Rosetta Stone is a paid language-learning app for beginner and intermediate learners (A1–B1). Immersion-style basics; slow, and light on explanation.
Checked October 2026 on the official site ·
About Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone teaches French by immersion from the first lesson: pictures, words and speech recognition, with very little English. You can try the app for free before paying; then it was €19.99 a month or €159 a year when we checked from Germany. It suits a beginner who prefers learning by pattern over grammar explanations. It is slow to reach anything conversational, and the absence of explanations frustrates many adults.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed audio | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosetta Stone | €19.99/mo, or €13.25/mo billed €159/yr; lifetime plan priced on the buy pagechecked 2026-10-09 (rosettastone.com buy page, shown from Germany) | A1–B1 | No | Immersion-style basics; slow, and light on explanation. |
| Babbel | From €8.99/mo on the 12-month plan (€107.88 a year; €215.88 at the monthly rate); lifetime €299.99; first lesson freechecked 2026-10-09 (babbel.com/prices, shown from Germany) | A1–C1 | No | The most course-like app; a good spine for A1 to B1, light on real listening. |
| Mondly | Some free lessons; Premium $15.90/mo or $74.90/yr; 1-week free trialchecked 2026-10-09 (US App Store in-app purchases) | A1–B1 | No | A pleasant beginner phrase app with speech practice; thin past A2. |
| Pimsleur | Premium $19.99/mo; All Access $20.99/mo or $164.99/yr; one-off levels $150 each, 5 levels $575; free first lessonchecked 2026-10-09 (pimsleur.com/learn-french; subscriptions from the US App Store, 2026-10-06) | A1–B1 | No | Best for speaking from day one on a commute; thin on vocabulary. |
Prices as shown on the official site on the date given; they vary by country and change often.
