When you've decided to learn a new language, you might realize it can cost a lot more than you want it to. Fortunately, that doesn’t always have to be the case. There are many sites online where you can find the resources and information you need in order to learn German as a beginner and use it on your travels.

The hard part is finding the right place to start your language-learning journey online, so we’ve found the best websites where you can take free German lessons online.Ready to get started?

‍

21 Free German Lessons Online
‍

1. ActiLingua.com

This site offers a full library of resources for beginners looking to expand their skills. The material is academic and gives you a chance to sample the course. If you like it, you can decide to buy after you’ve taken a look.
‍

2. DeutschAkadamie

One of the best parts of DeutschAkadamie is the way it involves its clients. Along with a large community that can help you with difficult grammar or parts of speech, it also has an app and intensive course to help you no matter where you are in your language-learning journey.
‍

3. Deutsche Welle

A great site for kids to visit, new learners, take a quick placement test to see where they are and which level they should begin their free lessons at. Because it is so easy to use, kids and adults alike are more likely to spend time learning the material than being confused by the technology.
‍

4. BBC

Surprisingly, the BBC has you covered on basic German phrases, grammar, and words that you might use abroad on a vacation. You can also test where you are as a German speaker so you have an idea of which improvements you need to make.
‍

5. Free German Lessons Online

Free German Lessons Online focuses on learning colloquial German so you can find yourself easily conversing with new friends at your new favorite beer garden. You’ll find helpful YouTube videos and e-books to help you round out your skills and make you more conversational.
‍

6. Duolingo

This free app has benefited thousands of people when they want to learn a new language. The German course is one of the best, and with bite-sized, free lessons every day, it’s also easy to pick up on new vocabulary.
‍

7. Loecsen

Loecsen provides an audio-focused, free course that allows you to hear native speakers. Along with interactive lessons and resources like PDFs and MP3s, there’s a lot you can learn from this course without having to put down a dime.
‍

8. Goethe Institut

The Goethe Institut not only introduces students to a new language, but it also encourages them to look into the culture and to learn about the German people themselves. It also has a number of types of German, including professional-level German, and German for travelers on the go.
‍

9. The German Project

This site has delightful illustrations and handles all of the difficulties of the language (like the sounds and symbols) with humor. It also provides a number of situations led by the cartoon character Jans to help make your conversational German more enjoyable to learn.
‍

10. Alison

Alison has put together some interactive and entertaining videos to watch about the German language. Whether you’ve been learning the language for a while or you want to try some more difficult topics, it can be helpful to hear the language spoken in order to increase your comprehension.
‍

11. Easy Online German

While this site might look a little dated, it has plenty of resources to help you keep learning at every stage of your German-learning adventure. The free course is developed by a native German speaker, who uses YouTube Videos and online articles to help new speakers become more fluent.
‍

12. Verbalplanet

The community at Verbalplanet uses native speakers to help new learners develop good speaking skills and to round out any gaps in their conversational German. While you might have some pricing later down the line if you plan on using a tutor frequently, sign-up is free and you can have a trial run before you decide to buy.
‍

13. Learn German Online

This site pulls together multiple sources in order to create a resource library that includes grammar lessons, pronunciation, vocabulary, and cultural studies. You’ll find more than enough to get you started speaking and thinking about cultural insights before you head off on your summer vacation to Berlin.
‍

14. Deutsch im Blick

If you would like more of an academic resource, consider Deutsch im Blick. Developed by students and faculty at the University of Texas, the online version of the textbook is free to use and peruse any time you wish. It also includes some video and audio, as well.
‍

15. ielanguages

Aimed at beginners, you can find basic phrases, the days of the week, and other elementary-level resources to help you get started to teach German yourself. This site is great for visual learners who retain information best by seeing it and reading it. There is also a free ebook for download.
‍

16. Digital Dialects

Who said learning a language had to be boring? This site has some fun, easy games to help you retain vocabulary. Most of them include an audio option so you can hear as well as see tricky vocabulary words. Almost all of these games are for beginners, but they can also serve as a good way to refresh your memory if you are more advanced.
‍

17. German-Online.Net

Although you can purchase a more intensive course from this site, it has plenty of free lessons, important phrases, and vocabulary. It’s a great way to build off basic vocabulary and to see how it is used in a number of different contexts.
‍

18. German Games

Another site that makes learning German fun, you’ll find games that also serve to introduce new, beginner vocabulary. It is also extremely visual, so you can see certain vocabulary words along with images. This can also be a useful site for children who want to learn a new language and who don’t want to turn to a boring textbook.
‍

19. Mondly

This newer site (and app) focuses on German that you would want to use in everyday interactions. Mondly tries to incorporate all aspects of learning, including listening, reading, speaking, and more. Each language course is created by an expert and encourages just 5 minutes of practice a day.
‍

20. Studying in Germany

Geared to future university students or those looking to study abroad, this site has a number of fun videos that you can enjoy as both an adult or a teenager. While it mostly just covers the basics, it’s a good place to start if you are considering making a move in the future.
‍

21. Rype

We couldn't finish this post without sharing the fact that Rype also offers free German language lessons! For your first 14 days, you'll be able to take 1-on-1 German lessons with handpicked professional teachers. Claim your free trial by clicking here.

We hope this has helped you narrow down which German learning websites you should visit!
‍