Rosetta Stone French suits a beginner who enjoys working out a language from pictures and patterns, with almost no English, and it frustrates most adults who want the grammar explained; it costs €19.99 a month, or €13.25 a month billed €159 a year when we checked from Germany, and takes you to about A1–B1.
Checked October 2026 · Rosetta Stone price: €19.99/mo, or €13.25/mo billed €159/yr; lifetime plan priced on the buy page (checked 2026-10-09 (rosettastone.com buy page, shown from Germany))
How it teaches
Rosetta Stone uses immersion from the first lesson. You see pictures, hear French words and sentences, and choose or say what matches, without translations or grammar explanations. Speech recognition scores your pronunciation as you repeat. Lessons build slowly from words to short sentences and everyday situations.
The idea is that you learn French the way a child learns a first language, by pattern. For some learners that is engaging; for many adults it is slow, because nobody tells you why a sentence is built the way it is.
What you get
A course from complete beginner to about B1 on phone, tablet and the web, with speech recognition, short lessons, and review. You can try it free before paying.
Prices on the buy page we checked from Germany: €19.99 a month, or €13.25 a month billed as €159 for a year. A lifetime plan is also sold on the buy page, at a price that moves with promotions; see Rosetta Stone lifetime.
What learners complain about
In the 500 most recent App Store reviews we read, 141 were one or two stars. The biggest group, 30, was about speaking and listening: mostly the speech recognition marking correct French wrong, including, one reviewer said, a native speaker repeating the sentence. 25 were about price and cancelling, and 15 said it felt too easy or repetitive. Our page on whether Rosetta Stone works looks at the speech recognition in more detail.
How it compares
Babbel is cheaper on a yearly plan (€107.88 a year when we checked) and explains grammar in English. Duolingo is free. Pimsleur is better if your goal is to speak early on a commute. See Rosetta Stone vs Babbel vs Duolingo for all three side by side.
None of them gives you real-speed French between native speakers. Whatever you pick, add a French listening app with real audio and a transcript.
Who it's for
Beginners who like immersion and puzzles, prefer pictures to grammar tables and have patience with slow progress. Visual learners who find explanations in English distracting often enjoy it.
Who it's not for
Adults who want to know why French works the way it does, learners in a hurry, and anyone past A2. You will spend a long time on basics that Babbel or Busuu would explain in a sentence.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed French | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosetta Stone | €19.99/mo, or €13.25/mo billed €159/yr; lifetime plan priced on the buy pagechecked 2026-10-09 (rosettastone.com buy page, shown from Germany) | A1–B1 | No | Immersion-style basics; slow, and light on explanation. |
| Babbel | From €8.99/mo on the 12-month plan (€107.88 a year; €215.88 at the monthly rate); lifetime €299.99; first lesson freechecked 2026-10-09 (babbel.com/prices, shown from Germany) | A1–C1 | No | The most course-like app; a good spine for A1 to B1, light on real listening. |
| 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.
Questions
How much is Rosetta Stone French?
€19.99 a month, or €13.25 a month billed €159 a year, checked from Germany on 9 October 2026. A lifetime plan is priced on the buy page.
What level does Rosetta Stone French reach?
About A1 to B1 in our reading. It is slow to reach conversation.
Does Rosetta Stone French explain grammar?
Hardly at all. It teaches by immersion with pictures and very little English, which is its main difference from Babbel.
More on Rosetta Stone
The full listing: Rosetta Stone: price, levels and who it suits.