9 Best Apps to Learn French in 2025 (By Goal, Budget & Level)

If you want fast progress, pick the app that matches your goal (conversation, exam, travel, business) and pair it with a consistent routine. Below is a tested shortlist for 2025, grouped by who each app serves best—plus clear trade-offs so you don’t waste time bouncing between platforms.

How we chose (what actually matters)

• Speaking & pronunciation quality (real-time feedback, voice AI).

• CEFR alignment & certs (useful if you need A1–B2 proof).

• Lesson design (structured path vs. snackable practice).

• Offline use (commute or travel learning).

• Community & live practice (native conversations).

• Price clarity (free tier vs. paid depth).

• Feature velocity (are they still improving in 2025?).

The Winners

1) Duolingo — Best free starter & habit-builder

Why it’s a winner: It’s the strongest free on-ramp with daily streaks, quick lessons, and a steady flow of product updates. Duolingo broadened speaking and listening practice throughout the core path, which makes the free tier genuinely useful for beginners. Keep in mind: Gamified drills won’t push you into deep conversation; plan to add real speaking practice later. Good for: Absolute beginners, casual learning, maintaining a daily habit.

2) Babbel — Best structured curriculum (beginner → intermediate)

Why it’s a winner: Short lessons (≈10–15 minutes) follow a clear progression with grammar and cultural notes integrated. You get a predictable path that builds all four skills without guesswork. Keep in mind: It’s subscription-based; check current offers before committing.  Good for: Learners who want a school-like sequence they can finish.

3) Busuu — Best for CEFR-aligned progress & certificates

Why it’s a winner: Courses map to the CEFR framework and award A1–B2 certificates on completion—useful for study, visas, or employer proof. You also get speaking practice with community feedback. Keep in mind: Upper-advanced (C1+) coverage is selective; confirm for French if you’re already advanced. Good for: Goal-driven learners who want evidence of level achieved.

4) Pimsleur — Best for offline, hands-free conversation practice

Why it’s a winner: 30-minute audio lessons train you to speak out loud in realistic dialogues. The app has hands-free driving mode and true offline downloads, so you can learn on commutes and walks.  Keep in mind: Reading/writing are secondary; pair it with a text-heavy resource if you need grammar depth. Good for: Busy professionals, commuters, anyone who prefers learning by ear.

5) Rosetta Stone — Best for pronunciation coaching

Why it’s a winner: TruAccent gives immediate pronunciation scoring on each word/phrase. Lessons emphasize immersion, plus extra content like Stories and Phrasebook for travel prep. Keep in mind: The immersive method can feel slow if you crave explicit grammar explanations. Good for: Learners who want disciplined pronunciation and steady, bite-size progress.

6) Memrise — Best for real-world vocab with native-speaker video

Why it’s a winner: You learn from short video clips of native speakers, then practice with MemBot (AI chat) to use those words in context. Spaced repetition cements what you learn. Keep in mind: It’s fantastic for listening/lexis; add a grammar planner if you need structured “A1→A2→B1” progression. Good for: Building usable vocabulary and tuning your ear to real accents fast.

7) HelloTalk — Best for free community conversation (language exchange)

Why it’s a winner: It’s a huge language-exchange network where you chat with native speakers (text, voice notes, calls) and post to a social feed for corrections. Great for getting real feedback at zero cost.  Keep in mind: Conversation quality varies by partner; protect your privacy and curate who you interact with. Good for: Confident self-starters who want authentic practice without paying for lessons.

8) Tandem — Best for curated exchanges & on-demand tutors

Why it’s a winner: Profile reviews and filters (interests, location, goals) make it easier to find a compatible partner. You can also book paid sessions with community tutors inside the app. Keep in mind: Exchanges require initiative—set topics and goals to avoid small-talk loops. Good for: Learners who want both free partner chat and optional paid 1:1 sessions.

9) Clozemaster — Best for context-rich practice (beyond beginner)

Why it’s a winner: Thousands of fill-in-the-blank sentences drive vocabulary through context and spaced repetition; you can track progress by frequency and play in quick bursts. Keep in mind: It’s not a start-from-zero course; use it alongside a main curriculum. Good for: A2–B2 learners who need massive sentence exposure to unlock fluency.

Quick comparison (who should choose what)

Picking the right app (and avoiding dead ends)

1. Define your end state in CEFR terms. If you need verifiable progress (study, immigration, CV), choose Busuu for its A1–B2 certificates.

2. Match format to your life. Commute time? Go Pimsleur (offline/hands-free). If you only have 10 minutes, Babbel’s micro-lessons beat wishful marathon plans.

3. Front-load pronunciation. If your accent is frozen early, it’s hard to fix; Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent is strongest here. 

4. “Input flood,” then output. Use Memrise (native videos) to flood your ear, then push output via HelloTalk/Tandem for real conversations. 

5. Don’t over-app. Two primaries + one practice app is plenty (e.g., Babbel + Memrise + HelloTalk).

6. Reassess quarterly. If you’re not measurably advancing (CEFR test, mock exam, conversation length), change the mix.

Mini reviews (what you actually get)

Duolingo (Free, optional Plus):

• Strengths: habit engine, broadened speaking/listening lessons along the path.

• Gaps: light on freeform speaking; grammar depth varies by unit.

• Use it for: starting and sticking to a daily cadence.

Babbel (Paid):

• Strengths: tight lesson design, clear level sequence, pragmatic dialogues. 

• Gaps: fewer native-speaker videos than Memrise; subscription required.

• Use it for: dependable A1→B1 progress without planning.

Busuu (Free/Paid):

• Strengths: CEFR path + certificates; community corrections. 

• Gaps: certification tops out at B2; confirm French coverage if you’re advanced.

• Use it for: credible, trackable milestones.

Pimsleur (Paid):

• Strengths: offline downloads, hands-free driving mode, speaking-first habit. 

• Gaps: minimal reading/writing; slower for grammar-hungry learners.

• Use it for: commutes, walks, gym sessions.

Rosetta Stone (Paid):

• Strengths: TruAccent pronunciation scoring; immersive flow; bite-size lessons + Stories. 

• Gaps: less explicit grammar; patience required.

• Use it for: a clean, accent-focused foundation.

Memrise (Free/Paid):

• Strengths: native-speaker videos, MemBot AI chat, SRS for sticky vocab.

• Gaps: not a full CEFR syllabus; pair with a structured course.

• Use it for: making real-world phrases automatic.

HelloTalk (Free/Paid):

• Strengths: giant language-exchange community, instant feedback via posts/comments. 

• Gaps: variable partner quality; curate your feed and settings.

• Use it for: authentic conversation without cost.

Tandem (Free/Paid):

• Strengths: application review, filters for interests/level, and optional in-app tutors.

• Gaps: momentum depends on your initiative.

• Use it for: structured exchanges + occasional paid sessions.

Clozemaster (Free/Paid):

• Strengths: context sentences + SRS at scale; frequency-based tracking. 

• Gaps: not for absolute beginners.

• Use it for: power-drilling vocab once you reach A2.

Pricing & trials (why we’re not listing numbers)

Prices and bundles shift frequently (sales, lifetime deals, family plans). Before you buy, check the app’s current offer pages or app stores for French—most provide a free tier or trial so you can test fit first. 

Pro move: pair your app with real-world feedback

Apps get you 70–80% of the way, but live correction (pronunciation, word choice, flow) removes fossilized errors. Once you’ve chosen your app stack, add a weekly conversation partner (HelloTalk/Tandem) or a short 1:1 session with a professional tutor to accelerate speaking and keep you accountable. 

Bottom line

• New to French and budget-sensitive? Start with Duolingo, layer Memrise for real-world vocab, add HelloTalk for output. 

• Need a guided path? Choose Babbel (structure) or Busuu (structure + certificates).

• No time to stare at screens? Pimsleur for offline/drive-time learning, then Rosetta Stone to polish pronunciation.

• Already A2+? Keep your main course, but add Clozemaster to flood yourself with context sentences.

Choose one primary app, one practice app, and one conversation channel. Stick to them for 12 weeks. Reassess with a CEFR check or mock exam—and adjust with intent.