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Best Apps To Learn German
Explore the best way to learn German through our reviews of the top-rated programs online
German is tough to master. With long words that can be a mouthful for English speakers and seemingly backwards sentence structures, it can be difficult to pick up. This in turn makes choosing the right language learning app critically important. But with so many German programs to choose from, how do you know which is best for you? Enter this guide. We have used and reviewed over a dozen German language apps at this point and assigned each one a detailed rating and grade here.
In the video above, Lara from the Test Prep Insight team runs down our list of the best German language apps. She covers teaching methods, core features, pricing, pros and cons, and who each app suits best so you can choose the best app to learn German. For more detail, be sure to continue reading our full written guide below.
After reviewing over a dozen different German programs, Rocket Languages separated themselves as the clear winner. Their German course is the most complete and well-rounded from top to bottom. Here’s why.
Audio Lessons Help You Develop Speaking Skills
The first highlight of the Rocket German program is their series of interactive audio lessons, in which you listen to and respond to fluent speakers within the framework of mock conversations. Now, they do offer a rolling transcript that provides a little extra support if you prefer reading along while you listen – so don’t feel too overwhelmed or assume you wouldn’t be able to keep up.
The Rocket German audio lessons are extremely helpful
The best part: after listening to the conversation the first time, you’re invited to replay it – but this time, you take the role of one of the fluent speakers. I’ll be honest; it’s a pretty intense experience. Now, you’re not just practicing your listening and comprehension skills, but also stepping up as one of the primary speakers keeping the entire conversation moving forward.
But that challenge is exactly what makes Rocket so powerful. In my opinion, these guided conversations are remarkably effective for improving your listening comprehension and verbal skills. You’re essentially asked to use German under pressure just like you would in real life situations. That’s the key point here, you get simulated real world experience with Rocket’s interactive lessons.
Diverse Reinforcement Exercises
Following the audio portion of each lesson, Rocket also provides an array of reinforcement exercises and drills to improve your reading and writing skills. These drills include flashcards, matching pairs, writing exercises, and more.
These follow-up drills really help to drive home language retention following the audio lessons. Plus, their quick-hit nature makes them kind of fun.
Feedback On Your Pronunciation
One other cool feature is that the Rocket German lessons also utilize Google’s cutting-edge Web Speech API, which many consider to be one of the best speech tools in the world.
Rocket uses Google’s Web Speech API
Here’s how it works: as you complete the audio lessons and various practice drills, Rocket (in conjunction with Google’s tech), records your voice to determine the accuracy of your German pronunciation on a scale from 1 to 100. It’s pretty neat and the immediate feedback is super helpful for ensuring you’re using words correctly.
Detailed Grammar Instruction
I really like that Rocket emphasizes grammar content and instruction within its coursework, but without going overboard. Both their audio lessons and digital text lessons are full of useful explanations, tips and insights to help you grasp the different grammar rules and principles in the German language.
AI Speech Tools and Pronunciation Feedback
Some of the best German apps now include AI tutors that act like real conversation partners. Tools like these help you speak aloud and get instant feedback on grammar and pronunciation. Rocket and Babbel both offer advanced voice recognition to correct tone and fluency as you go.
Rocket’s tech overall is pretty good. In 2025, they updated the Rocket German mobile app with a fresh dashboard layout, plus a newly added favorites feature so you can save any words and phrases you want to review later just by clicking on a heart icon.
We knew from the first lesson with Pimsleur that they would make their way onto our best list. This is a fantastic program that is unquestionably effective. Here’s why.
Top-Notch Audio Lessons
Similar to Rocket German, Pimsleur offers in-depth audio lessons focused on improving your speaking skills. For 30 minutes at the start of every lesson, an English-speaking moderator walks you through a short German conversation, breaking everything down to the last syllable.
Pimsleur’s audio lessons are powerful
These lessons are long and can be intensive as you reach the higher levels, but they are incredibly effective. Pimsleur packs into one audio lesson what you learn in 10 Duolingo lessons.
Now, it is worth pointing out that their speech recognition tech isn’t quite as powerful as Rocket’s. Pimsleur doesn’t provide a real-time grade on your pronunciation like Rocket does, so they’re not identical products. Still, it’s an overall high-quality learning experience that helps you pick up listening and speaking much better than most other options on the market.
Better For Visual Learners (Compared To Rocket)
Though highly similar to Rocket’s audio lessons in structure, the Pimsleur lessons, exercises and drills integrate more pictures and graphics than Rocket’s.
To be clear, Pimsleur doesn’t offer as many visuals as Memrise or Busuu, but compared to Rocket (the only other provider with all important audio lessons), Pimsleur is supreme.
Pimsleur’s digital platform is awesome
Therefore if you tend to favor visual learning, Pimsleur might be a better choice for you.
Ideal For Commuters
For all you commuters and road warriors out there, the Pimsleur audio lessons are equipped with a special driving mode feature that allows you to easily complete lessons while you’re on the go.
Simply connect your smartphone to your car stereo, active the driving mode, and you’re good to go. If you usually find yourself stuck in traffic, this is a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone. Plus, Pimsleur requires you to talk aloud quite a bit, and what better place than alone in your car.
More Affordable Than Rocket German
The final difference between Rocket German and Pimsleur (the two most comparable apps), is that Pimsleur offers monthly subscription plans rather than lifetime plans like Rocket.
Thus, if you want to take things slow and sort of dip your toes in the water before fully committing to any one app, Pimsleur is going to be the cheaper option to start. Plus, Pimsleur even offers a free 7-day trial period so you can take their course for a test drive.
With Rocket German offering pricier lifetime-only packages, and Pimsleur generally carrying one of the heftier monthly subscription price tags, you might be looking for a cheaper alternative. Enter Babbel. They are our pick for budget conscious learners want to spend under $10/month.
Short, Engaging Lessons
Our team was crazy about Babbel’s short, fun lessons. Compared to Rocket and Pimsleur, whose lessons each take 45 to 60 minutes to complete, Babbel’s go by in a blur.
Babbel German’s lessons are fast and fun
Taking just 10-15 minutes to finish, Babbel’s lessons are perfect for those looking to learn German, but who don’t have a ton of time. Their lessons are a mix of fast-faced blended exercises, like flashcards, speed games, matching pairs, and list-and-repeat drills. They are fast, fun, and engaging.
Accurate Pronunciation Feedback
One key aspect of language learning is perfecting your pronunciation, and this is an area where Babbel shines. While most every educational app provides speech software today (except for Pimsleur oddly), Babbel’s speech recognition tech stands out.
We found Babbel’s tech to be fast, accurate and unobtrusive. It consistently provided helpful feedback on my pronunciation, allowing me to work on some tougher-to-pronounce words.
Plus, in 2025, Babbel added a new AI conversation mode where you can follow along with a scripted conversation and get immediate feedback on your speaking skills.
Helpful Grammar Instruction
Grammar is another area that is crucial to successful language acquisition. Yet, it’s also one of the toughest concepts for language learning companies to get right. Too much grammar and you bog learners down. Too little grammar and they’ll develop poor habits early.
Grammar is delivered seamlessly
Babbel, however, tends to strike a nice balance for their grammar instruction delivery. They subtly weave tips and short notes into their lessons, making grammar content delivery fairly seamless.
Sleek Mobile App & Digital Interface
Of all the products we’ve reviewed, Babbel has one of the coolest platforms. Their mobile app is modern and very easy to use. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it’s also very practical. It’s constantly being updated, too, making sure you’re getting a streamlined experience and an intuitive interface.
You can quickly navigate through your lessons and find extra resources, such as games, vocab and podcasts effortlessly. But most of all, it’s just plain sharp.
Best of all, the Babbel German mobile app comes with multimedia features including a podcast, video lessons, and the Babbel magazine. Whenever you need a break from working through lessons, you can choose any of these unique offerings that other apps simply don’t provide. They’re great for both visual and audio learners, and I have to say, they’re just plan fun. Apart from maybe Duolingo or Pimsleur, this is the best mobile app in the game.
Of all the companies to make our list of best apps, Rosetta Stone probably has the most name recognition. They’ve been selling language learning courses for over 30 years now, and they’re still relevant.
In fact, they’re still near the top of the list. They’re not our #1-ranked program (like they may have been 10 years ago), but this is still a great option for learning German. Let’s take a look why.
Immersive Approach To Learning
One of the biggest differentiators between Rosetta Stone and other language companies is their approach to learning. In short, they are big proponents of 100% immersion.
Essentially, Rosetta Stone’s belief is that the fastest way of learning a new language is complete cultural immersion. So how do you replicate that inside of a software program? The answer is simple: don’t offer users translations. Immerse them in the language they are learning from day 1.
Short story drill
And that’s exactly what they do. Within the Rosetta Stone program you will find very little in the way of English translations and directions. You must dig through settings to turn this functionality on (if you really want it).
While this approach might be frustrating for some users, we must admit that it does work. You are forced to start thinking in German from the first lesson and what they teach you really sticks. You will be irritated the first few lessons, but once you get into it, it does work.
Visuals Everywhere
As part of their immersive learning framework, Rosetta Stone leverages more visuals than just about any other program I’ve seen. Every single drill and exercise within the app is based around imagery.
And this makes sense – how else do you teach someone a new language through immersion? They must see something to associate with what they are learning.
Rosetta Stone German drill
Want to teach someone how to say “the table” in German? Show them a picture of a table with the phrase “der Tisch.” There is almost no other way. So, it makes a ton of sense that they leverage images heavily.
This in turns makes the program ideal for visual learners. If you’re one of those people who benefits from lots of images and pictures, Rosetta Stone is going to be right up your alley.
Supplemental Resources
Rosetta Stone offers one of the better suites of bonus resources that we have seen. This includes on demand video lessons, phrasebooks, stories, and a lot more. Like some of the other companies we’ve already mentioned, they’re constantly updating their mobile app, like equipping it with a more user-friendly interface. They’ve also recently added an option for breaking lessons down into three 10-minute chunks, which makes learning a lot more doable for busy people.
If you’re looking for a more developed program with extra tools and games, Rosetta Stone would be a great option. Basically, it’s a good program for those looking for a little “extra credit” around the standard lessons.
If to this point you have been left thinking that you want something outside of the ordinary, that is where LingoPie comes in. This program is totally different from the other, more traditional learning programs and apps we have highlighted thus far.
With no linear learning path or standardized lessons, LingoPie is a video on demand platform that teaches through binge-watching. Let’s explore this option.
Learn German With Shows & Movies
As noted above, LingoPie leverages TV to teach you German. The concept is somewhat similar to Rosetta Stone’s take on immersion – you learn best by being immersed in the language and giving your ear lots of reps.
LingoPie’s German program
That is the basis of this program. LingoPie has a deep library with hundreds of German TV shows and movies, which you watch to learn the language. But the program is much more than a movie with subtitles in English. There are several features they layer in to assist in the growth process:
Subtitles are color coded to help you understand the different structural elements of sentences (verbs, nouns, etc.)
You can control playback speed (beginners can watch at slower speeds)
There is a loop setting to keep replaying the scene until you understand
There is an auto-flashcard generator
The AI-powered grammar coach feature helps you understand words in context
Quizzes to test your retention
Those are just a few of the more important settings that we used over and over. We were incredibly impressed with the software functionality that LingoPie has layered in on top of otherwise entertaining content.
LingoPie has tons of great content
Plus, LingoPie stays current by constantly expanding their content library with new shows and movies, so there’s something for everyone to watch. In 2025, they added a new short stories feature to integrate a little reading into their program, and they added more languages to the LingoPie Kids platform.
Frankly, it’s just a fun, engaging and different way of learning. We think it would be especially useful for those with a foundation of German (maybe someone who has worked through Babbel German or Duolingo).
LingoPie Is Affordable
Somehow, despite offering incredible content in their library and having a very sleek platform, LingoPie can be found for about $7 per month.
Compared to other German language apps, that is a great deal. It is cheaper than every other German app on this list. That is why we think LingoPie makes for an especially good complement to other programs.
The German language is not easy to learn, especially for English speakers. Even though English and German share a common etymological history, English and German have considerable differences.
For instance, on average, German vocabulary is typically composed of much longer words than are found in English. The average word length for all words found in German is around 8.25. By contrast, the average character count for English words is approximately 7.26 – a full character less.
And I know you may be thinking “oh wow, a full character less. Big deal.” Well, it actually is a big deal. Over the course of 20,000+ vocabulary words in each language, it really adds up.
Or in relative terms, the average German word is 13.7% longer than its English counterpart. And given that there are thousands of words that are ten or more letters long (and contain tons of consonants), German can be plain hard to master.
Not to mention, words in the German vocabulary can be a mouthful for English speakers. In fact, I have even heard native German speakers have trouble with some words. No joke. So don’t get discouraged as you start out.
Honestly, you’ve got to have serious dedication, time, and a good German language learning app. I’ve outlined some of the better apps to learn German above that I’ve tested. In fact, at this point, I’ve tested over 20 of them.
Some have a free version. Some are pricey. Some have long lessons, some have short ones. And some were so bad I quit after two days. The point is that all these German programs have different strengths and weaknesses.
But no matter which one you pick, I have found that consistency in practicing is key. You need to be doing German language lessons every single day. And I know you may be thinking that the prospect of an everyday commitment sounds brutal. But it’s not, trust me.
Just make studying a part of your everyday routine. To master German, you need to treat it like a habit. For me, this meant spending 30 minutes every evening after dinner on my German language learning app. But hey, it’s better than watching mindless TV.
Seriously. Consider the cognitive benefits of learning a new language like German. Instead of mindlessly watching some show on Netflix, you’re exercising your brain with language learning exercises and memorizing German vocabulary.
It’s like exercise for your mind. Plus, I have no idea if this is somehow grounded in science, but it helped me sleep better. That’s probably just me, but something about doing the lessons drained my brain – almost like studying for a big test.
So my best advice: don’t get discouraged, stay positive, practice everyday, and make using your German language learning app a part of your daily routine.
Bonus Tips for Learning German Fast
Using your language app to study German is just one piece of the puzzle (especially if you’re using the limited free version from a company).
Even for German language learners knocking out multiple lessons per day, it’s not enough. If you want to become truly fluent, you’ll need to incorporate some other educational exercises and tricks into your daily habits. Here are six other tips I have to learn German.
Use Post-Its To Learn German
As I did lessons (again, I used multiple platforms), I routinely wrote the words on post-its. I would then leave the post-it’s all around my house.
I would place them on the refrigerator, calendar, appliances, pictures, wherever. My house was covered with German vocabulary on post-it notes.
Obviously, you won’t have a place to stick a post-it for every new German word you pick up. Verbs and adverbs are especially hard to account for with this trick.
For example, where would you stick a post-it for the verb “to remain.” Beats me too. My point is that nouns are easy, but other word types can be trickier.
Bottom line, for everyday items, which you speak about in German frequently as you start speaking German, this trick words great. Obviously, to converse with native German speakers you’ll need to elevate your German vocabulary (and corresponding hacks) at some point, but when starting out, it’s great.
Watch German Language TV
Watching television is not a new language learning trick, but it does work. Obviously you will have to hit a certain threshold in your language learning journey in order to watch TV, but once you get there, this mechanism really works.
I would suggest starting with children’s shows. Sure, you can eventually switch to the German version of Two and a Half Men (my personal German favorite) and The Simpsons, but you need to start slow. Crawl before you walk.
You may feel like a fool watching German television shows made for toddlers, but they work surprisingly well.
In terms of where to find them, if you’re looking for some shows, check YouTube. There is a ton of free content on there. Sometimes the quality is a little spotty, and it can be hard to find solid recordings, but they are out there. Trust me, I’ve watched many of them myself.
Also, turn on the closed captioning subtitles. This is my pro tip here. After a while, you’ll want to turn off the closed captioning to focus on hearing the German language (and not reading it), but that will come in time.
Immersion Trip To Germany
Who doesn’t want to travel to Germany? If I am being honest, nothing expedited my learning like actually traveling to Germany.
I know that isn’t what some people want to hear. Some people just can’t afford to take 2 weeks off and drop thousands of dollars on a trip to Berlin or Munich. But if you can, it is 100% worth it in terms of accelerating your German language skills.
Hearing German being spoken around you 24 hours a day for a few weeks is an incredible experience. Total immersion isn’t cheap or easy, but it really works. No arguing that.
I was hesitant to speak with locals when I first landed, but by the time I left, I was confidently speaking German, and even my grasp of German vocabulary had vastly improved. My recall was faster, my conjugations were quicker, and I knew I had corrected a lot of my bad habits in forming grammatically incorrect sentences.
The one issue is that because you’re a tourist, many German locals will try to speak to you in English. For one, they do this because they are friendly and want to accommodate you as a visitor. But secondly, they also want to practice their own English!
They don’t get the chance to speak English that often, so they try to take advantage of having a fluent English speaker in front of them. That was my experience at least.
Using YouTube To Learn German
I know I already mentioned YouTube above in relation to watching German children’s television shows. However, even beyond kids’ TV, YouTube can be a great resource. There are dozens of German language YouTube channels that focus on just what you’re after – learning German.
Most of the YouTube channel moderators are German language tutors and teachers, so they know their stuff. And I don’t just mean speaking German. I mean communicating how to learn.
This is the critical part of these videos. There are about 130 million people that speak German as their native tongue. But there are only so many that can effectively teach German to English speakers. So when you find a good channel or moderator on YouTube, stick with it.
Their videos cover basic vocabulary, grammar tips, filler words, how to conjugate, and a ton more. I especially love the videos that focus on cultural insights and tidbits. I love Germany, so learning cool cultural stuff is always fun for me.
Thus, as part of your study routine, I would incorporate some YouTube videos, they are an awesome, free resource.
German Podcasts
There are a million German podcasts floating around the internet. However, many focus on soccer, politics, and pop culture – topics appealing to native German speakers. That said, there are also some aimed at teaching English speakers how to speak German.
They can be tough to find (especially in the US or UK podcast apps), but when you can find one that works, they’re great. In fact, many of these German podcasts are sponsored or created by the language companies themselves, like Babbel and Busuu.
That’s where I would actually start my search. Check out Babbel’s podcast, as well as those from other German app companies.
I especially liked listening to podcasts in the car on my way to work. You could just plug it in and do your best to follow along as you sit in traffic. It’s kind of like the mindless TV thing I mentioned above. Why listen to some crummy podcast talk about American pop culture when you can actually be learning something – like German.
I get that sometimes you are burned out after work, but at least on the way to work when you’re fresh, it’s a good use of time.
Are Paid German Apps Really Better Than Free Ones?
Free apps like Duolingo are great to build vocabulary, but often skip grammar and speaking practice. Paid apps like Rocket German and Pimsleur offer full lessons, cultural tips, and verbal drills that move you toward fluency much faster.
German Social Media
My final tip for learning German (outside of the apps) is Reddit. The “r/German” subreddit is simply awesome.
It’s full of like-minded, eager learners of German. Some are advanced (I’d actually say most), but some are beginners too.
This subreddit is a great place to get questions answered, start a thread on an idea you have, or just troll around to kill time.
Rather than scrolling through Instagram when I’m sitting around, I love to go to this subreddit. There are always new threads and questions that I check out.
I rarely post, but when I have, people are very active and answer right away. I’ll check back 30 minutes after posting and will have 10+ responses. It’s kind of crazy actually. Not to mention, it has a great community feel. Not all subreddits have a community feel with positivity and collaboration, but the “r/German” subreddit definitely does.
Not to mention, sometimes as I look at some of the posts, it answers a lot of questions I didn’t even know I had. I can’t tell you how many times I saw a comment and went “oh my God that makes perfect sense. I don’t even think about that!” It’s like some people are mind readers.
In any event, it’s a great forum for engaging with like-minded German learners.
Other Thoughts On The German Language
I’ve loved Germany for as long as I can remember. Well, actually, since my first trip there when I was 17. I love the natural beauty, the food, and the people.
I know some people (namely, other Americans) say that German people are not the friendliest in the world. I beg to differ. I have never known German people to be anything but friendly, at least to me.
They always want to talk. Whether it’s to practice their own English, or because they want to make sure you like Germany and leave with a good perception of its people, I don’t know. But they’ve always been warm, engaging, and plain friendly. Almost like Southern hospitality in the United States.
In addition, I love the food. Oh my lord, I could talk about German food all day. Schnitzel, Bratwurst, Labskaus, Kartoffelknödel – I love it all. I wish there were more German restaurants here in the US. And Biergartens, for that matter.
Then, of course, there is the natural beauty of Germany. From rolling green hills, to the Bavarian Alps, to the shores near Hamburg, to the shady Biergartens (I know, again with the Biergartens). There is so much natural beauty, I could spend months touring around Germany and get enough.
And one other aspect of German culture that I don’t think gets enough attention (at least not as much as other European destinations) is the architecture. The country is full of gorgeous buildings.
Obviously, the old churches and cathedrals are astounding, but even the government buildings, monuments and old houses are pretty. I particularly like Bavarian style homes in the Bauernhaus style.
Now, I’ve listed off a lot of beautiful things about Germany – the warm people, the Alps, the beer, the food. The list goes on. But you know one thing that isn’t the prettiest: the language. The German language just isn’t easy on the ears. In fact, it can be a little harsh.
But you know what I’ve discovered in it? It’s efficient and straightforward. In typical German style, it is to the point, direct, and rule-based. So even though it is not the most beautiful thing to hear (like some of the love languages), you have to appreciate its structure and effectiveness.
Conclusion
As I mentioned above, learning German is not easy. It takes time and consistency, so don’t get discouraged when you’re only a few months in and struggling to keep up with audio lessons. It will get easier, I promise.
FAQ
What is the best app to learn German?
After reviewing over a dozen German language programs, our team believes Rocket German is the overall best app for learning. While other apps win on price and “fun” factor, Rocket is simply the most effective.
How much do German language apps and courses cost?
German language apps range widely in price, from 100% free (like Duolingo), to lifetime membership plans that cost $500+. On average, however, most apps use monthly subscription plans that cost $8 to $20 per month.
Are online language apps effective for learning German?
There are a number of ways to study German, but online language apps are one of the most flexible, effective and efficient means. You can generally learn from anywhere, at anytime, and on any device. This makes them very practical.
How long does it take to learn German?
If you consistently use a top rated language app, expect it to take around 40 to 50 weeks to learn German.
What is the best free app to learn German?
Duolingo is the most popular free app for German, but it’s limited on speaking and grammar. It’s great for basics, not for fluency.
Is Rocket German worth the price?
Yes. It includes interactive audio lessons, grammar explanations and speaking tools. It’s one of the most complete German apps available.
Do AI-powered apps help you learn German?
Yes. AI tutors and voice recognition tools can help you speak more naturally, but they work best alongside structured lessons.
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