Learning German is easier than ever with this selection of the best online German tutors. Whether you’re learning German for a trip abroad or you’re aiming for an A in a college class, this list has exactly what you need to meet your goals. You’ll find overviews on all of the best courses, virtual classrooms and one-on-one tutors teaching in the industry today, along with all of the guidance you need to make your best pick. If you’re still not sure, many of our choices provide a free trial so you can give it a try before making a commitment. With nothing to lose, what are you waiting for?
How to Pick an Online German Tutoring Service
When choosing an online German tutoring service, it’s important to consider what tools you need to learn best. Determining what you need to be successful is a crucial first step to attaining your language goals, so be sure to take some time to think about whether you learn best in a classroom with a group of other students or one-on-one with a private tutor. You might benefit the most from a service that provides coursework intended to be completed independently and at your own pace, or you might prefer learning through real-world, immersive German videos.
Be sure to consider your own goals and what you’re looking forward to achieving. Most tutoring services offer filters that will help you find what you’re looking for — from learning German for business to conversational German to German for kids.
It’s also important to consider your budget and how much you’re comfortable spending on an online tutor. Our picks offer a variety of options for every budget, including affordable options for private tutoring and online courses with a structured curriculum.
Learning a new language for travel
From holding exciting conversations with the locals to simply finding your way around a new city, learning German for your trip abroad is a must. Check out Lingoda for their Language Sprint program: a full-fledged course that’s guaranteed to take you to fluency in just two months. You can also try DeutschAkademie for an authentic and immersive learning experience that will make you feel like you have already landed in Berlin.
Learning German for work
Whether you’re actively on a job hunt or currently employed, learning German for work is sure to make you stand out to employers. Give Preply a try for their tutors who specialize in German for business, or check out Goethe Institut for an independent learning experience that you can manage around your busy work schedule.
Help with studying German for school
Online tutoring services are a great resource to take your studying game up a notch. Give Verbling a shot for their education-centered approach to private tutoring, or try Babbel for their language-learning app that makes studying German on-the-go effortless.
How We Picked the Best Online German Tutoring Services
We combed the internet to find every online German tutoring service teaching students today and reviewed each provider thoroughly to determine overall customer satisfaction and affordability. Hundreds of 5-star reviews aren’t everything, though, so we also evaluated content, format and methodology.
We know different people learn in different ways, so you’ll find a good mix of virtual classrooms, one-on-one tutoring, mobile apps and even coursework fully geared toward independent learning. Not sure how you learn best? Many of our options are notable because they offer a free or a significantly discounted trial, so you can dip your toes into the language pool before making a commitment.
The 10 Best Online German Tutors
With so many online German language-learning providers, it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. This list is compiled of only the most trustworthy, credible online tutoring services that are guaranteed to help you learn a new language in whichever format works best for you.
Lingoda
Looking for a virtual classroom to exercise your learning chops? Give Lingoda a try. Their structured curriculum is taught by lively, engaged tutors to groups of students at multiple times of day, so you’re bound to find a class that fits your busy schedule.
If you’re short on time, try their Language Sprint program, which is organized to take you to fluency in just two months. A bonus prize: if you complete your Language Sprint and attend all of your classes and follow the rules, you can qualify for 50% to 100% cashback (varies by class).
| Price | Monthly subscription: $11 per class
Marathon courses: $8.75 per class |
| Free trial | Free 7-day trial |
| Device | PC, Apple, or Android device |
| Format | Zoom for video conferencing
Downloadable German class materials |
| Certificate of completion: | Yes |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more about Lingoda.
Italki
With their clean and simple interface, Italki users benefit from one-on-one private sessions with a tutor of their choice. Your first 30 minutes are free, and you can benefit from filters like “teacher types,” which show either professional teachers or community tutors, and “lesson type” so you can focus your lesson around prep for a business meeting or conversation practice. Working on the basics? Italki has plenty for you, too, with sessions that can be focused on spelling or vocabulary.
Once you’ve selected your tutor, simply click “book” to schedule your first lesson. Learning a new language is hard enough, so the accessibility of Italki helps it stand out among other providers that offer similar services.
| Price | $7-$55 per hour |
| Free trial | 30-minute discounted trial lesson |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Zoom, FaceTime, Skype or WeChat |
| Certificate of completion: | No |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more about Italki.
Babbel
Featuring a fun and easy-to-navigate interface, Babbel is a beloved language-learning service used by many. They offer a variety of online courses for German students at any level, as well as additional courses that are specifically geared towards conversational German — making them a great option for travelers.
Start off with their visually appealing (and quick!) placement quiz, which creates your best online German course by asking questions about your goals, your experience level, and how much time you’d like to spend learning your new language. The best part? You can choose between the convenience of their app or learning in live sessions with your very own Babbel tutor.
| Price | $13.95 per month: 1 month
$9.95 per month: 3 months $8.45 per month: 6 months $6.95 per month: 12 months |
| Free trial | Free 7-day trial |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Mobile app, Babbel live |
| Certificate of completion: | Yes |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more about Babbel.
Verbling
Specializing in private one-on-one tutoring, Verbling is well known for their exceptional tutors and educational focus. Take a look at their home page of native German tutors, many of whom have hundreds of 5-star reviews. By making good use of their instructor bios, it’s easy to get to know your tutor before you take your first lesson. Their pop-up scheduling tool makes it effortless to find a tutor who suits your availability, so you’re sure to find a good fit.
Verbling offers a true free trial with no strings attached. You can easily book with a tutor of your choice by clicking “book free trial” and get started immediately.
| Price | $8-$75 per hour
$35 average rate per hour |
| Free trial | Free trial lesson |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Verbling video |
| Certificate of completion: | Yes |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more about Verbling.
DeutschAkademie
If you’re looking for an authentic language-learning experience for your German endeavors, look no further than DeutschAkademie. A quick click on your browser will translate their website to English in no time at all, leaving an abundance of German language-learning courses at your fingertips. With immersive courses in pronunciation, conversation, grammar and writing, your learning experience at DeutschAkademie is sure to be fully comprehensive and successful.
To begin, select an online course from their list. Be sure to specify that you’re looking for online-only courses, as they also offer courses on-site in Berlin. Check out their tab on how to learn German for free to unlock some key resources to help you along your language-learning journey.
| Price | Private lessons for €52 per hour |
| Free trial | Money back guarantee on any course |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Live classes, role playing, dialogue, listening and reading exercises |
| Certificate of completion: | Yes |
| Knowledge level | Beginner |
Learn more about DeutschAkademie.
TakeLessons
Whether you’re seeking private or group virtual lessons with your tutor, TakeLessons is one of the few tutoring services that can accommodate both. More of an independent learner? Take advantage of their expansive content library that can be accessed anytime for on-demand, 24/7 learning. As a Microsoft company, they’re known for being a credible, professional resource that is there to meet and support you at all stages of your German-learning experience.
TakeLessons offers your first 30-minute lesson for $1, and you can book this lesson with any tutor on their website. Be sure to make use of their “ask a question” feature, which allows you to get to know any instructor before booking your first lesson.
| Price | $34-$100 per hour
$57 average cost per hour |
| Free trial | First lesson for $1 |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime or Skype |
| Certificate of completion: | N/A |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more about TakeLessons.
Goethe-Institut
Seeking the structure of an online course but wanting to learn independently? Goethe Institut is the tutoring service for you. From beginner to advanced, Goethe-Institut offers top-quality courses for all language levels that have been tried-and-tested by hundreds of satisfied students. Their focus on independent learning without a teacher allows you to learn at your own pace, putting you in the driver’s seat for your German education.
You can easily book your first course through their website. Choose your support language and language level from their dropdown menu, and make your payment. Once the payment has been processed, your course will be created and you can begin learning at your convenience.
| Price | €149 for a 70 – 85 hour course |
| Free trial | 90-minute free trial lesson |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Videos, pictures and graphics, audio and listening samples |
| Certificate of completion: | N/A |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more about Goethe-Institut.
Preply
Preply is known for their focus on customer satisfaction, and their overall rating of 4.96 out of 5 proves it. All of their tutors are highly rated and experienced professionals, and Preply offers free tutor replacement until you find your perfect match. Give their filtering service a try, as it promises to rank your best possible tutors by your set specifications and can even filter for “specialties” like business German and German for children, among many others.
All of Preply’s tutors offer a trial lesson at a discounted rate, and you can book yours easily through their website by clicking “book trial lesson.”
| Price | $24-$30 per hour |
| Free trial | 60-minute discounted trial lesson |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Video calls |
| Certificate of completion: | Yes |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more about Preply.
FluentU
Looking for a totally unique language learning experience? Try FluentU. They specialize in immersive learning through popular German videos such as commercials, movie trailers and even business videos. By simply pressing play, you can experience German like a local while learning through English and German subtitles and vocabulary breakdowns of any unfamiliar words.
While FluentU offers a one-of-a-kind learning experience, it might not be for you if you prefer a structured curriculum or one-on-one attention from a private tutor. Their 14-day free trial should give you plenty of time to determine if their services are your best fit.
| Price | Annual billing with 4 months free: $19.99 per month
Monthly billing: $29.99 per month |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Video, audio, flashcard sets |
| Certificate of completion: | No |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more about FluentU.
AmazingTalker
With their goal-oriented method of matching students to tutors, you’re sure to find your best tutor match with AmazingTalker. Offering options spanning from “Conversational German” to “German for Test Preparation” to “German for Beginners”, AmazingTalker has their bases covered. In a few easy clicks, their AI filtering system will provide you with a short list of your highest matches — making getting what you pay for a breeze.
If you opt out of their filtering system, you can browse their recommended tutors directly on their homepage and select sorting options that will put highest rated tutors first and lowest lesson price first, among others.
| Price | $10-$44 per hour
(rates vary by tutor’s nationality, experience and popularity) |
| Free trial | 60-minute discounted trial lesson |
| Device | Any device |
| Format | Zoom |
| Certificate of completion: | N/A |
| Knowledge level | Beginner to advanced |
Learn more AmazingTalker.
Other German Tutoring Services to Consider
Although expensive, Tutor.com is a great online resource for tutoring help, especially for those taking a German class in school. To get the help you need instantly, try their subscription service to be connected with a tutor in seconds.
For anyone looking for an additional self-paced option, Busuu offers online German courses you can conveniently complete from your mobile device. Create a study plan to make sure that your everyday learning will help you achieve your language goals.
What to Expect When Using Online German Tutoring Service
Our online tutoring services specialize in a variety of different formats, so you can choose whether you’d like to learn in a virtual classroom with other students or privately with a one-on-one tutor. A learning experience with other students might lend the opportunity to learn not only from your instructor’s knowledge, but alsofrom your communal classroom with their individual thoughts and observations. With a private tutor, you should expect lessons via video chat based on your interests and learning goals.
You’ll also see options that are completely independent coursework (via desktop or a mobile app), so you can learn at your own pace without a tutor. Without face-to-face interaction, these options allow you to pursue your new language skills independently without any major commitments.
What you need to learn German using an online tutor
All of our options require a high-speed internet connection, and be sure to pay attention to the device required as they vary between tutoring services. While most can be accessed through a desktop or laptop computer, some have mobile apps that are especially user-friendly.
Time commitments vary from service to service, but expect to set aside a few hours if you’re just getting started, as you’ll want to lay a solid foundation for your language-learning experience. A quiet, calm area to study is key to increase memory retention and sustain focus.
Free vs. Paid Online German Tutors: What’s the Difference?
Using a free German tutoring service is a great way to start developing your language skills, but making an investment (even a small one) in your German education will boost your abilities and give you the edge you need to accomplish your language goals. While many free apps offer vocabulary quizzes and games, a paid service can prepare you for real-world conversations using German for business and traveling abroad.