Mondly French App
The Best Alternative to Duolingo
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Learners, Students, Travel
Content: French vocabulary trainer (5000 words), playful exercises, grammar
Prices: Free (initial lessons), USD 9.99 (1 month and 1 language), USD 47.99 (12 months and access to all 41 languages)
Discount offer: USD 99 (Lifetime Access to all 41 Languages)
Overall Value: 
The Mondly App lets you learn the French language in a playful way with a series of interactive exercises.
This French learning program contains:
- French vocabulary trainer with 5000 words
- 50 topics and categories to choose from
- 2100 French lessons, including grammar
- Conversation trainer for common situations (speech recognition)
- There is even a virtual reality version of this learning app
Mondly has around 45 million users worldwide. This language course has the advantage of having 41 source languages and 41 target languages.
Summary: Mondly is very similar to the Babbel and Duolingo apps and even better in terms of quality. The cost-benefit ratio for the lifetime access to all 41 languages is unbeatable.
Link:
Mondly French App and Online Course
French Basic Course
From 17 Minute Languages
Systems: Online Access (PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS)
Suitable for: Beginners and Advanced Learners, Students, Professionals
Content: 1300 words (basic course), 5200 words (complete course), grammar, verb conjugations, exercises
Prices: USD 29,95 (Basic Course), USD 97 (Complete Course)
Overall Value:
The French Basic Course contains a vocabulary trainer for the basic French vocabulary (1300 words) with native-speaker audio, as well as grammar explanations and various exercises.
The vocabulary trainer works with a long-term memory method, in which the new vocabulary is checked at increasing intervals.
You can choose between text input, multiple choice or simply confirming whether you knew a word or not.
The exercises include text comprehension questions, filling in word gaps or just vocabulary lists where one side is covered.
The basic course corresponds to the official language levels A1 and A2 (explanation of CEFR language levels).
The Complete Course contains:
- Basic course for beginners (basic vocabulary with 1300 words)
- Intermediate course (1800 more words)
- Advanced course for experts (2100 words)
- Additional specialized vocabulary
- Covers the official CEFR language levels A1 to C2
There are 17 different languages you can use to learn French with this app.
Summary: Much cheaper and even better than the famous Rosetta Stone. There is a free demo version available and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Link: French Basic Course and Complete Course
Rocket Languages: French
Learn French Without Subscriptions
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, PC and Mac
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, advanced learners, students, business
Content: Exercises with native speaker audio and speech recognition, writing, grammar, culture
Prices: Free (initial lessons), USD 89 (basic course), USD 249 (full course)
Overall Value:
Rocket Languages offers a complete French language course for download, without monthly subscriptions.
It covers the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels (A1-C2).
This French learning software and app features:
- 6000 French words in the lessons and exercises
- Complete grammar explanations and exercises
- Pronunciation and conversation trainer
- French native speaker audio and speech recognition
- Explanations of cultural differences via audio and video
You can use the Rocket Languages French course completely offline on the computer
and on your smartphone after the download.
Summary: Excellent premium French course on par with Rosetta Stone but without a subscription. You pay only once and own the software. There is also a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Link: Rocket Languages French Learning Software
Rosetta Stone: French
Most Famous Language Learning App
Systems: PC, Mac, Android, iOS Apps
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, experts, professionals, business
Content: French lessons with native speaker audio and speech recognition
Prices:
USD 36 (3 months)
USD 145 (12 months)
USD 299 (Lifetime access)
USD 349 (Lifetime access for 24 languages)
Overall Value: 
How does French learning with Rosetta Stone work?
Rosetta Stone has a different approach to language learning than many other online courses or language apps such as Duolingo, Memrise and others.
The idea behind Rosetta Stone is to learn a language like you did as a child - by using pictures in combination with listening, speaking, and reading.
Each Rosetta Stone lesson includes the following exercises:
- Pronounce the words or phrases correctly (speech recognition)
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When reading or hearing a word, click on the correct picture
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When looking at a picture, click on the correct word
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Type in a spoken word correctly, etc.
A possible disadvantage of Rosetta Stone is that there are no grammar explanations or translations of the French vocabulary.
Instead, you are supposed to learn the grammar and the meaning of words from the context or recognize the meaning from the pictures.
Rosetta Stone Apps and Online Version:
The Rosetta Stone French learning software can be used online with a subscription for 3 or 12 months or with a Lifetime Access.
In addition to the online version, there are now also Rosetta Stone apps for iPhones and Android smartphones.
Summary: Time-tested method, but the lack of grammar explanations and translations may make Rosetta Stone not suitable for everyone.
Link: Rosetta Stone App and Online Course
Babbel French App
Better than Rosetta Stone
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced, Students, Business French
Content: Vocabulary trainer with native speaker audio and speech recognition, grammar, exercises
Prices: Free (initial lessons), USD 12.95 (1 month), USD 84 (12 months)
Overall Value:
The Babbel French Learning App is quite similar to Rosetta Stone.
Babbel also focuses on combining pictures, listening, reading, writing and speaking. For this, Babbel has native speaker audio of all the words and speech recognition just like Rosetta Stone.
The Babbel App also offers improvements over Rosetta Stone:
- Classical explanation of grammar (Rosetta Stone has none)
- You are shown translations of words (unlike in Rosetta Stone)
- Traditional vocabulary trainer is included in the Babbel App
- The pricing of the Babbel app is much lower
Babbel is one of the oldest language learning apps and has over 10 million subscribed users world-wide.
Summary: Babbel includes most of the advantages of Rosetta Stone and even eliminates its disadvantages. Highly recommended!
Link: Babbel French App and Online Course
LingQ French App
Innovative Approach to Learn French
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, advanced learners, students, professionals
Content: Video and text lessons, browser extension to import any French texts, vocabulary trainer
Price: USD 10 (1 month subscription)
Overall Value:
The LingQ French App is basically a translation program that is combined with a personalized vocabulary trainer.
In addition to the lessons and texts that are included in this app, any French text can be imported. LingQ has its own browser extension for Firefox, Safari and Chrome to import texts (including ebooks).
You can click on any word in the texts to see a translation and this adds the word to your personal vocabulary trainer.
LingQ also has many videos and podcasts, the content of which appears as a text next to the video or podcast — so that any word there can be clicked on and saved as well.
Unfortunately, there are no grammar lessons, meaning that this app will not suffice on its own to learn French.
Summary: Very interesting way to learn French vocabulary on any subject. However, you need other apps for French grammar and conjugations.
Lingodeer French App
Learning French for Beginners
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, intermediate, students, travel vocabulary
Content: Exercises with native-speaker audio and speech recognition, grammar
Prices: USD 12 (1 month), USD 60 (12 months), USD 99 (unlimited)
Overall Value:
The Lingodeer App is somewhat similar to Duolingo or Babbel, but has a more extensive list of features:
- French native-speaker audio for each word and speech recognition to practice the correct pronunciation.
- You can even choose between different speakers.
- 200+ lessons, vocabulary trainer, exercises, quizzes.
- Very good grammar explanations, significantly better than in many other apps such as Duolingo or Rosetta Stone.
- Suitable for beginners and intermediate level learners (A1-B1).
- User community (native speakers) can give pronunciation feedback.
- You can download the app and use it offline.
The use of playful exercises and "achievements" ("gamification") is supposed to make French learning more interesting and motivating.
Summary: The Lingodeer App impresses with excellent grammar lessons and speech recognition. However, this app has lessons only for beginners and intermediate level learners.
Duolingo French App
Well-Known Language Learning App
Systems: Android App, iOS App, PC and Mac
Content: Exercises with native-speaker audio
Prices: Free (with ads), USD 12.99 (1 month), USD 60 (12 months)
Overall Value: 
The Duolingo App offers beginner language courses for 36 languages, including French. Duolingo covers mostly the basics as well as some intermediate level French vocabulary.
The major drawback of Duolingo (just like Rosetta Stone) is that there are no grammar explanations.
The vocabulary learning with Duolingo is "gamified", which means it is structured like a game with levels, experience points, achievements, etc.
The interface is relatively similar to the apps from Mondly and Babbel.
Summary: The vocabulary trainer and the exercises of the program are okay. However, it is not possible to learn French grammar with this app.
Bluebird French App
French Lessons and Exercises
Systems: Android and iPhone apps, online version (PC and Mac)
Content: French exercises with native speaker audio and speech recognition
Prices: USD 9.99 (1 month), USD 100 (12 months), USD 200 (unlimited), USD 400 (163 languages)
Overall Value:
The Bluebird App offers 146 source languages and 163 target languages and dialects, including French.
The French language course in this app includes the following:
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Daily video lessons in three difficulty levels
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Basic French vocabulary on several dozen topics
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Common French verbs with conjugations
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Analysis of your own pronunciation (with speech recognition)
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Tests: listening comprehension, filling in word gaps, vocabulary quizzes
There are about 500 video lessons for learning French, each 5 to 60 minutes long. For languages with other scripts, the words can also be displayed transliterated in the French script.
The Bluebird app has no grammar lessons. Instead, you are supposed to understand the grammar "implicitly" from the examples, like in Rosetta Stone.
Summary: The video lessons and the interface take some getting used to, but the exercises are quite varied. Especially for smaller languages, this app is a viable alternative.
Memrise French App
App with User-Generated Lessons
Systems: Android App, iPhone App, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Content: French lessons and vocabulary trainer with native speaker audio, grammar
Prices: USD 8,99 (1 month), USD 60 (12 months), USD 110 (unlimited)
Overall Value:
With the Memrise App you can learn over 90 languages.
This includes even very small languages - however, in such cases the language courses are often limited to just a few lessons.
One special feature of the Memrise learning app is the large number of lessons created by users (native speakers).
The quality of these lessons varies greatly though. For example, only the basic forms of verbs are usually taught, without the conjugations. Some languages also do not have an audio recording of the words at all.
Another good idea of the Memrise app are the user-generated tips and mnemonics for each word to help you memorize them.
Summary: User-generated lessons are a good idea. In practice, the quality of the lessons leaves a lot be desired.
LinguaTV French App
Learning French with Videos
Systems: Android and iOS Apps, Online-Version (PC and Mac)
Suitable for: Beginners, advanced learners, students, travelers
Content: French vocabulary trainer, videos with texts, various exercises
Prices: USD 89 (3 months & 2 courses), USD 149 (6 months & 4 courses)
Overall Value: 
The LinguaTV App teaches French primarily with videos. The texts and vocabulary also appear next to each video, including translations.
The French courses at LinguaTV include the following exercises:
- Vocabulary trainer to learn French words
- Finding word pairs, filling in gaps, etc.
- Making a sentence out of text blocks.
- A kind of Tetris with French words
- Text comprehension quiz
This app offers French courses for language proficiency levels A1 to C1.
Summary: Learning French with videos works well, but it doesn't justify the relatively high subscription price of this app.
Pimsleur French Course
Most Expensive Software to Learn French
Systems: PC and Mac (incl. Mobile App)
Suitabe for: Beginners, advanced, students, travel vocabulary
Content: French vocabulary, lessons with native-speaker audio and speech recognition
Price: USD 122 (Basics), USD 469 (Complete)
Overall Value:
The Pimsleur App is very similar to Rosetta Stone in that it does not give grammar explanations, verb conjugation tables, etc.
Instead, the Pimsleur method is supposed to let you learn the French language intuitively, just like your native language - by combining pictures, reading and speaking (speech recognition).
The complete course includes a total of five courses (levels 1 to 5). The beginner course is level 1.
Each of the five courses offers 30 daily lessons of 30 minutes each and there are various interactive exercises.
This French learning course for PCs and Macs also includes a mobile app for Android and iOS systems.
Summary: The most expensive French course, even though it is unlikely that learning with it is much better than with the cheaper apps.
