You can learn German on your own, with consistency, determination and the right tools. Apps are the easiest place to start: they turn spare minutes on the bus or in a queue into real practice. Below are some of the best apps to learn German, along with online courses, books and a podcast, with what each is good for, so you can build a set that fits your level and your goals. App features and availability change over time, so treat these as well-chosen examples and check the current version before you commit.
The Best Apps to Learn German
The best apps to learn German
Each of these has its own strength, so many learners use more than one.
| App | Type | Best for | Level | Free version |
| Anki | Flashcards | Spaced repetition, custom decks | All | Yes, paid on iOS |
| Quizlet | Flashcards | Shared sets, tests and games | All | Yes, ads |
| Drops (Kahoot!) | Flashcards | Visual vocabulary in short bursts | A1 to B1 | Yes, five minutes daily |
| Mobiteach | Flashcards | First words for absolute beginners | A1 | Yes |
| Duolingo | All-round course | Daily habit, gamified basics | A1 to B1 | Yes, ads |
| Babbel | All-round course | Everyday dialogues | A1 to B2 | First lesson per level |
| Busuu | All-round course | Written work corrected by native speakers | A1 to B2 | Yes, limited |
| FluentU | Video | Authentic clips with interactive subtitles | A2 to C1 | Trial only |
| LinguaTV | Video | Structured courses, real-life dialogues | A1 to C2 | Level test only |
| Lingopie | Video | Films and series with dual subtitles | A2 to C1 | Trial only |
| Seedlang | Video | Grammar drills, built with Easy German | A1 to B2 | Yes, limited |
| LingQ | Audio and reading | Podcasts and texts at your level | A2 to C2 | Yes, limited |
| Memrise | Speaking | Native-speaker clips, AI chat partner | A1 to B2 | Basic lessons |
| Rosetta Stone | Speaking | Pronunciation, Immersion, speech recognition | A1 to B2 | No |
| Preply | Live lessons | One-to-one tutors, flexible booking | All | No |
| Lingoda | Live lessons | Small group classes with teachers | A1 to C1 | No |
| Tandem | Language exchange | Swapping practice with a native speaker | A2 upwards | Yes |
| HelloTalk | Language exchange | Text and voice chat with corrections | A2 upwards | Yes, ads |
| Der Die Das | Grammar | German articles | A1 to B1 | Yes |
| Stadt der Wörter | Vocabulary | Vocabulary through multiplayer play | A1 | Yes |
| Studycat | Children | Ages 3 to 8, songs and puzzles | Beginner | Trial |
| Gus on the Go | Children | Ages 4 to 6, ten-minute sessions | Beginner | No |
| Mondly Kids | Children | Ages 6 to 8 | Beginner | Trial |
| Rosetta Stone Kids | Children | Ages 8 and above | Beginner | No |
Anki: An open-source flashcard tool whose spaced-repetition algorithm schedules each word for review just before you would forget it.
Quizlet: A flashcard platform with a huge library of user-made sets plus test and game modes for practising them.
Drops: A visual vocabulary trainer built around illustrated words and five-minute daily sessions, covering over 50 languages.
Duolingo: A gamified course with short daily lessons, streaks and points designed to turn practice into a habit.
Babbel: A structured course built around everyday dialogues, with clear grammar notes and practical situations such as travel and work.
Busuu: A course app whose community feature lets native speakers correct your written and spoken exercises.
FluentU: Turns authentic clips such as music videos and news reports into lessons with clickable interactive subtitles.
LinguaTV: Structured video courses using scripted real-life scenes, with exercises and certificates aimed at learners and companies.
Lingopie: A streaming service for films and series with dual subtitles and clickable words you can save for review.
Seedlang: Video flashcards and grammar drills filmed with native speakers, built in partnership with the Easy German team.
LingQ: A library of podcasts, articles and transcripts where you tap unknown words to build a personal vocabulary list.
Memrise: Combines short clips of native speakers with an AI chat partner so you practise responding rather than only recognising.
Rosetta Stone: Teaches through Immersion, using images instead of translation, with speech recognition that scores your pronunciation.
Preply: A marketplace for one-to-one online tutors where you pick the teacher, the price and the schedule.
Lingoda: Small-group and private classes with qualified teachers, running around the clock on a fixed curriculum.
Tandem: Pairs you with a native speaker of your target language who wants to learn yours, so you swap practice time.
HelloTalk: A chat app for texting and calling native speakers, with built-in correction tools for fixing each other's messages.
Der Die Das: Drills the gender of German nouns through example sentences and games, tackling the part of German that resists logic.
Stadt der Wörter: A free Goethe-Institut game where you explore a virtual city collecting your first German words, alone or against other players.
Studycat: Ad-free games and original songs for pre-readers, following a curriculum aligned with Cambridge Young Learners.
Gus on the Go: A travelling owl introduces first words and phrases through short animated lessons in more than 30 languages.
Mondly Kids: Gamified ten-minute lessons on familiar themes such as animals, colours and numbers, with speech recognition.
Improve German in Germany
What do you recommend for learning German? We asked Sprachcaffe students, and here's their feedback.
To learn German, I recommend a combination of various tools and methods that will help you comprehensively develop your language skills:
Mobile applications:
Duolingo: A great starter, offering short, interactive lessons that introduce the basics of German.
Babbel: Focuses on everyday dialogues and practical vocabulary. Good for those who want to quickly acquire communication skills.
Anki: Ideal for learning vocabulary through flashcards with algorithm-based repetition.
Online Courses:Goethe-Institut: Renowned online language courses from beginner to advanced, with certificates of completion.
Lingoda: Online courses with teachers that can be tailored to your needs. Perfect for speaking and grammar practice.
Books and textbooks:"German Doesn't Bite!": A user-friendly textbook for beginners, with an emphasis on practical use of the language.
"German Grammar Exercises": Practical exercises for self-mastery of grammar.
Podcasts and audio materials:"Slow German": A podcast that slowly and clearly discusses various topics, perfect for beginners.
"Deutsch - warum nicht?": A radio course created by Deutsche Welle, available for free online.
Watch movies and TV series:Netflix: You'll find many German-language films and series there that will help you learn through immersion. I recommend "Dark" or "Deutschland 83" for starters.
YouTube: Channels like "Learn German with Jenny" offer free lessons and grammar explanations.
Language groups and communities:Tandem: A language exchange app where you can chat with native German speakers while learning from them.
HelloTalk: Another great language exchange app that allows you to write, speak, and have your mistakes corrected by other users.
Flashcards:Quizlet: Create your own flashcards or use pre-made sets to help you memorize vocabulary and phrases.
Combining these tools will give you a diverse approach to learning German, allowing you to develop vocabulary, grammar, speaking, and listening skills. It's important to practice regularly and set realistic goals.
Poland and Germany share a border of 450 kilometers, but your path to learning German can be much shorter thanks to modern apps!
Finally, the experts' statements:
For pronunciation practice, I recommend the Speechling app . The app gives students a sentence to read and record, imitating the voice of a native speaker. The recording is then reviewed by a native speaker, who provides feedback on the pronunciation rules of the given language. The biggest drawback of this app is that it always provides only rudimentary information about pronunciation rules without providing any broader context. The app serves only as a quick review of what they already know from other materials for systematic and comprehensive learning.
Dr. Anna Jędrzejczyk , angielski-germiecki.com
If you're looking to improve your listening skills, I recommend the LingoClip app . It's a tool for learning foreign languages through music. The app works by playing songs and filling in the missing words in the text. Users can choose the game type, such as multiple choice or filling in the missing words themselves, and adjust the difficulty level to their ability by choosing the number of gaps to fill. Lingoclip is a valuable and enjoyable supplement to learning, while also providing a source of authentic language experience.
Angelika Griner - German language trainer
FAQ
Popular options combine vocabulary trainers, grammar practice and language-exchange apps that connect you with native speakers. The best choice depends on your goal, whether that is daily vocabulary, grammar drills or real conversation.
Apps are excellent for vocabulary, habit and early grammar, but they are limited on spontaneous speaking and feedback. They work best alongside other methods rather than as a complete course on their own.
Use an app for short daily vocabulary and revision, add podcasts or series for listening, and take a course for structured teaching and speaking practice. This mix covers all four skills, which no single app does well.
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