Michel Thomas Method vs Pimsleur: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 13 Oct 2026; Pimsleur's on 6 Sept 2026 · How we check
Michel Thomas Method if you want its way of teaching.
Pimsleur if you want every language for one price.
| Question | Michel Thomas Method | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | From $11.99 | $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month |
| A lesson is | Join a teacher and two students in a recorded class: when the teacher asks for a sentence, pause and say it before the students do. | A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer. |
| Try it | A free lesson and booklet for every course after sign-up (no card), and the 1-hour Start course for $11.99. | A 7-day free trial on subscriptions; the 30-day money-back guarantee covers only plans bought on pimsleur.com without such a trial. |
How a lesson works in each
Both are audio courses, so a lesson has the same shape
Side by side
| Compare | Michel Thomas Method | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | — | — |
| A year costs | From $11.99 | $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month |
| What it is | Audio course: All-audio courses in which you learn alongside two students in a recorded class, bought once per course | Audio course: Half-hour audio lessons built on spoken recall, made for commutes |
| Per month at annual billing | — | $12.50/mo ($149.95 a year) |
| Monthly plan | — | $19.95 for one language, $20.95 for all its languages |
| Lifetime plan | $11.99 to $273 once, for one course or a bundle of courses in one language | $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 | A free lesson and a free booklet for every course (sign-up needed, no card); the app that plays the courses is free. | None |
| Languages offered | 19 | 51 |
| Speech recognition | — | Yes |
| Live tutoring | No | — |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes |
| Placement test | No | — |
| Refund or trial | A refund or exchange within 14 days of buying, if you have not finished the course; the Start course is not refunded if you then buy Foundation. | 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 | Hodder & Stoughton Limited (Hachette UK), United Kingdom | Simon & Schuster, LLC (Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio) |
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Michel Thomas Method
Audio course
In our comparison: strongest on offline use, weakest on speaking practice.
From $11.99 Start course, paid once
All-audio courses in which you learn alongside two students in a recorded class, bought once per course. A refund or exchange within 14 days of buying, if you have not finished the course; the Start course is not refunded if you then buy Foundation.
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.
Michel Thomas Method is an audio course and Pimsleur is one too. Both teach French, Spanish, Chinese, German and 15 more languages.
Which to choose
You want to learn more than one language
Pimsleur
One plan covers all of Pimsleur's 51 languages: $164.95 a year, or $798 once. On Michel Thomas Method, each language is bought on its own.
You want to practise speaking
Pimsleur
Pimsleur: Speech recognition scores how you say words. Michel Thomas Method: You answer aloud to the recording, and nothing scores what you say.
You want a trial, or your money back if it doesn't suit you
Pimsleur
Pimsleur: 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. Michel Thomas Method: A refund or exchange within 14 days of buying, if you have not finished the course; the Start course is not refunded if you then buy Foundation.
You prefer the way its lessons work
Michel Thomas Method
Michel Thomas Method: Join a teacher and two students in a recorded class: when the teacher asks for a sentence, pause and say it before the students do. Pimsleur: A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer.
Where they really differ
- Price: Michel Thomas Method: From $11.99. Pimsleur: $149.95 a year for one language, or $19.95 month to month.
- A lesson: Michel Thomas Method: Join a teacher and two students in a recorded class: when the teacher asks for a sentence, pause and say it before the students do. Pimsleur: A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer.
- A real person: Michel Thomas Method has no live tutors. Pimsleur doesn't mention live tutors.
- Speaking: Michel Thomas Method doesn't say whether it listens to you speak. Pimsleur listens to you speak.
- Trying it: Michel Thomas Method: A free lesson and booklet for every course after sign-up (no card), and the 1-hour Start course for $11.99. 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
Michel Thomas Method
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start courseStart1-hour taster, the first hour of Foundation; bought once, then streamed online or downloaded to the free Library app. The same price in all 19 languages. | Lifetime | $11.99 | one-time | the Start course for one language |
| Language Builder courseLanguage Builder2-hour one-to-one seminar for improving beginners, after Foundation; bought once. The same price in each language; sold in Spanish, French, German and Italian. | Lifetime | $50 | one-time | the Language Builder course for one language |
| Vocabulary courseVocabularyPhase-2 vocabulary course with over 1,000 new words and phrases (about 600 for Egyptian Arabic); bought once. The same price in each language; sold in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Egyptian Arabic and Russian. | Lifetime | $75 | one-time | the Vocabulary course for one language |
| Insider's courseInsider'sPhase-2 high-intermediate conversation course; bought once. The same price in each language; sold in Spanish, French, German and Italian. | Lifetime | $75 | one-time | the Insider's course for one language |
| Intermediate courseIntermediateFollows Foundation (and Language Builder where offered); bought once. The same price in each language; sold in Spanish, French, German, Italian, European Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Egyptian Arabic, Dutch, Polish, Greek and Russian. | Lifetime | $90 | one-time | the Intermediate course for one language |
| Foundation courseFoundationBeginner course (includes Start); bought once, then streamed online or downloaded to the free Library app. The same price in all 19 languages. | Lifetime | $100 | one-time | the Foundation course for one language |
| Two-course bundleFoundation and Intermediate for one language, bought once; the price already includes the stated 20% bundle discount. Sold in European Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch, Polish and Greek. | Lifetime | $152 | one-time | two courses for one language |
| Three-course bundleFoundation, Intermediate and Vocabulary for one language, bought once; the price already includes the stated 25% bundle discount. Sold in Mandarin Chinese, Egyptian Arabic and Russian. | Lifetime | $198.75 | one-time | three courses for one language |
| Five-course bundleFoundation, Language Builder, Intermediate, Vocabulary and Insider's for one language, bought once; the price already includes the stated 30% bundle discount. Sold in Spanish, French, German and Italian. | Lifetime | $273 | one-time | five courses for one language |
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 Michel Thomas Method better than Pimsleur?
Neither is better for every learner. Choose Michel Thomas Method if you want its way of teaching. Choose Pimsleur if you want every language for one price, more speaking practice, a trial or money back and more languages to choose from. In our comparison, Michel Thomas Method is strongest on 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, Michel Thomas Method or Pimsleur?
They are priced differently. On Michel Thomas Method, you pay $11.99 to $273 once, for one course or a bundle of courses in one language. On Pimsleur, a year costs $149.95 for one language.
Do Michel Thomas Method and Pimsleur teach the same languages?
Michel Thomas Method lists 19 languages and Pimsleur 51, each counting varieties its own way; 19 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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