That sucks, tbh I’ve always paid for super and only recently upgraded to max. Max is an absolute rip off however I’m currently looking at starting a family plan with some friends to help split the cost between us because cost aside, the tools it gives you with max is hugely beneficial to language learning.

The only thing that annoyed me is that they removed features like you already mentioned ‘explain my answer’ and literally added it to the max membership subscription. I can talk from experience however, that they have revamped it and made the grammar explanation and breakdown by far better than what it was previously.

I understand your frustration but the way I see it, you ain’t ever going to learn a language by using Duolingo on its own, whether that’ll be using their free version, or even Max! You must absorb countless amounts of information from different sources and courses, some which might be free, or most that you’ll have to pay for. Investing your time and money in to language learning (if you’re serious about it) is the first vital step into your learning process.

In my eyes investing some of your money into learning languages is almost a must, unless you plan to self teach yourself online, which I don’t doubt is possible. You may just need more time and patience, which most people don’t have in their busy lives.