Rocket Spanish Review: Is It Worth It? (Features, Cost, Alternatives)
Kelsey Wetherbee
Published on May 17, 2022
Good app for beginners, but won’t make you fluent
Since Spanish is a popular language, Rocket Spanish is one of the most developed courses in the Rocket Languages series. It imitates a classroom-like experience that lets you train all language skills, such as vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and listening. There are 3 levels available for beginners to advanced learners. Rocket Spanish is certainly better than most of it’s competitors, but you may struggle to become completely fluent using only this app.
PROS
- Easy to follow lessons and activities
- Focus on culture
- Practices for writing and speaking
CONS
- Little grammar practice
- Too much English used in advanced levels
- Can get repetitive
Table of Contents
Rocket Spanish Overview Rocket Spanish Price Rocket Spanish Review: How It Can (or Can’t) Help You- Challenge 1: Starting a New Language
- Challenge 2: Learning & Remembering New Words
- Challenge 3: Understanding & Speaking to Native Speakers
- Challenge 4: Making Language Learning a Routine
- Rocket Spanish vs Babbel
- Rocket Spanish vs Rosetta Stone
- Rocket Spanish vs Duolingo
- Rocket Spanish vs Pimsleur
Rocket Spanish Overview
According to the Instituto Cervantes in Spain, more than 585 million people in the world speak Spanish. In this review, we’ll see if Rocket Spanish can help you learn enough español to talk to this growing population.
Rocket Spanish is one of the most developed courses by Rocket Languages. The format of the lessons reminded me of being in my high school Spanish class. You listen to a lesson given by a “teacher,” and then complete practice activities to reinforce what you learned. You can even practice sample dialogues to help with speaking, just like I used to do with my Spanish classmates.
Rocket Spanish is best for beginners and low-intermediate learners. The first level eases you into Spanish by teaching basic words and phrases. Much of the explanations are in English so you can understand everything that is being said and you won’t get lost.
But even in level 3, which is an intermediate to advanced level, there are still a lot of English explanations. I prefer a more immersive experience where almost everything is said in Spanish, especially at a higher level. Despite this, the content is still useful and it clearly lays out some of the more difficult topics.
Rocket Spanish Price
Rocket Spanish Level 1 costs $149.95. If you purchase Rocket Spanish levels 1 & 2 together it costs $299.90. The entire Rocket Spanish course, which has 3 levels, costs $449.85. Rocket Spanish does not have a monthly subscription like most other language apps. You buy lifetime access to complete levels.
Because the one-time payment price can seem like a lot of money, Rocket offers a 6-month payment plan. There is also a 60-day guarantee and Rocket will refund your money if you aren’t happy with the course. This gives you plenty of time to test out Rocket Spanish and make sure it’s the right fit for you.
Because you pay by the level, Rocket is more expensive than other apps upfront. Similar apps that charge by the level are Pimsleur and Fluenz. Apps that have similar content but have a monthly subscription are Rosetta Stone and Babbel. It’s important to say that Rocket Spanish only gives you access to the Spanish course. If you are studying other languages, an app that gives you access to all languages with one subscription, like MosaLingua or Busuu, might be a better deal.
Rocket Spanish Free Trial
Rocket Spanish offers a 7-day free trial. You don’t have to enter any credit card information to start. However, the trial is very limited. It only gives you access to the first couple of lessons of each level. Because there is at least one free lesson for each level, you can see which level is right for you before you buy.
Rocket Spanish Discount
Rocket Spanish offers a LOT of different discount codes. When I signed up, I was offered a ROCKETDEAL discount code and an EARLYBIRD discount code. Rocket sent me different coupon codes during my free trial too, so there’s no need to pay full price.
Rocket Spanish Review: How It Can (or Can’t) Help You
It’s easy to get started on Rocket Spanish. You just enter your name and email address and you are ready to learn! Next, you go to the dashboard to access the available lessons. The order is clearly laid out so you can easily see what lesson to start with. You click the first lesson on your dashboard, and it will take you to all the features available for the lesson, like audio, dialogues, and other practice activities.
It’s easy to set up an account on Rocket Spanish, but actually learning the language can be difficult. So let’s take a look at some common challenges that language learners face and discuss how Rocket Spanish can (or maybe can’t) help you learn.
Challenge 1: Starting a New Language
Rocket Spanish is an excellent choice for people just starting to learn Spanish. The first few lessons cover easy topics such as introductions, greetings, and basic questions. The explanations are in English so it isn’t overwhelming. There are also tons of practice tools so you can reinforce what you learn.
Challenge 2: Learning & Remembering New Words
Building vocabulary is so important when learning a language, but remembering all the new words and phrases is tough. Most of Rocket Spanish’s practice activities are flashcard-based and focus on learning vocabulary.
As you advance, you stop learning individual words and focus more on phrases. There are a lot of different activities, but in the end, you’re practicing the same words and phrases with each activity. This helps you remember the words more effectively. You can practice hearing the vocabulary, writing it, and speaking it.
Challenge 3: Understanding & Speaking to Native Speakers
Of course, using an app to practice listening and speaking isn’t as good as speaking with a real person, but Rocket Spanish does a good job of trying to overcome this obstacle. Most of the Rocket Spanish lessons are audio-based so you hear real people speak Spanish. There are also short dialogues you can practice. The app shows you what to say in Spanish, so it’s a good way to start practicing a conversation that you can have with a native speaker someday.
Challenge 4: Making Language Learning a Routine
As with any learning program, it’s up to you to set a routine and stick with it. And since learning a language takes time, getting yourself into a learning routine from the beginning is super important. Rocket Spanish tries to help you in this regard by having some features like a leaderboard, points, and streaks. They might sound a little silly, but I like these elements because they give me a push to log in every day. Rocket Spanish recommends setting your own routine by using the 5 Ps:
Learning a language is an uphill battle. Rocket Spanish has some effective features built in that can help you beat these obstacles though. Overall, I think it’s an excellent app because it combines these features with useful and high-quality lessons.
Rocket Spanish Review: Overall Learning Experience
In my opinion, Rocket is a solid choice for beginner Spanish learners. The lesson format is simple yet effective. You listen to an audio clip and then practice what you learned by doing different writing, speaking, and listening exercises. It’s almost like being in a traditional Spanish class.
Although the activities can get a little repetitive, repetition is important for learning a language. A lot of apps talk about spaced repetition and AI algorithms to help you remember new vocabulary. Rocket Spanish doesn’t have these, but you can go back to each lesson to review what you already learned.
Rocket Spanish also teaches a lot of culture in their lessons, which I enjoyed. Besides being interesting, culture is an important element in understanding a language. Many apps that use short, 5-minute lessons (like Duolingo) miss this, but Rocket Spanish does a good job of weaving it throughout the lessons.
Rocket Spanish Review: Areas of Improvement
I liked using Rocket Spanish, but there are still some areas that could be improved. For example, there aren’t enough ways to practice grammar. Although it’s not the most exciting part of learning a language, it’s an important one.
One of the biggest grammar struggles when learning Spanish is conjugating the verbs for each subject. This is something that takes a lot of practicing before it’s understood and Rocket just doesn’t have enough activities to help you practice these difficult topics. For this, I personally prefer Babbel or Lingodeer.
Rocket Spanish is also not very effective for upper-intermediate and advanced users. There are three levels available, and I thought they would correspond to beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. That didn’t seem to be the case though. After finishing all three levels, at best I think I would be at an intermediate level. For more advanced Spanish content LingQ and Glossika are pretty solid options.
The practice activities for each lesson can get repetitive too. Each lesson has between 20-60 words and phrases that you are supposed to learn. First, you practice with flashcards, and then hear the word and write it. Finally, you take a quiz. In the end, all the activities are using the same words and phrases. It’s good for memorization but isn’t the most exciting way to learn. Drops and Clozemaster also help you build vocabulary, and their activities and content are a bit more developed.
Rocket Spanish Review: Alternatives & Competitors
Now you know everything you need to know about the Rocket Spanish app. If you think Rocket isn’t the right app to help you learn Spanish, there are many alternatives out there! Other similar apps include SpanishPod101, Pimsleur, Spanish Uncovered, and Fluent Spanish Speaker Academy. If paying for Rocket is too expensive, Mondly and Memrise are cheaper options, and Duolingo is completely free. If you are studying multiple languages, apps like Babbel, Rosetta Stone, or Drops offer all their available languages with one subscription.
For even more options, you can check out these Spanish apps.
Rocket Spanish vs Babbel
Babbel is a good alternative to Rocket Spanish because it has quality lessons that help you learn the language effectively. Babbel’s lessons are quicker and more interactive. Because Babbel offers an inexpensive monthly subscription, it’s also a better option for people who don’t want to pay a large amount up-front. I’m a big fan of Babbel and usually prefer it to most other apps out there. If you think it might be right for you, you can read more about it in this Babbel review or this complete Rocket Spanish vs Babbel comparison.
Rocket Spanish vs Rosetta Stone
Both Rosetta Stone and Rocket are big names in the language learning industry, but their lesson styles are very different. Rocket uses longer audio lessons that offer a lot of explanation. Rosetta Stone has short, flashcard-style lessons, but they are all in Spanish. For slightly more than the price of one level of Rocket Spanish, Rosetta Stone gives you lifetime access to all its languages. If you’re studying more than one language, Rosetta Stone definitely is the better choice. If you are interested in Rosetta Stone, you can read more about it in this review or try it out yourself below.
Rocket Spanish vs Duolingo
Duolingo is very different from Rocket Spanish. Duolingo offers quick, 5-minute lessons that mostly focus on vocabulary and translating sentences. Rocket’s lessons are more in-depth and provide explanations and cultural context. Duolingo has a free version, and even the monthly subscription is fairly inexpensive. If you are a casual learner or just trying out the language, Duolingo is fine. To really understand Spanish, however, Rocket is by far the better choice. You can read more about Duolingo in this review.
Rocket Spanish vs Pimsleur
Both Pimsleur and Rocket Spanish have audio-based lessons. Both apps encourage you to listen and repeat during the lesson to practice having a conversation in Spanish. I thought Rocket’s lessons were more interesting, but Pimsleur’s practice activities were better. This one is a toss-up so you can sign up for the free trials of both apps and see which one you like best. You can also read more about Pimsleur in this review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rocket Spanish is an online platform and mobile that helps you learn Spanish. Most lessons are audio-based and include additional practice activities to help reinforce what you learned. The lessons are 15-40 minutes each.
Rocket Spanish is a good tool for beginners, but it will not make you fluent. There are three levels available, and it goes from absolute beginner to low-intermediate.
Depending on your level, Rocket Spanish can be worth the money. It’s worthwhile for beginners, but not for intermediate or advanced users. It also depends on how long you want to study. You purchase Rocket Spanish by the level, not with a monthly subscription, so if you have more time to learn, then Rocket might be a better deal.
Both are good options for learning Spanish, but I prefer Rosetta Stone because it has shorter, more interactive lessons. I also prefer the monthly subscription of Rosetta Stone more than paying for an entire level like you have to do with Rocket Spanish.
Rocket Spanish might be ok for teens, but it isn’t the best option for younger kids. It is a straightforward app that doesn’t have a lot of features that will help keep a child’s attention. A better app for kids is Gus on the Go or Duolingo.
About This Rocket Spanish Review
This is an independent Rocket Spanish review, and the company has not sponsored this article. To write this review, I used the free trial to the app and used it for a few hours to thoroughly test its content and features. I also found additional information on the Rocket Languages website to verify my findings.
