20 Best Apps to Learn French in 2020

From YouTube tutorials to private lessons and conversation exchanges, there is a myriad of resources available for all those interested in learning French. Some of them are paid, while others come at a low cost or are even free. Besides the resources we just mentioned, other great tools you can try are apps. That’s why today we’ll share with you the 20 best apps to learn French in 2020.

For purposes of this post, we only listed apps with 1 million+ downloads. These apps have good ratings from users for the most part. We’ve also tested them to see what the hype is about. Are they really that good? Should we consider the paid membership? What can we learn? Are they a waste of time? Can we learn a language by using them?

The apps were listed under different categories for your convenience. All of them are available on the Google Play store. Their ratings are based on a 5-star system. Are you still interested? Read on for more information.

Table of Contents

• 1. Duolingo
• 2. Memrise
• 3. French-English
• 4. Rosetta Stone
• 5. Babbel
• 6. Bluebird
• 7. Mondly
• 8. Drops
• 9. Busuu
• 10. HelloTalk
• 11. Learn French Vocabulary Free
• 12. Fun Easy Learn
• 13. French Verbs
• 14. Learn French Phrases
• 15. Beelinguapp
• 16. LyricsTraining
• 17. Le Bon Mot French
• 18. Innovative 101
• 19. Learn French Free for Beginners
• 20. Learn French, Speak French
• Final Thoughts

Gamified

1. Duolingo

Downloads: 100M+

Average user rating: 4.7★

Duolingo offers courses in 38 languages. It was not specifically designed for learning French, but it’s used by many people interested in learning that language. It’s one of the most downloaded language apps worldwide.

You will always find mixed reviews about Duolingo. Although many people love using it, others say it’s badly designed and is not effective for learning. The latter are usually teachers. I’ve seen many of them loathe this app and never recommend it.

Now, talking about the app functionality, it’s very easy to use. If you are into games, you will love it. Its creators gamified the app by making it interactive with audio and video and allowing its users to compete against others, earn badges, earn gems, and earn hearts. This makes it fun to use for all ages.

You’re given 5 hearts to start, but if you run out of them you will either have to wait for 5 hours for them to renew or upgrade. If you have enough gems, you can also renew your hearts. Think of hearts as lives. Keep in mind you can’t take any lessons if you don’t have any hearts left.

The app has a lot of ads (the free version, that is), it is very repetitive, and may teach you weird things. For example, one time it taught me how to ask if I was a horse. I don’t think that’s something you would need in real life lol. Also, your experience with the free version will be restricted since many lessons require a membership. However, I still think it’s worth checking out. Download it here.

Duolingo Plus price: $12.99 + tax/1 month, $47.99 + tax/6 months, and $83.99 + tax/12 months. 14-day free trial available.

2. Memrise

Downloads: 10M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

Memrise is similar to Duolingo. The gamified app is great for learning words and phrases. However, Memrise is severely limited for free users. Most features like pronunciation, listening skills, difficult words, and learning with locals are reserved for premium users.

Unlike Duolingo, Memrise is not as good for free users. If you’re a free user, you will only have access to Vocabulary Lists, Classic Reviews, and Speed Reviews. That’s all. To unlock the full experience you need a paid membership.

The app relies too much on translation, which can be counterproductive. Also, it only targets beginners and intermediate learners. Advanced learners will have to go look somewhere else. Other than that, I wouldn’t discard it altogether. Download it here.

Memrise Pro price: $8.99 + tax/1 month, $24.99 + tax/3 months, $89.99 + tax/12 months, and $139.99 + tax/lifetime.

3. French-English

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

This app is another one of my favorites. It comes with a dictionary, a translator, verb lists, and phrase lists. You can also take listening and writing tests to reinforce what you learned.

Some of the features I like most are the games/quizzes. They include matching pairs, unscrambling letters, filling in the blanks, true or false, finding hidden words, and a falling game where you have to beat the timer.

The app is technically free to use. Unless you don’t want any ads, I don’t see any other reason for going premium. Download the app here.

Premium upgrade: $1.29 + tax. It’s not clear if it’s a one-time fee or a recurring fee.

Traditional

4. Rosetta Stone

Downloads: 10M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

The ex-DVD language giant is another option. When you sign up, you have to indicate your purpose in learning French: travel, business, school, etc. Based on that information, the app will customize a course for you.

You can learn vocabulary, phrases, and grammar. Additionally, you can practice your listening skills and pronunciation by recording your voice. The app also allows you to take reviews about what you just learned.

A lot of the material is reserved for premium members. Free members get a limit of 30 minutes daily.

The app is somewhat repetitive and can get boring at times. Nonetheless, it’s still a good option. Download it here.

Unlimited price: $44.99 + tax/3 months, $109.99 + tax/12 months, and $199.99 + tax/lifetime.

5. Babbel

Downloads: 10M+

Average user rating: 4.4★

Babbel offers courses that range from Newcomer to Advanced. Some courses focus on grammar, listening/speaking, words/sentences, idioms, etc. Most courses are further subdivided into several individual lessons.

Babbel’s dialogues stand out. I like the fact that you can view new words in context. You don’t see just a sentence but rather, you can listen to full dialogues. On top of that, you have access to a few podcasts. This is great to improve your listening skills.

As with other apps, you can review what you just learned at the end of each lesson.

The only problem I find with Babbel is that it’s extremely limited for free users. No matter the course you choose, you will only have access to the first lesson of each course.

Want to try it out? Download it here.

Subscription: $12.95 + tax/1 month, $26.85 + tax/3 months, $44.70 + tax/6 months, and $83.40 + tax/12 months.

6. Bluebird

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.4★

Bluebird features a daily lesson. However, you’re not limited to just that. You can also learn core vocabulary, essential verbs, phrases for all occasions, and create sentences. Each lesson comes with audio that you can accelerate or slow down as you desire. If you struggle with pronunciation, you can use the pronunciation guide tool within each lesson. You can also take quizzes to test your knowledge at the end of each lesson.

The free version is not as restricted as other similar apps, making it one of the best options on the market. Bonus: the app is compatible with Chromecast so you can cast your phone screen to a TV and rest your eyes a bit. Download the app here.

Unlimited price: $9.99 + tax/1 month and $99.99 + tax/1 year.

Quick Sessions

7. Mondly

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.7★

Unless you go premium, your experience as a free user will be very limited. You will only have access to a daily lesson. Each lesson is really short and repetitive. You have to answer multiple-choice questions or fill in the blanks. Every time you complete all 7 daily lessons, you will be able to access the weekly quiz. There are also monthly challenges you can access once you complete all weekly quizzes.

The app is simple and easy to use. It comes with many lessons about different subjects, but you will have to go premium to take advantage of it. Get it now and start learning!

Mondly Premium price: $9.99 + tax/1 month and $47.99 + tax/1 year.

8. Drops

Downloads: 5M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

Don’t be fooled by the description. There are many available languages, French being one of them. This app aims at teaching vocabulary and phrases in 5-minute “drops” daily, the free version that is. For unlimited sessions, you need a premium membership.

This gamified app is great for visual learners, although it’s somewhat repetitive. If you’re not a beginner, you might not find it useful. Download it here.

Drops Premium price: $9.99 + tax/1 month, $39.99 + tax/1 year, and $159.99 + tax/lifetime.

Social

9. Busuu

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.4★

Busuu allows you to choose between 4 courses: Complete French (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), French Pronunciation, French for Travel, and French for Business.

Many activities like grammar units, pronunciation exercises, conversations, and quizzes are locked for premium members. Some lessons are partially available for free users, but you will have to check one by one as they vary.

The app contains lots of videos about different subjects and doesn’t rely too much on translation like Memrise. It also has a social section where you can befriend other students and correct their mistakes.

It can be hard to find free activities. As with other apps, you would have to go premium to make the most out of it. One of the biggest advantages of using Busuu is that you can take a test and get an official certificate from McGraw-Hill Education. Download the app here.

Busuu Premium Plus price: $10.99 + tax/1 month, $54.49 + tax/6 months, and $69.99 + tax/12 months. 7-day free trial available.

10. HelloTalk

Downloads: 10M+

Average user rating: 4.3★

This is by far one of my favorite apps for learning French. The app offers lessons for all levels. However, besides the typical vocabulary lessons that you see in other apps, HelloTalk is packed with lots of dialogues. You can listen to the whole dialogue nonstop while you read the transcript and/or the translation. You can pause the lesson at any moment and replay shorter paragraphs. If you’re a free member, you will only have access to a part of the dialogue.

The app has a Learn section where you can access a translator, a dictionary, and a notepad where you can save text and record audios. Through the notepad, you also have direct access to Google, images, YouTube, and Wikipedia. You can save everything to your notebook and even share the links with others.

HelloTalk is extremely social. Through its Moments section, you can post status updates with photos or videos like you would do on social media. To top it all off, you can befriend other students and keep up with their progress. You can chat with them or even use the call feature on the app. If you’re interested in looking for a language exchange partner, you might find one here. Download the app here.

HelloTalk VIP price: $8.99 + tax/1 month, $49.99 + tax/1 year, and $119.99 + tax/lifetime.

Vocabulary

11. Learn French Vocabulary Free

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

This app can be used by students of all levels. It’s an excellent resource for learning vocabulary and phrases for dating, travel, business, and many other situations. You can even learn slang. If you desire so, you can create vocabulary lists for further review. What’s even better: it’s absolutely free!

But not just that, this app also allows you to listen to live French radio and read French news! You might experience a few problems with the radio stations, but luckily, there are many to choose from. We can’t expect perfection from a free app after all. Check it out here.

 

12. Fun Easy Learn

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

This app is very simple to use. The aim is to learn vocabulary and phrases. The units range from beginner to advanced. You learn vocabulary through the use of images and audio. You can even record your voice.

The only problem I see with this app is the free version is extremely limited. You won’t get too far by using it. Eventually, you will have to go premium to continue using it. Download it here.

FunEasyLearn Premium price: $11.99 + tax/1 month, $39.99 + tax/6 months, $69.99 + tax/12  months, and $159.99 + tax/lifetime.

13. French Verbs

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.4★

As the name implies, this app is all about learning verbs. You will have access to a list of common verbs. Just click on one, and you will see the conjugations in different tenses. If you want more verbs, you will have to go premium. However, I don’t think it’s worth it since you can find that on Google for free. Download the app here.

French Verbs Pro price: $4.99 + tax.

14. Learn French Phrases

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

This app is great for learning simple vocabulary and short phrases. They’re divided into categories like greetings, driving, occupations, etc. You can listen to the full list nonstop, pause it, or slow it down if it’s too fast for you.

Learn French Phrases recommends you download another app which is nothing more than a translator/dictionary. Again, the free app does not offer much, but you can give it a try. Download it here.

Full version price: $4.99 + tax.

Unconventional

15. Beelinguapp

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

If you’re interested in learning grammar or taking a lesson, look somewhere else. This app does not have any lessons. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn French by using it. It just takes a different approach.

Think of Beelinguapp as a large library. It’s packed with short stories, novels, miscellaneous articles, and even news. What I love about this app is that you can play audio and the app will highlight the corresponding text. You can further change the settings and read the translation instead of the original text.

There is material for all levels. This is a great way to develop your listening skills, practice reading, and learn vocabulary. In fact, you can personalize your glossary by adding words to it and reviewing them as flashcards.

Some stories are free while others are for premium members only. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what level you are in, you will find something for sure. Download the app here.

Beelinguapp Pro price: $3.49 + tax/1st month, $5.49 + tax/month thereafter; $18.99 + tax/1st year, $28.99 + tax/year thereafter.

Beelinguapp All Access price: $4.49 + tax/1st month, $5.99 + tax/month thereafter; $24.99 + tax/1st year, $32.99 + tax/year thereafter.

Beelinguapp Gold: $5.49 + tax/1st month, $6.99 +tax/month thereafter; $27.99 + tax/1st year, $37.99 + tax/year thereafter.

16. LyricsTraining

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.7★

This app combines music and games. It comes with lots of music videos for you to watch. You will have to choose whether you want to do the multiple-choice game (the levels range from beginner to expert) or karaoke. For the latter, you can play 3 videos every 30 minutes if you’re a free user.

LyricsTraining has a leaderboard that’s updated constantly. You can move up the ranking list as you play and even win awards. Download it here.

LyricsTraining Premium: $4.99 + tax/month and $29.99 + tax/year.

17. Le Bon Mot French

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.5★

To use this app you will need to install  Google Play Games. Once you’re done, you will have access to the lessons. They range from beginner to upper-intermediate. The lessons are taught in France French by default, but you can choose Quebecois (Canadian French). Yes, they differ a little at times. Each lesson comes with images and audio so you can practice your pronunciation.

The app continually plays music and can be annoying, but you can turn it off by changing the settings.

As with other apps, the free version is somewhat limited. You can still learn something by using it but you will have to upgrade to unlock the full experience. Download it here.

Le Bon Mot French Premium price: Each level $5.49 + tax.

Personalized Experience

18. Innovative 101

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.6★

This app includes audio lessons, videos, and exercises. Many features like transcripts, reviews, and notes are locked for premium users. By the way, there are several membership options to help you reach your learning objectives.

I think Innovative works best for those interested in looking for one-on-one instruction and personalized learning programs. To do this, you would have to get the most expensive membership which is Premium PLUS. Other than that, your learning experience will be extremely limited. Download the app here.

Mobile price: $9.99 + tax/month, $74.99 + tax/12 months, and $199 + tax/lifetime.

Basic price: $7.99 + tax/month and $59.99 + tax/12 months.

Premium price: $24.99 + tax/month and $179.99 + tax/12 months.

Premium+ price: $46.99 + tax/month and $316 + tax/12 months.

Good for Beginners

19. Learn French Free for Beginners

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.5★

This app is for learning vocabulary. Nothing more. It’s aimed at beginners.

The topics include simple words like numbers, colors, fruits, animals, days, months, etc. Inside each topic, you will see a list of images with the matching vocabulary underneath. Once you learn the vocabulary, you can take a review. Review activities include multiple-choice questions, rearranging letters, and matching pairs. Download the app here.

 

20. Learn French, Speak French

Downloads: 1M+

Average user rating: 4.0★

This app does not offer any grammar lessons. It focuses on learning vocabulary, phrases, and conversations. Nothing pretentious. You can listen to their pronunciation as many times as you want. This app is a good option for beginners. It’s not very visual like other apps, but it’s simple to use and does the trick. Download it here.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are apps for everyone interested in learning French. Whether you’re a beginner, an advanced learner, or somewhere in between, there is something in store for you! It’s just a matter of searching.

It’s important to determine your learning objectives. Do you want to learn more vocabulary or grammar? Do you want to improve your pronunciation and listening skills? Do you get bored easily? Are you interested in socializing? Are you willing to pay or are you just looking for free resources? By answering these questions honestly, you will be able to find the right apps for you.

All the apps listed above are free to use to some degree. A couple of them are absolutely free and provide good value for free users, while others are severely limited. To make the best use of some apps, you will have to get a paid membership, but don’t forget to weigh the pros and cons first. You don’t always get more for paying more.

You don’t have to break your bank to learn French. It doesn’t have to be boring either. Luckily, there are so many available resources to choose from. Learning a new language has never been easier.

Can you learn French by using these apps? Sure, you can! Will you become a master of the French language? Certainly not. These apps are to be used in conjunction with French classes and other learning resources. Use them as extra tools but don’t rely solely on them.

Have you tried any of the apps on this post? Which ones? How did you like them? Which other apps would you recommend for learning French? Let me know in the comments section below. Au revoir, les amis!