Duolingo vs Pimsleur at a glance
| Duolingo | Pimsleur | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; Super from $9.99/mo or $79.99/yrchecked 2026-10-06 (US App Store) | 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) |
| Levels | A1–B1 (beginner and intermediate) | A1–B1 (beginner and intermediate) |
| Free to use | Yes, at least in part | No (trial or sample only) |
| Real-speed French | No | No |
| Transcripts or subtitles | Not a feature | Not a feature |
| Taught in | English | English, French |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Best for | The easiest free habit for week one; plan what comes after it. | Best for speaking from day one on a commute; thin on vocabulary. |
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. Duolingo's bite-sized, game-style lessons cover reading, writing, listening and speaking, and every course is free. Pimsleur's 30-minute audio lessons make you listen, repeat and answer out loud, with a hands-free mode for driving and offline listening. If you have a screen and five minutes, Duolingo; if you have half an hour with your ears free, Pimsleur.
Which is cheaper?
Duolingo, by a long way: every course is free and paid plans only remove ads and add extras. Pimsleur lets you try a lesson free, then sells the course by subscription or in blocks of 30 lessons, with prices on its site.
Which gets you speaking sooner?
Pimsleur. Its whole method is answering out loud before you see text, so you get used to producing French early. Duolingo's speaking exercises are a small part of each lesson.
Which teaches real spoken French?
Neither. Pimsleur's audio is slow, studio-clean and scripted, and Duolingo's sentences are short and recorded for learners. Both cover roughly A1 to B1 and leave real-speed listening to you.
Can you use both?
Yes, and they complement each other: Pimsleur in the car, Duolingo on your phone for reading and spelling. Pimsleur covers far less vocabulary than other courses, and Duolingo's free lessons help fill that gap.
What neither does
Neither app prepares you to follow two French people at normal speed or gives you a person to talk to. Both stop around B1. Add real listening early and a weekly conversation once you can say a few sentences.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed French | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | Free; Super from $9.99/mo or $79.99/yrchecked 2026-10-06 (US App Store) | A1–B1 | No | The easiest free habit for week one; plan what comes after it. |
| 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. |
| 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: Duolingo (app) and Pimsleur (course). More like these: Duolingo alternatives for French.
Guides
- Is Duolingo free? What the free version gives you for French (2026)
- Duolingo French: how far it takes you, honestly
- How much is Duolingo? Super and Max prices (2026)
- Duolingo energy and hearts: how to keep learning French without the limits
- Is Duolingo effective? What it teaches and what it skips
- Pimsleur French: the method, the levels, the price
- Is Duolingo a waste of time? Is it accurate? Is it dead?
- How to cancel Duolingo Super
- The Pimsleur method explained (and where it stops)
- Is Pimsleur worth it?
- Pimsleur free: what you can get without paying
- How to cancel Pimsleur