Pimsleur vs Babbel at a glance
| Pimsleur | Babbel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Premium $19.99/mo; All Access $20.99/mo or $164.99/yr; one-off levels $150 each, 5 levels $575; free first lessonchecked 2026-10-09 (pimsleur.com/learn-french; subscriptions from the US App Store, 2026-10-06) | From €8.99/mo on the 12-month plan (€107.88 a year; €215.88 at the monthly rate); lifetime €299.99; first lesson freechecked 2026-10-09 (babbel.com/prices, shown from Germany) |
| Levels | A1–B1 (beginner and intermediate) | A1–C1 (beginner to advanced) |
| Free to use | No (trial or sample only) | No (trial or sample only) |
| Real-speed French | No | No |
| Transcripts or subtitles | Not a feature | Not a feature |
| Taught in | English, French | English |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Best for | Best for speaking from day one on a commute; thin on vocabulary. | The most course-like app; a good spine for A1 to B1, light on real listening. |
Prices as shown on the official site on the date given; they vary by country and change often.
Which is better for beginners?
Both suit beginners; the difference is how you learn. Pimsleur is audio-first: 30-minute lessons where you listen, repeat and answer out loud, with a hands-free mode for driving and offline listening. Babbel uses short lessons built around real situations, with grammar explained in context and speaking practice. If you have time with your ears free but your hands busy, Pimsleur fits; if you can sit with a screen for 15 minutes, Babbel teaches more per minute.
Which is cheaper?
Babbel, by a distance. Its cheapest plan was €8.99 a month on the 12-month plan (€107.88 a year) when we checked from Germany. Pimsleur All Access is $20.99 a month or $164.99 a year on the US App Store, and its one-off levels cost $150 each ($575 for all five). Both let you try a lesson free.
Which gets you speaking sooner?
Pimsleur. Every lesson makes you answer out loud before you see any text, so you get used to producing French from day one. Babbel has speaking practice too, but more of the work happens on screen. The trade-off is that Pimsleur covers far less vocabulary than other courses.
Which takes you further?
Babbel. Its curriculum runs from A1 towards C1, while Pimsleur's realistic range is A1 to B1. Pimsleur's slow, careful pace is part of how it works, and it means you meet fewer words per hour of study.
Which teaches real spoken French?
Neither. Pimsleur's audio is slow, studio-clean and scripted, and Babbel's dialogues are scripted and recorded for learners. Both train you to speak clearly, not to follow two French people talking at normal speed.
What neither does
Neither course trains your ear for real-speed French or gives you a person to talk to. Both use clean, scripted audio. Add real listening, such as a podcast or video with French subtitles, and from A2 a weekly conversation with a tutor or exchange partner.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed French | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pimsleur | Premium $19.99/mo; All Access $20.99/mo or $164.99/yr; one-off levels $150 each, 5 levels $575; free first lessonchecked 2026-10-09 (pimsleur.com/learn-french; subscriptions from the US App Store, 2026-10-06) | A1–B1 | No | Best for speaking from day one on a commute; thin on vocabulary. |
| Babbel | From €8.99/mo on the 12-month plan (€107.88 a year; €215.88 at the monthly rate); lifetime €299.99; first lesson freechecked 2026-10-09 (babbel.com/prices, shown from Germany) | A1–C1 | No | The most course-like app; a good spine for A1 to B1, light on real listening. |
| French with Amélie | Free weekly lesson; Premium $24/mo or $240/yr | B1–C1 | Yes, with a slow version and a transcript | Real-speed dialogues by email and a private podcast. Not an app. Visit |
Prices as shown on the official site on the date given; they vary by country and change often.
Read more
The full listings: Pimsleur (course) and Babbel (app). More like these: Online French courses.
Guides
- Babbel cost: every plan and what it works out per month (2026)
- Is Babbel free? Trial, free lessons, what's locked
- Is Babbel worth it for French?
- Pimsleur French: the method, the levels, the price
- The Pimsleur method explained (and where it stops)
- Is Pimsleur worth it?
- Babbel French: what the course covers, level by level
- Babbel lifetime: is the one-off plan worth it?
- Pimsleur free: what you can get without paying
- How to cancel Pimsleur
- How to cancel Babbel