Best apps to learn a language with videos
Lingopie for TV shows and films with two sets of subtitles, FluentU for short real-world videos with quizzes, Dreaming Spanish for videos in Spanish or French sorted by level, and LingQ to read and listen to whatever you import.
Prices checked 6 to 10 Oct 2026 · How we check
What you watch or read
A session on each app, in a line, with how to try it and its cheapest yearly plan.
- Lingopie
TV shows and films with two sets of subtitles; tap a word to save it as a flashcard.
- LingQ
Read and listen to a text or podcast, tapping unknown words to save and review them.
- FluentU
Short real-world videos with interactive captions, then quizzes on their words.
- Dreaming Spanish
Videos entirely in Spanish (or French) at your level: no exercises and no grammar, just hours of input you can follow.
Our picks
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Best for reading and listening
LingQ
Immersion (video, reading)
$119.99 a year$10 a month, billed yearly
Why it's here. Read and listen to material that interests you, then save unfamiliar words to practise later. It suits learners who want more real content alongside a structured course.
Free: Free account capped at 20 saved words and phrases, 5 lessons created from imported content, and 1 audio playlist.
Skip it if you want grammar taught step by step: LingQ is reading and listening with your own word lists.
52 languages · offline lessons
4 of the 34 apps we cover teach through real video, audio and text.
These apps teach through things made for native speakers, or for learners at a stated level, instead of exercises. You watch or read, tap the words you don't know, and review them later. They build listening and vocabulary fastest once you know some basics; from zero, Dreaming Spanish's beginner videos are made to be followed without translation.
Every video and reading app, compared
Recommended first within each type of app. Sort any column or filter by what matters to you.
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| Best for | Free tier | Speech | Tutor | Offline | CEFR | Refund or trial | Where to buy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning from real video, text and audio | ||||||||||||
| LingopieImmersion (video, reading) | TV and film with interactive subtitles | $83.88 a year$6.99 a month, billed yearly | — | $229 | No | 15 | Yes · Say It pronunciation practice | Live group lessons on their own monthly or quarterly plan, for subscribers who pay by card; the first lesson is free. | Yes · iOS only; up to 10 downloadable videos | — | 7-day free trial; yearly subscription is charged after the trial and cannot be refunded | |
| LingQImmersion (video, reading) | Reading and listening to real content | $119.99 a year$10 a month, billed yearly | $14.99 | — | Free to keep using Free account capped at 20 saved words and phrases, 5 lessons created from imported content, and 1 audio playlist | 52 | — | — | Yes | — | Full refund during the first 30 days of an initial Premium subscription; no partial-month or unused-month refunds afterward. | |
| FluentUImmersion (video, reading) | Learning from real videos | $239.99 a year$20 a month, billed yearly | $29.99 | — | No | 10 | Yes | Group classes in some languages, offered free with the subscription for a limited time; no one-to-one lessons. | Yes · audio, quizzes and transcripts download; the videos stream only | — | 14-day free trial with no payment up front, plus a 20-day money-back guarantee | |
| Dreaming SpanishImmersion (video, reading) | Learning by watching, from day one | FreePremium is priced by region | — | — | Free to keep using Library access Free videos at every level, with search, difficulty sorting and progress tracking; Premium adds the larger library. | 2 | No | No | Yes | — | Free plan with no time limit; Premium is monthly, with no yearly or family plan. | |
Which to choose
You want to learn from TV shows and films
Lingopie
Lingopie plays TV and film with two sets of subtitles; tap a word to save it as a flashcard. It covers 15 languages, starts with a 7-day free trial, and is $83.88 a year, or $229 once.
You want short clips with exercises
FluentU
FluentU turns short real-world videos into quizzes on their words, with interactive captions, in 10 languages. It starts with a 14-day free trial with no payment up front and a 20-day money-back guarantee; Plus is $239.99 a year.
You are learning Spanish or French and like to listen
Dreaming Spanish
Dreaming Spanish is videos entirely in Spanish, or French, sorted by level from complete beginner, with no exercises. Free videos cover every level; Premium adds the larger library, priced by region.
You want to read and listen to anything
LingQ
LingQ turns texts and podcasts, its own or ones you import, into lessons where you tap unknown words to save and review. The free account saves 20 words and phrases; Premium is $119.99 a year, in 52 languages.
Questions people ask
Can you learn a language by watching TV?
Watching with subtitles in the language builds listening and vocabulary, and the apps here add tap-to-translate and review of the words you save. It works best beside a course or a tutor once you know the basics.
Is Lingopie or FluentU better?
Lingopie is for whole TV episodes and films, for $83.88 a year; FluentU is for short clips turned into quizzes, for $239.99 a year. The FluentU vs Lingopie page compares them in full.
Is there a free app for learning with videos?
Dreaming Spanish has free videos at every level, in Spanish and French. LingQ's free account is capped at 20 saved words and phrases. Lingopie and FluentU start with free trials.