LingQ vs Pimsleur: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 11 Oct 2026; Pimsleur's on 6 Sept 2026, LingQ's on 6 Oct 2026 · How we check
LingQ if you want to learn from real videos and text.
Pimsleur if you want to learn by ear, away from a screen.
| Question | LingQ | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $119.99 a year for all 52 languages, or $14.99 month to month | $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month |
| A lesson is | Read and listen to a text or podcast, tapping unknown words to save and review them. | A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer. |
| Try it | Free account capped at 20 saved words and phrases, 5 lessons created from imported content, and 1 audio playlist. | A 7-day free trial on subscriptions; the 30-day money-back guarantee covers only plans bought on pimsleur.com without such a trial. |
| App Store rating, 10 Oct 2026 | 4.7 out of 5 from 10,317 ratings | 4.7 out of 5 from 30,200 ratings |
| Google Play rating, 11 Oct 2026 | 4.5 out of 5 from 50,821 ratings | 4.1 out of 5 from 16,679 ratings |
How a lesson works in each
LingQ: immersion app
Pimsleur: audio course
Side by side
| Compare | LingQ | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | — | — |
| A year costs | $119.99 a year for all 52 languages, or $14.99 month to month | $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month |
| What it is | Immersion (video, reading): Read and listen to real content, save words, review them | Audio course: Half-hour audio lessons built on spoken recall, made for commutes |
| Per month at annual billing | $10/mo ($119.99 a year) | $12.50/mo ($149.95 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $14.99 | $19.95 for one language, $20.95 for all its languages |
| Lifetime plan | No lifetime plan | $798 once, all languages. Also sold: the complete course for one language, owned for good, $575; one level of one language, owned for good, $150 |
| Free tier | Free account capped at 20 saved words and phrases, 5 lessons created from imported content, and 1 audio playlist | None |
| Languages offered | 52 | 51 |
| Speech recognition | — | Yes |
| Live tutoring | — | — |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes |
| Placement test | — | — |
| Refund or trial | Full refund during the first 30 days of an initial Premium subscription; no partial-month or unused-month refunds afterward. | A 7-day free trial on subscriptions. Pimsleur's 30-day money-back guarantee covers only a subscription bought on pimsleur.com or by phone without a free trial of 7 days or more, once per customer; App Store and Google Play purchases are not covered. |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | LingQ Languages Ltd., Canada | Simon & Schuster, LLC (Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio) |
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LingQ
Immersion (video, reading)
In our comparison: strongest on the number of languages and offline use, weakest on speaking practice.
$119.99 a year $10 a month, billed yearly$14.99 on the monthly plan
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.
Pimsleur
Audio course
In our comparison: strongest on the number of languages and trial and refund terms, weakest on the free tier.
$149.95 a year $12.50 a month, billed yearly · PremiumMonthly plans: $19.95 for one language, $20.95 for all its languages
Half-hour audio lessons get you answering aloud, which suits a commute or a walk. Download lessons before you leave and you can practise without a connection.
LingQ is an app for real video and text and Pimsleur is an audio course. Both teach French, Spanish, Chinese, German and 30 more languages.
Which to choose
You want to learn from real videos and text
LingQ
LingQ is an app for real video and text: read and listen to a text or podcast, tapping unknown words to save and review them.
You want to learn by ear, away from a screen
Pimsleur
Pimsleur is an audio course: a 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer.
You want the smaller yearly bill
LingQ
A year of LingQ costs $119.99 for all 52 languages; a year of Pimsleur, $149.95 for one language.
You would rather pay once than subscribe
Pimsleur
Pimsleur can be bought once and kept: $798 once, all languages. Also sold: the complete course for one language, owned for good, $575; one level of one language, owned for good, $150. LingQ's paid plans are subscriptions.
Where they really differ
- Price: LingQ: $119.99 a year for all 52 languages, or $14.99 month to month. Pimsleur: $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month.
- A lesson: LingQ: Read and listen to a text or podcast, tapping unknown words to save and review them. Pimsleur: A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer.
- Speaking: LingQ doesn't say whether it listens to you speak. Pimsleur listens to you speak.
- Trying it: LingQ: Free account capped at 20 saved words and phrases, 5 lessons created from imported content, and 1 audio playlist. Pimsleur: A 7-day free trial on subscriptions; the 30-day money-back guarantee covers only plans bought on pimsleur.com without such a trial.
- Both: Work offline.
Plans and prices
LingQ
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 MonthsPremiumMarked "Best Value", 40% off. | 24 months | $215.76 | $8.99/mo | all languages |
| 12 MonthsPremiumMarked "Most Popular", 33% off. | Annual | $119.99 | $10/mo | all languages |
| 1 MonthPremiumLingQ also runs sales of up to 45% off; these are the prices on its pricing page. | Monthly | $14.99 | $14.99/mo | all languages |
| 12 MonthsPremium PlusMarked "Most Popular", 25% off. | Annual | $269.99 | $22.50/mo | all languages |
| 1 MonthPremium PlusPremium Plus adds more audio transcription, AI voices, advanced Lynx chat and AI-simplified lessons. | Monthly | $29.99 | $29.99/mo | all languages |
Pimsleur
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium AnnualPremiumRead on the Spanish (Latin American) course page, whose plan data prices the Premium Annual plan for French and Japanese the same; the year starts with a 7-day free trial. | Annual | $149.95 | $12.50/mo | one language |
| All Access AnnualAll AccessA sale took 20% off the first year, charging $131.96. | Annual | $164.95 | $13.75/mo | all languages |
| Premium MonthlyPremiumAs shown on Pimsleur's Latin American Spanish course page. | Monthly | $19.95 | $19.95/mo | one language |
| All Access MonthlyAll Access | Monthly | $20.95 | $20.95/mo | all languages |
| Individual level (one language)PremiumOne level of one language; the price varies by language and level. A sale offered Level 1 for $105. | Lifetime | $150 | one-time | one language |
| Complete course, Levels 1-5 (one language)PremiumOne language's complete course; the price varies by language. A sale offered the Latin American Spanish course for $402.50. | Lifetime | $575 | one-time | one language |
| All Access LifetimeAll AccessA Labor Day sale offered it for $399. | Lifetime | $798 | one-time | all languages |
What will LingQ cost you for the months you study?
Total billed over 12 months
$59.89 less on annual billingOne yearly payment of $119.99.
What each plan covers. Monthly: all languages. Yearly: all languages.
Questions people ask
Is LingQ better than Pimsleur?
Neither is better for every learner. Choose LingQ if you want to learn from real videos and text, the smaller yearly bill and a free account to learn on. Choose Pimsleur if you want to learn by ear, away from a screen, to pay once rather than subscribe, more speaking practice and a trial or money back. In our comparison, LingQ is strongest on the number of languages and offline use, weakest on speaking practice, and Pimsleur strongest on the number of languages and trial and refund terms, weakest on the free tier.
Which is cheaper, LingQ or Pimsleur?
LingQ costs less by the year: $119.99 for all 52 languages, where a year of Pimsleur is $149.95 for one language. Month to month, and with any lifetime plan, the plans tables above give both.
Do LingQ and Pimsleur teach the same languages?
LingQ lists 52 languages and Pimsleur 51, each counting varieties its own way; 34 languages are taught by both. Each app's page here lists its languages, with a page for each language two or more apps teach.