Rosetta Stone is a paid French app for beginner and intermediate learners (A1–B1). Immersion-style basics; slow, and light on explanation.
Checked October 2026 on the official site ·
About Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone teaches French by immersion from the first lesson: pictures, words and speech recognition, with very little English. You can try the app for free before paying; prices are shown at checkout. It suits a beginner who prefers learning by pattern over grammar explanations. It is slow to reach anything conversational, and the absence of explanations frustrates many adults.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed French | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosetta Stone | See site | A1–B1 | No | Immersion-style basics; slow, and light on explanation. |
| Babbel | See site; first lesson free | A1–C1 | No | The most course-like app; a good spine for A1 to B1, light on real listening. |
| Mondly | Some free lessons; Premium: see site | A1–B1 | No | A pleasant beginner phrase app with speech practice; thin past A2. |
| Pimsleur | See site; free first lesson | A1–B1 | No | Best for speaking from day one on a commute; thin on vocabulary. |
| French with AmélieRuns this site | 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 |
