Apps › Categories › Courses

Online French courses

The online French courses worth paying for are Lingoda for live group classes on a timetable, italki or Preply for one-to-one tutors, and Babbel, Busuu or Frantastique if you want to work at your own pace.

Live teaching costs more but makes you speak; self-paced courses are cheap but let you skip the hard parts. Most learners need one of each.

Checked October 2026 · 11 listed

Ranked, our picks first

Lingoda#1 · course · A1–C1 · Web
Real classes on a timetable; costly per minute of speaking.
Paidspeakingtutorsgrammar
italki#2 · website · A1–C2 · iOS, Android, Web
The cheapest way to speak French every week, if you choose the tutor well.
Paidspeakingtutors
Preply#3 · website · A1–C2 · iOS, Android, Web
A huge choice of tutors at every price; pick carefully.
Paidspeakingtutors
Babbel#4 · app · A1–C1 · iOS, Android, Web
The most course-like app; a good spine for A1 to B1, light on real listening.
Paidgrammarvocabularyspeaking
Busuu#5 · app · A1–B2 · iOS, Android, Web
A solid A1 to B2 path with a usable free tier.
Free tiergrammarvocabularyspeaking
Frantastique#6 · course · A1–C1 · iOS, Android, Web
A witty 10-minute daily lesson that adapts to your mistakes; paid.
Paidgrammarvocabulary
Pimsleur#7 · course · A1–B1 · iOS, Android, Web
Best for speaking from day one on a commute; thin on vocabulary.
Paidlisteningspeaking
Coffee Break French#8 · course · A1–B2 · iOS, Android, Web
A friendly free podcast course explained in English; slow by design.
Free tierlisteninggrammar
Comme une Française#9 · YouTube channel · B1–C1 · Web
Warm, practical lessons on spoken French for textbook-trained learners.
Free tierlistening
Français avec Pierre#10 · YouTube channel · A1–C2 · Web
Free French-only lessons and solid DELF preparation.
Free tierlisteninggrammar
Rosetta Stone#11 · app · A1–B1 · iOS, Android, Web
Immersion-style basics; slow, and light on explanation.
Paidvocabularyspeaking

How we rank

We rank apps by who they genuinely suit, what they cost, and how much they help with the skill learners neglect most: understanding real spoken French. Every price and fact was checked on the product's own site or app store listing on the date shown; where a price is not shown publicly we say "see site". Nobody pays to be listed or ranked, and there are no affiliate links. More about this site.

Questions

What is a good online French course?

For speaking, Lingoda's group classes or a tutor on italki or Preply. For a cheap self-paced structure, Babbel, Busuu or Frantastique.

How much does an online French course cost?

On the pages we checked: Lingoda from €184.99 per four weeks for 5 group classes, Frantastique from €14 a month, Preply tutors from about €2 to more than €36 per lesson.

Are online French classes worth it?

Yes, if you show up every week and prepare. A class you attend but do not prepare for is mostly listening to other students.