I've been learning German on Duolingo for a while, and it’s been pretty good for me. But when I try to practice a language I’ve learned before (like Japanese), the exercises feel too basic to really help me improve (even I’m still far from mastering it).
SO I wouldn’t say it’s best way to learn a foreign language, the sentences/vocabulary taught are NOT enough when it comes to real-world situations. But still a great beginner tool to foster interest in learning another language.