a translation.
Best for: people who want dual subtitles and are happy with a monthly allowance.
SubText
SubText is a browser extension, not a Stremio add-on. It lists Stremio among the sites it supports, alongside YouTube, Netflix and others. Because it runs in the browser, it can do things a subtitle file can't: hover a word for a definition, click for a fuller breakdown, highlight idioms. Machine-translated dual subtitles and word hover work without an account, and a paid subscription adds higher-quality translations and a saved-word library.
The trade-off is where it runs. A browser extension can't reach the Stremio app on a TV or a phone.
Best for: people who watch Stremio in a desktop browser and like to pause and look things up.
BingeLingo
BingeLingo is a Stremio add-on with three subtitle modes:
- Dual puts the learning language above your own, like the add-ons above. It merges two existing tracks, so it has the same limit as Strelingo: both tracks have to exist. It's free and unlimited.
- Bridge keeps the subtitles in your own language and mixes in a few words from the one you're learning, such as The last train leaves at midnight (medianoche).
- Immersion flips that: learning-language subtitles, with help in your language where you need it.
The bigger difference is what happens afterwards. Words from Bridge and Immersion go into a vocabulary bank with the line they came from. Each title gets a short recap quiz, and a daily review brings words back at 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days. You can also export them to Anki.
It works wherever Stremio loads subtitle add-ons: desktop, Android, Android TV, iPhone, iPad and Stremio Web. It needs a free account, and Bridge and Immersion are limited to 5 titles on the free plan. Paid plans are $5 and $7 a month.
Best for: people who want to watch without pausing, on any device, and still be tested on what they saw.
Do dual subtitles work on their own?
They help you follow along, and that's worth something. But two full lines are a lot to read, and most people's eyes settle on the language they already know. We looked at the research here.
What's missing is retrieval. Testing yourself on a word does more for long-term memory than seeing it again (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). Whichever add-on you choose, pair it with some kind of review, whether that's a built-in quiz or your own Anki deck.
Which Stremio add-on should you pick?
- Just want two lines, free, no account: Strelingo.
- Want hover dictionaries and watch in a desktop browser: SubText.
- Watch on a TV or phone and want the review done for you: BingeLingo.
You can install more than one. Stremio lists every subtitle add-on's tracks in the same menu, so you can switch per title.
Common questions
Can Stremio show two subtitles at once?
Not on its own. Stremio's player shows one subtitle track at a time. Dual-subtitle add-ons get around this by merging two languages into a single track. Here's the setup guide.
Are Stremio language-learning add-ons free?
Strelingo is free. MultiSub and BingeLingo have free plans with limits, and SubText's basic features are free.
Do they work on Android TV?
Subtitle add-ons run inside the Stremio app, so BingeLingo works on Android TV. Check the other add-ons' pages for the devices they support. Browser extensions such as SubText don't run on a TV.
Does Language Reactor work with Stremio?
No. Language Reactor is a browser extension built for Netflix and YouTube. Here's how it compares.
Try BingeLingo in Stremio
BingeLingo installs into Stremio in about two minutes. Here's the step-by-step guide, or start free. No card needed. See the plans.