LingQ vs Pimsleur at a glance
| LingQ | Pimsleur | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free account; Premium $14.99/mo or $119.99/yr; Premium Plus $29.99/mo or $269.99/yrchecked 2026-10-09 (US App Store in-app purchases) | 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 | A2–C2 (beginner to advanced) | A1–B1 (beginner and intermediate) |
| Free to use | Yes, at least in part | No (trial or sample only) |
| Real-speed French | Yes | No |
| Transcripts or subtitles | Free | Not a feature |
| Taught in | English, French | English, French |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Best for | Huge amounts of real French with text and audio; a tool, not a course. | 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?
Pimsleur. Its 30-minute audio lessons make you listen, repeat and answer out loud from day one, with a hands-free mode for driving. LingQ is not a course, and beginners get little structure from it.
Which is better for listening?
LingQ, once you are past the basics. It is built on real podcasts, articles, books and TV, each with audio and text, so you hear French at real speed and can check every word. Pimsleur's audio is slow, studio-clean and scripted, which helps at first but does not prepare you for real conversation.
Which is cheaper?
LingQ. It has a free account, and Premium is $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year on the US App Store. Pimsleur lets you try a lesson free; All Access is $20.99 a month or $164.99 a year, and one-off levels cost $150 each.
Which takes you further?
LingQ. It runs from A2 to C2, while Pimsleur covers roughly A1 to B1 and covers far less vocabulary than other courses.
Which gets you speaking?
Pimsleur. Answering out loud is the whole method. LingQ is a reading and listening tool and does not practise speaking.
Can you use both?
Yes, in sequence or together: Pimsleur first for speaking basics, LingQ when you can read simple French, with the two overlapping for a while.
What neither does
Neither gives you a person to talk to or corrects your mistakes. Pimsleur's speaking practice is with a recording, and LingQ is a tool rather than a course. Add a tutor or exchange partner as soon as you can manage a simple conversation.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed French | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LingQ | Free account; Premium $14.99/mo or $119.99/yr; Premium Plus $29.99/mo or $269.99/yrchecked 2026-10-09 (US App Store in-app purchases) | A2–C2 | Yes | Huge amounts of real French with text and audio; a tool, not a course. |
| 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: LingQ (app) and Pimsleur (course). More like these: French listening apps.