Whether you’re polishing out that resume, wooing a lover, or simply going on a fun trip, learning Spanish has many benefits. Did you know that 21 countries have Spanish as the official language? According to Expatica, there are over 440 million native Spanish speakers. It's no wonder so many people search for quality online Spanish courses every year.
The Spanish language is distinctive in many respects. Spanish has its own unique words which can't be translated into other languages. One such example is sobremesa which means to stay at the table after a meal and share conversation. Spanish is also know as Castilian because it traces its origins to the central region of Castile. Spanish is the only language to use inverted exclamation and question marks at the beginning of sentences as well as at the end.
Finding the right online Spanish course for yourself can be a challenge. Although they share many similarities, there are important differences. Things like the content of lessons, the length of the course, and the price can be important variables in the decision process. Some Spanish courses offer free trials while others offer money back guaratees. Some offer certificates. There are many things to take into account to find the best Spanish course for you.
Fortunately, there are plenty of high quality Spanish courses available online and we've compiled a list of the best Spanish Courses so you can learn to speak like a native. A great app can be the perfect compliment to a Spanish course. Spanish Translator Dictionary + includes reference tools such as a transaltor, comprehensive dictionary and verb conjugator. You can download it for free from the
App Store 📲 or
Google Play.
Table of Contents
1. Rocket Languages
2. Pimsleur
3. Rosetta Stone
4. Mondly
5. Spanish Uncovered
6. Babbel
7. Duolingo
8. Glossika
9. Fluencia
10. Coffee Break Academy
1. Rocket Languages
Rocket Spanish is designed to take beginners through the different phases of learning through to proficiency. The course works on all aspects of Spanish language learning including audio, pronunciation and comprehension and includes content for cultural immersion.
This course includes interactive audio lessons. Listen to Spanish words and sentences pronounced and learn to recognize them. Perfect your pronunciation using Rocket Languages voice recognition system. Flash cards round out the experience by providing a fun way to work on your vocabulary.
Rocket Spanish offers between 134 and 370 hours of lesson time, or between 2,666 and 10,004 phrases, depending on how many course levels you purchase.
Rocket Language is one of the only vendors to provide lifetime access to courses for a one time purchase price, see below. They include bonus Survival Kits with each of their language packs and a 60-day money-back guarantees.
This course is best for students who want cultural and Spanish language immersion and a large set of lessons for a one-time price.
Price: $149.95 (Level 1) to $449.85 (Levels 1,2 & 3). Free trial with over four hours of content.
2. Pimsleur
Always strapped for time? Learning a new language can be quite time-consuming and difficult. That’s why Pimsleur makes learning Spanish quick and easy. In fact, 75% of their students learned the language on the go during their downtime.
This Spanish course is based on a method developed by Dr. Paul Pimsleur, an academic who received his Ph.D. from Columbia University. As the company explains, the method comprises a scientifically proven set of principles designed to take a student directly to the heart of the language.
The techniques are referred to as Graduated Interval Recall, Principle of Anticipation, Core Vocabulary and Organic Learning. Dr. Pimsleur’s research on memory was perhaps his greatest contribution. He discovered that lessons which remind students of new words at gradually increasing intervals, were highly effective.
Pimsleur is one the best Spanish courses for students who want excellent audio lessons and a learning techniques based on scientifically proven methods.
Price: $19.95 per month. 7 day free trial.
3. Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is one of the better known Spanish courses, and one of the priciest. It's one of the best sellers in the Apple App Store and is one of the highest rated by users.
The course starts from square one by teaching you how to say the alphabet and count in Spanish. The course moves on to vocabulary such as man, woman, boy and girl. Users practice recognizing words and pronouncing them correctly before moving on to short phrases.
Rosetta Stone works on desktop computers, mobile phones and tablets. I found the experience a bit awkward at first on the iPhone but it only took me a few minutes for me to get the hang of it. The exercises designed to practice speech recognition are quite good. For beginners, they break Spanish phrases up into short chunks that are easier to pronounce correctly.
This Spanish course purports to immerse you in real-world conversations. While this may be the case for advanced lessons, the ones for beginners teach you vocabulary that would be hard to use alone on a first trip to Spain.
Rosetta Stone is best for business people who can buy the course on the company credit card and are looking for a visual way to learn Spanish while on the go.
Price: $11.99 per month, up to $299 one-time purchase. 3 day free trial.
4. Mondly
Mondly has hundreds of lessons based on real world situations such as family, romance, seasons and weather. Each Spanish lesson starts with vocabulary words such as mother, father, brother and sister. They use interactive exercises such as dragging a vocabulary word to the correct picture. Another type of exercise asks you to create a sentence by ordering jumbled words into a sentence.
Most language courses require you to learn from English. Mondly localizes their lessons so you can learn from 33 different languages. Learning from your native language is more effective for most students.
Mondly has developed virtual reality content that some are calling the next best thing to the real world. An avatar steps you through a series of questions and responses. It’s freaky, but if you’re into video games, you’ll probably like it.
Mondly also offers content specially made for kids which is available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
Mondy is best for people who want a course based on short, interactive lessons to play like a game. Students and young people familiar with video games are sure to like it.
Price: $9.99/month or 12 months for $47.99
5. Spanish Uncovered
Looking for something new and fresh? Spanish Uncovered provides a unique and fun way to learn the language. Spanish Uncovered is a 3-month course designed to take you from beginner to intermediate in just three months.
Spanish Uncovered teaches students through the power of stories. One of the first is called “El Hombre Del Sombrero” and it includes 20 chapters of complete Spanish immersion. The main focus is to read and enjoy the story. The course modules are revealed as the story progresses.
In this Spanish course, you won’t be thrown into complex grammar rules. Instead, Spanish Uncovered employs a more natural method, showing you how grammar is used in a story and then drawing understanding from it. This provides an instinctive and effective method of learning a language, which is why Spanish Uncovered earns a spot in our list.
Spanish Uncovered is best for students who want a unique learning experience based on storytelling.
Price: $297 one time purchase. 7 day free trial with credit card.
6. Babbel
Babbel is designed to learn Spanish for real people in the real world. The Babbel method is based on a didactic method created by experts who obsessed over the best academic practices. They picked proven, time-tested strategies to teach languages.
Babbel bills itself as the shortest path to a real-life conversation. According to Babbel, they combine communicative didactics, cognitivism, behaviorism and constructivism. Nerd alert! If that’s not proof it was designed by academics, then I’m not sure what is 🤓
After filling out a short survey, Babbel teaches you Spanish in a way that fits your needs. You go at your own pace, without any sorts of time limits or strict programs. Babbel’s programs cover more than just speaking Spanish. Through multimedia content including audio and video, you will learn to read and write as well.
With separate courses covering specific topics, you can brush up on exactly what you need. Business trip? They have lessons for that. Leaving soon for vacation? There’s lessons that will bring you up to speed with the Spanish essentials quickly.
Babble is best for students who seek a didactic approach to learning Spanish and a short path to becoming conversational.
Price: $12.95 per month up to $83.40 per year. No free trial. 20-day money back guarantee.
7. Duolingo
What if I told you the world’s most popular online language learning platform was also 100% free forever? Then I would be stretching the truth. Duolingo used to make this claim but they changed to a freemium model a while back. It’s also unclear how they back the claim of being the world’s most popular online language course.
With as little as 5 minutes a day, Duolingo helps you sharpen your Spanish skills. Unlock new levels by completing fun, bite-sized lessons. Watch your fluency score rise with every completed round. If you miss a question, your health level drops. Miss enough questions and you die. Well not literally, but you need to wait a day to get back health. Unless you pay, in which case, your health is restored.
Duolingo goes the farthest of any of the Spanish language courses in this article to make the learning experience like a game. A cute owl encourages you to soldier on and reminds you that failure is part of the learning process.
Duolingo is best for gamers and people who want a course based on bite-sized lessons that are fun and interactive.
Price: Ad-supported. $12.99 per month up to $79.99 per year.
8. Glossika
Ever wonder what program Elon Musk would use to learn Spanish? Glossika might be it because they use an adaptive learning algorithm that sounds a bit like artificial intelligence.
Glossika describes their approach as based on smart technology, adaptive learning algorithm and structured content. They use full sentence practice in context, so that you learn Spanish vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar in a more natural way.
Each course provided by Glossika has a considerable amount of useful sentences recorded by native speakers. Listening carefully and repeating after the speakers is one of the key elements to achieving fluency with this app.
Glossika is best for students who want a course that adapts to their skill level and want to focus on their speaking ability.
Price: $30 per month up to $299 per year. No free trial.
9. Fluencia
Fluencia helps you learn Spanish by basing their course on adaptive technology and the latest cognitive research. You start with interactive exercises that test your speaking skills and move on to exercises that test comprehension and grammar.
Fluencia uses audio and images to deliver information to you in an engaging way. Their SmartReview algorithm identifies your weaknesses and works with you to practice specific challenge areas.
Fluencia uses an intelligent feedback system that explains your Spanish mistakes in detail to further your understanding. There’s a variety of exercises to keep things fresh and interesting. Flunecia keeps it real by focusing on learning phrases that you will actually use. The clear and intuitive design makes this a very handy tool.
Price: $14.94 per month up to $95.40 per year. 15-lesson free trial.
10. Coffee Break Academy
Coffee Break Academy is a division of Coffee Break Languages, a free podcast for learning Spanish and several other languages.
The course is split in modules such as Travel Diaries, Masterclasses and Spanish To Go. The modules introduce you to characters such as Victoria and her husband Abel on their honeymoon in Spain. In each episode, Anabel and Mark discuss Victoria’s travel diary and help you learn interesting vocabulary useful phrases.
Victoria, Abel, Anabel and Mark use a combination of audio files, lesson notes and video pronunciation practice to teach your Spanish in a creative way. Coffee Break Spanish includes language teachers, native speakers and host learners. It’s fun and enjoyable.
Coffee Break Academy is best for students who want an audio centric approach similar to a podcast.
Price: 17£ for certain courses up to 80£ course bundles.
With so many programs to choose from, I hope this list and these details were helpful to you. If we missed one of your favorite Spanish courses, even if it's your own, email us at
outreach@vidalingua.com.
Here are some more articles you might find interesting.
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Best Apps for Learning Spanish
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Spanish Slang Words and Phrases
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Top Online Spanish Tutors
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Spanish Verb Conjugation
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Best Language Schools to Learn Spanish
Have you written an article we should link to? Email
outreach@vidalingua.com to let us know why.
Best of luck on your Spanish speaking journey!
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Marc Bolh
Founder Vidalingua
