7 Apps to Learn French: Options for Adults and Kids
Compare seven French-learning apps for adults and kids, including what you can try for free and where a subscription may be needed.
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Why Use an App to Learn FrenchDuolingoBabbelLe ConjugueurBusuuMemriseApps for KidsConclusionAre you looking at using an App to learn French, but aren’t sure which one would be best? Here are seven French-learning apps to compare. This article was originally published in 2023; features, prices and free access may have changed, so check each provider before subscribing.
Why Use an App to Learn French
Everyone’s busy now. There are so many things to do and not enough time to do them. So, learning a new language can be a bit of a challenge.
Apps are used to make this easier as they can be downloaded on your phone and used at different times throughout the day, whether it’s on your commute, your lunch break, or those few minutes of peace just before you go to bed.
Using an app can also improve your confidence if you want to learn a new language but aren’t confident enough to attend an in-person class or reach out to someone who can help you.
Language apps aren’t the only way to learn French, of course – there are classes, websites, and audio files that are available for your use, but apps are becoming an increasingly popular platform for learning languages.
Duolingo
Duolingo is the first of the seven apps that will be discussed here. It is a free platform and very popular amongst those wanting to learn French.
The app breaks down the lessons into small segments that allow you to practice your writing, speaking, and listening skills. If you are studying on your commute or in another situation where you are unable to speak or listen to it, there is the option to switch this part of the lesson off for a while.
Duolingo also offers short stories that you can read through and listen to which will finish with a question on how the story should end based on what you have learned in the lessons.
It has a little owl mascot, called Duo, who will send you reminders if you miss a session and will also send you emails if you haven’t been using it daily as it suggests.
While this app is the most popular, it isn’t a very good app for grammar because it allows you to forget, or choose not to use, accents when typing out the vocabulary.
Babbel
Babbel is free to try: you can access the first lesson of each course, while full course access requires a paid subscription. It also lets you learn French on the go. It is compatible with most devices, so isn’t specifically aimed towards iPhone users.
It has lessons that are broken down into ten-to-fifteen-minute sessions so that they can be completed even if you have very little time to study. In addition, it has the option to review what you have learned to ensure that you remember the information and interactive dialogues for you to put your speaking skills into practice.
Babbel is also ideal for travelers as it provides insights into French culture and traditions that will come in handy when you are trying to blend in with the locals on your holiday.
This app is a good choice for people who are just starting to learn French as well as those who are more experienced. It caters to every skill level with different lessons depending upon your existing knowledge.
Babbel used to offer live classes taught by language teachers with some subscriptions, but these are no longer available to individual learners, so check what your plan includes before you subscribe.
Le Conjugueur
Is conjugating verbs the thing that you struggle with most when learning French? Le Conjugueur was created to help with just this.
This app will help with your grammar and ability to easily conjugate verbs without being connected to the internet. This is a bonus for those who have run out of data or are unable to connect and haven’t been able to spend time on their French lessons.
While Le Conjugueur is a great app for grammar, spelling, and verb conjugation, it is advisable that you use it at the same time as you are learning French in a different way. It is best as a consolidation method for what you are currently learning or have already learned.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leconjugueur.droid&hl=en&gl=US
Busuu
Busuu’s free plan includes its essential courses, Community feedback and basic progress tracking. Paid subscriptions add features such as grammar and vocabulary review, offline access, and, on selected courses and plans, AI conversation and pronunciation practice. Check the current plan details and prices before subscribing.
Busuu also offers a customizable Study Plan to help you form regular study habits. As of July 2026, this is a Premium Plus feature available for selected courses; it is not included in the free plan.
Busuu, particularly the free version, is ideal for beginners. This is because it spends a lot of time in the beginning going over the basics of the language and how to use it. This is done through grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation lessons, as well as audio dialogues and interactive tests.
Memrise
Memrise offers a mix of free and paid features for people learning French, regardless of where you are in your studies. It has something for every ability level that will test your knowledge. For this reason, Memrise is one of the best apps to learn French whether you are merely trying to pick up some of the language for your holiday or are wanting to take your studies to a higher level.
Memrise also has educational videos featuring locals, who will probably be using their own dialects. By watching videos of locals speaking, you will also be able to hear French being spoken at the normal speed with the correct pronunciation, which you can then begin to imitate.
Hearing the French language being spoken at the correct pace will help if you are planning to hold conversations with someone who is a local, as they won’t always slow down when they speak to you – especially if they don’t know you aren’t used to the language.
The app was co-founded by Ed Cooke and Ben Whately, who wanted to make learning a language a fun and immersive experience. This aim was born from the idea that you retain what you view as being fun, and because they realized that most people did better when they weren’t learning a language from a textbook.
If you are looking for an app that focuses more on the language that you might hear when conversing with a local rather than learning endless vocabulary, this is the best app for you to learn French.
Apps for Kids
Do you struggle to get your kids to learn a second language? Or perhaps they are struggling with what they are learning at school. There is a way that you can use their screen time to improve on this, by using a French-learning app designed for children.
There is always the opportunity for them to pick up the vocabulary and knowledge without realizing that they are actively learning something with the apps below.
Gus on the Go: French for Kids
Gus on the Go is a language app that is set up so that kids can learn a variety of languages, including French, by following the travels of a friendly owl.
It is a game-based app designed to make learning French fun for kids. It allows them to learn different pieces of vocabulary by playing games, listening to and reading stories, and doing interactive lessons and reviews.
It works like a truly immersive experience as there isn’t an English translation anywhere in the app. Immersion is one way that is highly recommended for learning a language. So, this means that the child using it will have to learn the language to progress and understand what is happening.
Gus on the Go teaches French vocabulary with indefinite articles, so instead of le lion (“the lion”), a child may learn un lion (“a lion”). These articles still indicate grammatical gender: un is masculine and une is feminine. Learning with indefinite articles does not mean that a child misses the gender of the words.
https://www.gusonthego.com/gus-on-the-go-languages/gus-on-the-go-french/
Early Lingo French Language Learning for Kids
In the same way that Gus on the Go does, Early Lingo French Language Learning for Kids immerses the child in the French language for the best results. The entire learning section of the app is French with no English translations.
If your kid is just beginning to learn French, this is one of the best apps available for them. It makes learning a new language fun and easy with bright, bold colors and fun activities to learn the necessary vocabulary and skills.
The visual appearance of Early Lingo French Language Learning for Kids will keep your child’s attention and aid their retention of the information, although this is also aided by the repetition and activities that they undertake.
This app uses music, animation and even live footage alongside interactive lessons and worksheets to promote the easy learning of French for younger children just starting out.
Conclusion
There is an app out there to suit everyone, but not all of them are ideal for achieving the results you are looking for or covering every aspect of the learning process.
These apps differ in what they let you try for free and what requires payment. Compare the current features and prices on each provider’s website before choosing one.
A lot of the apps work well in conjunction with other methods of learning as well, because they often put more of an emphasis on learning the vocabulary than on conversational skills. If you are looking to put what you learn into practice it is a good idea to either purchase the membership or use these tools alongside other learning methods.
If you are looking to use an app to learn French, but are still finding it tricky, there are several tips that you can use to learn in the best way.
And you can always try to use French in your everyday life so that you are constantly reviewing what you have recently covered.
