Put on a Beret – We’re Going to Learn French

French is the most seductive and elegant language in the world. For people like me, it’s also unpronounceable. Seriously, I envy everyone who’s capable of mastering the language of Baudelaire. As I started learning French, my tongue refused to cooperate. Being stubborn and assertive, I didn’t give up and instead found an alternative solution - French learning apps.

As apps focus more extensively on phonetics, listening, and speaking, they forced my jaw to be more responsive. If you’re also struggling with finding a way to learn French, follow me on this journey. Read along and use these tried-and-tested apps.

How to Find Your Best App to Learn French?

Advice #1: Never use the first app you google; read a few reviews first. Otherwise, you’ll spend weeks or even months testing what works for you. Worst-case scenario, you may settle with the wrong French app and learn far less than you’d potentially be able to with a suitable tool.

Advice #2: Go through the following list carefully. I learn and teach a few languages, and, not very modestly, consider myself a credible point of reference. How did I pick these top 21 apps? I've been studying the possibility of learning a language with apps for a few years, so I had a few picks. When preparing a list for French apps specifically, I downloaded my favorite resources again and used each for at least one week to look into every corner (I am a nerd, I know). The result speaks for itself - here's an abridged version for less motivated readers. P.S. The first app in each category is the winner:

Best French language learning apps Overall? Babbel & Rosetta Stone.

Best French language learning apps for Vocabulary? Mosalingua, Drops, Lingvist, & Brainscape.

Best French language learning apps for Grammar? Rocket Languages & LingoDeer.

Best French learning apps for Receptive Skills (Listening and Reading)? FluentU, Pimsleur French, French Today, News in Slow French, FrenchPod10, Beelinguapp.

Best French learning apps for Productive Skills (Speaking and Writing)? Busuu, Tandem, Speechling, & Mango Languages.

Best French language learning apps for Beginners and Kids? Nemo Languages, Gus on the Go, & MindSnacks.

Now, here’s a complete list of 21 top French language apps for avid readers who don’t trust internet connoisseurs and need a more detailed overview:

Best French Language Learning Apps Overall

Running ahead, I swear by Babbel for all my foreign languages. I picked it for Spanish back in the day and found it the best app to start with for any new language.

Babbel – The Best Starter App

The Babbel French app was developed by linguists and is highly structured. On the one hand, it's academic and suitable for students. On the other hand, the lessons are fun, easy to process, and aesthetically appealing.

Some people criticize Babbel’s superficial attitude toward every language skill. Others praise Babbel for treating all skills equally. I’m in the latter category. Such an approach gives users a well-rounded approach to learning French, especially when starting their language journey.

Pros:

• Equal attention to all language skills
• Speech recognition technology
• A lot of extralinguistic (cultural) input
• Focus on everyday scenarios in the lessons

Cons:

• Little gamification (not suitable for children)
• No activities for advanced learners

Pricing:

The subscription costs from $6.95 per month to $13.95 per month (depending on how far in advance you pay). Although I'm a strong proponent of Babbel, I highly recommend a free trial to see how you feel about it. P.S. Check this Babbel review and this Babbel review of mine.

Rosetta Stone – The Best Immersive App

A gem for immersive learning, the Rosetta Stone app makes you dive into French headfirst. You receive all instructions in French, listen to native French speakers, and repeat after them to finally start speaking French.

Although Rosetta Stone French lessons are bite-size and fast-moving, you receive a lot of input: cultural information, pronunciation feedback from native French speakers, spaced repetition for improved vocabulary learning, and a variety of interactive lessons.

P.S.: Check my detailed Rosetta review here if you're interested in pursuing this app's capabilities further.

Pros:

• A high-quality speech recognition mechanism
• Downloadable materials to use the app offline
• Fantastic extra materials in French
• A helpful set of revision activities

Cons:

• No explicit French grammar rules
• No unique visuals (e.g., Spanish and French would have the same images)

Pricing:

With Rosetta Stone French, you can pay monthly (app $12/month), yearly (app $179.99), or once for life (app $200). If you aren’t sure whether an immersive approach is the right one for you, go for the trial first.

Best Apps to Learn French Vocabulary

Flashcard apps are my passion. I'm a vocabulary nerd who needs to learn the weirdest words from a new language. Here are my top picks for French.

MosaLingua – Great Vocab-and-Culture Blend

I appreciate MosaLingua French as a flashcard app, but it also stands out due to the cultural component. This is the aspect that helps it win this category. The platform does a fantastic job of combining useful everyday French words and cultural extras – videos, books, and songs.

This French learning app gives you access to a hands-free mode, which, along with a user-friendly design, allows for minute-long learning moments while you're waiting in a queue or traffic jam.

Pros:

• Huge flashcard library & ease of making decks
• Logical and easy-to-follow structure
• A large pool of language extras
• Blend of vocabulary and French culture

Cons:

• Separate apps for every language (I have three MosaLinguas)
• Not the best app for intense language learning

Pricing:

MosaLingua is quite affordable and charges between $4.99 and $9.99 (depending on whether you use it as a website or an app). For $59.90, you can get an annual subscription.

Drops – The Best App for Visual Vocabulary Learners

The Drops app has a sleek interface. It teaches French vocabulary by means of interactive activities and quizzes. The users match animated phrases with French translations in a fast-paced manner. One doesn’t get bored easily.  

As much as I like Drops for its vocabulary selection and offline mode, it can't function as an effective self-standing French app. I'd rather view Drops as an additional tool if you already use Babbel or any other complete course app to learn French.

Pros:

• Self-regulating intensity and control of time investment
• Well-selected French vocabulary
• Dynamic French lessons
• An effective spaced repetition algorithm

Cons:

• No French grammar input
• Only effective for French vocabulary use

Pricing:

The Drops app offers a free five-minute lesson daily. For a hard-core journey, it charges approximately $13 per month. Try the free short lessons first, I’d say. I know people who aren’t fascinated by Drops as much as I am.

Lingvist – Perfect for Minimalists

Lingvist French is a great flashcard app: it contains logical categories, follows a spaced repetition mechanism, and offers lots of useful topics and new words.

It works wonders as a French app for a quick language shower – Lingvist promises to teach you 4,000 new French words in just four months. With this lesson format, you also learn French on the go, so this app helps you make good use of your time. P.S. Here's my detailed review of Lingvist.

Pros:

• Easy-to-follow French lessons
• Tools to make your own deck
• Useful grammar tips
• Engaging language challenges

Cons:

• No focus on listening or speaking skills
• No visuals in your own decks

Pricing:

Lingvist charges $9.99 per month or $6.67 per month for the annual subscription. If you ask me, the price is more than fair for the French skills you acquire.

Brainscape – The Best App for a Bunch of Disciplines

Brainscape is a fantastic tool in a variety of disciplines: from law to algebra. I view it as a great way to revise before an exam or a trip abroad.

Brainscape looks neat and has a logical structure to its language levels and decks. It also gives you an opportunity to create your own decks with topics and sub-topics. For instance, you can create a whole level of French (French A1.1) with categories in French grammar and vocabulary followed by topics (e.g., verbs, articles; traveling, fashion) and subtopics (e.g., regular verbs, definite articles; vacation, shopping).

Pros:

• A user-friendly design
• Highly structured and easy-to-create decks
• A large pool of ready flashcards
• Effective spaced repetition

Cons:

• Not suitable for speaking and listening practice
• Less developed (in foreign languages) than other flashcard apps

Pricing:

Brainscape offers a free version and a pro version (at $9.99/month).

Best Apps to Learn French Grammar

Rocket French – Best for Grammar Geeks

Rocket French enjoys a great reputation and is one of the most frequently bought language courses. I used Rocket Languages for some time for every target language, and I found out I liked it most for the grammar focus. Nicely woven into the cultural context, it makes learning easy and fun.

Supported by video and audio materials as well as flashcards, Rocket French is quite well-rounded and pays off for French language learners who are pressed for time and need to reach the pre-intermediate level fast and without much stress. If I were to choose only one grammar app for all languages, that would be this one.

Pros:

• Clear-cut grammar tips
• Culture-focused audio and video materials
• A workable flashcard approach with nicely selected French words
• Valuable tips on how to mingle with native French speakers

Cons:

• Not the best French app for visual learners (few images)
• Not immersive enough (extensive English explanations)

Pricing:

Rocket French requires that you buy a complete level ($149.95) or a complete course ($259.90). You can't get a monthly subscription, unlike with other apps.

LingoDeer – Great for Structure Nerds

LingoDeer offers everything in one place: from grammar to quizzes. It never gets boring or monotonous.

French apps that focus on grammar are such a rarity in the language market that LingoDeer is a real find. You can use it easily as a complete beginner because the rules are well explained, and there's a vast possibility to apply each of them. This is the only app that got me going on French verbs. Thanks, LingoDeer!

Pros:

• Perfect grammar sections
• Gamified vocab and grammar activities
• Suitable for complete French newbies
• Created by experienced French tutors

Cons:

• No materials beyond the lower intermediate
• Many phrases are out of context

Pricing:

One month of LingoDeer would cost you $13.99. You can save lots of money if you commit to it. Mind that you can get a complete refund if you don’t enjoy your user experience after a few days.

Best French Apps for Receptive Skills (Listening and Reading)

FluentU – Fantastic for YouTube Lovers

The best app I’ll never stop using, FluentU saves me from wasting valuable time with YouTube while using…YouTube. How does it work? You watch videos that are transformed into comprehensive, interactive audio lessons.

I swear by this app as a teacher, too. It allows me to make my own flashcards and it feels like a fun activity. Check my FluentU review here for ideas about how to use it in class and for comparisons with other apps, here. A big advantage is that FluentU covers everyone – from beginners to advanced French language learners, so you’ll never outgrow the app.

Pros:

• A huge selection of materials with useful filters
• Ease of creating and customizing flashcards
• Lots of visual materials for French learners
• High-quality, interactive audio lessons

Cons:

• Insufficient attention to speaking and writing
• No grammar explanations

Pricing:

The FluentU subscription now costs $29.99 per month, but you don’t have to pay separately for every new language you start. I’m using FluentU for four languages at the time, so it totally pays off.

Pimsleur – Best for Gradual Immersion

A few decades old, Pimsleur is still ranked as the #1 language app in many reviews. Mine is not an exception. It is indeed a scientifically valid method, and many language enthusiasts swear by it.

You listen to audio lessons by native speakers, emulate them, and repeat their phrases following the spaced repetition tool. Pimsleur French, just like Pimsleur German or Spanish, offers manageable but very dense lessons that boost your conversational skills. I discuss Pimsleur here.

Pros:

• Easy-to-follow interactive lessons
• A scientifically proven method
• A focus on listening and emulating French speakers
• Useful conversational French phrases

Cons:

• Too much English (50% of the lesson)
• Rather slow (not suitable for learners who prefer pace)

Pricing:

Pimsleur charges $119 for a complete French level or $14.99 per month. As the approach isn't suitable for everyone, try the 7-day free version first to be on the safe side.

FrenchPod101 – Best for Podcast Lovers

I always say podcasts perform magic for your language skills. They’re easy to listen to on the go, and they don’t feel like learning. You fool your brain by telling it you’re having fun while stuffing it with tons of useful French vocabulary, grammar structures, and cultural knowledge.

FrenchPod101 is well structured and enhanced with extra materials. Apart from listening to podcasts per se, you’ll have a chance to read the news and watch some video content featuring native speakers.  The app is regularly updated, so you can always stay on track with things going on in the world while learning French. You kill two birds with one stone, as they say.

Pros:

• Engaging content and great format
• Lots of textual and visual extras
• Useful filters to find suitable content
• Tutoring service for a fee

Cons:

• Not suitable for advanced French learners
• Spammy emails

Pricing:

You can enjoy a 7-day trial or get a paid subscription at $8 per month.

News in Slow French – Best for Staying Tuned

Similar to FrenchPod101, News in Slow French is a great pastime app that doubles as an app to learn French. It's available on Android and Apple devices, but the website version is more complete.

What I love about this podcast app is that it doesn't offer any artificially created news – you listen to adapted, slower news from the most popular world outlets. It’s one of the best apps to learn French while learning about global events.

Pros:

• A great and engaging format
• Three levels of difficulty
• Grammar explanations and other extras
• Linguistic clubs and other fun events

Cons:

• No textual materials
• No focus on speaking

Pricing:

There's a 7-day trial, after which the paid version costs $19.99 per month.

French Today – Best for Improving Language Confidence

French Today is an app that commits to teaching you conversational French within months. The app offers audio lessons, but you can access some textual materials – books, exercises, spreadsheets, and the like.

What I like about this app is its bilingual stories and learning novels. You become familiar with characters, follow them on their journey, and accumulate tons of vocabulary without even noticing it. The app has many extras, such as French Skype lessons and Q&A sessions.

Pros:

• Teaches French in context
• Many levels of difficulty
• Downloadable materials and an offline mode
• Fun illustrations for visual learners

Cons:

• Not a comprehensive course app to learn French
• Spammy upsells

Pricing:

The app is free of charge, but you don’t get much in this basic version. Try it out and decide on useful adds-on as you progress.

Beelinguapp – For Bookworms Learning French

Beelinguapp French is based on the parallel text method – you read a text in French and in English, which is an effective way to trace syntax and grammar differences.

Beelinguapp is great in that it allows for both reading texts (with audio) and listening to texts (with or without a text). You then have a chance to practice vocabulary in quizzes. Due to this variety of activities, you build a solid vocabulary base rather rapidly (of course if you’re a diligent learner with some motivation).

Pros:

• A neuroscience-backed approach
• Interesting texts and useful vocabulary
• Great for both reading and listening
• Learning the target language in context

Cons:

• Every language course is paid separately
• No focus on writing or speaking skills

Pricing:

Beelinguapp is quite affordable. You can either go with an ad-filled free version or a premium plan for only $1.99/month

Best French Language Apps for Productive Skills (Speaking and Writing)

Busuu – Best for Writing

Busuu emulates flashcard language apps in how it reminds you to do revisions. It’s unique though in how it helps you boost your writing skills in French. Seriously, Busuu wins as the productive skill resource by a mile!

The Busuu app community has many native speakers who are ready to correct your writing or serve as your speaking partners. If you use everything Busuu offers, you can also view it as a comprehensive course (there are even certificates of completion available). Read more here.

Pros:

• A solid focus on writing and corrections
• Attention to four language skills
• An active community to establish speaking and writing in tandem
• Language certificates of completion

Cons:

• Much English input (not for an immersive learning process)
• Some waiting for feedback or corrections

Pricing:

Busuu offers a free limited version as well as paid plans starting at $6.76 per month.

Mango Languages – Best for Contextual Learning

Mango Languages is an app that teaches French with a proven methodology of intuitive language construction. It bombards you with real-life situations and relatable dialogues.

The six pillars of the app are pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, retention, and French culture. I find it highly effective that you get lots of context for all new words and grammatical topics. Nothing is taught in isolation.

Pros:

• A workable methodology
• Attention to six aspects of language learning
• Highly contextual experience
• Suitable for a complete French newbie

Cons:

• Nothing for advanced learners
• No writing practice

Pricing:

Mango French has a free version, but it’s pretty limited. I’d say pay $7.99 per month to enjoy its full potential. Otherwise, it’s not worth it.

Speechling – Best for Pronunciation

Speechling is a non-profit app that helps you reach French fluency and practice speaking French.

The app uses professional native actors to help you build proper pronunciation and challenges you to either repeat after them (at the beginner’s level) or interact with community members and tutors (at further levels of competence). What I appreciate most is that you're assigned a human tutor (a native French speaker), who will comment on your ideas, mistakes, pronunciation, grammar, and other aspects. Read my detailed Speechling review here.

Pros:

• Human feedback at a reasonable price
• Professional audio materials
• Compatibility with Anki flashcards
• Scholarships available as part of your membership

Cons:

• No course plan or clear structure
• No placement test

Pricing:

Speechling is, for the largest part, free of charge. At $19.99 per month though, you can benefit from unlimited tutoring.

Tandem – Great for Language Exchange

All language skills are equal, but some are just more equal than others if you plan to travel to the country and need a language shower. Tandem will boost your language confidence rapidly.

It works like Tinder, but you search for language partners instead of romantic partners. Say you're going to France. You can filter out people by country and even region (we all know there are dialogs and language varieties all over the world), and practice speaking with them. Due to the video, text, and audio tools Tandem offers, your conversations can take all kinds of formats.

Pros:

• Useful communication tools
• Tutor service available for a fee
• A workable free version
• Authentic conversations native language exchange partners

Cons:

• Tinder-ish feel and hidden motifs of some users
• Lack of commitment to learning French

Pricing:

Tandem is a free language exchange app, but you can choose packages of $2.92 to $6.99 a month for an ad-free experience with some extras.

Best French Language Apps for Beginners and Kids

Nemo Languages – Best for Learning French Without Commitment

Nemo Languages is an app designed to try the French waters. It doesn’t have any structure or classic lessons. You can start and end a Nemo French lesson anytime and anywhere, without much commitment. Why is it my winner for kids? Well, it's fun. and free. That's about right for a start.

Nemo Languages is suitable for complete French beginners, and it helps you emulate native French speakers quickly and easily due to the Speech Studio. You'll speak French after a few sessions, albeit not perfectly.

Pros:

• Downloadable materials and an offline mode
• Suitable for newbies
• Great to work on pronunciation
• Fun format and easy to use

Cons:

• Not a complete French course
• Requires some self-discipline

Pricing:

Nemo Languages is completely free, and I encourage you to test it. You don’t lose anything, right?

Gus on the Go – For Kids Learning French Vocabulary

It’s the best way to teach your kids some French before going on a trip to a French-speaking country. Say you’re learning the language with an "adult" app. They'll be motivated by your example, but they still need a fun and gamified experience.

The app includes 10 lessons with interactive vocabulary quizzes, stories with fun animals, and pronunciation drills created with young learners in mind.

Pros:

• Affordable and easy to use
• Suitable for the youngest learners
• Gamified lessons
• Well-selected vocabulary and interesting stories

Cons:

• Not a complete French course
• Requires some parental supervision

Pricing:

Gus on the Go only costs $3.99 per month. Let your kid try it out!

MindSnacks – For a Gamified Experience

MindSnacks is an app for IOS users who like games and interactive activities, be they adults or young learners.

The app takes you on a ride with nine fun vocabulary games focusing on key topics like transportation, food, and others. There are flash games, match games, and other traditional language activities, albeit designed in a trendy way. I love testing this app for various languages together with my kids. A true gem for a whole family learning languages.

Pros:

• A great design and easy-to-follow format
• Suitable for the whole family
• Interesting games and useful vocabulary
• Many languages available

Cons:

• No access to writing or speaking
• Not a complete French course

Pricing:

MindSnacks has a free plan and in-app purchases starting at $4.99.

Finals Thoughts on the Best Apps to Learn French

There’s no one-size-fits-all app to learn French. The ones I listed in this article are crème de la crème in the market though. While I cannot guarantee you’ll fall in love with each of these apps, you’ll defo like at least two or three, and that’s a good start.

Spoiler alert: We’re at the finish line with our Flying Languages App. It’s going to be a decent competitor against these and other apps. Stay tuned and see whether you want to try it out and enjoy a fantastic language journey.