Deutsche Welle Learn German review

Deutsche Welle, Germany's international broadcaster, runs a free German school at learngerman.dw.com. Its overview page says you can learn German easily and free of charge, from beginner to highly proficient, and courses are sorted by level from A1 to C1. Beginners start with a placement test or go straight to Nicos Weg, a video course that follows Nico from Spain on his adventure in Germany, with detailed grammar pages. Deutschtrainer drills vocabulary and short sentences on 100 everyday topics with bilingual audio, and Deine Band teaches A2 German through pop songs. Higher levels read and listen to new articles each week, such as B1 and C1 pieces dated November 2026, and Deine Deutschprüfung explains the official exams from A1 to C2. The limits: some newer offers, like the Artikeltrainer and Profis gesucht, are in German only, there is no teacher to correct your speaking, and the site is less game-like than an app.

Who it is for

learners who want free, structured German from A1 to C1

Price

Free; all courses on DW Learn German cost nothing.

With Deutsche Welle's mobile courses, you can learn German easily and free of charge.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• Placement test to find your level
• Nicos Weg, a video course for beginners with detailed grammar pages (A1)
• Deutschtrainer: vocabulary and short sentences on 100 everyday topics (A1)
• Kurz und leicht daily video news at beginner level (A2)
• Deine Deutschprüfung guide to official exams from A1 to C2

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Every course is free
• Strength: Covers levels A1 to C1, past where most apps stop
• Strength: New reading and listening content is posted every week
• Weakness: Some newer offers are in German only
• Weakness: No live teacher or graded speaking feedback
• Weakness: Less habit tracking than an app like Duolingo

Key facts

• Price: Free
• Levels: A1 to C1
• Beginner course: Nicos Weg (video, A1)
• Publisher: Deutsche Welle

Where it ranks

Deutsche Welle Learn German is No. 2 in our Best Online German Courses verdict.