Rosetta Stone vs Pimsleur: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 6 Sept to 6 Oct 2026 · How we check
Rosetta Stone if you want to learn through pictures and audio with your pronunciation scored, for $159 a year.
Pimsleur if you want to learn by ear and speak first, for $164.95.
| Question | Rosetta Stone | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $159 a year, or $19.99 month to month | $164.95 a year, or $20.95 month to month |
| A lesson is | Pictures and audio with no translation at all, and your pronunciation scored. | A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer. |
| Try it | Free sample lessons, then a 14-day money-back guarantee. | A 7-day free trial on subscriptions, and 30 days' money back on purchases. |
How a lesson works in each
Rosetta Stone: course app
Pimsleur: audio course
Side by side, as published
| Compare | Rosetta Stone | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels stated | — | — |
| A year costs | $159 a year, or $19.99 month to month | $164.95 a year, or $20.95 month to month |
| What it is | Course app: Immersion-style lessons without translation, with speech scoring | Audio course: Half-hour audio lessons built on spoken recall, made for commutes |
| Per month at annual billing | $13.25/mo ($159 a year) | $13.75/mo ($164.95 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $19.99 | $19.95 for one language, $20.95 for all its languages |
| Lifetime plan | none | $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 sample lessons on its site; no lasting free plan. | None |
| Languages offered | 25 | 51 |
| Speech recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Live tutoring | Tutoring | — |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes |
| Placement test | — | — |
| Refund or trial | 14-day money-back guarantee | 7-day free trial on subscriptions; 30 Day money back guarantee on purchases |
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Rosetta Stone LLC (a division of IXL Learning) | Simon & Schuster, LLC (Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio) |
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Rosetta Stone
Course app
In our comparison: strongest on trial and refund terms and the number of languages, weakest on the free tier.
$159 a year $13.25 a month, billed yearly$19.99 on the monthly plan
Immersion-style lessons without translation, with speech scoring. Live tutoring sold beside the app (Tutoring).
- Free tier
- Free sample lessons on its site; no lasting free plan.
- Languages
- 25
- Speech recognition
- Yes
- Live tutoring
- Tutoring
- Offline mode
- Yes
- CEFR levels
- —
- Refund or trial
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Pimsleur
Audio course
In our comparison: strongest on the number of languages and trial and refund terms, weakest on the free tier.
$164.95 a year $13.75 a month, billed yearly · All AccessMonthly 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.
- Free tier
- None
- Languages
- 51
- Speech recognition
- Yes
- Live tutoring
- —
- Offline mode
- Yes
- CEFR levels
- —
- Refund or trial
- 7-day free trial on subscriptions; 30 Day money back guarantee on purchases
Two long-standing courses with almost the same yearly price and opposite methods. Rosetta Stone teaches with pictures and audio and no translation, and scores how you say words. Pimsleur is audio: half-hour lessons in which you answer spoken prompts aloud.
Which one, for whom
You learn by seeing
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone teaches with pictures and audio and no translation, and scores your pronunciation. Its yearly plan was $159 ($13.25 a month) for all 25 languages, with a 14-day money-back guarantee and free sample lessons on its site.
You learn by ear, or on the move
Pimsleur
Pimsleur's lessons need no screen: you listen and answer aloud for 30 minutes. All Access was $164.95 a year for 51 languages, with a 7-day free trial on subscriptions.
You want a person as well
Rosetta Stone sells tutoring
Rosetta Stone states a tutoring product; Pimsleur does not mention live lessons. A tutor marketplace such as Preply or italki works beside either.
Where they really differ
- Price: Rosetta Stone: $159 a year, or $19.99 month to month. Pimsleur: $164.95 a year, or $20.95 month to month.
- A lesson: Rosetta Stone: Pictures and audio with no translation at all, and your pronunciation scored. Pimsleur: A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer.
- A real person: Rosetta Stone sells live tutoring alongside the app. Pimsleur doesn't mention live tutors.
- Trying it: Rosetta Stone: Free sample lessons, then a 14-day money-back guarantee. Pimsleur: A 7-day free trial on subscriptions, and 30 days' money back on purchases.
- Both: Listen to you speak and work offline.
Every published plan
Rosetta Stone
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YearlyLabelled "Save 33%" against the monthly plan. | Annual | $159 | $13.25/mo | all languages |
| MonthlyAll 25 languages. | Monthly | $19.99 | $19.99/mo | all languages |
Pimsleur
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Rosetta Stone cost you for the months you study?
Total billed over 12 months
$80.88 less on annual billing1 full annual payment · $159.00 at the start of each year.
Check coverage. Monthly: all languages. Annual: all languages. Features and language coverage may differ.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Rosetta Stone or Pimsleur?
Close: Rosetta Stone's yearly plan was $159 for all 25 languages, Pimsleur's All Access $164.95 for all 51. Month to month, Rosetta Stone is $19.99 for all its languages and Pimsleur $19.95 for one.
Can I try them before paying?
Rosetta Stone offers free sample lessons on its site and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Pimsleur's subscriptions start with a 7-day free trial, and purchases have a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Which teaches grammar?
Neither explains grammar in English the way a course such as Babbel does: Rosetta Stone teaches through pictures without translation, and Pimsleur through spoken patterns.