Speak vs Pimsleur at a glance
| Speak | Pimsleur | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Premium $17.99/mo or $83.99/yr; Premium Plus $39.99/mo or $164.99/yr (App Store); 7-day free trial | 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–C1 (beginner to advanced) | A1–B1 (beginner and intermediate) |
| 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 | English, French |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Best for | Lots of out-loud speaking practice with an AI tutor; paid after a 7-day trial. | 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 speaking?
Both put speaking first, in different ways. Pimsleur's 30-minute audio lessons make you listen, repeat and answer out loud, with a hands-free mode for driving and offline listening. Speak teaches phrases with a native-speaking teacher, has you repeat them until they are automatic, then puts you in a conversation with an AI tutor that gives feedback on pronunciation and phrasing. Speak's AI conversation is closer to a real exchange; Pimsleur is easier to fit into a drive.
Which is cheaper?
Speak publishes its prices in the App Store: Premium at $17.99 a month or $83.99 a year, Premium Plus at $39.99 a month or $164.99 a year, after a 7-day free trial. 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 is better for beginners?
Pimsleur is the gentler start for a complete beginner, because each lesson is slow and carefully built up. Speak says it suits beginners to advanced learners, but it is light on reading and grammar explanation, so a beginner may want a course beside it.
Which teaches real spoken French?
Neither. Pimsleur's audio is slow, studio-clean and scripted, and Speak's conversations are with an AI tutor. Both get you producing French; neither trains your ear for French at full speed between natives.
Can you use both?
You can, but they do a similar job. If you drive a lot, Pimsleur fits that time; if you study on your phone in short gaps, Speak fits those. Paying for both is rarely worth it.
What neither does
Neither gives you real-speed French or a person to talk to, and neither covers much vocabulary or grammar in depth. Add real listening and, as soon as you can manage a few sentences, a weekly conversation with a tutor or exchange partner.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed French | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speak | Premium $17.99/mo or $83.99/yr; Premium Plus $39.99/mo or $164.99/yr (App Store); 7-day free trial | A1–C1 | No | Lots of out-loud speaking practice with an AI tutor; paid after a 7-day trial. |
| 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: Speak (app) and Pimsleur (course). More like these: Apps to practice speaking French.