9 Best Sign Language Apps of 2026

Lingvano is the most complete ASL course among the apps we compared. Its 600+ lessons move from fingerspelling and first signs into grammar and full dialogues filmed between Deaf people, and every lesson is taught by native Deaf teachers, so learners see several real signing styles rather than one presenter. Sign recognition watches you fingerspell through the camera and tells you right away whether each handshape is correct, which matters because the alphabet comes up constantly in real conversation. Practice tools cover vocabulary, numbers and flashcards, and a turtle icon slows any video. For hearing families who want to sign with a Deaf relative, Lingvano also runs group and private Signing Practices with Deaf tutors. The catch is price: ASL Premium is $17.99 a month on the US App Store, though the $119.99 yearly plan works out to about $10 a month.

ASL Bloom turns ASL into a daily habit with short, game-like lessons guided by two characters, Bloom and her dog Joy. The course runs across 23 modules with over 120 video lessons and more than 1300 signs and sentences, and the scenes are practical: introductions, family life, school, service counters and emergencies. Native Deaf signers present the content, and lessons on grammar and Deaf culture sit next to the vocabulary. The dictionary is a highlight, with 11,000 videos of signs, variants and phrases that you can browse on the ASL Bloom website. ASL Bloom also says it suits parents of Deaf children and baby signing. The free tier gives you two lessons every day, which is enough to test the method, while Premium starts at $9.99 a month on the US App Store. The App Store lists several plan prices, so compare before you subscribe.

Lifeprint, also called ASL University, is a long-running free ASL site, and it holds up well against paid apps on depth. Dr. Bill Vicars has built it since 1997 into 60 free lessons across levels 1 to 4, where each lesson includes vocabulary videos, practice sentences and a quiz. The sign search covers 12,000+ video clips and the A to Z dictionary has 10,000+ sign pages, so it doubles as a reference while you use other tools. The site names parents of Deaf children among its audiences and links to videos on ASL for families of Deaf kids, plus fingerspelling quizzes, a workbook and a self-study schedule. The tradeoff is format: this is a dense website rather than a guided app, and there is no feedback on your own signing. Pair it with a practice partner or a class if you can.

Signing Savvy is a dictionary first, and a very good one. Its library holds several thousand high-resolution videos of ASL signs and fingerspelled words used in the United States and Canada, and signed sentences with ASL glosses show how each sign works in context. Members build vocabulary word lists, share them, and turn them into flashcards and quizzes, which makes it a strong companion to a class or a course app. The site has learning paths for parents and families, students and teachers, plus 1-on-1 instruction and printable handouts. The member app, updated in October, can download word lists for offline study behind Face ID or Touch ID. Pricing is modest: Full Membership is $9.95 for a month, $24.95 for 4 months or $49.95 for 12 months, and a free Registered Guest account covers the basics. It is not a guided curriculum, so beginners still need lessons elsewhere.

The ASL App takes a phrasebook approach: instead of a course, it gives you 2,500+ signs and phrases grouped into bundles for real situations, from meeting people and dining to moods and celebrations. It is designed by Deaf people at DeafDigits, and several different signers appear, which helps you get used to different signing styles. The video controls are the best part of the experience, since you can drag a finger across a clip to control its speed, switch to slow mode, and save signs to a favorites folder for practice. The alphabet, numbers, universal gestures, handshape exercises and a basics bundle are free, and The ASL App Pack unlocks every current and future bundle for $9.99 one time while removing ads. There are no lessons, quizzes or feedback, and the App Store lists the last update in March 2024, so treat it as a companion to a course.

SignSchool is a free ASL resource that works on desktop, iOS and Android. Its dictionary is the main draw: you can browse thousands of signs from a diverse group of signers and dialects, and search by sign, topic or handshape, which is handy when you saw a sign and do not know the English word for it. The website adds interactive exercises, quick lectures and reviews in a modular curriculum, while learning games drill signs by topic or handshape. A fingerspelling game and a daily Sign of the Day, delivered by email or push notification, keep practice going. There is also a classroom version for schools. The limits are depth and freshness: SignSchool teaches vocabulary more than ASL grammar, and the iOS app's last listed update was in October 2024. Use it as a free vocabulary tool next to a course.

Pocket Sign packs hundreds of interactive ASL video lessons into small bites with quiz questions, so it fits a coffee break better than a study session. Lessons cover the alphabet, common phrases and greetings, basic sentence work and baby sign language, and a dictionary sits alongside them. The app is free to download, and Unlimited ASL Lessons costs $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year on the US App Store, the lowest subscription price on this list. That makes it an easy entry point for a hearing parent who wants to start with a baby or toddler. The tradeoffs are depth and transparency: the listing says little about who signs the lessons, grammar and Deaf culture get less space than in Lingvano or ASL Bloom, and the App Store also lists higher priced plans, so confirm the price shown before you subscribe.

Start ASL is the closest thing on this list to a school ASL program you can take from home. The complete course spans ASL 1, 2, 3 and 4, its curriculum is aligned with the California World Language Standards and ACTFL, and each level ends with a Certificate of Completion. Start ASL says hundreds of schools use its curriculum, and the course features both native Deaf signers and hearing ASL professionals who remember what learning as a hearing person was like. You can try the ASL 1 Trial Course free without a credit card. Self-Study costs $197 a year or $397 for 5-year access, and the Guided option at $67 a month adds rubric grading, video submission review, live online group practice and 1:1 office hours. That makes it pricier than app subscriptions, but it is the strongest choice for a homeschooling teen or an adult who wants accountability.

Gallaudet's ASL Connect is the most serious option here and priced like it. The program offers six structured levels of online ASL, from first signs and handshapes to advanced narrative and cinematic storytelling, taught or supported by Deaf faculty at Gallaudet, the world's only Deaf-centered university. Every course includes six live virtual language sessions with instructors, which no app on this list matches. Non-credit courses cost $990 each and give a continuing education transcript, while the university credit path costs $2,403 per 3-credit course and may count toward a foreign language requirement elsewhere. Both add a one-time $75 application fee and a $60 digital textbook, and learners starting above ASL 1 need a placement screening. ASL 1 and 2 run in 8-week or 15-week sessions. For most families an app is enough to start, but a parent who wants fluent signing at home gets real teaching here.