Best French Learning Apps —
Honest Reviews

The gold standard for vocabulary retention

Anki uses spaced repetition — the scientifically proven method for long-term vocabulary retention. It shows you a card just before you're about to forget it, which means you review far less and remember far more. The desktop and Android versions are completely free. The iPhone app has a one-off cost but it's worth every cent. Download a pre-made "French Top 2000 Words" deck and review 10–15 minutes daily.

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The best subscription app for structured beginners

Babbel is the most structured of the major language learning apps. Unlike Duolingo, which gamifies at the expense of depth, Babbel feels more like a real course — with grammar explanations, dialogue practice, and cultural context. Lessons are typically 10–15 minutes, well-paced, and built around practical situations. Best for A1–B1 learners who want a structured daily practice tool.

Good for habits, not sufficient alone

Duolingo is the most downloaded language app in the world — and that's both its strength and its limitation. It's excellent for building a daily study habit and getting a feel for basic French. It's genuinely fun, especially for A1 learners. But it gamifies at the expense of real grammar instruction, rarely pushes you into productive output, and won't get you past A2 on its own. Use it alongside other resources, not instead of them.

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Best for pronunciation and spoken French

Pimsleur is a pure audio course — no reading, no writing. You listen to a lesson (30 minutes), respond to prompts, and repeat. The spaced repetition audio method is genuinely effective, particularly for pronunciation and spoken recall. Many learners find it excellent for getting their mouth accustomed to French sounds. Best for commuters, gym-goers, or anyone who wants to build spoken French without sitting at a desk.

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Find a tutor or language partner online

Nothing replaces real conversation practice, and italki is the most accessible way to get it. Book one-on-one sessions with professional French teachers or informal community tutors — from anywhere in the world. Even one session per month will accelerate your progress significantly. You can also find free language exchange partners if you want to practise without paying.

Get real feedback on your French pronunciation

Speechling is a pronunciation coaching app that does something no other app does: it lets you record yourself speaking French phrases, and a real human coach (or AI model) gives you personalised audio feedback. The free tier includes a set number of coached recordings per month. For learners who know their pronunciation is a weakness, this is the most direct way to fix it.