Every app, by what it is

Best for a free Spanish course of short video lessons, beside the dictionary and verb tables you already look things up in

A Spanish dictionary, translator and conjugator with a free 48-level course of short video lessons, from your first sentences to advanced grammar.

$59.99 a year $5 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 1 language

Best for a free daily habit

Game-shaped lessons for every course; paid tiers remove the ads and the daily limits, and Max adds AI practice.

Free Super removes the ads and limits: $9.99 to $119.99 in Apple's US App Store, depending on the plan, after a 1-week free trial. · 40 languages

Best for corrections from native speakers

Course app with corrections from native speakers and CEFR-labelled levels.

$72.99 a year $6.08 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 14 languages

Best for short lessons with AI speaking practice

Short lessons on a personal plan, with an AI tutor and role-play for speaking.

$83.99 a year $7 a month, billed yearly · Promova Premium · 12 languages

Best for one long story per course, with video lessons on it

Courses built on one story told in chapters, with video lessons on each chapter, each course paid once.

From $297 Uncovered Beginner course, paid once · 16 languages

Best for Asian and less-taught languages

Course app with a focus on Asian and less-taught languages.

$89.99 a year $7.50 a month, billed yearly · 80 languages

Best for Mandarin from zero, with tones and characters

Game-like Mandarin lessons for beginners, with speech recognition and handwriting practice.

$69.99 a year $5.83 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 1 language

Best for free through many public libraries

Conversation-based courses, often free through a library card.

About $120 a year $10 a month, billed yearly · Individual · 73 languages

Best for paying once per level, not a subscription

Audio lessons, language and culture lessons and voice-recognition practice, bought once per level.

$149.95 once one language's course or first level, in 11 of its 13 languages; American Sign Language and English $99.95 · 13 languages

Best for learning ASL or BSL from Deaf teachers, in short video lessons

Sign language video lessons made by Deaf teachers, with a camera check of your fingerspelling.

$119.99 a year $10 a month, billed yearly · ASL Premium · 3 languages

Best for a cheap yearly plan across many languages

Short daily lessons across many languages, with a chatbot.

$47.99 a year $4 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 41 languages

Best for learning ASL free on your phone, in hundreds of short lessons, with ads

Hundreds of short ASL video lessons by Deaf teachers, with games and a sign dictionary, free with ads.

$49.99 a year $4.17 a month, billed yearly · Premium Pass, 1 year · 1 language

Best for grammar-led lessons, with alphabet units for Japanese and Korean

Structured lessons with grammar tips, from absolute beginner to B1.

$95.99 a year $8 a month, billed yearly · 20 languages

Best for a structured course with grammar explained

Short structured lessons with grammar notes and review sessions.

$107.40 a year $8.95 a month, billed yearly · 14 languages

Best for immersion without translation

Immersion-style lessons without translation, with speech scoring.

$159 a year $13.25 a month, billed yearly · 25 languages

Best for a Mandarin course from zero to HSK 5, with your speaking scored from the first lesson

An eight-level Mandarin course in 10-minute lessons, from pinyin to HSK 5, with every line you say scored for pronunciation.

$69.99 a year $5.83 a month, billed yearly · PLUS, one year · 1 language

Best for ten minutes a day of a comic story in the language, corrected for you

One short lesson a day built on a comic story in the language, corrected and tailored to your level, with an AI chat with the story's hero.

$288 a year $24 a month for a 12-month term · Basic · 5 languages

Best for free German from the alphabet to C1, with a video course for beginners

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.

Free · 1 language

Best for trying British Sign Language free on your phone, with ads

Short British Sign Language video lessons with games and a sign dictionary, free with ads.

$49.99 a year $4.17 a month, billed yearly · Premium Pass, 1 year · 1 language

Best for a full course with grammar explained in English and verb drills, owned for good on your computer, phone and tablet

A complete course installed on your computer, phone or tablet, with grammar explained in English, verb drills, vocabulary, pronunciation and everyday conversations, taken in any order.

$83.88 for 12 months $6.99 a month, paid once, doesn't renew; $95.76 once to keep one language's course · 5 languages

Best for words and everyday phrases in about 100 languages, free if your library subscribes

Lessons built on words and phrases in about 100 languages, which you hear, say, read and type, free with a card at many public libraries.

$149.95 a year $12.50 a month, billed yearly · 1 Language, Full Year · 99 languages

Best for Japanese explained step by step from zero, in your browser

A Japanese course that explains each point like a friendly textbook, with examples you tap to hear and take apart.

$49 a year $4.08 a month, billed yearly · Human Japanese Universal · 1 language

Best for learning ASL from native Deaf signers, a few free lessons a day

ASL video lessons taught by native Deaf signers, with free lessons every day and a large sign dictionary.

$98.99 a year $8.25 a month, billed yearly · Learn ASL, 1 year · 1 language

Best for French or Spanish grammar past the basics, found and fixed gap by gap

French or Spanish grammar quizzes that find your gaps and build a study plan of short lessons, from beginner to C1, for learners past the basics.

$200.99 a year $16.75 a month, billed yearly · Every year · 2 languages

Best for a dialogue a day with native audio and notes, the method of the Assimil books, paid once

The Assimil books' method in an app: a short dialogue a day with native audio, a translation and notes, for about 100 lessons, bought once per language.

$44.99 once one language's course, in 7 of the 8 languages it prices; French $41.99 · 9 languages

Best for learning ASL free, on a computer

A free ASL course on the web, with a sign dictionary and review games in its apps.

Free · 1 language

Best for a Korean course from Hangeul to advanced, in the order its teachers recommend

A Korean course of 1,700+ audio and video lessons from Hangeul to advanced, each one a warm-up, a lesson, speaking aloud and a quiz.

$85.40 a year $7.12 a month, billed yearly · Smart Save · 1 language

Best for learning Auslan in a full video course, made with a Deaf-owned Australian company

Video lessons in Auslan made with a Deaf-owned Australian company, with grammar, Deaf culture and a sign dictionary.

$99.99 a year $8.33 a month, billed yearly · Learn Auslan, 1 year · 1 language

Best for learning British Sign Language from Deaf teachers, in short video lessons

British Sign Language video lessons taught by Deaf teachers, with the first modules free.

$102.99 a year $8.58 a month, billed yearly · Premium, 1 year · 1 language

Best for Mandarin from zero, explained in English by a teacher on video, with a quiz after every lesson

Mandarin taught in short video lessons explained in English, with flashcards, review and a quiz after each.

About $108 a year $8.99 a month, billed yearly · Watch · 1 language

Best for children from 3 who cannot read yet

For children from 3: games, stories and songs entirely in the new language, one app per language.

$59.99 a year $5 a month, billed yearly · Subscription · 5 languages

Best for Korean step by step to intermediate, with a coach who grades your homework

A Korean course on a members' website in four levels of about 90 days, with a native coach who answers by text and grades your homework on VIP.

$299 a year $24.92 a month, billed yearly · Standard Membership · 1 language

Best for Mandarin by ear, from real conversations that teachers talk through, from Newbie to Advanced

Mandarin podcast lessons in six levels, from Newbie to Advanced, each a real conversation talked through by teachers, with its dialogue, words and exercises.

$249.99 a year $20.83 a month, billed yearly · Premium (iPhone app) · 1 language

Best for practising Auslan between classes, with the first units free

Short Auslan lessons signed by Deaf signers, for practice between classes, with the first units free.

Priced in the app free to try first · 1 language

Best for children from 2 to 14, in 50 languages

For children aged 2 to 14: videos, songs, games and stories in 50 languages, with no reading needed.

$199 a year $16.58 a month, billed yearly · 50 languages

Best for a toddler's first words, bought once

For young children: picture lessons and games for about 90 first words, bought once per language.

From $3.99 Gus on the Go: Spanish, paid once · 30 languages

Best for a young child's first Spanish words, in puzzles, bought once

For young children: common Spanish words in animated word and sentence puzzles, six free and the rest in word packs bought once.

Free One word pack: $5.99 once · 1 language

Best for Spanish songs, videos and games for children from kindergarten to grade 6, at home or in class

Spanish for children from kindergarten to grade 6, through songs, videos, games and printable worksheets, made for the classroom and used at home.

$189 a year $15.75 a month, billed yearly · Content · 1 language

Best for audio lessons for a commute

Half-hour audio lessons built on spoken recall, made for commutes.

$131.96 a year $11 a month, billed yearly · All Access · 51 languages

Best for sentence drills by ear

Sentence-pattern audio drills with spaced repetition.

About $199 a year $16.58 a month, billed yearly · Basic · 63 languages

Best for a free audio course that explains as it goes

Free audio courses that build sentences step by step as you answer aloud.

Free · 11 languages

Best for French by ear in 15 to 20-minute lessons, free as a podcast, from absolute beginner to advanced

French audio lessons in which a teacher explains the language to a learner, free as a podcast, with paid courses that add bonus audio and notes.

Free One season's online course: $269 once · 1 language

Best for German by ear in 15 to 20-minute lessons, free as a podcast, from absolute beginner to upper intermediate

German audio lessons in which a native speaker teaches the language to a learner, free as a podcast, with paid courses that add bonus audio, notes and video.

Free One season's online course: $269 once · 1 language

Best for Italian by ear in 15 to 20-minute lessons, free as a podcast, from absolute beginner to upper intermediate

Italian audio lessons in which a teacher and a native speaker explain the language to a learner, free as a podcast, with paid courses that add bonus audio, notes and video.

Free One season's online course: $269 once · 1 language

Best for Spanish by ear in 15 to 20-minute lessons, free as a podcast, from beginner to advanced

Spanish audio lessons in which a teacher explains the language to a learner, free as a podcast, with paid courses that add bonus audio and notes.

Free One season's online course: $269 once · 1 language

Best for speaking from the first hour, with no writing or homework

All-audio courses in which you learn alongside two students in a recorded class, bought once per course.

From $11.99 Start course, paid once · 19 languages

Best for free vocabulary practice in context

Fill-in-the-blank sentences for vocabulary in context.

$79.99 a year $6.67 a month, billed yearly · 71 languages

Best for phrases in 160 languages

Phrase and vocabulary games with native-speaker audio in many languages.

From $24.99 a year $24.99 to $59.99 a year for one language, depending on the language · 160 languages

Best for the most-used words first, practised in sentences you say

The 4,000 most-used words in order of how often they are used, practised in whole sentences you write and say.

$47.99 a year $4 a month, billed yearly · 11 languages

Best for pronunciation first, then flashcards you build yourself

Pronunciation training first, then flashcards you build yourself with your own pictures, reviewed on a spaced-repetition schedule.

$95.88 a year $7.99 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 11 languages

Best for Japanese grammar, level by level to the JLPT, reviewed until it sticks

Japanese grammar points from JLPT N5 to N1, each explained, then drilled in new sentences on a spaced-repetition schedule.

$50 a year $4.17 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 1 language

Best for native-speaker clips and review

Short video clips of native speakers plus spaced-repetition review.

$61.99 a year $5.17 a month, billed yearly · 149 languages

Best for fast vocabulary with a placement test

Adaptive vocabulary drilling in sentence context.

$79.99 a year $6.67 a month, billed yearly · 16 languages

Best for flashcards and quick quizzes on any word list, made by you or shared by others

Sets of words and terms, made by you or shared by others, studied as cards, practice questions and games, for any subject.

$35.99 a year $3 a month, billed yearly · Quizlet Plus · any language

Best for five-minute vocabulary sessions

Five-minute visual vocabulary sessions.

$69.99 a year $5.83 a month, billed yearly · 55 languages

Best for Japanese words, kanji and grammar drilled free, along your textbook or the JLPT

Japanese words, kanji and grammar quizzed on a spaced-repetition schedule, with games and paths for your textbook or the JLPT, free with no limits.

$49.99 a year $4.17 a month, billed yearly · Pro, 1 year · 1 language

Best for the most useful words first, on a review schedule

Flashcards of the most useful words and phrases, reviewed on a spaced-repetition schedule.

$71.88 a year $5.99 a month, billed yearly · MosaLingua Premium · 11 languages

Best for building ASL vocabulary in short lessons, with a big video dictionary

Short ASL vocabulary lessons on video, a free lesson each day and a large sign dictionary.

$59.99 a year $5 a month, billed yearly · Unlimited ASL Lessons, 1 year · 1 language

Best for writing Chinese and Japanese characters from memory

Write Chinese or Japanese characters stroke by stroke, graded as you write.

$99.99 a year $8.33 a month, billed yearly · Premium, 1 year · 2 languages

Best for everyday words and phrases with audio in 50 languages, free and with no sign-up

Free lessons of everyday phrases with audio in 50 languages, each practised as flashcards and in listening and matching games, in the browser with no sign-up.

Free · 50 languages

Best for learning to read kanji, with mnemonics and reviews

Kanji and Japanese vocabulary taught with mnemonics, then reviewed on a spaced-repetition schedule.

$89 a year $7.42 a month, billed yearly · 1 language

Best for learning and keeping thousands of Chinese words and characters, beside your reading and lessons

Chinese words and characters on spaced-repetition flashcards in the browser, with each character's parts explained.

$144 a year $12 a month, billed yearly · Hack Chinese · 1 language

Best for looking up any Chinese word, by drawing or camera

A Chinese dictionary with handwriting and camera lookup, flashcards and a document reader.

Free Basic Bundle: $29.99 once · 2 languages

Best for flashcards you control, free on a computer

Spaced-repetition flashcards you make or download, for any language.

Free AnkiMobile (iPhone and iPad): $24.99 once · any language

Best for learning from Netflix and YouTube with two sets of subtitles

Two sets of subtitles, a pop-up dictionary and playback tools for Netflix and YouTube in your browser.

$39.95 a year $3.33 a month, billed yearly · Language Reactor Pro, 1 year · 51 languages

Best for reading and listening side by side with a translation

Stories, news and songs read aloud by native speakers, side by side with a translation.

$49.90 a year $4.16 a month, billed yearly · Beelinguapp · 23 languages

Best for TV and film with interactive subtitles

TV and film with interactive subtitles and flashcards.

$83.88 a year $6.99 a month, billed yearly · 15 languages

Best for reading and listening to real content

Read and listen to real content, save words, review them.

$119.99 a year $10 a month, billed yearly · 52 languages

Best for learning from real videos

Real-world videos with interactive captions and quizzes.

$143.99 a year $12 a month, billed yearly · Plus · 10 languages

Best for reading articles, books and web pages you choose, with a translation one click away

Click any word or phrase in a web page, e-book or text you choose for its translation, then review the words you looked up as flashcards.

$48 a year $4 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 125 languages

Best for graded news stories with native audio

Short news stories graded to your level, with native audio and a translation for any word you tap.

$69.99 a year $5.83 a month, billed yearly · 7 languages

Best for listening practice with real videos and subtitles you can slow down

Videos of native speakers with clickable subtitles, slow play and listening games, one language per subscription.

$99.95 a year $8.33 a month, billed yearly · Yabla · 6 languages

Best for hearing spoken Arabic dialects, from Moroccan to Iraqi

Videos and audio of native speakers in eight spoken Arabic dialects, each with a transcript and subtitles, from Beginner to Advanced.

$95.40 a year $7.95 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 1 language

Best for reading and hearing Japanese stories at an intermediate level, with every sentence explained

Japanese stories for intermediate learners, voiced by native actors, with every sentence explained and kanji shown by what you know.

$89 a year $7.42 a month, billed yearly · Satori Reader Pro · 1 language

Best for learning from YouTube, Netflix and web pages, with every word you look up saved as a flashcard

Click words in YouTube and Netflix subtitles or on any web page to look them up, then turn them into flashcards with the sentence, audio and a screenshot.

$96 a year $8 a month, billed yearly · Standard · 11 languages

Best for Chinese stories at your level, read aloud

Graded Chinese stories read aloud by native speakers, with pinyin and tap-to-translate.

$119.99 a year $10 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 1 language

Best for understanding Spanish or English as people really speak it, once you know the basics

Real radio stories from across Latin America, split into short chapters you study with help, then hear again at full speed.

$119 a year $9.92 a month, billed yearly · Jiveworld Español · 2 languages

Best for following real news read slowly, with the transcript beside it

Weekly news read at a slower pace by native hosts in Spanish, French, Italian or German, with transcripts, translations and lessons at your level.

From $17.90 a month $17.90 to $22.90 a month for one language, depending on the language · 4 languages

Best for learning by watching, from day one

Videos entirely in the language you learn, sorted by level from complete beginner.

Free Premium is priced by region · 2 languages

Best for speaking aloud with AI from the first lesson

Speaking lessons with AI chatbots in real-life conversations, with feedback on what you say.

$79 a year $6.58 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 22 languages

Best for natural-sounding AI conversation practice

Conversations with AI characters voiced from native speakers, with instant corrections.

$149.99 a year $12.50 a month, billed yearly · Langua Pro Communicate · 23 languages

Best for an AI tutor that remembers your mistakes and builds lessons on them

Spoken or typed conversations with an AI tutor that corrects you, remembers your mistakes and builds the next lesson around them.

$79.99 a year $6.67 a month, billed yearly · 25 languages

Best for speaking practice with AI

AI-led speaking practice with feedback on what you said.

$83.99 a year $7 a month, billed yearly · Premium · 6 languages

Best for AI conversation practice in many languages

Chat or talk out loud with an AI tutor in role-plays and everyday scenarios.

$119.99 a year $10 a month, billed yearly · Premium Pass · 130 languages

Best for speaking practice with AI versions of YouTube teachers, once you know the basics

Spoken or typed conversations with AI versions of YouTube language teachers, for learners past the basics.

$97 a year $8.08 a month, billed yearly · 60 languages

Best for talking with an AI avatar tutor

Speaking lessons with lifelike AI avatar tutors that listen, answer and correct you.

$9.99 a month Praktika Premium, 1 month · 14 languages

Best for English pronunciation, scored sound by sound

Pronunciation and speaking practice in English, scored sound by sound by speech recognition.

$89.99 a year $7.50 a month, billed yearly · ELSA Pro (one year) · 1 language

Best for conversations about your own situations, each message corrected

Spoken or typed conversations with an AI partner about situations you choose, each message corrected with a better version.

$119.99 a year $10 a month, billed yearly · 22 languages

Best for speaking practice with an AI that remembers your mistakes and builds each conversation on the last

Spoken conversations with an AI companion that builds a plan around your goals, corrects you as you go and remembers your mistakes.

— · 25 languages

Best for children from 4 learning English with a live teacher

One-to-one English lessons of 25 minutes with a teacher, for children from 4, on a curriculum from Pre-A1 to B1.

From $9 a lesson 25 minutes with a teacher who speaks English fluently, on a 6- or 12-month plan; from $17 with a native English-speaking teacher · 1 language

Best for tutors priced per lesson

Marketplace of professional and community tutors, priced per lesson.

$4 to $10 a lesson typical for 30 minutes in English, French and Spanish; each teacher sets a rate · 104 languages

Best for English conversation with a tutor

On-demand English conversation with native-speaker tutors.

$144 a year $12 a month, billed yearly · Small groups, 1 lesson per week (30 min) · 1 language

Best for live classes by CEFR level

Live online classes with teachers, structured by CEFR level.

From €54.99 4 group classes every 4 weeks · 6 languages

Best for weekly lessons with one tutor

Marketplace of private tutors who set their own rates, paid through a plan of lessons that renews.

$3 to $50 a lesson on its English tutors listing; each tutor sets a rate · 90 languages

Best for as many one-to-one Spanish classes as you like, for one monthly price

As many one-to-one classes on Zoom as you like, with Latin American teachers, for one monthly price.

$99 a month Real World Lite · 1 language

Best for language exchange with native speakers

Language exchange with native speakers, with a paid tier for translation and visibility.

$39.99 a year $3.33 a month, billed yearly · Tandem Pro Intro · 300 languages

Best for chatting with native speakers

Chat and call with native speakers, with a paid tier that lifts the daily limits.

$79.99 a year $6.67 a month, billed yearly · VIP Membership · 260 languages

Best for free language partners to meet in person in your town, or to write to and call

Find native speakers who want to learn your language, then meet up in your town, write as pen pals or chat, free on its website.

Free memberships priced once you sign in · 225 languages

Best for free language exchange by text or voice

Talk by text or voice with native speakers who want to learn your language, free with no paid tier.

Free · 170 languages