Mango Languages vs Pimsleur: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 11 Oct 2026; Pimsleur's on 6 Sept 2026, Mango Languages's on 6 Oct 2026 · How we check
Mango Languages if you want a course with lessons in order.
Pimsleur if you want to learn by ear, away from a screen.
| Question | Mango Languages | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | About $120 a year for all 73 languages, or $13.99 month to month | $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month |
| A lesson is | Hear a conversation, break it into phrases and repeat them, with notes on grammar and culture. | A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer. |
| Try it | Free through many public libraries; otherwise a free trial and the first lesson of any language. | 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 | 4.8 out of 5 from 44,322 ratings | 4.7 out of 5 from 30,200 ratings |
| Google Play rating, 11 Oct 2026 | 4.8 out of 5 from 24,609 ratings | 4.1 out of 5 from 16,679 ratings |
How a lesson works in each
Mango Languages: course app
Pimsleur: audio course
Side by side
| Compare | Mango Languages | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | A1 to B1 (by course) | — |
| A year costs | About $120 a year for all 73 languages, or $13.99 month to month | $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month |
| What it is | Course app: Conversation-based courses, often free through a library card | Audio course: Half-hour audio lessons built on spoken recall, made for commutes |
| Per month at annual billing | $10/mo (— a year) | $12.50/mo ($149.95 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $13.99 | $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 trial on both personal plans; the first lesson of any language is free; 10 endangered and indigenous language courses are free; free full access through participating public libraries | None |
| Languages offered | 73 | 51 |
| Speech recognition | No | Yes |
| Live tutoring | No | — |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes |
| Placement test | Yes | — |
| Refund or trial | Free trial on Individual and Family plans; cancel before it ends and you are not charged | 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 | Mango Languages, United States | Simon & Schuster, LLC (Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio) |
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Mango Languages
Course app
In our comparison: strongest on the number of languages and teaching depth, weakest on speaking practice.
About $120 a year $10 a month, billed yearly · Individual$13.99 on the monthly plan
Conversation-based lessons help you rehearse useful exchanges. A participating library card can give you the whole course without a subscription bill.
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.
Mango Languages is a course app and Pimsleur is an audio course. Both teach French, Spanish, Chinese, German and 35 more languages.
Which to choose
You want a course with lessons in order
Mango Languages
Mango Languages is a course app: hear a conversation, break it into phrases and repeat them, with notes on grammar and culture.
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
Mango Languages
A year of Mango Languages costs about $120 for all 73 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. Mango Languages' paid plans are subscriptions.
Where they really differ
- Price: Mango Languages: About $120 a year for all 73 languages, or $13.99 month to month. Pimsleur: $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month.
- A lesson: Mango Languages: Hear a conversation, break it into phrases and repeat them, with notes on grammar and culture. Pimsleur: A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer.
- A real person: Mango Languages has no live tutors. Pimsleur doesn't mention live tutors.
- Levels: Mango Languages states a CEFR range for each course, up to B1. Pimsleur doesn't state CEFR levels.
- Speaking: Mango Languages doesn't listen to you speak. Pimsleur listens to you speak.
- Trying it: Mango Languages: Free through many public libraries; otherwise a free trial and the first lesson of any language. 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
Mango Languages
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual (billed annually)IndividualMango states only the monthly figure for the yearly plan, about $120 a year. Many public libraries give the whole course free. | Annual | — | $10/mo | all languages |
| Family (billed annually)FamilyMango states only the monthly figure for the yearly plan. | Family | — | $12.50/mo | family up to 5 |
| Individual | Monthly | $13.99 | $13.99/mo | all languages |
| Family | Family | $19.99 | $19.99/mo | family up to 5 |
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 Pimsleur cost you for the months you study?
Total billed over 12 months
$89.45 less on annual billingOne yearly payment of $149.95.
What each plan covers. Monthly: one language. Yearly: one language.
Questions people ask
Is Mango Languages better than Pimsleur?
Neither is better for every learner. Choose Mango Languages if you want a course with lessons in order, the smaller yearly bill, the course free with a library card and a course that states its CEFR levels. 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, Mango Languages is strongest on the number of languages and teaching depth, 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, Mango Languages or Pimsleur?
Mango Languages costs less by the year: about $120 for all 73 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 Mango Languages and Pimsleur teach the same languages?
Mango Languages lists 73 languages and Pimsleur 51, each counting varieties its own way; 39 languages are taught by both. Each app's page here lists its languages, with a page for each language two or more apps teach.
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