Duolingo French review 2026

Note: Prices are in USD. App pricing and features change frequently. All prices mentioned in this article were verified in October 2026, but we recommend checking the official websites for the most current pricing and offerings.

Duolingo is one of the most popular French language learning apps - but can it genuinely help you become fluent?

To find out, I’ve spent the past few days completing interactive lessons and testing the well-known app for different levels of French.

Here’s what I’ve discovered about Duolingo French and how it compares with other apps.

Is Duolingo the best French learning app?

With its varied exercises, lovable characters, and fun and motivating learning method, Duolingo is a great way to practice French and stay the course. But no language learning app can cover everything. Duolingo especially falls short in grammar, culture, and speaking practice.

The biggest gap? Duolingo’s pronunciation feedback is basic in the standard exercises, which use speech recognition to check your spoken words. Some phrases, like “I am a cat,” can feel less useful than everyday conversation. Duolingo also offers speaking exercises and AI conversations through Video Call and Roleplay.

If you want to actually speak French confidently, Duolingo should be used with other resources.

What is Duolingo?

Duolingo is a learning app for beginner to upper intermediate learners in its French course 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 unit “guidebooks” to often be too cursory and not serious enough.

Still, the moment you start looking into Duolingo, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular. The interface is fun and has a cartoonish, whimsical aesthetic. Oh, and there’s another great thing going for it: Its core language courses are free. There are paid versions of Duolingo, called Super Duolingo and Duolingo Max, that offer more content and a few appealing extras, but even the basic version includes a lot of features.

Recent updates (2025 - 2026):

• French course content now extends through B2 (upper intermediate), an expansion Duolingo confirmed in April 2026 for most learners of its nine most popular languages
• “Explain My Answer” became free in January 2026. Duolingo’s availability note specifies most learners in seven supported languages, including French.
• Video Call with Lily is available on iOS and Android. In its August 2026 shareholder letter, Duolingo said most new Super subscribers had access, with expansion to existing Super subscribers planned later in the year.
• On mobile, Duolingo has been gradually replacing its “hearts” mistake system with an “Energy” meter. Its Practice tab, including speaking, listening, vocabulary and mistake review, is now free on iOS and Android.

What’s good about Duolingo?

After trying out the app, here’s what I thought were the strong points of Duolingo.

• Its charming and delightful interface and characters that crop up in examples or just to encourage you as you learn. Cynical, sort-of Goth teenager Lily quickly stole my heart, personally. I loved how she would roll her eyes and grudgingly clap when I’d get a right answer. For a closer look at how Duolingo differs from Babbel, see our comparison of the two popular apps.

• The app’s exercises are varied and give you a number of ways to practice and learn French (listening, reading, speaking, and writing).

• You can choose how many short lessons you want to complete each day.

• The variety of different interactive exercises in a single lesson. Especially as you get into higher levels, you’ll be asked to fill in sentences, match vocabulary, practice pronunciation, listen, type a translation, and more, one after the other. I personally enjoyed this - it kept me on my toes and rarely felt repetitive.

• The “Stories” feature, which is available at different stages of the course. Many are short dialogues that, as you can guess, tell a story. You listen to and read them, can replay lines, and will be asked to interact - for instance, filling in the blank or answering comprehension questions. I loved the variety of ways these stories were used, and as with the regular exercises, I like that the Stories touch on various bases of language learning, incorporating reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

• It motivates you to practice daily. In addition to its famous “streaks” (consecutive-day counters that Streak Freezes can protect), Duolingo offers incentives like the game-like rewards system, where you get gems and other items for completing lessons and reaching other goals.

• Its cast of unique and diverse characters. If cynical teens aren’t your thing, there are lots of other Duolingo characters, both people and animals. These characters are a diverse group, with a range of backgrounds, body types, ages, and distinct personalities. In addition to the admirable inclusion and the chance it gives everyone to have their own favorite character, the diverse backgrounds and personalities mean that each character has a different voice and inflection, which is helpful for listening practice.

• The app lets you go back and review completed lessons, as well as consult unit guidebooks where available.

• Although Duolingo takes a fun, joyful approach to language learning and starts out a bit easy, overall the app’s exercises can be pretty challenging.

• The standard version of Duolingo, which has lots of content, is free.

• B2 content now available - Duolingo’s French course now teaches content through upper-intermediate (B2) level, an expansion Duolingo confirmed in April 2026.

What’s not good about Duolingo?

Here’s what I didn’t like about Duolingo (and also one that many other people may not like).

• To me, Duolingo doesn’t provide enough information for absolute beginners. They might learn vocabulary but they don’t get clearly laid out information about things like how French is structured.

• While many people (including me) like Duolingo’s vibe, others find its fun and whimsical approach can be a disadvantage. 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?

• Grammar explanations are brief at best, and often not particularly clear. Unit “guidebooks” include tips and key phrases, but I found the explanations to often be too cursory and not serious enough. The now-free Explain My Answer feature does add AI-generated feedback on specific mistakes, which helps, though it’s not a substitute for structured grammar instruction.

• The app can reject a valid alternative translation. Duolingo does accept multiple translations, including synonyms and different word orders, but its accepted-answer lists can miss valid alternatives. This might not be so much of an issue if its set phrases and vocabulary were the most common ones in everyday spoken French, but that’s not always the case…which is why my translation of the phrase “What would you suggest?” into French was counted as wrong. This also means that…

• Phrases and translations aren’t always the best choice for contemporary spoken French.

• In the exercises I tried, cultural aspects of French, especially the importance of politeness, were ignored. For instance, one sentence I was given to work with had me tell someone I wanted them to make me a meal, using the phrase Je veux que. Je veux que can sound demanding when making a request, but the subjunctive after vouloir que expresses a wish or desire and is not inherently impolite. Softer wording can use the conditional of politeness. This is especially important to be aware of since politeness is a vital part of French culture.

• Fill-in exercises sometimes played words individually in my test. In exercises where I had to put words in order, I heard individual words rather than connected speech. So for instance, C’était was heard as “ce était” in these exercises. That example concerns elision, where the vowel in ce is dropped, rather than liaison. Not great for training your ear or practicing pronunciation.

• Basic pronunciation feedback in the exercises I tried. Duolingo’s speech recognition checks spoken words; it does more than detect whether you made a sound. I still wanted more detailed pronunciation feedback. Duolingo has also added free speaking-only practice and paid AI conversation tools.

• The app’s free version has ads, including video ads. Yes, it’s free, so this is the price to pay, so to speak. But it’s still not great. I also found that ads seem to get more present the more you use the app. On the first day I used Duolingo, I think I only had a print ad or two for the app’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.

• Duolingo takes an intuitive language learning approach. This learning technique isn’t unique to Duolingo, and it’s not necessarily something everyone would find negative, but personally, I’ve never been a fan of this type of language learning, especially if your goal is to attain near-fluency, including grammar proficiency. See enough examples, Duolingo’s creators figure, and you’ll get it. But I’m not really sure that’s true. By the end, you’re expected to know how to conjugate verbs in various tenses, for instance, and I strongly suspect that longtime users only know how to conjugate for the subjects and verbs they’ve become familiar with through the app’s example sentences.

How much does Duolingo cost?

Duolingo offers free core language courses in 40+ languages. It’s one of the most popular free language learning apps available.

Free Version: Duolingo’s free tier includes the core language courses. You’ll see ads, and practice may be paced by Energy or hearts, depending on your account. Energy uses up a little power as you work through exercises, including correct answers, and can be replenished. The Practice tab now offers free speaking, listening, vocabulary and mistake review on iOS and Android. Bonus: Explain My Answer, formerly a Max feature, is free for most learners in supported courses, including French.

Super Duolingo (Premium): Super removes ads and lifts hearts/Energy limits. Check Duolingo’s current offer for the price and billing period available to your account. The US App Store lists several Super purchase amounts without identifying each billing period, so those listings do not establish one standard monthly or annual price.

• Monthly: Check the total quoted for a monthly subscription.
• Annual: Check the full yearly charge, rather than just an advertised monthly equivalent.
• Family Plan: Up to six accounts under one annual plan; check the current total price.

The public Super page currently advertises one week free, while Duolingo’s Google Play listing advertises 14 days. Use the trial length shown in your own offer.

Super Duolingo features include:

• Ad-free learning experience
• Unlimited hearts/Energy for course practice
• Practice for speaking, listening, vocabulary and mistakes, now also available free in the Practice tab
• Monthly Streak Repair to maintain your streak
• Unlimited Legendary attempts (harder lessons without hints)
• Video Call access for many new Super subscribers, according to Duolingo’s August 2026 update

Duolingo Max (AI-Powered Premium): Duolingo Max is a higher-priced subscription tier with generative AI conversation features. Its official guide describes Video Call and Roleplay.

• Reported US prices: About $30/month or $168/year (equivalent to $14/month, billed annually), as quoted in an October 2026 guide. Check the Max offer in your app for current availability, the total charge and billing period.

Duolingo Max includes the Super benefits and the following AI conversation features:

• Roleplay: Practice real-world conversations with Duolingo’s AI characters in scenarios such as ordering coffee, making vacation plans or shopping for furniture
• Video Call with Lily: Spoken AI conversations, available on iOS and Android for supported courses including French. Video Call is also expanding to Super subscribers.

Note: “Explain My Answer” was previously a Max-exclusive feature but became free in January 2026 for most learners in supported courses, including French.

Important limitations of Duolingo Max:

• English speakers learning French, Spanish, German, Italian or Portuguese have access to both Video Call and Roleplay. Duolingo also lists Video Call for Japanese, Korean and Chinese; feature availability differs by course and platform.
• The AI features are offered on iOS and Android devices; check their availability in your course and account
• Available in 188 countries worldwide

Note: The free version is excellent for most learners and includes all core content. Super removes ads and adds convenience. Max is best for serious learners who want AI-powered roleplay and video conversations.

Duolingo vs other apps: How does it compare?

Here’s an honest comparison to help you decide:

Use Duolingo if you want:

• Free, gamified practice to build a daily habit
• Variety of exercise types and fun characters
• To learn multiple languages (40+ available)
• Motivation through streaks and leaderboards
• To supplement other learning methods

Use Duolingo Max if you want:

• Roleplay conversation scenarios with AI characters
• Video Call practice with Lily (also expanding to Super subscribers)
• Everything in Super Duolingo plus advanced AI features
• Are learning one of the popular courses Max supports, such as French or Spanish
• Use an iOS or Android device for its AI conversation features

Consider Copycat Cafe if you want:

• Precise pronunciation feedback (0–100 scores you can track)
• Practice with real conversational French, Latin American Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Italian, or German
• AI conversation practice with up to 1,000 Normal chat messages daily, plus 30 minutes daily in Call mode
• Audio at both slow and natural speeds
• Works in a browser on a phone, tablet or computer

Copycat Cafe limitations: Currently offers French, Latin American Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Italian, and German (no other languages), no gamification features like streaks or leaderboards.

The honest truth: You can use multiple apps. Duolingo’s free lessons keep you motivated daily with gamification, while apps focused on conversation practice help you actually speak. Consider what matters most to you: habit building, variety of languages, or speaking skills.

If you are weighing more than these three, our guide to the best language learning apps compares other options by goal.

Should I use Duolingo to learn French?

To me, Duolingo is a great resource for someone who has a base knowledge of French and wants to keep things fresh in their mind and review, or for someone who is a little intimidated about starting to learn French and will also have other ways to practice and learn.

In both cases, the person should use Duolingo in addition to other learning resources, especially when it comes to:

• Precise pronunciation feedback - identifying words and sounds to work on
• Real conversational French - practicing phrases you’ll use in spontaneous exchanges
• Cultural context - understanding French politeness and social norms
• Grammar explanations - clear, detailed grammar instruction

Fortunately, there are lots of other ways to learn and practice these important aspects of the language, including reading, listening to, and watching things in French.

Your Next Step

Here’s what to consider based on your goals:

If you want free practice and habit building: Use Duolingo’s free version. The gamification really works for staying consistent, and you can’t beat free.

If you want multiple languages: Duolingo offers 40+ languages.

If speaking is your priority: Supplement Duolingo with conversation-focused resources. Options include tutoring platforms, language exchange partners, or conversation-focused apps.

Resources to explore:

• Best French learning apps - compare your options
• French conversation practice - ways to practice speaking
• Babbel vs Duolingo - detailed comparison

I hope this Duolingo review was helpful. Whatever app or apps you choose, the most important thing is to practice consistently. Good luck with your French learning journey!

Recommend Duolingo to an audience? For commission-paying options, here’s our honest guide to language learning affiliate programs and how to pick the right one for your readers.

This article contains updated pricing and feature information verified in October 2026. We verify prices regularly, but recommend checking official websites for the most current information.