Pimsleur Review: Is It REALLY Worth The Price?
Chad Emery
Published on August 11, 2021
Start Speaking Right Away With Pimsleur
Pimsleur is a high-quality language app that focuses on making you conversational from the first lesson. You can complete the audio lessons anywhere (there’s even a special “driving” mode for the car). While it’s not the greatest for reading and writing practice, Pimsleur’s language courses teach you how to communicate effectively. Overall, it’s a great app for beginner and intermediate speakers!
PROS
- Audio lessons are short and easy to follow
- Interesting history and culture explanations
- Conversations are natural and voiced by native speakers
- You can download lessons and complete them anywhere
CONS
- Not much reading or writing practice
- Lesson pace can be a little slow
- Very few grammar explanations
Table of Contents
Pimsleur Overview
I love reviewing language learning apps, and that’s what Langoly is all about! Having tried over 50 different apps, I wanted to take a closer look at Pimsleur to see if it’s worth all the hype (in case you’re wondering, I think it is).
In this Pimsleur review, I’ll show you everything you need to know about the app. From its features and pricing to Pimsleur alternatives and frequently asked questions, I try to cover everything. You’ll be able to decide if Pimsleur is worth a try after reading this review. Now, let’s get to it!
The Pimsleur language learning app is a convenient and efficient way to become conversational in a new language. With the goal of making a complete language course that could teach someone without needing a teacher, Dr. Paul Pimsleur developed the first Pimsleur language program (Modern Greek) in 1963. Today, the company offers 50 different language programs that follow the same method.
Now distributed by Simon and Schuster, the Pimsleur courses are popular with language learners because they are easy to follow and you can study with them anytime and anywhere.
The Pimsleur language programs are mainly audio to improve your listening and speaking skills. I like them because they teach natural communication instead of forcing you to memorize a bunch of random vocabulary and grammar. They’re a solid option for beginner and intermediate language learners, but may not be helpful for more advanced speakers.
Pimsleur Price Options
A subscription to the Pimsleur app costs between $14.95 and $20.95 per month. Paying for lifetime access to the lessons, the price ranges from $21.95 for 5 lessons to $575.00 for a complete 5-level course. You can choose whichever option matches your budget.
If you plan to study for a few months, a subscription to the app would be cheaper. However, if you want to take your time and want unlimited access, getting a lifetime account is the better option. This lets you complete the course at your own pace and listen to the lessons or complete the activities anytime you need a refresher.
The Pimsleur subscription price is between $14.99 and $20.99 per month. The lower subscription cost ($14.99) only includes the audio lessons for one language course. The higher subscription price ($20.99) includes all audio lessons from one language course as well as additional features, like flashcards and practice games.
Pimsleur All Access is the newest subscription from the app and costs $20.99 per month. This subscription gives you access to all features and all language courses. This is by far the best value if you’re studying multiple languages.
The Pimsleur app price is similar when you compare it to other language apps. Cheaper apps like Duolingo, Michel Thomas, and Language Transfer don’t have very high-quality courses that teach you as well as Pimsleur does. There are also plenty of language apps that cost more than Pimsleur, like FluentU.
Pimsleur Free Trial
You can always use the free 7-day trial of any course before spending any money. Pimsleur also has a 30-day money-back guarantee. These are both pretty generous, so it’s worth giving Pimsleur a try to see if you like it.
Pimsleur Coupons and Deals
Throughout the year, Pimsleur offers quite a few different coupons and discounts directly on its website. Your best bet is to check around the major holidays like Christmas and New Years or in August when the school year begins. If you sign up for a free trial, you automatically receive a coupon for 20% off. That means you can save $115.00 when you buy a complete course!
Pimsleur Review: Main Features
The Pimsleur app has quite a few different features, but the main focus is always on the audio lessons. The additional activities and games reinforce what you learn in the core lessons. This helps you remember everything later on.
While the features are available for more popular languages like Spanish and French, they aren’t always available for less popular languages like Egyptian Arabic or Thai. If you’re learning a less common language, it’s a good idea to check out the app to see exactly what it offers.
Here are the main features of the Pimsleur language app:
Audio Lessons
The audio lessons make up the core of all Pimsleur language courses. They’re around 30 minutes each and help you study real-life conversations. The lessons break up everyday conversation into manageable chunks, and you practice listening and repeating what the native speakers say.
There are also badges you earn for completing the lessons, which can help you track what you’ve learned. They show which skills you’ve practiced, like Speak and Understand, Survival Skills, Meet and Greet, and Polite Phrases. While they don’t add a lot of value to the lessons, they’re still helpful because you can see your progress.
Offline Learning and Driving Mode
The Offline Learning and Driving Mode is a feature of Pimsleur I really like. You can download every lesson to complete offline. It’s convenient if you plan to study while you’re traveling or don’t have access to the internet.
In addition to learning offline, you can also study while you’re driving. The Pimsleur app has a feature that makes completing lessons easy while you’re on the go. A lot of apps only have interactive lessons that make you sit and focus on your phone. Pimsleur gives you the flexibility of having both audio-only lessons as well as interactive games.
Digital Flashcards
Each lesson comes with flashcards that help you review the words and phrases you learned in the lessons. Each flashcard includes a native speaker pronouncing the word, and you can save difficult words to practice later.
With each card, you tap to reveal the definition and then tell the app whether you guessed correctly or incorrectly. At the end of the round, you’ll review the cards you guessed incorrectly. It’s a straightforward feature, but it’s useful. The flashcards can help you remember more vocabulary over time.
Speed Rounds
Speed Rounds is a game that helps you quickly identify the vocabulary you learned in the lessons. The words fall from the top of the screen and you need to choose their translation before they hit the bottom.
This will help you remember the words over time. The Speed Rounds are basically the same as flashcards, but they’re more entertaining and a fresh way to practice.
Speak Easy Challenges
The Speak Easy challenges help you review the conversations you learned during the lessons. They’re role-playing activities, and you listen to and repeat each side of a conversation. They’re easy to follow and are a good way to mimic real-life situations.
But it has its limitations. The pace of these conversations can be a little slow sometimes. They’re also scripted, so you can just read the words you see. Despite that, they’re still a good way for beginners to practice the basics of conversations in a new language.
Lightbulb Moments
Lightbulb Moments aren’t a groundbreaking feature by any means, but it adds some interesting cultural tidbits while you learn a language. They’re quick explanations about the culture and history of the language you’re learning.
For example, in the Spanish course, there is a lightbulb moment that explains how Spanish people get their last names. Spanish names are a lot different than where I’m from (the United States), so it’s interesting to read.
Pimsleur Languages
Pimsleur currently offers 51 languages: Albanian, Arabic (Eastern), Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Modern Standard), Armenian (Eastern), Armenian (Western), Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari Persian, Dutch, Farsi Persian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Ojibwe, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Portuguese (European), Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish (Latin American), Spanish (Spain-Castilian), Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
When you subscribe to the Pimsleur app, you get access to one language course. If you want to learn multiple languages, there is a separate subscription that lets you access all courses. Other major language apps, like Rosetta Stone, Babbel, and Mondly, make you subscribe to each language individually.
One thing that’s important to note is that each Pimsleur language course is different. While the conversations you’ll hear in each course are similar, the depth and features of each course are different.
To give you a better idea of what’s included in each course, I took a closer look at the Spanish, Egyptian Arabic, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, and Mandarin courses.
Pimsleur Spanish Review
Spanish is one of the most popular languages to learn, and it’s one of Pimsleur’s best courses. Pimsleur Spanish gives you access to all of the app’s features, like flashcards, driving mode, and the Speak Easy and Speed Rounds games. The combination of its core audio lessons and additional features helps you learn conversational Spanish quickly. While it lacks grammar and writing practice, Pimsleur Spanish is still a great way to learn to speak Spanish in a short amount of time.
You can choose between Latin American and Castilian Spanish (from Spain). Latin American Spanish has 5 levels in the complete course that can take you from beginner to a high intermediate speaker. The Pimsleur Castilian Spanish course covers 3 levels that will teach you conversational Spanish to a comfortable level. Both courses also include Lightbulb Moments that teach you about each dialect’s history and culture.
Pimsleur Arabic Review
Pimsleur offers Arabic courses that teach you the following dialects: Eastern Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). From your first lesson, you start hearing and pronouncing Arabic words and phrases. The audio lessons always include native speakers, so you’ll learn how people actually talk. While Pimsleur Arabic will help you become conversational, you’ll need to use other tools to learn how to read and write in Arabic.
Here’s a quick look at what each course includes:
- Pimsleur Eastern Arabic: 3 levels with premium features
- Pimsleur Egyptian Arabic: 1 level of audio lessons
- Pimsleur Modern Standard Arabic: 3 levels with premium features
Pimsleur Korean Review
The Pimsleur Korean course has 3 levels to help you master the basics of conversational Korean. Additional features like flashcards and games reinforce what you learn in the lessons. While the activities sometimes include Korean writing, Pimsleur doesn’t really teach you how to write in Korean. If this is what you want to learn, you’d be better off using other Korean apps like Drops or Skritter. However, if your goal is to speak Korean naturally and conversationally, Pimsleur is an excellent option.
From the first lesson, you’ll learn how to pronounce Korean words from a native speaker. You’ll also learn additional skills, like polite phrases and survival skills.
Pimsleur Brazilian Portuguese Review
The Pimsleur Brazilian Portugese course has 5 levels to learn conversational Portuguese quickly and effectively. Native speakers voice all of the audio lessons, and additional games and practice activities help you remember what you’ve learned. Pimsleur is one of the best apps to learn Portuguese because of its focus on listening and pronunciation.
Pimsleur Mandarin Review
The Pimsleur Mandarin Chinese course has 5 complete levels to teach you conversational Mandarin. It also has premium features to help you master what you learn in the audio lessons. Because Mandarin is a tonal language and can be difficult for English speakers to pronounce, Pimsleur is one of the best ways to improve your speaking skills. The audio in the course is high-quality and always voiced by native speakers, which makes Pimsleur stand out from other language apps.
The only downside to the Pimsleur Mandarin course is its lack of writing instruction. Other Mandarin apps like Drops can be a great supplement to the Pimsleur course. Using Pimsleur and Drops together will help you practice both speaking and writing.
Pimsleur Review: Overall Learning Experience
Overall, Pimsleur is a strong language app that can help you build a solid foundation in your target language. I think the Pimsleur Method is an effective way to learn a language quickly, and the lessons cover a lot of useful topics you’ll encounter in everyday life.
In my opinion, the best way to use Pimsleur is to focus on the audio lessons. They walk you through complete conversations and you’ll be surprised how quickly you start picking up the words and phrases. They’re also motivational because you hear the whole conversation at the beginning of the lesson and don’t understand much at all. At the end of the lesson, you understand every single word and can follow along as the native speakers talk to each other.
While the premium features can help you review the vocabulary you study in the lessons, I didn’t find them to be that useful. I preferred to focus on the core lessons (and repeat them, if necessary). That doesn’t mean they aren’t helpful for others though. If you want to try them for yourself, you can sign up for a free trial of Pimsleur to see everything it has to offer.
Pimsleur Review: Areas of Improvement
I think using the Pimsleur app is a great way to learn a language. But every language learning app has areas of improvement, and Pimsleur is no exception.
You can easily become conversational by working through the audio lessons, but the lack of reading and writing practice can make your language learning a little uneven. Pimsleur has started developing some features that address this (flashcards, the Speak Easy and Speed Round games, etc.). I hope they continue to expand these in the future.
The quality of the courses is also different depending on which language you want to learn. If you want to learn Spanish, French, or Portuguese, Pimsleur offers a complete 5-level course with additional features.
However, less popular languages like Egyptian Arabic only have 1 level of audio-only lessons with no features. If you’re learning a less common language, try Pimsleur for free before subscribing just to make sure it’s worth it.
Pimsleur Review: Alternatives & Competitors
There are a lot of language learning apps out there, but they’re not all created equally. The most popular Pimsleur alternatives are Rosetta Stone, Babbel, Rocket Languages, and Busuu. While these are all high-quality apps, Pimsleur stands out for one main reason: It focuses on audio conversations. These Pimsleur alternatives have comprehensive courses that teach you all skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), but Pimsleur makes you conversational in less time.
When choosing between Pimsleur and other language apps, think about your language learning goals to help you decide which app to use. Here’s a closer look at some of Pimsleur’s competitors.
Pimsleur vs Rosetta Stone
Pimsleur vs Rosetta Stone is a common comparison you’ll see when deciding which language app to use. They’re both very successful language apps, but they have two completely different approaches to language learning.
Pimsleur guides you through its course and helps you become conversational through audio lessons. Rosetta Stone completely immerses you in the language and helps you learn it through more interactive activities. Both apps offer a free trial, so try both and see which one works best for you, or read more about it in this Rosetta Stone review.
Pimsleur vs Babbel
Comparing Pimsleur vs Babbel is interesting because their teaching methods are similar. Both language apps use English to teach you another language, but they focus on different skills. Pimsleur can make you conversational in 30 days, but Babbel gives you a more well-rounded understanding of the language.
Both have conversation exercises, but Babbel includes more reading and writing practice. This detailed comparison guide breaks down the differences and similarities of the two. You can try both apps for free, so try a few lessons to find out which you prefer. You can also read more about Babbel in this review.
Pimsleur vs Busuu
Busuu is a language app that offers more than just a language course. That’s what makes Pimsleur vs Busuu such an interesting comparison. Pimsleur is an audio course that focuses on teaching you to communicate effectively in a short amount of time. Busuu’s courses are a lot more in-depth and structured, but they take longer to complete.
One key difference between the two is that Busuu has native speakers who correct your practice exercises, while Pimsleur is completely self-taught. Both Pimsleur and Busuu let you try their courses for free, so explore both to choose the ideal one for you. Read more about Busuu here.
Pimsleur vs Duolingo
Duolingo is known as one of the best free apps to learn a language, so it’s worth seeing how it compares to Pimsleur. And honestly, it doesn’t compare at all.
Pimsleur helps you with real-world conversations and Duolingo makes you translate random sentences. While this may be helpful for vocabulary (sometimes), Pimsleur is the only one of the two that actually helps you communicate with native speakers. Overall, Pimsleur is a much better language app than Duolingo. You can read more about the two apps in this comparison guide, or learn more about Duolingo in this review.
Pimsleur vs Rocket Languages
Rocket Languages and Pimsleur have both been around for years. Rocket Languages has been making some major upgrades to its app over the past few years, so it’s worth comparing the two. In terms of quality and price, they’re both similar.
Pimsleur is more audio-heavy, but the Rocket Languages practice activities are more engaging and detailed. If you’re learning a language with a non-Latin writing system (Arabic, Chinese, Korean, etc.), Rocket Languages is the better choice. Sign up for a free trial of both to see which you prefer, or read more in this Rocket Languages review.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to use Pimsleur is listening to the audio lessons every day and using the app’s flashcards to reinforce what you learned. Pimsleur teaches you to become conversational, so it’s important to use it consistently. It also builds on what you learned in previous lessons, so completing the flashcards and practice activities helps you learn to speak a new language quickly.
Pimsleur is definitely worth it if you want to become conversational in another language quickly. The audio lessons teach you useful words and phrases, and they help you communicate effectively with native speakers. However, if you’re learning a less common language like Egyptian Arabic, Pimsleur may not be the best choice because its course is not very comprehensive.
If you’re studying a popular language like Spanish or French, a Pimsleur premium subscription is worth it. The additional features that come with a premium subscription help you remember everything you learn in the lessons. You can also create custom vocabulary lists to practice words that are important to you.
With a Pimsleur subscription, you can do as many lessons as you want each day. However, it’s important to remember that doing a lot of lessons at once makes it hard to remember everything. Instead, it’s a better idea to do one lesson a day and then complete the additional learning activities available in the Pimsleur app.
Pimsleur is always a good option for beginners. Each course starts from zero and gets you speaking during your first lesson. However, if you’re studying a popular language like Spanish or French, it can also be a great choice for intermediate learners, as well. These courses contain 5 levels and can radically improve your communication skills.
While you probably won’t become completely fluent with Pimsleur, you will definitely become conversational. And quickly! Pimsleur is an excellent course that teaches you how to speak from your very first lesson. By using Pimsleur, you can reach an intermediate speaking level within 30 days.
Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone are both popular language learning apps, but they have two completely different approaches to learning. If you want a more guided language course, Pimsleur is by far the better option. If you want complete immersion and interactive activities, Rosetta Stone is the best choice.
About This Pimsleur Review
This is a completely independent Pimsleur review. I didn’t receive any compensation for this review and all of the opinions in it are my own. I personally used the Pimsleur app before writing this review, and I also searched the web to see what other users thought of it.
12 Comments
Nicole says:
I really like using Pimsleur because I can take the lessons on my way to work. They’re easy to follow and the conversations are actually useful.
Becky says:
Pimsleur is the only app that helped me feel comfortable speaking. Others apps I’ve used like Duolingo teach some words and phrases but Pimsleur helped me learn to have actual conversations. Now I feel more confident when I have to speak in Spanish. I’m really happy with it!
nubiz says:
Pimsleur is the best way to learn. It really helps you sign like a native because you have to mimic.
andrew sedensky says:
Is there a telephone no. so that I can speak with someone about an issue I have? Thank you ANDREW SEDENSKY
Chad Emery says:
Hi Andrew, you can contact Pimsleur support here.
Marilyn Estreicher says:
I have just achieved a year long streak at Duolingo. I have really enjoyed it however a couple of months ago they changed the format and now there is no access from the app to the podcasts which are fabulous. Also the wonderful little stories along with the option to write in one’s own words what happened in the story disappeared . I like that they streamline how to learn yet at the same time it’s become a great game and competition yet boring 🥲
My goal is to become conversant in Spanish and I heard that this is what Pimsleur excels at so I am now trying out the premium version. So far I enjoy the audio section but I don’t understand how the little exercises work. Does the app ‘hear’ me when I’m repeating the exercises and if it gives me a poor or fair result how do I improve my pronouncing if the app does not ‘speak’ ?I can’t hear how I sound and it seems to me I’m saying it well. I wish there was a person to review how the practice sessions work. Probably after the free trial I’ll downgrade to the $14.95 version and of course keep the duolingo for the little reading and writing that is offered as well as the fun.
Jim Parfitt says:
I like Pimsleur quite a bit. I’ve been using it for a couple years for Latin american Spanish.
I’ve been very lazy about it, missing days very often, etc. but I’m near the end of level 3. (I actually started over at some point, because i was allowing too much time between lessons.) I’ve visited both Mexico and Cuba in the last year , and was able to converse pretty well. A whole lot better than nothing, that’s for sure. I am 70, and didn’t start this until about 68, so it’s still pretty good.
To me, the real genius of Pimsleur is that it totally skips grammar! (maybe other modern language apps also do?) I have read that Paul Pimsleur, the founder, was totally obsessed about how people learn language. Do little kids need to learn grammar rules to speak their native language? Obviously not. Do i even know english grammar? No. Yet the usual way of learning a language is with all this grammar. I notice that even without knowing any rules of Spanish, that by listening and speaking it, things just start to sound correct or not, to my ear. And why is that? Our brains start to work it out… This causes me to consider the word or phrase, and turn it around in my head. And THEN, i look up other contexts where this word would be used…and only after that, maybe; maybe, I will seek out the actual grammatical info about the words in question. And Now my brain can actually use the information! Where, if i heard the info earlier, it would mean nothing to me. And so wouldn’t be retained.
Our brains know what we need to know to survive and thrive, and what we don’t need. I’ve found that it’s very hard to learn things like abstract grammar rules. (until a time comes when we actually need them) There are too many things to learn that are important for our survival and social success. Unless we have a huge love for a certain subject, or a practical need, our brains have evolved to ignore unimportant information. Life is a jungle; we’re trying to survive here.
But to me (coming back to the subject), not worrying about grammar is a game changer. I now believe that languages in school are taught wrongly.
Pimsleur is useful to me because I can be driving or working on something while learning. If fact, while driving is almost always when i listen. So i’m obviously a big fan.
My brain really likes audio learning; so podcasts and pimsleur language learning work very well for me. I now use other resources also, but Pimsleur is still my mainstay.
Whew! didn’t mean to make this so long! PS: this here website is pretty great!
Kelsey Wetherbee says:
Thanks for your comment, Jim! I’m glad that you’re enjoying Pimsleur. It’s one of our favorites, as well. Good luck on your Spanish studies! ¡Buena suerte!
Jim Parfitt says:
Thanks Kelsey! I just stumbled upon Langoly; so i’ll see what y’all have here…
I consider myself a life long learner, but there is nothing like learning a new language (at 68) to Really get the old neurons making some new connections! Jim.
Paul West says:
I have the cassette version of Pimsleur Castilian Spanish from 1984 (released in the UK through Reader’s Digest), and those recordings, as well as the voice actors, were pretty bad. However, a friend has obtained the latest digital update that’s aimed as North American users, and it’s even worse! There’s one particular male actor who has been allowed to get away with constantly speaking too fast and slur his words together, enough to make much of what he says totally unintelligible. On many occasions I found myself shouting “Whaaaaat???”
Then there’s the audio quality where, like the earlier cassette version, the treble content has been turned down, which completely compromises the clarity of speech. I have had to load the audio of both the cassette version and latest digital version into an audio editor, boost the treble, lower the bass, remove much of the clicks, creaks, and hiss, and then apply compression in order maximize loudness and clarity. I also saved the edited mp3 files at a bitrate of 160kbps, while the original digital ones are supplied by Pimsleur at an overkill bitrate of 320kbps, making them much larger than they need to be. It used up so much of my time!
Pimsleur, while using an excellently effective learning method, is clearly content to use a process that employs mediocre amateurs to create a substandard product at a premium price.
Chad Emery says:
Hi Paul, thanks for sharing your experience. Pimsleur definitely does use a very effective learning method! I’m sorry to hear about your audio issues though. I didn’t notice any issues when I studied with the Castilian Spanish course, but I suggest reaching out to Pimsleur directly to see if they can remedy your situation. Here’s their contact page: https://www.pimsleur.com/contact-us
Will says:
Not the biggest fan of Pimsleur. I’ve been using it to learn Japanese and I feel the content is outdated. I actually used it 7 years prior before a trip to Japan and I do notice differences since then, but it’s mostly the same convos from back then. I don’t really find the first 10 lessons to be that helpful or relevant to every day life. Like asking someone if they want to eat/drink. The lessons can also feel very long and get a little boring.
I’m going to keep on with it, but those are my initial thoughts.