🇫🇷 French · checked 21 October 2026
Best apps to learn French by reading (2026)
5 apps whose own sites list French, and what each is good for.
At a glance
| App | Type | French | Audio | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ReadNative (ours) | Graded books | Yes — 3 books | No narration for French | Free first book | Beginners who want whole stories from A1 |
| LingQ | Library + import | Yes | Yes | Yes | importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio |
| Beelinguapp | Curated library | Yes | Yes | Yes | side-by-side translation and audiobooks |
| Readlang | Read anything (web, uploads) | Yes | Voices for words and phrases | Yes | reading real web pages with click-to-translate and flashcards |
| Clozemaster | Sentence drills | Yes (depends on your base language) | — | Yes | fill-in-the-blank vocabulary drills (not a reading app) |
The apps
ReadNative (ours)
Graded retellings of real stories that start at absolute beginner and get harder chapter by chapter. Tap a word for an English gloss, tap a sentence for its translation; words you meet are counted automatically. French books:
- Around the World in 80 Days (Le Tour du monde en 80 jours) — A1–B1, 44 chapters, free
- Puss in Boots (Le Chat botté) — A1–A2, 16 chapters, Pro
- The Three Musketeers (Les Trois Mousquetaires) — A2–B1, 18 chapters, Pro
Try it: the first lines of Around the World in 80 Days
Voici Londres.
Here is London.
Londres est une très grande ville.
London is a very big city.
À Londres, il y a une rue calme.
In London, there is a quiet street.
La rue s’appelle Savile Row.
The street is called Savile Row.
Dans la rue, il y a une maison.
On the street, there is a house.
Un homme habite dans cette maison.
A man lives in this house.
| French | Gloss in the reader |
|---|---|
| Voici | here is |
| Londres | London |
| est | is |
| une | a |
| très | very |
| grande | big |
| ville | city |
| À | in |
| il | it |
| y | there |
| a | has ('il y a' = there is) |
| rue | street |
| calme | quiet |
| La | the |
Read the whole of chapter 1 free →
Strong at: whole stories written for beginners. Weaker at: variety beyond its 3 French books; no narration in French. Price model: first book free; Pro unlocks the rest and EPUB imports.
Your French reading path in ReadNative
Around the World in 80 Days Le Tour du monde en 80 jours: ch. 1–15 ≈A1 (from Chapitre 1 : Un homme très exact — Chapter 1: A Very Exact Man); ch. 16–30 ≈A2 (from Chapitre 16 : Aouda — Chapter 16: Aouda); ch. 31–44 ≈B1 (from Chapitre 31 : « Mort ou vivant » — Chapter 31: "Dead or Alive").
Puss in Boots Le Chat botté: ch. 1–8 ≈A1 (from Chapitre 1 : Le moulin — Chapter 1: The Mill); ch. 9–16 ≈A2 (from Chapitre 9 : Les beaux habits — Chapter 9: The Fine Clothes).
The Three Musketeers Les Trois Mousquetaires: ch. 1–9 ≈A2 (from Chapitre 1 : Le cheval jaune — Chapter 1: The Yellow Horse); ch. 10–18 ≈B1 (from Chapitre 10 : Le cardinal — Chapter 10: The Cardinal).
Other apps that list French
LingQ — importing and reading lots of varied content, with audio. French is listed (lingq.com/en/learn-french-online). ReadNative vs LingQ →
Beelinguapp — side-by-side translation and audiobooks. French is listed (beelinguapp.com). ReadNative vs Beelinguapp →
Readlang — reading real web pages with click-to-translate and flashcards. French is listed (readlang.com). ReadNative vs Readlang →
Not a reading app, but useful alongside
Clozemaster — fill-in-the-blank vocabulary drills (not a reading app). French is listed (clozemaster.com). ReadNative vs Clozemaster →
What matters in a French reading app
French spelling hides its pronunciation, so reading and listening can feel like two different languages. Look for text at your level and, when you can, audio alongside; the vocabulary itself is often familiar to English speakers thanks to shared Latin and Norman roots.
Questions
What is the best app to learn French by reading?
It depends on your level and what you want to read. For a complete beginner who wants a story written for their level, ReadNative’s Around the World in 80 Days starts at A1 and is free. To import and read your own French content with audio, LingQ supports French. If audio on everything matters most, look at LingQ, Beelinguapp.
Is there a free app to read French?
Yes: Around the World in 80 Days is free in ReadNative and readable here in your browser (46 chapters online); LingQ, Beelinguapp, Readlang, Clozemaster also start free.
Is reading French easier than speaking it?
For most English speakers, yes. Thousands of words look familiar on the page, while spoken French drops letters and links words together. Reading is a good way in, but pair it with listening so the sounds catch up.
Sources
Every statement about another app on this page comes from that app’s own website, checked on 21 October 2026. Features and plans change; check their sites for the latest.
- LingQ: lingq.com/en · lingq.com/en/learn-georgian-online
- Beelinguapp: beelinguapp.com
- Readlang: readlang.com · readlang.com/features
- Clozemaster: clozemaster.com
ReadNative facts: about ReadNative and the book catalog. We make ReadNative.
More French: learn French by reading · French graded readers · French short stories · how long it takes to learn French