Our reviewers evaluate products and services based on unbiased research. Top Consumer Reviews may earn money when you click on a link. Learn more about our process.

Rosetta Stone Review

Tuesday, February 18th

2025 Spanish Lesson Reviews

Rosetta Stone Review 4.5 Star Rating

Rosetta Stone

4.5 Star Rating
  • 3 months: $15.99 per month, or $47.97 total (equalling $191.88 annually)
  • 12 months: $10.50 per month(equalling $126 annually)
  • Lifetime: $199, includes unlimited languages
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Most well-known language-learning method and company
  • Best method for long-term learning and memory
  • Offers a lifetime subscription for all their languages

Allen Stoltzfus, the founder of Rosetta Stone, had struggled to learn Russian in the 1980s when textbooks used the traditional method for teaching languages. He realized that he (and the rest of the world) had learned his first language quite well.

It's the method

So if we can learn one language easily, why do so many struggle learning a second language? It's the method. How did we all learn as young ones? Our parents used sounds and images in context, not translation and endless conjugation charts. When Stoltzfus realized that this first-language technique was so groundbreaking for second languages, he named his language lessons after the artifact that broke the code for learning the Egyptians' hieroglyphics, called the Rosetta Stone. Stoltzfus perceives both Rosetta Stones as the key to unlocking the code for learning language.

You determine your placement

If you don't know any Spanish or can just count to 10, start at the beginning of the Rosetta Stone curriculum. If you know some Spanish, you'll choose where you want to start. If you have a purpose for studying Spanish, such as work, travel, or communicating with family members overseas, there are specific lessons designed for these purposes. Rosetta Stone is not only for the individual learner: they can also cater to schools and businesses.

Learn Spanish like you learned your first language

Since we all did pretty well at learning our first language - thanks, parents! - Rosetta Stone uses this method for teaching your new languages, namely, repetition and images. Think about it: when you were tiny, you didn't use a textbook and your parents didn't give lengthy grammar explanations. Neither does Rosetta Stone. You'll learn Spanish words and phrases with images so you make connections naturally.

Best Spanish Lessons

Speak right away

Because with Rosetta Stone, you get straight to Spanish words and right into phrases and sentences, you'll speak Spanish right out of the box. There are twenty units to cover, each with pertinent topics like travel, friends and social life, shopping, style, personal wellness, arts and academics, and even emergency situations.

Their method isn't for everyone

Since you aren't an infant and you do have at least one language under your belt, you might want to know why Rosetta Stone's lesson you're in is using different versions of a word, let's say a verb - maybe this is the future or the past of this word, or maybe this is the "he” form vs. the "they” form.... You'll have to catch on using the changes in the image of the photo. One example is that you will see a man running and then see people running. Not so challenging if it's beginning Spanish, but for more advanced phrases, you really have to use your noggin. Besides, in the earlier lessons, they'll use English if you need it, and then gently wean you off.

The key may be patience

We've mentioned that this is a method that might not sit well with you... at first. But Rosetta Stone has a great track record of helping people become fluent, and they've been doing it since the 1980s. So what's the secret? Patience. Don't get upset if you haven't caught on to the connection between what's happening in the picture and what you're saying. These days, everyone wants an immediate answer - how did anyone survive without Google? But if you give yourself some patience and take a deep breath, the light bulb will go off. Those who have given Rosetta Stone a good shot have not only loved it but communicated well and clearly, actually thinking in Spanish before they knew they could.

Best Spanish Lessons

Serious learners only

If you're looking for dancing bears and the extrinsic rewards of gold stars gliding across your screen each time you complete a 10-minute Spanish lesson, you won't find that with Rosetta Stone. Lessons aren't 5 or 10 minutes. They may seem like they would be shorter, but if you want to absorb the lesson, it might take 30-45 minutes. And that's okay, because you'll learn something important that will stick with you.

Their "cutting edge” speech-recognition software isn't the best

Rosetta Stone will tell you that they have the leading speech-recognition technology to help you perfect your Spanish pronunciation. If that were the case, they would include it in their demos and show examples. Unfortunately, there's no sample in their demos, and those who have tried it will tell you it's really not the best out there. While their speech-recognition program gives you the general idea if you'll be understood, there's no specific feedback telling you where to improve. If you'd prefer cutting edge, we have a few highly recommended online Spanish-language courses that have much better technology.

Use the 3-day trial

Give them your email and you can try their lessons. Because Rosetta Stone's method is unique or unusual for those who have gone through school and learned at least somewhat about how language works, you'll need to let go of how you have learned language in the classroom. You should figure out if you can learn this way in the 3-day trial. Also, if you've ever used their 3-day trial in the past, whether for Spanish or another language, you don't get another try. You'll have to purchase the subscription and cancel promptly if you're not happy.

Best Spanish Lessons

30-day satisfaction guarantee

If you're not happy with Rosetta Stone's method or material, contact them within 30 days and you'll receive a full refund.

Rosetta Stone is excellent, but may need to modernize

Everyone still wants to know if any given online language program is better than Rosetta Stone, even if they don't know a thing about how Rosetta Stone works. That's because Rosetta Stone has a long-term, excellent reputation as the "one to beat.” It creates proficient Spanish speakers who can think in the language. That said, there are features and factors we wish they would update. First, they need to give people a second or third chance at the 3-day trial. Second, the speech-recognition technology isn't the best out there, even though they want you to think that it is. Rosetta Stone is fantastic, even if it's not the right fit for absolutely everyone who wants to learn Spanish.

Who Offers the Best Spanish Lessons Online?

Have you ever wanted to learn Spanish? Maybe you would like to interact with native speakers while traveling. Or perhaps you would like to speak Spanish with your contractor or other people you do business with.

Here are some fun facts for you to consider. According to a recent US census, Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in US homes, 12x greater than the next four most common languages. The US is the world's fourth-largest Spanish-speaking country. And, as such, jobs in the US are always looking for bilingual (English-Spanish) speakers.

The Best Spanish Lessons Compare Spanish Lessons Compare Spanish Lesson Reviews What are the best Spanish Lessons Best Spanish Lesson Reviews

Spanish Lesson FAQ

Spanish, like English, is one of the most commonly spoken language that is used throughout the world. Learning Spanish can help your travel experiences, allow the opportunity for work or study abroad in a Spanish speaking country, increase your chances of employment, and more.
On average a course has about 13 to 120 hours of lesson time per level of difficulty (depending on the company).
Of course, these courses are meant to teach you Spanish without requirement of previous knowledge. If you don't know any Spanish, we recommend starting your path on learning Spanish with a beginner (Level 1) course.
Depending on the company, there are typically 3 levels that include beginner, intermediate, and advanced. No matter how much Spanish you already know, be sure to check out the specifics of each program before making a selection.
Courses to learn Spanish are self-paced and allow the customer to take their time as they complete each assigned lesson. Self-paced allows the customer to go at their own rate. For most effective learning it is recommended to plan out the courses ahead of time, and to review course material, when available.
Depending on the company and type of course, the cost can range from $39 to $450. Some companies offer combination packages that include multiple levels within the plan, rather than purchasing each level separately.
Of course, when learning any language, it is important to be able to understand the language via reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Some companies may teach only speaking and listening in some of their courses. Be sure to identify what aspects of the language each program offers.
Yes, several companies offer a customer satisfaction. Companies offer customers friendly help and confidence of their products by giving, but not limited to, 30-day trials, demo lessons, and in some cases full refund if dissatisfied of service. Make sure to check on the companies' customer satisfaction policy before committing.
Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

No matter why you want to learn Spanish, the real question is which online Spanish lessons are right for you. With so much of our life being digital and using apps regularly if not daily, it's only natural to want to explore apps or online methods for learning Spanish. There are many to choose from, and we can help you sift through the options.

The first thing to consider is how much Spanish you already know. If you're just getting started, your choices are almost endless, as many programs have an abundance of material for beginners. In fact, some of these programs focus so much on the beginners that they seem to run out of steam when creating material for the intermediate students, and then there's none if you want to hone your advanced Spanish with them. There are those who cater to all levels of proficiency, but it's certainly not all, and you have to know which is which. No worries - wherever you are on your Spanish-learning journey, we have excellent online programs and apps to recommend for your needs.

Another consideration is your learning style and preferences. Some learners need motivation through lessons with animation, gamification, and prizes. Others find animation and gamification overwhelming and would rather get straight to business, preferring the old-school grammar lessons and vocabulary flashcards. Consider if you want your Spanish curriculum to tell you where to start and then follow those lessons in a linear fashion. If you do, great. However, other people want to choose their own path and select lessons where the theme is of interest to them. Either way, there are plenty of online Spanish lessons that will suit you.

Once you're more aware of why you're learning Spanish and how you want to learn it, there are a few more aspects you should consider as you choose where to take lessons:

  • The right fit. Consider a trial period or the money-back guarantee period of time to try out the Spanish lessons to see if it delivers for you. Maybe you thought you were self-motivated, but instead you actually want animation and gamification to give you that little push. The trial period can shed some light on your fit with the program.
  • Live tutor. Some online Spanish-learning programs offer a live tutor so you can learn all on your own with the tutor, or at least can be in a small class setting of 6 students or fewer. Or you can get a tutor to help you when you're stuck with the material you're learning. Sometimes it's nice to have a live person to help out.
  • Value. Once you give a free trial a chance, believe it or not, sometimes the month-to-month price can be more expensive in a year's payments than the whole lifetime one-time-payment option.
  • Refund policy. Once you've committed to an online Spanish program, is there a money-back guarantee? If so, how long do you have to decide? Some offer 60 days, 30 days, and some offer only 7 days to try it out and get your money back.

The experts at Top Consumer Reviews have evaluated, rated, and ranked the best choices for online Spanish lessons. We're sure that with this information, you'll have what you need to make the right choice for your goals in learning and becoming fluent in Spanish. ¡Ya vamos!

Compare Spanish Lessons

Select any 2 Spanish Lessons to compare them head to head

best-spanish-lessons
  • Spanish Pod 101
  • Busuu
  • Rosetta Stone
  • Memrise
  • Fluenz
  • Mondly
  • Babbel
  • Duolingo
  • Ouino
  • Rocket Languages
  • StudySpanish
  • Preply
Spanish Pod 101 vs Busuu Spanish Pod 101 vs Rosetta Stone Spanish Pod 101 vs Memrise Spanish Pod 101 vs Fluenz Spanish Pod 101 vs Mondly Spanish Pod 101 vs Babbel Spanish Pod 101 vs Duolingo Spanish Pod 101 vs Ouino Spanish Pod 101 vs Rocket Languages Spanish Pod 101 vs StudySpanish Spanish Pod 101 vs Preply Busuu vs Rosetta Stone Busuu vs Memrise Busuu vs Fluenz Busuu vs Mondly Busuu vs Babbel Busuu vs Duolingo Busuu vs Ouino Busuu vs Rocket Languages Busuu vs StudySpanish Busuu vs Preply Rosetta Stone vs Memrise Rosetta Stone vs Fluenz Rosetta Stone vs Mondly Rosetta Stone vs Babbel Rosetta Stone vs Duolingo Rosetta Stone vs Ouino Rosetta Stone vs Rocket Languages Rosetta Stone vs StudySpanish Rosetta Stone vs Preply Memrise vs Fluenz Memrise vs Mondly Memrise vs Babbel Memrise vs Duolingo Memrise vs Ouino Memrise vs Rocket Languages Memrise vs StudySpanish Memrise vs Preply Fluenz vs Mondly Fluenz vs Babbel Fluenz vs Duolingo Fluenz vs Ouino Fluenz vs Rocket Languages Fluenz vs StudySpanish Fluenz vs Preply Mondly vs Babbel Mondly vs Duolingo Mondly vs Ouino Mondly vs Rocket Languages Mondly vs StudySpanish Mondly vs Preply Babbel vs Duolingo Babbel vs Ouino Babbel vs Rocket Languages Babbel vs StudySpanish Babbel vs Preply Duolingo vs Ouino Duolingo vs Rocket Languages Duolingo vs StudySpanish Duolingo vs Preply Ouino vs Rocket Languages Ouino vs StudySpanish Ouino vs Preply Rocket Languages vs StudySpanish Rocket Languages vs Preply StudySpanish vs Preply
Compare the Best Spanish Lessons
- VS -
Review the Best Spanish Lessons
See the Best Spanish Lesson
The Best Reviews of Spanish Lessons