30+ Free Online French Classes and Resources (Only the Best!)

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If you’re learning French, you’re probably looking for online French classes and free resources.

This guide brings together courses, podcasts, videos, apps and reading material you can start using for free.

There are so many French courses and resources out there it can be tricky to know where to start. How do you know which French courses are good quality, without wasting hours testing them all out?

You don’t need to buy a course to get started. I’ve put this article together to help you choose resources that suit your level and interests.

I’ve explored and tested French learning tools to put this list together. Let’s look at what each resource offers, including where free access ends.

Access information reviewed: September 2026. Some entries are completely free; others offer selected lessons, a limited free tier or a trial before charging. Check the provider’s current terms before entering payment details.

Editor's note: Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online French course, here’s the course we recommend: French Uncovered – Learn French Through the Power of Story, a course with a fascinating new method by Olly Richards. You can try it for free for 7 days!

Free Online French Classes, Courses, and Systems

If you’re interested in guided lessons, start with these online French classes, courses and learning sites.

These sites offer free learning material or ways to find it. Access to a full course depends on the provider.

1. Coursera

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) not only offer French language courses, but they also offer courses on other subjects in French.

Coursera offers free first-module previews for many courses, with exceptions that remain fully free. Sciences Po’s course on Paris, taught in French, says in its FAQ that all course features are free; it does not award a certificate.

If you’re not ready for a course taught entirely in French, try a subject you already know. Negotiation, startups, quantum mechanics, Java or C++ could be useful search topics.

You can browse Coursera for French-language options, then check each course’s teaching language, subtitle languages and access terms. Subtitles and full-course access vary.

2. EdX

EdX is an online learning portal where you can look for French courses and subjects taught in French. Many courses offer a free audit option, with time-limited access; certificates and some activities require payment.

For subject-based study, try searches such as human rights, marketing, algebra, astrophysics or philosophy. Check the teaching language and availability of each course you find.

If you already have advanced French, Weston High School’s On-Ramp to AP® French Language and Culture offers AP-level review with videos taught by a native French-speaking instructor. The free audit option expires, so check its end date. This is not a course for someone starting from zero.

3. Learn with Oliver

Learn with Oliver is an online flashcard tool that lets you learn and test yourself on French words and phrases.

There are flashcards for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. The website also has a text analyser for external texts, which you could pair with a reading resource below. A free account offers selected features; additional features require Premium.

I personally love Learn with Oliver’s email newsletters and look forward to seeing them in my inbox every day. Each email comes with some fun exercises to make sure you keep practising.

4. BBC Languages

BBC Languages is archived and no longer maintained, so treat it as a historical bonus rather than a current course. The surviving pages may still be useful, but links and media can disappear.

5. TV5 Monde

TV5 Monde offers free video-based lessons organised by CEFR level, from A1 to B2. You’ll find listening comprehension, multiple-choice questions and interactive exercises based on programmes and news reports.

Start with A1 if you’re a beginner, or choose a higher level for more demanding video comprehension. Transcripts can help you connect what you hear with written French.

6. Class Central

Class Central indexes online courses from providers including Coursera and EdX. Listings can include free courses, limited previews, audit options and paid courses, so check the access details on the provider’s page.

Because the catalogue changes frequently, use its current filters to find courses taught in French or focused on the language.

Free Online Audio & Podcasts to Help You Learn French

Podcasts are a great way to learn French.

You can take them with you wherever you go — on your commute, when you’re out walking the dog, or to listen to during your lunch break. Anytime you have a spare moment, you can fit in some language learning.

There are a lot of French language podcasts out there, but not many that provide a complete French course. I prefer podcasts that provide a step-by-step French class, or that teach French as it’s spoken in the real world. Here’s where to start with French language audio:

1. FrenchPod101

FrenchPod101 is free to sign up. It has an impressive amount of French content available at every level from complete beginner to advanced.

New accounts get a seven-day Premium trial. After that, selected lessons and vocabulary tools remain free, but full lesson-library access and extra study tools require a paid plan. Paid access is not limited to advanced-level lessons.

The Innovative Language podcasts are a favourite of the Fluent in 3 Months team. Benny Lewis, the founder of Fluent in 3 Months, considers them one of the best language learning resources available.

2. Journal en Français Facile

Journal en Français Facile is a free news podcast in simple French from the French broadcaster RFI.

The news is one of the hardest things to understand in your target language. It’s usually read so quickly and contains quite a lot of information and formal language.

Luckily, with Journal en Français Facile you can keep up with the events of the world and work on your French.

3. TuneIn

On TuneIn, you can find radio channels from France or Quebec.

Test a few stations based on the variety of French you’d like to hear. TuneIn Radio has a free app; TuneIn Pro and Premium are paid options. Start with the free stations and see what catches your attention.

4. Forvo

If you come across a new word, especially with French that has a lot of silent letter combinations, Forvo is a great place to listen to words spoken by a native speaker.

It has a large database and is a good reference for pronunciation.

Free Video French Lessons on YouTube

YouTube is an excellent place to find free French classes and resources.

Videos give you hours of French lessons in an engaging medium. They also have the added benefits of letting you see facial expressions, body language and other non-verbal aspects of the French language.

Not only that, but if you’re looking for native and relevant material for your French language learning, YouTubers are a great source.

French vloggers cover everything from comedy to beauty to food, so you’re sure to find a YouTube personality who covers a topic that you’re interested in.

Here are a few of my favourite YouTube French resources and channels. For older channels, browse the existing video library; uploads and subtitle availability vary.

1. FrenchPod101

In addition to their free podcast lessons, FrenchPod101 also has an excellent YouTube channel with hours of free content.

2. Super Easy French

I love the Easy Languages channel because it offers you a lot of local culture and context.

Their Super Easy French series uses slower speech and simpler vocabulary for beginners. The wider Easy French channel also has street interviews with people in France.

It’s a great way to hear the way people really speak the language, pick up useful conversational language, and practise your listening comprehension.

3. Learn French with Alexa

Learn French with Alexa teaches French with fun, short videos that cover everything from grammar to themed vocabulary lists.

Alexa also features interviews in French as well as recipes!

4. Comme Une Française

Learn about the French language and culture with Comme Une Française.

Géraldine, the host, is an upbeat and enthusiastic tutor who shares her experience as a French native as well as tips for learning the French language.

5. Français Authentique

Looking for content about French language and culture in French (instead of English)? Français Authentique offers learners just that in slow and clear French.

6. Natoo

Natoo is a comedy vlogger with a variety of videos and skits on her channel.

The videos are in French. Check the CC menu on the video you choose for available subtitles; English captions are not guaranteed.

7. Cyprien

Cyprien is also a comedy vlogger.

In addition to his comedy skits, he also covers aspects of French culture, so it’s a great source of info about the language and other facets of life in France.

8. Andy Raconte

Andy Raconte is another comedy vlogger with short, entertaining skits on her channel that cover a variety of social topics like jealousy, what it’s like to be socially awkward, and more.

9. Norman Fait des Vidéos

Norman’s video library includes comedy skits and short “rants” on topics such as dads, family dinners and raclette.

10. Je Ne Suis Pas Jolie

If you’re a parent, Je Ne Suis Pas Jolie is a great channel to use as a resource.

Léa shares her experience as a parent, discussing everything from night routines to household products. You can pick up family-related vocabulary as you watch.

She speaks in a very calm tone and with a clear French accent. Her content is excellent to work on your comprehension!

11. Fast Good Cuisine

Fast Good Cuisine: Do you love food? What about French food? If your inner foodie is screaming “yes!”, then Fast Good Cuisine is the channel for you to not only satisfy your cravings, but to work on your food-related vocabulary in French.

12. Joueur du Grenier

Into video games? Joueur du Grenier is a French vlog specialising in retro video games.

The vlogger is a dynamic presenter, but his channel may be best suited to intermediate or advanced learners because he speaks fairly quickly.

Free French Language Apps

Apps are a handy way to learn a new language, especially for those who like to study on the go.

Here are some of my favourite apps for studying French on your smartphone. Most use a free tier alongside paid extras.

1. Memrise and Anki

Memrise and Anki both help you review vocabulary, but work differently. Anki lets you create French flashcard decks or download shared decks. Memrise combines its own learning content with user-created wordlists; its older community courses remain on a separate community-courses website.

Anki’s desktop version and AnkiDroid for Android are free; the official AnkiMobile iOS app is paid. Memrise has a free tier, with additional features in Pro.

2. MosaLingua

MosaLingua is another flashcard app, but this one comes with premade French flashcards. That means you don’t have to make your own (though you can if you want).

MosaLingua offers a basic free app. Its Premium Web & Mobile product has a 15-day trial, then requires payment. If you start a trial, check the cancellation deadline before signing up.

3. Duolingo

Duolingo is a popular language learning app that introduces you to both French vocabulary and grammar.

It’s a gamified platform, so it’s fun to learn and easy to maintain your daily streaks.

Duolingo is bright and engaging, and it offers you the possibility to learn through different types of content: texts, audio, fill-in-the-blank, and more!

4. Drops

Pressed for time? Drops is designed for short vocabulary sessions.

Drops’ free version currently gives you five minutes of play every ten hours, with topics unlocked through practice. Premium removes the time limit and lets you select any topic.

The pictures and swiping exercises keep each session moving. Use a short session to review words, then try a few in sentences of your own.

5. Clozemaster

Clozemaster is a language learning app that uses cloze (fill in the blank) to help you master new vocabulary in French.

Clozemaster turns sentence practice into a game. With a free account, you can currently practise up to 30 sentences a day; Pro offers unlimited play.

Fill a gap in a sentence by choosing an answer or typing it. The app also offers sentence audio so you can listen and repeat. Check which audio and playback features are included in your plan.

Free French Language Reading Materials

Finding reading material appropriate for your level in the language can be a challenge. Thankfully, there’s a decent selection of French reading resources available to you as a learner online for free.

I’ve listed 6 here, but you can find more in this post. Benny wrote it to help you find French reading resources suited to your level.

1. Wikipedia

Use Wikipedia to read short articles in French.

You can find pieces on many topics, which means that you can read according to your interests.

French and English Wikipedia articles are written independently. They may cover different facts or place different emphasis, so use the English article as a rough comprehension check rather than a line-by-line translation.

2. LingQ

LingQ is a popular online learning system that helps you acquire new vocabulary through its reading interface.

Lessons contain texts with audio. You can look up unfamiliar words and listen to their pronunciation, while highlights help you track words you’re learning.

It’s free to sign up and try LingQ, but free accounts have tight vocabulary-saving limits. A paid plan is needed for unrestricted use of its main study tools.

3. The French Experiment

Looking for short stories to read in French? The French Experiment is a website that offers not only short reading excerpts in French, but useful grammar guides as well.

The short stories include famous tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood, with audio and paragraph-by-paragraph translations to help you follow along.

4. Lingua.com

If you’re a beginning French learner, Lingua.com has short readings on everyday topics. A selection of texts and PDF exercises is free; the larger collection is marked Premium.

Online, the readings come with comprehension questions that you can take up as a challenge.

Look for the free texts first. The site also offers audio recordings, but check the access label on the text and feature you choose before upgrading.

5. LanguageGuide.org

LanguageGuide.org is a well-curated collection of reading materials with audio accompaniment.

You can choose between beginner and advanced readings as well as read a selection of jokes!

A joke or two can give you something fun to share in a conversation. Pay attention to context and tone, just as you would in your own language.

6. eBooks Gratuits

Many classics are available as free ebooks. Check the rights notice for the edition you choose and the rules where you live before downloading or reusing it.

If you’re comfortable reading Alexandre Dumas or other public-domain authors, eBooks Gratuits has plenty to explore. It also lists contemporary works made available with permission, so not every book is in the public domain.

You’re All Set to Learn French for Free

These 30-plus resources give you ways to start learning French without paying. Pick a course or lesson series to follow, then add something you enjoy listening to or reading. Free tiers and trials can help you compare tools, but you don’t need to try them all.

One of our favourite courses at Fi3M is French Uncovered. This is a paid beginner course built around a ten-chapter story. It offers a seven-day free trial, followed by a one-time charge unless you cancel before the trial ends.

If you’d like to have more options, you can check out Benny’s list of the best resources to learn French.

You can also browse Fi3M’s French content for vocabulary, grammar and practical study ideas.

À bientôt! (“See you soon!”)