The best apps to learn French in 2026

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This doesn't influence our review.

Last updated: August 2026. We re-checked every app's pricing and features against official pricing pages for this update.

Note: Prices are in USD and were verified via official App Store listings in January 2026 and re-checked most recently in August 2026. App pricing changes frequently. We recommend checking official app stores or websites for current pricing before purchasing.

Looking for the best French learning app? I tested 10 popular apps for 2+ weeks each to find out which ones actually deliver on their promises and which waste your time.

The short answer: It depends on your goal. Want to speak confidently in real conversations? You need an app with pronunciation feedback and conversational practice. Prefer grammar drills? Look elsewhere.

Below, you’ll find honest comparisons based on real testing, including what each app does well and where it falls short. (Spoiler: No app is perfect.)

How we evaluated these apps

I tested each of these French learning apps for at least 2 weeks, focusing on what matters most for adult learners who want to actually speak French:

What we tested:

• Pronunciation feedback quality (accuracy, specificity of corrections)
• Audio quality and speech speed options
• Conversation practice opportunities
• Grammar and cultural context
• Daily time commitment required
• Value for money

Why trust this comparison: I’m Alysa, a writer and French teacher who has lived in Paris for over a decade. I’ve tested these apps both as a teacher and as a language learner myself (I’ve used similar apps to learn other languages). This comparison is based on real testing, not just reading marketing pages.

Every app here is honestly assessed based on the criteria above. (Run a blog or channel yourself? Here’s our honest guide to language learning affiliate programs: which ones are actually worth promoting.)

What is the best app to learn French in 2026?

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you what the best French learning app is. No, I’m not even going to say Copycat Cafe! :-) This is because everyone learns differently and has different goals and needs. The real question is, what is the best French learning app for you?

Here are some areas where the different apps on our list excel:

If you’re curious about these apps, as well as some others, read to see some of the good and bad points of each one, as well as a brief description.

And if you want to go more in-depth, you’ll also find links to longer reviews of most of the apps here.

👋 Ready to start speaking French? If you want an app focused on real conversation practice with instant pronunciation feedback, try Copycat Cafe free for 7 days (cancel anytime during trial). Or keep reading to see how it compares in detail.

💬 This course has given me more confidence in my pronunciation… I really only had about 2 months with your program and already felt more comfortable.

Rebecca S., United States

Copycat Cafe

Full disclosure: This is the app created by Benjamin Houy, the founder of Copycat Cafe, so we’re obviously biased. But he built it because he was frustrated with how other apps teach French. Here’s what makes it different:

Copycat Cafe uses the Copycat Method (Watch → Copy → Chat), specifically designed to get you speaking in real conversations, not just completing lessons. It is based on a familiar idea: you learn to speak by copying what you hear.

Copycat Cafe is a French, Latin American Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Italian, and German conversation practice app, which means that its goal is to help you speak everyday French, Latin American Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Italian, and German as quickly as possible.

Copycat Cafe prepares you for real-life conversations in French by teaching you the most common vocabulary and helping you practice listening and speaking skills.

The app teaches you to have real conversations through a series of lessons that include:

• 200+ conversation lessons covering everyday situations
• AI conversation partner (Copy) with 1,000 messages per day for conversation practice
• Instant AI pronunciation feedback with a score out of 100 and focused feedback
• Slow and normal speed audio for every conversation
• Speech-to-text transcription so you can see exactly what you said
• FSRS-based spaced repetition (FSRS stands for Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler, a system that schedules reviews based on how likely you are to forget something)

Each lesson takes about 15 minutes to complete and focuses on practical, real-world French that you’ll actually use in conversations.

What’s good about Copycat Cafe

• The app includes an AI pronunciation checker that scores your sound match out of 100 and highlights where your pronunciation needs work.
• Dialogues use modeled target-language audio at normal conversational speed, as well as a slowed-down version.
• The modeled audio uses a range of voices across French, Latin American Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Italian, and German, so you are not listening to just one voice throughout the course.
• I like that you can see lines of dialogue in their written form, too. A helpful feature for us visual learners and/or hearing impaired people, not to mention just about anyone, since French spelling and pronunciation are so different.
• As you work, the app also has helpful windows of information about grammar and vocabulary that you can choose to read and learn about or ignore if you prefer. (I’m a grammar junkie, so I read them all.)

Real results from Copycat Cafe users:

“I live in Paris, and since I started using Copycat Cafe, people I interact with regularly have been commenting on how much my French has improved.” – Stephanie A.

“Passed B1 oral A1 written with 92 and 95 percent pass rates. No way would have achieved that without this course.” – Chris H., Switzerland

“This course has given me more confidence in my pronunciation and usage… I really only had about 2 months with your program and already felt more comfortable.” – Rebecca S., United States

Who Copycat Cafe ISN’T for

Copycat Cafe is specifically designed for learners who want to speak French in real-life situations. That means it’s NOT ideal if you:

• Need comprehensive grammar textbooks. The app teaches grammar contextually, not through extensive written explanations (check out our Copycat Cafe blog for supplementary grammar resources)
• Prioritize reading and writing over speaking. The course is designed mainly around listening, repeating, pronunciation, and conversation practice
• Learn better from varied exercise types. The method is focused and repetitive by design (Watch → Copy → Chat)

Fair warning: As creators of this app, we’re obviously biased. That’s why we offer a 7-day free trial (cancel anytime) and a 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment so you can judge the method for yourself.

How much does Copycat Cafe cost?

Copycat Cafe costs $174 per year (which breaks down to $14.50/month) or $29/month if you choose the monthly plan.

Check your local version of Copycat Cafe’s pricing page for prices in your currency.

Copycat Cafe offers a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment, so you can try the full course before making a longer-term decision.

💰 Price vs. Value: Copycat Cafe costs more than some apps ($14.50/month vs. Duolingo’s free tier), but here’s why users tell us it’s worth it:

• Speaking from the start. The focused method gets you talking immediately
• Focused practice. Every lesson builds conversation skills (rather than teaching phrases like “I am a cat”)
• Specific feedback. AI sound-match scoring out of 100 goes beyond simple pass/fail speech recognition

Think about it this way: The annual plan works out to $43.50 for three months. Whether that is worthwhile depends on how much you value focused speaking practice compared with a free, broader app.

→ Start your 7-day free trial now (cancel anytime)

Langua

Langua is available on the web, iOS, and Android. It lets learners build vocabulary and listen to podcasts or watch videos with features such as transcripts and one-click translation. There’s also an AI-generated Stories feature. But Langua is probably best known for its AI chatbot that lets you practice French conversation. For a detailed look at its AI tools, flashcards, pricing, and tutoring marketplace, read our full LanguaTalk review.

What’s good about Langua

• Langua has a simple interface, which I always like since it’s easy to use, you don’t get distracted or lost, and also it means to me that the developers are more concerned with content than looks.
• The chatbot feature lets you either choose what to chat about or do a role-play.
• You can choose a male or female voice for the chatbot. Listening to both can help train your ear.
• For a role-play with the chatbot, I really love the option to choose a custom topic if the ones provided don’t fit what you’re looking for. It’s great how flexible the system is, and it feels quite like interacting with a real person. When you ask a random question, the chatbot replies promptly and with a personalized touch.
• The podcasts, videos and articles features are a great way to learn French by reading and listening and provide a nearly unlimited supply of comprehensible input.

What’s not good about Langua

• French chatbots can be a fun way to practice French, but I wouldn’t treat free-form chat as a complete course on its own.
• Langua now offers a structured Guided Course for A1 and A2 learners, plus a Guided Mode for supported conversations. I still think its strongest feature is flexible AI practice for learners who already know some French.
• The app’s Stories use vocab words you’ve saved to create a story generated by AI, a neat concept. During my testing, I found lots of small errors in the stories, so I considered them less reliable than studying a pre-written text or dialogue you’d find in many other French learning apps.
• The Communicate with AI feature on Langua was originally in beta status, and while it has improved significantly, the quality can still be inconsistent at times. During my testing, it sometimes kept telling me to “listen and try again” without indicating which words I pronounced correctly and incorrectly.

Bottom line: Langua is strongest for learners who want flexible AI chat practice. Its A1 and A2 Guided Course now gives beginners more structure than it did when I first tested it, but if you want a course built around short speaking lessons with pronunciation feedback, consider Copycat Cafe’s focused approach.

How much does Langua cost?

Langua offers a limited free version for testing. For full access, there are two paid tiers:

US Pricing:

• Standard Plan: $19.99/month or $149.99/year ($12.50/month)
  • 30 minutes of call time per day
  • 75 messages in standard chat mode

• Unlimited Plan: $29.99/month or $199.99/year ($16.67/month)
  • Unlimited conversation practice
  • 24/7 access to advanced AI

All Langua plans come with a free trial (5 days on monthly plans, 7 days on annual; a card is required). The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to web and Android subscriptions; Apple doesn't give Langua control over App Store refunds.

Pimsleur

Based on a language learning method developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur in the 1960’s, and available in one form or another (cassettes, CD’s, downloads, etc.) for decades, Pimsleur is a language learning app you can use on your computer or mobile device(s).

For Dr. Pimsleur, languages are best learned through listening and repetition, as opposed, say, to writing or grammar exercises or reading.

The core Pimsleur Method still relies heavily on audio learning and the repetition of words, sounds, and syllables. Learners listen to dialogues and then follow a series of lessons that build on vocabulary from those dialogues. Current app subscriptions also include supporting review tools and visual exercises, but the daily audio lesson remains the center of the course.

For more information, check out our in-depth review of the Pimsleur French app. Otherwise, read on for my major takeaways from the app.

An important note about the Pimsleur app

Pimsleur’s French course contains five levels, with 30 daily audio lessons of about 30 minutes in each level. Current subscriptions package those core lessons with different levels of app access, so check what is included in the specific plan or purchase option you choose.

The core audio lessons are designed to be completed by ear and do not provide a full written transcript. You can replay sections, and current app access includes tools such as Voice Coach, Speak Easy conversations, flashcards, quizzes, and review activities.

Those supporting tools make the current Pimsleur app more varied than the old audio-only program, but they do not change the course’s basic approach: one roughly 30-minute spoken lesson per day, reinforced with optional review exercises.

New in 2025 and 2026: Pimsleur’s Voice Coach uses speech recognition to give pronunciation feedback and a score on what you say. Its AI Conversation Coach is still labeled beta and is now available for French as well as Latin American Spanish.

What’s good about the Pimsleur French app

• Pimsleur has been effective for lots of people over the years.
• The use of repetition and listening-only lessons are helpful for pronunciation and listening skills.
• Good for audio learners.
• A good resource for French learners focused on pronunciation.
• The Voice Coach gives AI pronunciation feedback and a 1 to 100 score, so you know which sounds to work on.

What’s not good about the Pimsleur French app

• Probably not for people who are visual learners and/or who prefer a structured approach to language learning. I know this is the case for me. Of all the French learning apps I’ve reviewed, I’ve really disliked Pimsleur and cannot imagine using it to learn French. Of course, everyone is different….
• No lesson transcripts or any sort of written French (at least in the basic version of Pimsleur). The Pimsleur Premium app includes a few visual exercises and elements like flashcards, and its Speak Easy feature does show written conversation transcripts, but the core daily lessons are still designed to be done entirely by ear. Prioritizing audio learning may make it easier for learners to correctly pronounce French sounds and words and improve their listening skills. But on the other hand, since French spelling and French pronunciation are often so different, many users may not end up knowing how to spell the vocabulary they learn.
• No structured grammar lessons or explanations.
• While the Pimsleur Method has been an effective way for lots of people to learn and remember basic French vocabulary, it doesn’t teach more than that. If you want to talk about a wide range of topics, improvise a conversation, or discuss a niche subject, Pimsleur won’t teach you to do that.
• The French you’ll learn tends to be more formal than everyday conversational French (this is particularly noticeable when you compare it to a conversational app like Copycat Cafe).

Bottom line: Pimsleur is excellent for audio-focused learners who want to nail pronunciation through repetition. If you also need visual transcripts and conversational French, Copycat Cafe gives you both audio practice and written support.

How much does Pimsleur cost?

Pimsleur offers subscription plans with a 7-day free trial.

US Pricing:

• All Access Monthly: $20.99/month in the US App Store or $20.95/month on the web
• All Access Annual: $164.99/year in the US App Store
• Premium (one language, on the web): $19.95/month

Pimsleur’s All Access plan covers its full language catalog, making it good value if you’re interested in learning multiple languages.

Additional options:

• One-time purchases are available for individual French levels or bundles
• A subscription can support up to three additional household members with separate profiles

Pimsleur offers a 7-day free trial on its subscription plans. Check Pimsleur’s official pricing page for current rates and promotions.

Babbel

Babbel’s French courses cover material from beginner level through B2, with some additional content labeled C1. Courses are made up of short lessons that each take roughly 10–15 minutes to complete. The lessons include a wide variety of exercises.

Babbel covers most basic parts of French learning: listening, reading, speaking, writing, and features grammar and even culture-related explanations.

You can find more information in our in-depth Babbel French review. Or read on for my major takeaways about the app.

What’s good about Babbel

• Each lesson focuses on specific vocabulary, which could get repetitive, but the review exercises are varied enough to keep things from getting boring.
• Exercises range from interactive dialogues to word scrambles, touching bases for different kinds of learners (audio, visual, etc.) and skills.
• Babbel also uses what you learn in practical scenarios. For instance, master a few prepositions and you’ll see them applied to a dialogue about asking directions in French.
• Sometimes, bonus information and details pop up in little windows. These can range from helpful grammar tips to information about works of art being discussed in the dialogue you’re working on.
• Babbel covers a lot of ground and lets you practice writing, listening, and even speaking French, making it a well-rounded choice that will satisfy most learners.
• New in 2025: Babbel has added “Babbel Speak” (also called “AI Conversation Partner”), which lets learners engage in simulated real-time dialogues with AI for low-pressure speaking practice with instant feedback.
• Babbel Speak is a mobile-only beta for learners using US English as their interface language. It supports French, German, Italian, and Mexican Spanish conversations and gives feedback after a task, rather than correcting every word while you speak.

What’s not good about Babbel

• There’s no option to slow down dialogues, a helpful feature that many other language learning apps, including Copycat Cafe, offer.
• Babbel no longer offers live classes to individual learners. Babbel Live closed for individuals in 2025 and is now available only through Babbel for Business.

Bottom line: Babbel is great for varied, bite-sized lessons. If you want to add adjustable audio speeds and detailed pronunciation feedback to your routine, Copycat Cafe pairs well as a speaking-focused supplement.

How much does Babbel cost?

Babbel offers several subscription options.

US Pricing (via App Store):

• 1-Month: $17.99/month
• 3-Month: $45.99 (~$15.33/month)
• 12-Month (Single Language): $89.99/year (~$7.50/month)
• 12-Month (All Languages): $107.99/year (~$9/month)

Lifetime (All 14 Languages):

• $299.99 as a one-time website purchase before any promotion

Babbel’s website and app-store prices can differ by plan, platform, and promotion. A longer single-language subscription is usually the better value for someone who only wants French, while Lifetime covers all 14 languages.

Babbel lets you try the first lesson of every course free and offers a 20-day money-back guarantee on purchases made through its website. Check Babbel’s official pricing page for current rates and promotions.

FluentU

FluentU is a language learning platform with a cool concept: learning through videos. Namely, actual French videos you’d find on YouTube.

You can watch and listen to the videos at regular or slowed-down speed, and also benefit from cool features like highlighting words in subtitles to get a translation. Words and phrases you highlight can be saved and used in lessons.

You can find more information in our in-depth FluentU review. Or read on for my major takeaways from the app.

What’s good about FluentU

• FluentU’s subtitles are far more accurate than the AI-generated captions you’ll find on most YouTube videos.
• There’s a huge variety of videos, covering a wide range of topics and genres, for learning levels beginner through advanced.
• Many of the videos featured on FluentU are ones that actual French people would watch.
• It’s very helpful that you can save words and phrases to study and review later with a number of different exercises.
• The learning portion is especially helpful, since words are connected with often memorable images to put them into context.

What’s not good about Fluent U

• There isn’t much grammar featured on FluentU, and when you do run into a grammatical concept, lessons and explanations are extremely concise and often leave out important details.
• Speaking practice is minimal. The newer AI Tutor (iOS and Android only) adds some AI practice, but it’s not a conversation course.
• The app also doesn’t particularly cover reading or writing in French.

Bottom line: FluentU is perfect for immersive video learning and training your ear. For the speaking practice it doesn’t offer, Copycat Cafe’s conversation lessons make a natural companion.

How much does FluentU cost?

FluentU offers video-based immersive learning with real-world French content:

US Pricing:

• Plus: $29.99/month. The regular annual reference price is $239.99, although the annual plan was advertised at $143.99 when we checked.
• Super (higher AI Tutor limits): $39.99/month or $199.99/year at the current promotional rate

Note: FluentU frequently runs promotions offering significant discounts (50%+ off), and its newer AI Tutor practice works only in the iOS and Android apps, not on the web.

FluentU provides a 14-day free trial (a card is required, and you won't be charged if you cancel before the trial ends). One subscription gives you access to all of FluentU's languages. FluentU also advertises a 20-day money-back guarantee, subject to its current refund terms.

Busuu

Busuu is a popular, award-winning French learning app with lessons from beginner through upper intermediate level.

Busuu features a personalized learning plan comprised of lessons that include practice with listening (both audio and video are used), vocabulary, and grammar. The app is also known for allowing users to record responses to certain exercises and ask other users who are native or fluent speakers their opinion.

You can find more information in our in-depth Busuu review. Or read on for my major takeaways from the app.

What’s good about Busuu

• Compared to a lot of other language learning apps, Busuu sort of feels like a one-stop shop. You’ve got listening practice with both audio and video. You have five-minute lessons on a variety of grammar topics, as well as a variety of review activities.
• Lessons follow one another in an orderly fashion. When you open Busuu, you see its lessons neatly organized into Chapters (groups of lessons). You start at beginner level and build on what you learn.
• Excellent grammar material. Busuu’s Grammar section lets you learn or review tons of French grammar concepts. Each topic is clearly and concisely explained, and you can skip to any one you want, which is extremely helpful for users who already have a good grasp on French and are using the app to review or get more practice.
• Many of the example words and phrases in these lessons feature videos of native French speakers saying them. This adds a human touch (not to mention good listening practice) to vocabulary learning.
• Users can ask Busuu community members who are native or fluent speakers of French what they think of their pronunciation.
• The app uses everyday spoken French well. Like Copycat Cafe, Busuu focuses on everyday spoken French. The audio and videos on the app generally featured good examples of it.
• There are even a few sections that teach you fun expressions from other French-speaking countries and cultures, which was a neat extra.
• Courses aligned to CEFR levels (A1 to B2), providing clear progression benchmarks.

What’s not good about Busuu

• Busuu now offers AI Conversations in its complete French course, including for beginners. These are simulated scenarios rather than live conversation with another person.
• Community feedback is asynchronous: other Busuu users can correct speaking or writing exercises, but it depends on who responds. And keep in mind that a fluent speaker isn’t the same as a native speaker; the former may not speak like an actual French person would.
• Lessons often feel too short. Busuu’s lessons, which usually take 5-10 minutes each, sort of feel like they run through new concepts and don’t reinforce them enough, at least not to my liking.
• Fairly limited practice/review material. The ways to apply and practice are relatively limited, too, with fewer opportunities to speak than I would have expected and a relatively limited variety of exercises.
• Automated grading limits which answers are accepted. Even when another answer would make sense, an app exercise may only recognize the responses it was designed to accept.
• Speaking features sometimes had trouble recognizing my microphone.

Bottom line: Busuu is comprehensive and well-structured for grammar and listening. If you want to add daily AI conversation practice to round out your skills, Copycat Cafe offers 1,000 messages/day with pronunciation scoring out of 100.

How much does Busuu cost?

Busuu offers both a free and premium version.

Free Version (Basic):
Busuu has a limited free tier with access to the essential course, community feedback, and basic progress tracking. Premium tiers add more review and study features.

US Pricing (via App Store):

• Monthly: current listed options range from about $9.99 to $23.49/month, depending on tier and offer
• Annual: current listed options range from about $70 to $139.99/year

Premium adds features such as review tools, offline mode, and an ad-free experience. Premium Plus adds AI Conversations and pronunciation feedback. Busuu also offers its own CEFR-aligned certificates; the jointly branded McGraw Hill certificates were discontinued.

Check Busuu’s official website and the checkout screen for the current price and plan terms in your region.

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone rose to fame as a language learning system. Its current consumer app is called Rosetta Stone Sapphire, while existing users can still access Rosetta Stone Classic.

The Rosetta Stone app focuses first on teaching the fundamentals of a language. In the United States, learners can also buy personalized 30-minute tutoring through Wyzant in packages of 5 or 10 sessions.

What’s good about the Rosetta Stone app

• Appealing for visual learners, with its use of words matched with images in an immersive experience to help you memorize vocabulary. Other aspects of Rosetta Stone’s method also lean more towards the visual, as well.
• Features structured, thematic lessons, rather than more random, fun-oriented random prompts and exercises, making it appealing to learners who appreciate structure and a no-nonsense approach.
• The lessons and teaching sessions let you watch helpful videos or participate in online classes.
• TruAccent speech recognition provides real-time pronunciation feedback to help refine your accent. The newer Chat Missions feature also adds guided, typed AI conversation practice.

What’s not good about the Rosetta Stone app

• Not particularly focused on audio learning, although there are a few basic audio and speaking features, including a pronunciation checker and audio you can listen to at slow speed.
• Lack of realistic audio. Rosetta Stone’s dialogues are performed by native speakers, but they speak much more slowly and more formally than real everyday French speakers would.
• The Rosetta Stone app doesn’t feature a lot of intensive grammar information.
• Live tutoring is now an add-on cost, no longer included in standard packages as it used to be.

Bottom line: Rosetta Stone works well for visual, structured learners. If you want to hear how French actually sounds at real conversation speed, Copycat Cafe’s dual-speed audio fills that gap.

How much does Rosetta Stone cost?

Rosetta Stone offers subscription and lifetime pricing options.

US Pricing:

• Monthly: $19.99/month
• Annual: $159/year before any promotion
• Lifetime: still appears through some sales channels for all 25 languages; the US App Store listed a $199.99 lifetime option when we checked

Current monthly and annual consumer plans include access to all 25 languages. Rosetta Stone runs frequent sales, so check the price shown at checkout before purchasing.

Rosetta Stone offers a 14-day money-back guarantee on subscriptions bought directly from its site. New app users may also be offered one 7-day trial. Check Rosetta Stone’s official pricing page for current rates.

Rocket French

Rocket French is an app that takes a fun but fairly thorough approach to language learning, with two sections of lessons.

First, there’s audio, where you’ll study dialogues and build vocabulary, grammar, listening, and speaking skills based on those.

Then there’s a language and culture section featuring information about not only French culture but additional grammar information.

Although their structures are a bit different, this approach is similar to some other apps, such as Copycat Cafe.

You can find more information in our in-depth review of Rocket French. Or read on for my major takeaways from the app.

What’s good about Rocket French

• Rocket French includes a specific section for additional grammar information, and culture! The latter is such an important part of language that’s often neglected by language learning apps, or only mentioned in passing.
• Audio lessons feature fun, everyday dialogues and exercises that build on these. For instance, you can listen to a dialogue and then take part in it, with speech recognition checking your pronunciation.
• There’s also a forum where you can post questions that will be answered by community members and teachers.

What’s not good about Rocket French

• Native speakers like Copycat Cafe’s Benjamin Houy have found that in audio lessons for lower level students, one of the dialogue participants has a slight, non-native accent. This may be a way to reassure beginners, but it isn’t ideal for listening practice.
• It’s not as visually appealing as many other French learning apps, so if ~aesthetic~ is important to you, that might be an issue.
• Rocket French’s lessons are on the longer side, taking about 20-30 minutes to complete, which could be difficult if you don’t have a lot of time to practice each day.

Bottom line: Rocket French is comprehensive with great culture lessons. If you prefer shorter sessions focused purely on speaking, Copycat Cafe’s 15-minute conversation lessons fit into any schedule.

How much does Rocket French cost?

Rocket French uses a one-time purchase model rather than subscriptions. You buy the course and own it forever:

US standard list prices:

• Level 1 (Beginner to Intermediate): $149.95 with about 138 hours of lesson time
• Levels 1 & 2 (Beginner to Advanced): $299.90
• Levels 1, 2 & 3 (Complete Course): $449.85

Payment Plans:

• 6-month payment plan available for the complete course (check the official site for the current monthly amount)

Rocket Languages frequently runs promotions, so the checkout price may be lower than the standard list prices above.

Unlike subscription apps, Rocket French is a one-time purchase for lifetime access, with no recurring fees. Rocket Languages frequently runs sales, so it’s worth waiting for a promotion.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a learning app that offers courses in more than 40 languages, as well as courses in math, music, and chess.

You can use it as a web app on your computer or you can download it onto your mobile device.

Duolingo French offers practice in areas like vocabulary, listening, reading, writing, and speaking. To a certain extent, there’s grammar learning, as well, although I found the explanations included in the “guidebook” before each lesson to often be too cursory and not serious enough.

The interface and lessons are fun and have a cartoonish, whimsical aesthetic.

For more information, check out our in-depth review of Duolingo. Or read on for my major takeaways from the app.

What’s good about Duolingo

• Duolingo makes learning feel fun and personal, with a cast of recurring characters that crop up in examples or just to encourage you as you learn. They even send you emails or messages to keep you motivated. Cynical, sort-of Goth teenager Lily quickly stole my heart, personally.
• On a more practical level, the characters’ diverse backgrounds and personalities mean that each has a different voice and inflection, which is helpful for listening practice.
• It’s addictive. I frequently come across students who have used the app every day for years and are very proud of their “streak”. This makes Duolingo a great choice if you struggle with motivation.
• Lessons move along at a good pace and are varied, especially as you get into higher levels.
• The app tries to touch various bases of language learning, incorporating reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

What’s not good about Duolingo

• While many of us (including me) like Duolingo’s vibe, others, including Copycat Cafe’s Benjamin Houy, think its fun and whimsical approach can be a disadvantage. For Benjamin, a lot of the vocabulary you learn is of dubious usefulness. Sure, learning how to say things like “I’m a cat” or “This is my first cow” is fun but when will you ever say things like this in real life? Doubtful.
• Little or no structured grammar lessons or information. Users mostly learn from the examples and exercises on the app. For instance, I wonder if longtime users only know how to conjugate for the subjects and verbs they’ve become familiar with through the app’s example sentences.
• Duolingo’s AI doesn’t recognize alternate ways to express ideas, statements, etc. So you have to stick with what’s in the lesson.
• Ads seem to get more present the more you use the app. On the first day, I think I only had an ad or two for Duolingo’s paid version, but by the fourth day, I was getting video ads at times. These weren’t terribly invasive (they didn’t pop up in the middle of an exercise, for instance), but it still felt strange and distracting.
• No French culture lessons, and culture is even downright disregarded in some cases. For instance, some example sentences should use polite language (very important in French and French culture) but instead are more likely literal translations.

Bottom line: Duolingo is great for building a daily habit. When you’re ready to move beyond gamified lessons and start having real conversations, Copycat Cafe picks up where Duolingo leaves off.

How much does Duolingo cost?

Duolingo is completely free and includes full access to all language courses. It’s one of the most popular free language learning apps available.

Free Version: Duolingo’s free tier includes access to all 40+ languages and lessons. You’ll see ads, and your practice is limited by an Energy meter, which has been rolling out through 2025 and 2026 to replace the old “hearts” system on mobile (each exercise spends energy, and some accounts still see hearts instead). It remains fully functional for long-term learning.

Super Duolingo (Optional Premium) via App Store:

• Current US App Store options include $9.99/month and $83.99/year for Super, although prices vary by account, platform, region, and offer
• A $119.99 family price also appears in the current purchase list
• Duolingo Max adds AI features such as Video Call with Lily and Roleplay; check the price shown in your account

Super Duolingo removes ads and gives you unlimited energy, plus other subscriber perks. Duolingo’s Practice tab, including targeted practice and mistake review, is now available to free learners too. The free version is excellent for most learners and includes all core course content.

Duolingo currently advertises a 14-day free trial of Super Duolingo for eligible users.

Preply

Preply isn’t an app in the traditional self-study sense, but it deserves a spot here because live tutors give you the immediate, personalized conversation feedback most apps can’t. Instead of relying primarily on AI conversations or pre-recorded audio lessons, Preply connects you with a real tutor for structured video sessions tailored to your goals. Whether you’re learning French for work, exams, relocation, or everyday conversation, the focus is very much on building real speaking fluency. You begin with a trial lesson, where you meet your tutor, discuss your objectives, and see if their teaching style works for you. After that, you choose a subscription based on how many lessons you want during each 28-day period. The subscription model is intentional: it helps create routine and steady progress, rather than leaving practice up to chance. Preply also integrates AI-powered tools for tutor matching and between-lesson practice, but the core of the platform is consistent, live conversation with feedback.

What’s good about Preply

Preply is one of the most effective platforms if your goal is actual speaking fluency. Because you’re talking to a real person from day one, you’re forced to think in the language and respond naturally instead of just selecting answers from a screen. It’s one of the biggest online tutor marketplaces, with thousands of tutors across more than 90 languages. That gives French learners a wide choice of accents, price ranges, and specialties and makes it easier to find someone who matches your personality and learning style. Lessons are personalized. If you struggle with pronunciation, interviews, or a specific grammar point, your tutor adjusts sessions immediately. That level of customization is hard to find in standard apps. The subscription structure encourages consistency. Since you schedule lessons in advance, you’re more likely to stick with it, and consistent practice is where fast progress happens. Preply’s own research suggests that learners who commit to regular lessons can improve up to 3× faster than traditional timelines, particularly in speaking confidence and fluency. It’s suitable for beginners through advanced learners because tutors can scale lessons to your level.

What’s not good about Preply

Because it’s built around live lessons, you need a stable internet connection and time in your schedule for regular sessions. It’s not gamified. If you’re someone who’s motivated by streaks, badges, and game-style rewards, this might feel more like a class than an app. Pricing varies depending on the tutor you choose. While there are affordable options, it’s generally more expensive than purely self-guided apps.

Bottom line: Preply is one of the strongest options for learners who are serious about becoming conversationally fluent in French. If you want structured lessons, real feedback, and faster speaking progress, it’s a more direct path than AI-only or audio-only apps. But if you prefer casual, self-paced, game-style learning, it may feel more demanding.

How much does Preply cost?

Preply offers a trial lesson so you can test a tutor before continuing. Pricing depends on the tutor’s rate and how many lessons you choose for each 28-day subscription period. You can adjust, pause, or cancel the subscription and reschedule lessons or change tutors within Preply’s current policy. Because tutors set their own rates, pricing can range widely, making it flexible for different budgets.

Quick Feature Comparison

To help you compare at a glance, here’s how these apps stack up on key features:

Your Next Step: Find Your Perfect App Match

My personal recommendation? Don’t just read reviews. Actually test 2-3 apps during their free trials to find what clicks for you.

Start with apps that match your primary goal:

• “I want to speak French confidently” → Start your Copycat Cafe free trial (7 days, cancel anytime) or try Pimsleur’s audio-focused approach
• “I want fun, gamified practice” → Duolingo (free) or Babbel (varied exercises)
• “I want immersive video learning” → FluentU’s authentic French content

Why try Copycat Cafe first? It combines AI pronunciation scoring out of 100, conversation practice with 1,000 daily messages, and slow and normal-speed audio throughout the course. The 7-day trial and 30-day money-back guarantee on the first payment let you decide whether the method suits you.

→ Try Copycat Cafe free for 7 days and see whether its speaking-first method works for you.

Most apps on this list offer a free option, trial, or money-back guarantee:

• Copycat Cafe: 7-day free trial + 30-day guarantee on the first payment
• Duolingo: Core courses are free
• Babbel: Free first lesson in each course + 20-day guarantee
• Pimsleur: 7-day free trial
• Others: See individual sections above

Good luck with your French! And if you have questions about any of these apps, feel free to reach out.

More resources:

• Free French pronunciation practice tool: hear a phrase, copy it back, get a score
• Best apps to learn Spanish: 10 apps compared
• Best AI language learning apps: AI-powered options
• Best Duolingo alternatives: 7 apps tested
• Duolingo Max review: is it worth it?
• French conversation practice: best apps and sites
• Best way to learn French: methods compared
• Language learning affiliate programs: which programs are worth promoting for creators

Pricing and feature details in this article were verified in August 2026 against official pricing pages and US App Store listings. Apps change prices and features frequently, and promotions vary by region, so check official sites before subscribing. Spot something out of date? Let us know.