DW Learn German
Course app: free German courses from Germany's international broadcaster, from the alphabet to C1, led by Nicos Weg, a video course with grammar pages and exercises.
Prices checked 17 Oct 2026 · How we check
Is DW Learn German worth it?
Yes, if you are learning German and want a whole course for free: video lessons with grammar pages and exercises from your first words to B1, then news, songs and reports in German up to C1.
What it costs. Every course is free.
What's free. Every course free, from the alphabet to C1, on the website or in the app.
Skip it if you want another language, or speaking practice: DW Learn German teaches German only, nothing listens to you speak, and from B1 every course is in German.
What learners rate it. 3.9 out of 5 from 131 ratings in Apple's US App Store and 4.1 from 9,765 on Google Play, checked 16 Oct 2026.
Free
In our comparison: strongest on teaching depth and the free tier, weakest on speaking practice.
- Annual plan
- —
- Monthly plan
- —
- Lifetime plan
- —
- Free tier
- Free to keep using
Every course free, from the alphabet to C1, on the website or in the app; a free account opens your profile and the vocabulary trainer. - Languages
- 1
- Speech recognition
- —
- Live tutoring
- No
- Offline mode
- —
- Placement test
- Yes
- CEFR levels
- A1 to C1 (courses from the alphabet to C1; Nicos Weg runs A1 to B1, and from B1 everything is in German)
- Refund or trial
- Free; nothing to buy.
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Web
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to the app makers' own sites earn us nothing. Commissions never affect which apps we recommend. Affiliate disclosure and how the data is collected.
How a DW Learn German lesson works
- What you do
- Watch a short episode of Nicos Weg, the story of a young Spaniard starting out in Germany, then work through its interactive exercises and the grammar page on what the episode used.
- What comes back
- Automatic: exercises are marked right or wrong. No person checks your work.
- Not included
- A live teacher.
How a lesson works in a course app
Plans and prices
Every consumer plan on DW Learn German's own pricing page or app-store listing, in US dollars unless marked. Per month is the plan price divided by its term. Each price is what the seller was charging on the day we checked it. When a plan was on sale, its regular price is shown under the sale price; a crossed-out figure that is only a comparison, such as a year at the monthly rate, is in the plan's note.
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FreeEvery course is free, on the website and in the app; nothing is sold. | Other | $0 | — | every course |
Before subscribing, compare trial, cancellation and refund terms, including how purchases through an app store differ.
What DW Learn German says about itself
| Feature | What DW Learn German says |
|---|---|
| CEFR levels | A1 to C1 (courses from the alphabet to C1; Nicos Weg runs A1 to B1, and from B1 everything is in German) |
| What it is | Course app. Free German courses from Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster: from the alphabet to C1, led by Nicos Weg, a video course from A1 to B1 with grammar pages and interactive exercises, plus vocabulary training, slowly spoken news, music videos and exam information; explanations come in English and other languages up to A2, and from B1 everything is in German. |
| Languages offered | 1: German |
| Free tier | Every course free, from the alphabet to C1, on the website or in the app; a free account opens your profile and the vocabulary trainer. |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web |
| Offline mode | — |
| Speech recognition | — |
| Live tutoring | No |
| Placement test | Yes |
| Refund or trial | Free; nothing to buy. |
| Company | Deutsche Welle, Germany |
How DW Learn German compares
DW Learn German is strongest on teaching depth and the free tier, weakest on speaking practice. Each criterion is scored out of 5 from what each app says about itself and from independent reviews, to compare apps that do the same job; it is not a review of the app. How we score.
| Feature | Score (of 5) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching depth | 5 | Free German courses from Germany's international broadcaster, from the alphabet to C1, led by Nicos Weg, a video course with grammar pages and exercises; courses labelled A1 to C1 |
| Speaking practice | 1 | — |
| Language coverage | 1 | 1 language |
| Free tier | 5 | The whole product is free |
| Price per month | – | Free; nothing to buy |
| Trial and refund | 2 | Free; nothing to buy |
| Offline use | – | — |
| Staying power and bugs | – | Not available |
Use the CEFR level guide to interpret the range above and compare published course levels.
Languages you can learn on DW Learn German
1 language as listed by DW Learn German.
How far its courses go
- German: A1 to C1.
Compare DW Learn German
- Best app to learn German: every app that teaches it, compared
- Best language learning apps for beginners, compared
- Best language learning apps for seniors, compared
- DW Learn German against any other app, side by side
- All 99 apps in one table
References
- DW Learn German: home page (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- DW Learn German: Apple App Store listing (US) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- DW Learn German: courses for A1 and A2
- DW Learn German: legal notice