The Best Language Learning Software Deals This Week*
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What language do you want to learn? Have you already learned a little, or are you a blank slate? Is your goal to know the language so well that you can speak, hear, read, and write it, or do you want to start with just one of those goals? Does the language you’re learning use a different script? Is it hard for you to make unfamiliar sounds?
Answering all these questions is crucial to finding the right language learning apps—yes, apps, plural. If you want to make real progress with a language, whether you’re learning for school, travel, family, or personal enrichment, you need a variety of tools.
As with all kinds of education, learning a language takes dedication. Picking the right tools sets you up for success. With that in mind, we’ve gathered the best language learning apps we’ve tested to set you up for success. Read on for our top picks, as well as everything you need to consider when choosing the right app (or apps) for you.
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Rosetta Stone
Best for Paid Instruction
Why We Picked It
Rosetta Stone is one of the best software programs for learning a language you can find, especially for beginners. It excels at introducing new words and basic grammar, like conjugation and agreement, in a way that’s compelling. When learning is going well, you don’t even realize all the work that has gone into creating a program that introduces you to new ideas at the right time, and that’s a huge part of what makes Rosetta Stone so good. Rosetta Stone also does an excellent job of getting you to commit to learning and studying for about 30 minutes per day with its wonderfully clear and structured lessons, which are laid out in an order you should follow.
Who It’s For
Rosetta Stone is best for beginners and some students at the early intermediate level. Once you know a language well enough to converse a little and read with some fluidity, you’re probably beyond what Rosetta Stone has to offer. But when you’re just getting started with a new language and are still uncomfortable with it, that’s when Rosetta Stone is best.
PROS
- Excellent user experience
- Highly intuitive
- Polished interface on desktop and mobile
- Optional online tutoring sessions
- Great bonus content
CONS
- No placement test
- Repetitive at times
Duolingo
Best for Free Language Learning
Why We Picked It
There really is no better free language learning app than Duolingo. Having tested dozens of language learning apps, we have no doubt that Duolingo would still be one of the best if you paid for it—which you can do if you prefer to have a slightly improved experience with no ads, a special mode for practicing your mistakes, and other perks. What makes Duolingo so good? The content is strong, and the design of the app makes it so that you can pick up and practice for a few minutes per day or sit down for longer study sessions. We love Duolingo’s podcasts and Stories feature for the languages that have it. No matter what other tools you use to learn a language, you should incorporate Duolingo for daily practice.
Who It’s For
Duolingo really is great for all language students. It’s available on all major platforms and works great on mobile devices. You can learn as many languages as you want for free, and there are more than 30 languages to choose from. It works very well for beginners and intermediate level students. And it’s free. How can you go wrong with that?
PROS
- Free
- Excellent podcasts
- Clear structure, great exercises
- No limit to how many languages you can learn
- Lets you test out of lessons that are too easy
CONS
- Quantity of material varies among languages
- Grammar lessons could be more prominently placed
Sign It ASL
Best for Learning ASL
Why We Picked It
We tested quite a few apps and websites for learning American Sign Language, and Sign It ASL is by far the best. Working through a lesson feels a little like watching a television show because there are segments with characters who essentially perform short skits in ASL with narration and closed captioning to help you learn. After each skit are interactive sessions for practicing and quizzing yourself on what you’ve learned. Sign It ASL includes a lot of information about etiquette, culture, and other aspects of ASL that are essential to learning this language, and it does so wonderfully.
Who It’s For
Sign It ASL is for teen and adult learners looking to learn American Sign Language. Because Sign It uses both narration and closed captioning, you can be hard of hearing or deaf and use this program. You can also be hearing. The team that makes Sign It ASL also has programs and YouTube videos for young children learning ASL called Signing Time(Opens in a new window). Sign It ASL is also appropriate for parents and family members of deaf infants and very young children who will need adult support in acquiring the language as they grow, and there’s a special application process(Opens in a new window) for those parents to get Sign It ASL for free.
PROS
- Excellent content and compelling format
- Accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people
- Free for parents of deaf children under 36 months
- Wonderful cast of instructors and actors
- Buy once, own forever
CONS
- No mobile apps
- Small improvements to interactive quiz design would help
Lingoda
Best for Group Classes
Why We Picked It
Lingoda offers small group and one-on-one classes via Zoom for very reasonable prices. More importantly, however, the classes are highly structured. You get PDFs of all the materials before the class, and the instructor works their way through the same PDF during the class. What Lingoda offers is completely different from tutoring, where a student often brings to the table topics they want to practice or learn. In Lingoda, however, the class material is set ahead of time, and students work their way through all the classes in a particular level before advancing to the next one.
Who It’s For
Lingoda is one of very few online language learning programs that’s appropriate for beginners, intermediate, and advanced level students. If you’ve studied a language for several years but need so-called maintenance classes, Lingoda will do the trick. If you’re just starting out with a language, Lingoda is also suited for you—although do expect to work on the language in your own time to supplement the practice you get in Lingoda. We don’t recommend using only Lingoda for new speakers. Pair it with another class or learning app to get the best results.
PROS
- Affordable
- Small group and one-on-one language classes via Zoom
- Qualified, enthusiastic instructors
- Excellent learning materials
- Placement test provided
CONS
- Classes for only a few languages
- Doesn’t include a software-based course
Fluenz
Best for Instructor-Led Videos
Why We Chose It
If you’ve ever tried Rosetta Stone and felt that it just wasn’t for you, Fluenz is the best alternative. It is just as good as Rosetta Stone at teaching beginners and intermediate level students what they need to know about a language, but the teaching approach is completely different. In Fluenz, you get a virtual instructor in short class-style videos. Then you move into interactive practice modules, which are tougher than Rosetta Stone’s and don’t use the deductive method of learning that gives Rosetta Stone its unique feel.
Who It’s For
If you learn better with a teacher than a game-like app, then Fluenz is for you. It’s best for beginner and intermediate-level students. Fluenz doesn’t offer too many languages, however, only Chinese (Mandarin with Pinyin only), French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Latin American Spanish, and European Spanish.
PROS
- Excellent core content
- Well suited for beginners and for long-term use
- Thorough
- App design prevents distractions
CONS
- Limited number of languages
- Only basic voice recording
- No live web classes
Babbel
Best for Challenging Content
Why We Picked It
Babbel has a web app and mobile apps that help you learn and practice a new language at your own pace, even if that pace is quite fast. Interactive exercises can feel tedious at times, but they are also more challenging than what most other language apps offer. With Babbel, you learn concepts, words, and phrases unique to the language at hand—it’s not a cookie-cutter course for each language, the way many of its competitors are. Bring a pen to take notes, and get ready to learn a lot.
Who It’s For
Babbel is best for people who find learning languages somewhat easy, possibly people who grew up speaking two or more languages and are now studying a language in a familiar language family. This app is tough, so if you find most language learning apps to be too easy or too slow, then Babbel is one you should try.
PROS
- Useful and challenging content
- Inexpensive
- Helpful instructional blurbs for true beginners
- High quality lessons that are unique to each language
- Podcasts available for some languages
CONS
- Total amount of content varies by language
- Needs a better visual layout of Topics and lessons completed
Pimsleur
Best for Audio-Based Learning
Why We Picked It
Pimsleur uses a unique teaching method developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, for whom the program is named. The Pimsleur method introduces you to words and concepts, has you repeat them, and then waits a specific amount of time before asking you to recall them again. The idea is that these timed intervals between moments of learning and recall strengthen your memory. Pimsleur courses have great content to boot.
Who It’s For
Some adult learners start up with a new language and have a really hard time with pronunciation because they continue to say the letters and sounds they see as if they were in their native tongue. For those people, Pimsleur is exceptional. Pimsleur gives you the opportunity to hear words and practice saying them before you see them. This audio-focused language app is also ideal for people who need to practice a language while multi-tasking or who simply prefer audio-based learning. Pimsleur has courses for beginner, intermediate, and upper intermediate level students.
PROS
- Excellent for learning to speak and understand spoken languages
- Superbly structured
- Programs for 50 languages, plus ESL courses
CONS
- A primarily audio-based service, with PDFs; doesn’t teach reading or writing
- Expensive
- Digital version with interactive exercises only covers eight languages
Rype
Best for Inexpensive Tutoring
Why We Picked It
Rype is an online marketplace where language students find tutors and then sign up for low-cost sessions. We like that you can find tutors in a variety of languages with plenty of availability for a very good rate. It makes finding a tutor and attending a lesson extremely convenient.
Who It’s For
Because Rype offers tutoring and not classes, it’s best for language learners who are not true beginners. Intermediate level speakers and higher will get the most out of Rype. If you’re a beginner level speaker who’s at least ready to have short conversations or you have specific questions about the language that you want answered, then Rype may be a good option.
PROS
- Inexpensive one-on-one tutoring
- Good tools for finding instructors
CONS
- Short sessions
- May take time to find the right instructor
| Sold By | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Rype | $59.99 Per Month for 6 Month Plan of Daily 4 Hour Private Lessons |
See It (Opens in a new window) |
Transparent Language Online
Best for Rare Languages
Why We Picked It
Where do you turn when you need to learn a language that other language apps don’t teach? Go to Transparent. It specializes in courses and lessons that teach boutique and hard-to-find languages. The amount of content for languages varies greatly, however. Transparent is better than some other language apps in terms of its speaking and listening exercises. It is more expensive than many other apps, and generally speaking, it’s more challenging.
Who It’s For
Transparent Language is for people who can’t find the language they need to learn anywhere else. The only other app that offers close to as many languages as Transparent is Mango Languages, and Transparent is hands-down better.
PROS
- Offers instruction in more than 100 languages
- Clear learning path and structure
- Excellent speech analysis
- Appropriately challenging
CONS
- Writing and spelling exercises could be more polished
- Some languages have more content than others
- Pricier than others
Yabla
Best for Video-Based Learning
Why We Picked It
Unlike most other language learning apps and services, Yabla takes a video-first approach. Diving into Yabla’s material is more like going to YouTube than cracking open a text book. You learn by watching videos, some of which are in the style of a language learning lesson but many others are just interesting content—music videos, cooking segments, travel shows—in the language you’re learning. What makes Yabla different from YouTube, however, is the interactive questions you can answer after you finish a video to test what you learned.
Who It’s For
While Yabla has some content for beginners, we think it’s best for intermediate and higher speakers. Beginners with a few months of learning under their belt would do all right with Yabla too. It’s refreshing for people who have grown tired of other language learning apps that drill you in the standard listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar lessons.
PROS
- Excellent for sharpening language-listening skills
- Provides exposure to new words and expressions
- Uses a variety of speakers and accents
- Videos with conversational pace
CONS
- Lacks structure
- Inconsistent quality
- Few languages offered
Buying Guide: The Best Language Learning Apps for 2023
What Is the Best Language Learning Software?
The best language learning app depends on what your needs are. With apps and online services for language learning, you can learn at your own pace and wherever you’re most comfortable. The trick is figuring out what you need to work on at different stages.
Practical Tips for Successful Schooling at Home
When you first start out, you might like a program that tells you exactly what to study for an intensive 30 minutes per day. Rosetta Stone and Fluenz are both exceptional at that. Add in a mobile app with more bite-sized content so you can refresh your memory in short bursts. Duolingo is especially good for practicing on the go, as is the study aid Quizlet.
Some people find that looking at written language trips up their pronunciation. In that case, you might be better off starting with an audio-focused program, such as Pimsleur or Michel Thomas.
If you’re already an intermediate or advanced speaker, small group classes or one-on-one conversations with a tutor are excellent options. Lingoda offers one-hour small classes and one-on-one sessions, all conducted over Zoom. Rype is similar but instead focuses on one-on-one tutoring in 30-minute sessions. Not quite ready to converse? Try Yabla, a site that’s flush with videos of native speakers, which can help you acclimate your ear and expand your vocabulary.
Sometimes you need resources that are specific to the language you’re learning. For example, when learning American Sign Language, you really need either a live instructor or videos. Sign It ASL, an online course whose video lessons have the feel of a television show is extremely effective.
Similarly, for languages with a script that’s new to you, it’s best to find an app that includes content for teaching reading and writing. In some cases, you might pick up two apps, one that focuses solely on reading and writing and another that teaches speaking and listening. There are plenty of apps that teach only writing for Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Mandarin, Hindi, and other non-Roman scripts.
What Are Your Learning Preferences?
One of the hardest parts about learning a language is that if you succeed 100 percent of the time, it’s not difficult enough. If it’s too easy, you’re not learning. This is uncomfortable for many people, but it’s another reason you need to explore all your options and language learning apps and resources that match your skill level.
For example, podcasts are a great way to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Babbel and Duolingo both offer podcasts. If you can understand about 80 percent of what’s being said, that’s right where you need to be. If you’re not into podcasts in the first place, you might get frustrated and give up.
A few apps, including Lingoda, offer placement tests so you can find out which level is the most appropriate place for you to start.
Let’s look at some of the best language learning apps in more depth.
Duolingo is the best free language learning app, offering bite-sized interactive sessions.
(Credit: PCMag)
What Is the Best Free Language Learning App?
The best free app for learning a language is Duolingo, hands down. We recommend it enthusiastically no matter your level or language goals, as it has just about everything.
It’s available as a web app and mobile app, and it works well whether you’re a total beginner or already have experience. You can study as many languages as you like on Duolingo. It has more than 30 languages with instruction in English, plus more options if your preferred language of instruction is something other than English.
If you’re not a beginner, Duolingo lets you take a placement test to find the right place to start. It also makes it easy to practice specific skills because it has lessons that focus not only on vocabulary themes (Family, Hobbies) but also on verb tenses and grammatical rules (Past Imperfect, Dative Case).
You can practice exercises in bite-size lessons or explore content for intermediate and advanced speakers, including Stories and podcasts, which are only available for some languages. Duolingo also has some gamification aspects, too, so you can set a goal for yourself and compete against others. The more you hit your goal, the more bonus points you earn. It’s a wonderful app that’s totally free. You can support Duolingo by paying for a Premium account, but it’s not necessary to get everything this app has to offer.
Is Rosetta Stone Worth the Price?
Rosetta Stone is the most polished language learning app, with plenty of extras. Among paid programs, it continues to be our top pick, with Fluenz being a close second. Rosetta Stone is reliable, accurate, and thorough, with more than 20 languages. We like its rigor, especially for beginners. You know exactly what to do every day, and you can plan to spend about 30 minutes per day completing your lesson. If you follow this routine, Rosetta Stone has enough content to keep you busy for months.
Rosetta Stone uses an immersion teaching style in its interactive software.
(Credit: PCMag)
Rosetta Stone is ideal for anyone new to a language looking to develop a strong base of vocabulary and grammar. It’s well-structured, clear, and moves at a deliberate pace. Use Rosetta Stone faithfully for a few months, and you’ll learn to speak, read, write, and understand basic words and phrases.
New bonus material ranges from short instructional videos to live streaming classes. You can also find games plus small-class tutoring via video call for an extra fee.
The Best Language Learning Software With a Virtual Teacher
Some learners do best when they have an instructor to guide them. When you’re starting with a language, seeing another human being speak it, watching their facial movements, and seeing their smile can make it feel less intimidating. Fluenz gets it. This program uses videos of a teacher to introduce new lessons and review concepts, then follows them up with interactive learning exercises and quizzes. It’s as rigorous as Rosetta Stone, but it has a completely different learning approach, which some people may prefer.
Fluenz has prerecorded video-based lessons with an instructor, plus interactive exercises.
(Credit: PCMag)
As Fluenz progresses, the instructor walks you through lessons in not only pronunciation and grammar but culture, too. If you learn best when you see a familiar face, Fluenz is a great program to pick. The company also sells an enticing Spanish immersion program(Opens in a new window), which can be virtual or live in Mexico or Barcelona, travel restrictions permitting.
Fluenz offers seven language courses: Chinese (Mandarin with Pinyin writing), French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Latin American Spanish, and European Spanish.
Lingoda’s small group classes are limited to five students.
(Credit: PCMag)
The Best Language App for Group Classes and to Practice Speaking
Lingoda is our top pick for live, video-based group classes designed to get you speaking. With Lingoda, you take a placement test and then commit to a package of classes, which you pay for upfront. Classes take place over Zoom and are limited to five students. One-on-one sessions are also available for a higher per-class cost.
The curriculum and levels used in Lingoda are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Lingoda offers classes in French, German, Spanish, English, and Business English.
Babbel is the best language learning app for people who like challenging content.
(Credit: PCMag)
What Is the Most Challenging Language Instruction App?
One app stands out for having lessons that are harder than others: Babbel. While testing this app, we kept a notebook by our side and quickly filled it with words and phrases just to keep up. Not everyone can jump into tough language learning content, but some people can and like it.
For example, if you’re learning a language that’s linguistically close to the one you already speak, such as German and Dutch or Spanish and Portuguese, tougher content might be best for you. Additionally, experienced language learners might find Babbel’s content just the right speed.
Babbel has 13 languages, assuming your language of instruction is English. You can learn Danish, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. There’s also a course for learning English, with instruction available in French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish.
If you’ve studied a language before and find that most language learning apps are too easy, you might want to try an app that gives you movies and TV shows in your target language, plus some tools to help you learn the words, phrases, and expressions that are new to you. Two good apps offer this: Yabla and Lingopie (which didn’t score high enough to be included in our final list of the 10 best language apps). Both Yabla and Lingopie let you watch videos with the option to show closed captioning in the native language as well as English subtitles. You can look for content from a particular country or region if you’re trying to acclimate your ear to a certain dialect or accent.
Yabla helps experienced learners practice listening and comprehension.
(Credit: PCMag)
What makes them different? Yabla offers six languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, plus an English program for Spanish speakers. When you sign up, you choose just one language. Lingopie has six languages as well (French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish). When you pay for an account, you get access to all the content in all the languages. Yabla has more interactive exercises for practicing the new words you learn, and in terms of genre, it offers both instructional learning videos and entertainment. Lingopie has only entertainment—no lessons on grammar or anything else—and only flashcards for interacting with new words you learn along the way.
The Best Audio-Focused Language Apps
If you’re the kind of person who can get immersed in podcasts and audiobooks, you might consider an audio-focused language learning program. Two that stand out are Pimsleur and Michel Thomas. (Michel Thomas did not score high enough to be included in our top ten.) Each is named after the person who created the learning technique used in the program. Both were sold as tapes, then CDs, and now as apps.
Pimsleur offers audio-focused lessons, plus interactive app content for select languages.
(Credit: PCMag)
Pimsleur, named for Dr. Paul Pimsleur, uses a spaced repetition method. In other words, the program uses specific intervals of time between when you first learn a word and when you’re asked to recall it, and these intervals are designed for maximum language retention. Each lesson takes about 30 minutes, and you’re supposed to do exactly one lesson per day. For select languages, you can find a version of the Pimsleur app with interactive exercises, too.
The method used in Michel Thomas is different. Michel Thomas was a polyglot who developed a method of informal teaching. It involves putting people into a classroom and teaching them words that can be used as building blocks. That way, you get to speaking quickly and can mix and match the words you’ve learned to say in several sentences. When you buy the Michel Thomas program, you hear the recording from one of these classrooms, and you’re supposed to play along as if you were there in person.
For learning a language that isn’t widely taught, Mango Languages is one of the best places to look.
(Credit: PCMag)
The Best Apps for Hard-to-Find Languages
Most language learning software is available for Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. What do you do if you need to learn Igbo or Ojibwe?
When you’re in a bind to find an app for a language you want to learn, there are two sources to try: Transparent Language Online and Mango Languages (which didn’t make the cut for this list). Transparent has programs for more than 100 languages. Some of those programs are short, but the company is adding to them over time. Mango Languages is an option if you’re stuck, though it’s not an app that I highly recommend. For some languages, however, it may be your only option.
Sign It ASL is the best service we’ve tested for learning American Sign Language.
(Credit: PCMag)
The Best App for Learning ASL
There are several useful apps for learning American Sign Language, but our clear favorite is Sign It ASL. This app meets the unique challenges of teaching fingerspelling as well as more complex signs, grammar, culture, and etiquette.
As you might guess, the content is entirely video-based, using pre-recorded and professionally produced videos. Sign It ASL manages to convey a lot of information in relatively long (up to an hour) video lessons that are entertaining and engaging.
However you choose to learn a language, stick with it! Don’t be afraid to change the app you use as you progress. When an app feels too easy, it’s time to stretch yourself in new ways.
If any of the apps in this list sounds right for you, click the link for an in-depth review. If you’re looking to learn something other than a language, from coding to sewing, see our roundup of the best online learning services.
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