The 11 Best French Learning Apps: Ranked and Reviewed

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Bonjour! French is one of the most spoken languages in the world. It’s a common language to learn because of its popularity, beauty, and cultural importance. To help you get started on your language learning journey, I created this list of the 11 best apps to learn French at home.

Best Overall French App

Try Babbel French

Best for Grammar

Try Rocket French

Best for Beginners

Try Mondly

There are many different ways to learn French, but not all of them work for every person or learning style. It’s important to use the best app for you so you stay motivated and consistent when you study the language.

What Are The Best Apps To Learn French?

To compile this list, I compared the prices, features, and user experience of different French language apps. I also took a look at reviews from several major sites (like PCMag.com, g2.com, and Trustpilot.com) to see what other people were saying about them.

Ultimately, I spent time using the apps. I looked for their strong points and found which apps will genuinely help you learn French.

Using one or more of the apps on this list can help you no matter what your goals are. Without further ado, here’s the list!

Babbel Overview

Babbel helps you practice all areas of French: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The interactive activities make the lessons fun.

Best for Overall Learning

Price $14.95 / month

Free Trial 1 Lesson

Try Babbel

Babbel is the overall best app to learn French because of its customized course, interactive lessons, and quality of content.

The lessons are different than just listening to a short audio clip or watching an instructional video. They have you actively make choices, put together phrases, and practice speaking with voice recognition technology. This can help you learn the language faster and more effectively than other apps.

Try Babbel for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Babbel review.

Key Features

• Professional linguists created the course specifically for French learners
• The lessons cover common, everyday situations
• Each lesson builds on what you already learned to continue improvement
• Spaced repetition helps you review and remember words and phrases long-term

Pricing

Babbel costs $14.95 for a monthly subscription, but that price goes down if you purchase a longer subscription. There’s also a 20-day money-back guarantee in case you change your mind.

Sign up now for a free lesson with Babbel to start learning French today.

Rocket French Overview

Rocket Languages uses conversations between native speakers to help you hear and understand French. It’s an easy-to-follow course that guides you through French grammar and vocabulary.

Best for French Grammar

Price $149.95

Free Trial 7 days

Try Rocket French

Rocket Languages has a course that makes learning French easy and fun. It makes the most of your study time and guides you from a complete beginner to an intermediate speaker.

The app uses native French speakers who speak at natural speeds for listening comprehension practice. Plus, there are additional exercises like flashcards, pictures, videos with transcripts, and arrangements of grammar lessons by topic type (e.g., “Formality”).

Try Rocket French for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Rocket French review.

Key Features

• Self-paced course that will help you speak French quickly
• Includes cultural aspects of French to help you communicate effectively
• Grammar explanations are easy to follow and understand
• Professional course with high-quality content

Pricing

Rocket Languages doesn’t have subscriptions like most other language apps. Instead, you buy an entire course upfront, and you only pay once. The Rocket Languages French course costs $149.95 for one level up to $259.90 for all three levels.

Take a few free lessons with Rocket Languages to see if it’s right for you.

Mondly Overview

Mondly is an excellent choice for French beginners because it has short and simple lessons, as well as features to track your learning progress.

Best for Beginners

Price $9.99/month

Free Trial 7 days

Try Mondly

Mondly is perfect for beginners who are learning French because it starts right from the basics and teaches you everything you need to know about the language. It offers interactive conversations where you can practice speaking with its chatbot. You can even learn new words and phrases in augmented and virtual reality!

If there’s one thing everyone loves about this app, it’s how good it looks. The design is modern and colorful and makes it easy to learn French in a fun environment.

Try Mondly for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Mondly review.

Key Features

• Pick and choose lessons in whatever order you want
• Grammar notes that help you sound more natural when you speak
• Easily track your learning statistics to see your progress
• The only major language app that uses AR and VR for language learning

Pricing

The premium version of Mondly starts at $9.99 per month. You can get a discount if you sign up for a longer subscription. There’s also a free version of the app that gives you limited access to some of the content (but not much).

Try Mondly free for 7 days to see if it’s the right French app for you!

Pimsleur Overview

Pimsleur gets you conversational quickly. Each lesson focuses on a dialogue between native French speakers that they break down to explain important grammar and vocabulary topics.

Best for Audio Lessons

Price $14.95/month

Free Trial 7 days

Try Pimsleur

Pimsleur is an app-based language program that uses audio to teach you French. It follows a “gradual immersion” method, which means you are exposed to French words at a steady pace and then learn how they are used in context with other words.

This app is great for beginners because it simplifies French grammar so you can focus on understanding the content of what you’re listening to. You can also set your own schedule and go at your own pace. Pimsleur is best for people who want to immerse themselves in the language without having to take too much time out of their day to study.

Try Pimsleur for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Pimsleur review.

Key Features

• Audio lessons help your conversational skills from the moment you start learning
• The lessons are easy to follow and won’t overwhelm you
• The focus is on speaking instead of learning difficult grammar
• Comprehensive course that will help you become conversational quickly

Pricing

You can access the Pimsleur French course by subscribing to the app, which costs between $14.99 and $20.99 per month. You can also choose to purchase the complete French course upfront, which starts at $119.95.

Get a 7-day free trial to Pimsleur and start speaking French today.

LingoPie Overview

LingoPie has tons of tv shows available in French. Watch with subtitles and create flashcards to help you learn new words in context.

Best for French Immersion

Price $12/month

Free Trial 7 days

Try LingoPie

LingoPie is an immersive way to learn French because you watch tv shows and documentaries to learn your target language. Each video has subtitles and you can click on individual words to see the translation.

You can also create your own custom flashcard set for each show. When you click on the word to see the translation, LingoPie automatically adds it to your list that you can review at any time. There are tons of shows to choose from, so you're sure to find something you like.

Try LingoPie for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this LingoPie review.

Key Features

• Watch tv shows and documentaries with subtitles
• Fun and immersive way to learn
• Create custom vocabulary lists

Pricing

A LingoPie subscription costs $12.00 per month or $67.00 per year ($5.60 per month). You can try LingoPie for free with a 7-day trial. It gives you access to all the languages and features available.

MosaLingua Overview

In addition to teaching the language, MosaLingua has tons of resources like videos, songs, and books that teach you about French culture.

Best for French Language and Culture

Price $4.99/month

Free Trial 15 days

Try MosaLingua

A lot of apps will teach you the French language, but most of them completely ignore French culture. That’s what makes MosaLingua stand out. In addition to learning French vocabulary you’ll use on a daily basis, MosaLingua also teaches French culture.

It does this by compiling a bunch of resources that let you immerse yourself in French. These include videos, songs, and even complete books. Try MosaLingua for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this MosaLingua review.

Key Features

• Learn language and culture at the same time
• Huge list of additional tools to enhance your learning
• Create custom vocabulary lists using any website you want
• Costs less than most other French language apps

Pricing

A subscription to MosaLingua Web costs $4.99 per month or $9.49 per month on the app. You can also get a yearly subscription for $59.90.

Sign up to try MosaLingua free for 7 days!

FrenchPod101 Overview

FrenchPod101 has hundreds of podcast-style lessons. You listen to a dialogue between two French speakers, and then they break down the conversation into important vocabulary and grammar topics.

Best for Podcast Lessons

Price $8/month

Free Trial 7 days

Try FrenchPod101

FrenchPod101 has a lot of different videos, audio, and text lessons that can help you improve your communication skills in French. The topics will prepare you for every situation you may encounter, and the content is organized to help you learn it quickly. There are 5 levels from absolute beginner to advanced, so there is content for every learner.

Try FrenchPod101 for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this FrenchPod101 review.

Key Features

• Content is constantly updated so you can always learn something new
• Some subscriptions let you work directly with a French tutor
• Listen to the lessons anywhere you want
• Extra learning resources like vocab lists, quizzes, and games to reinforce what you learn

Pricing

A basic subscription to FrenchPod101 costs $8.00 per month, but the price goes down to $4.00 per month if you get a longer subscription. You can also get a Premium or Premium+ subscription that includes more features.

Sign up for an account to get free French lessons every week.

Drops Overview

Drops is a sleek vocabulary app that will help you learn French vocabulary quickly.

Best for Vocabulary

Price $13.00/month

Free Trial 5 mins/day

Try Drops

Drops is the best way to learn new French words and phrases quickly. It's ideal for beginners who need to build up their vocabulary, Drops works by showing you a word or phrase in English with an animation, and then giving you the definition and translation in French.

The apps also come with more features so that you can review vocabulary at any time and make sure you remember it. It also includes an offline mode so you don’t need internet access to use it – perfect for when you’re abroad and need to pick up a few new words!

Try Drops for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Drops review.

Key Features

• Sleek user interface and well-designed
• Large amount of useful and important vocabulary
• Animations make it easier to remember new words
• You choose how long you want to study each day

Pricing

You can use Drops for free for up to 5 minutes every day. If you want to use it more than that or access other features, it starts at $13.00 per month. You can also get a yearly or lifetime subscription at a discount.

Sign up and try Drops for free for 5 minutes today!

Rosetta Stone Overview

Rosetta Stone teaches all of its lessons entirely in French. This provides an immersive experience that imitates how children learn their first language.

Best for Improving All Skills

Price $11.99/month

Free Trial 3 days

Try Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is a language learning program that is flexible and comprehensive. It focuses on teaching conversational French, so you’ll be ready to speak with people in real-life situations.

It also has an immersive approach, which means you won’t see any English when you use it. From the second you start using it, you’ll only see French. While that could be intimidating at first, it’s the perfect way to learn with an app!

Try Rosetta Stone for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Rosetta Stone review.

Key Features

• One of the biggest brands in language learning
• Native speakers voice all the lessons so you’ll only hear natural speech
• The course builds on what you already learned from previous lessons
• The app is easy to use and the lessons are quick to complete

Pricing

A Rosetta Stone subscription costs $36.00 for 3 months, but you can get a discount if you choose a longer subscription.

Sign up for a free 3-day trial to see if Rosetta Stone is a good fit for you.

italki Overview

italki is one of the biggest language tutoring platforms on the internet. It connects you with a French tutor for 1-on-1 lessons.

Best for Practicing Speaking

Price Varies

Free Trial N/A

Try italki

italki is the best French app for speaking practice because it can connect you with a French tutor that teaches online lessons. There are over 1,100 on-demand tutors who specialize in teaching French with a variety of qualifications to choose from.

You can filter based on a number of criteria, such as native language, location, and specializations (like medical French). You’re in control of what you want to learn and your French tutor is there to help you. It’s the perfect way to improve your speaking skills.

Try italki for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this italki review.

Key Features

• Easily filter French tutors to find the best one for you
• Tutors can offer discounts if you book multiple lessons
• You control what you want to learn during your lessons
• This is the fastest way to improve your speaking skills

Pricing

italki tutors set their own prices for classes. They usually range anywhere from $4.00 per hour to over $60.00 per hour for more specialized classes. Most tutors offer a 50% discount if you take a trial lesson with them, so you can try a few different tutors until you find the perfect one.

Try italki and sign up for a discounted trial lesson today!

Duolingo Overview

Duolingo is a great way to get started with French to see if you enjoy learning this language. The activities are fun and interactive. 

Best for Learning for Free

Price Free

Free Trial N/A

Try Duolingo

Duolingo is the perfect app for those looking to learn French in their spare time, mainly because it’s free!

Duolingo is based on play – when you’re learning, it feels like a game instead of a lesson. One unique aspect of Duolingo is that it’s constantly updating the content with more lessons all the time. This means that it always has new words to teach you and you keep moving forward.

Duolingo lets you track your progress so you can see your stats and how much you’ve learned.  Try Duolingo for free by clicking the link below or learn more about it in this Duolingo review.

Key Features

• Duolingo is free to use (but it has ads)
• The course is fairly comprehensive
• It helps you review what you’ve already learned
• Lighthearted and fun approach to language learning

Pricing

Duolingo offers its entire French course for free, but there are ads that pop up every once in a while. If you want access to more features and to learn without ads, you can subscribe to Super Duolingo. This starts at $12.99 per month or $83.99 per year.

Try Super Duolingo free for 14 days!

Why You Should Use Apps To Learn French

An app is a quick and easy way to learn and improve your French skills. By using apps to learn French, you have the ability to study at any time without having to search through a bunch of websites or chapters in a textbook.

Language apps also track your progress so you know what needs more work. Some apps are also helpful if you want to learn French with other people. They have features like instant messaging or video chats to help you practice real-time communication.

Apps are ideal for people who want a simple and flexible way to learn a language using different formats like articles, videos, interactive lessons, quizzes, or games.

How To Use Apps To Learn French

Using apps to learn French is easy, but first, you have to find the right one for you. This list is a good place to start. Once you’ve found a few apps that look interesting, you can use the free trials to see which one you like best and fits your learning goals. Next, you can create a study routine. Most apps recommend studying every day, even if it’s just for a short amount of time.

It's also important to use more than one method to study. For example, you can use a language app to learn vocabulary and practice pronunciation, but a French book or an online course might give you more detailed grammar explanations and practice questions. However you choose to learn, consistency is the most important aspect of language learning.

Best Apps To Learn French: Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a fun and rewarding way to learn French, these 11 apps are the best place to start. I’ve reviewed them based on their features and pricing in order to help you narrow down your options.

Check out a few of them or sign up and give all 11 a try! All you need is motivation and a few minutes each day with one of these apps and soon enough, you’ll be fluent in French. As one of the most spoken languages in Europe, you’ll be able to meet a lot of new interesting people by speaking the language.

Best Apps To Learn French: FAQ