German by Nemo review: price, free version and privacy

Our verdict

German by Nemo is a clean, private and cheap way to learn survival phrases. Anyone who wants to understand German grammar needs a course or a grammar app alongside it.

What German by Nemo is

German by Nemo is a phrase trainer for spare minutes. The developer says it is not built around lessons: you pick a topic and practice the most common German words and phrases with native speaker audio. The Speech Studio records your voice so you can compare it with the teacher, and a review mode and quizzes help retention. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with all audio stored on the device.

Who it suits

• Travelers who need everyday German phrases
• Learners who want no subscription and no data collection

Strengths

• One purchase for the complete version, with no subscription
• Privacy label says no data is collected
• All audio downloaded to the device, so it works in airplane mode
• Record-and-compare pronunciation practice and an Apple Watch app

Limits

• Last updated in October 2024
• No grammar teaching, so it will not help with cases or word order
• Vocabulary and phrases only, focused on travel and everyday topics
• The description's claims about losing your accent quickly are the developer's own

What the free version does

The app is free to download with starter content built around the most common words. Topics such as directions, travel, hotel, food and shopping phrases come with the upgrade to the complete version.

Price

The only purchase is the Nemo German Foundation pack at $14.99 on the US App Store in November 2026, a one-time item with no subscription.

Privacy

The privacy label says the developer does not collect any data from the app.

What the screenshots show

The screenshots show a topic list (Hello and Goodbye, Essential Words, Basic Questions, Conversation Starters, Food, Shopping, Hotel, Money, Travel) and a flashcard introducing "Danke" (Thank you) with microphone and play buttons.