Tooter teamFacts checked 3 min readThe short answer
- To talk from the first minute: Tooter, with 5 to 30 minute conversations with a Parisian French tutor you pick.
- For a free course: Duolingo. For grammar step by step: Babbel, up to B2. For your ear: Pimsleur's audio lessons.
- French spelling doesn't match its sound, so pick an app that has you listening and speaking, not only reading.
At a glance
| App | French course | AI conversation | Free to start | Monthly plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tooter | Guided lessons | 5 to 30 min | Free chapters | See current plans |
| Duolingo | Free course | Video Call (Max) | All lessons | In the app |
| Babbel | To B2 | Babbel Speak, beta | First lessons | $17.95/mo |
| Pimsleur | 150 audio lessons | Conversation Coach | First lesson | $19.95/mo |
| Speak | Video course | Speak Tutor | 7-day trial | $17.99/mo |
| Praktika | Avatar-led lessons | Avatar tutors | Free plan | $9.99/mo |
| Langua | Call Mode | 3 min a day | $19.99/mo | |
| Jumpspeak | Full course | 7 min a day | Sample lessons | $79/year |
Other apps' prices are their lowest US monthly prices, or yearly where there's no monthly plan; Tooter's are its current website prices. Checked October 31, 2026.
Why these apps
How hard is French to speak?
The US Foreign Service Institute estimates about 30 weeks of full-time study for English speakers to reach professional working ability in French. Thousands of words look like English, but spelling is a poor guide to sound: many final letters are silent and words run together in speech. That makes hearing phrases and saying them out loud early more useful than in most languages.
Which app suits you?
Tooter
- 5 to 30 minute conversations in French
- Tutors speak Parisian French
- Corrections as you speak
Duolingo
- Every lesson free, with ads
- AI calls and roleplays with Max
- Short daily lessons
Babbel
- French up to B2
- Grammar taught step by step
- Babbel Speak AI roleplays, in beta
Pimsleur
- 150 audio lessons
- Learn hands-free or offline
- AI Conversation Coach with All Access
Speak
- Lessons with instructor videos
- Speak Tutor AI conversations
- 7-day trial
How Tooter teaches French
Every Tooter French tutor speaks Parisian French. You pick one by coaching style, such as conversation-first, travel-focused or natural correction, choose a session of 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes, and talk the whole time. Your tutor corrects pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and fluency as you go and can explain in your native language when you're stuck, and guided lesson chapters build the phrases you'll use. To warm up, hear everyday French phrases spoken aloud, or build a French speaking plan.
