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Comparison & review

Rosetta Stone has no Indonesian (or Malay) course — here is the alternative

Rosetta Stone is still the best-known name in language software, so “Rosetta Stone Indonesian” is one of the first things people search for. The short answer: the current Rosetta Stone app does not offer Indonesian, and it has never offered Malay. Here is what that means and what to use instead.

Does Rosetta Stone teach Indonesian or Malay?

⚠️ No Indonesian course available
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Rosetta Stone’s current subscription covers about 25 languages, and Indonesian is not among them; Malay has never been offered. An old Level 1 Indonesian existed as boxed software years ago and is no longer sold or supported. If you want the immersive, picture-based style for Indonesian you will need another tool — and for vocabulary, reading and Malay, BahasaSystem.com does the job free.

BahasaSystem.com vs Rosetta Stone: side by side

FeatureBahasaSystem.comRosetta Stone
PriceFree (optional Premium $6.99/mo)N/A for Indonesian/Malay (~$10–16/mo for other languages)
Indonesian course✓ Yes✕ No
Malay (Bahasa Melayu) course✓ Yes✕ No
Indonesian ↔ Malay differences shown per wordYes — 680+ words marked and shown side by side✕ No
Audio & pronunciationYes — Indonesian and Malay voicesN/A
Guided speaking / conversation lessonsDialogue articles with audio; no speaking drillsN/A
Spaced repetitionYes (FSRS Interval Study)N/A
Vocabulary breadth1,500 words in 41 themes, 3 levelsN/A
Reading & listening articles90+ dialogues & news articles with quizzesN/A
Quizzes & self-testing✓ YesN/A
Works offline✕ NoN/A
No account required✓ Yes✕ No

👍 What Rosetta Stone does well

  • Well-known, polished immersion method for the languages it does offer.
  • Strong speech-recognition feedback on pronunciation.
  • Lifetime plan covers all its languages.
  • Structured, no-decisions path for absolute beginners.

👎 Where Rosetta Stone falls short

  • No Indonesian course in the current app.
  • No Malay course, and none planned.
  • The old boxed Level 1 Indonesian is discontinued and not compatible with the app.
  • Even for supported languages, the no-translation approach is slow and vocabulary-light.
  • Expensive compared with free alternatives.
TypeLanguage software
MethodImmersion method: pictures and native audio with no translation, speech recognition (“TruAccent”), and a fixed sequence of units. Applies only to the languages offered — Indonesian is not one of them.
PriceNot available for Indonesian or Malay. For its other languages Rosetta Stone charges roughly $15.99/month on a 3-month plan, about $10–12/month on a 12-month plan, or around $199 lifetime for all languages (frequently on sale).

Rosetta Stone is best for…

Learners of Spanish, French, German, Japanese or another of Rosetta Stone’s supported languages who like a fixed, immersive path. Not an option for Indonesian or Malay.

BahasaSystem.com is best for…

Anyone who searched for Rosetta Stone Indonesian or Malay: 1,500 levelled words with both languages side by side, audio in Indonesian and Malay voices, 90+ articles with quizzes and an FSRS review deck — free in the browser, no account needed.

Try it free →

Does Rosetta Stone offer Indonesian?

Not currently. Rosetta Stone’s subscription app lists around 25 languages — Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Vietnamese, Tagalog and others — and Indonesian is not one of them. Years ago the company sold a boxed “Level 1 Indonesian” for Windows and Mac; that product is discontinued, is not sold on the website, and does not run in the modern app.

Malay has never been part of the catalogue. If you see “Rosetta Stone Malay” anywhere, it is a third-party listing or a mistake.

Why that matters

Rosetta Stone’s reputation sends many beginners there first, and the lifetime “all languages” plan sounds like it should include everything. For Indonesian and Malay it includes nothing, so a learner who buys it for those languages has wasted the money. The company has not announced Indonesian for the app, and its recent additions have been languages with larger US markets.

The good news is that Indonesian is one of the easiest major languages for English speakers — Latin alphabet, no tones, no verb conjugation, no gender — so you do not need a heavyweight immersion program to get started. You need words, audio, something to read, and a way to review.

How BahasaSystem.com compares

BahasaSystem.com is a free, browser-based system for exactly that. Its 1,500 most-common Indonesian words are levelled from beginner to advanced and grouped into 41 themes; every card shows the Malay equivalent and flags the 680+ words that differ, with a switchable Indonesian or Malay voice, so you learn both languages as one system.

Around the words sit 90+ dialogues and news articles with line-by-line audio and comprehension questions, quizzes, and an Interval Study deck that uses the FSRS spaced-repetition algorithm. No account is needed to start; a free account syncs progress, and the optional Premium removes daily limits.

Other options if you wanted Rosetta Stone’s style

If what attracted you was the picture-based immersion, Drops offers Indonesian and Malay vocabulary in a similar visual style, and Ling and Mondly provide guided app lessons for Indonesian (Ling also for Malay). For audio-first learning, Pimsleur has one Indonesian level. For speaking with people, italki has hundreds of Indonesian tutors and some Malay ones.

None of these shows you how Indonesian and Malay relate; that is the particular thing BahasaSystem.com was built for.

The verdict

Do not buy Rosetta Stone for Indonesian or Malay — it does not offer them. Start with BahasaSystem.com for free, add a tutor or an audio course if you want speaking practice, and check this page’s comparisons for the apps that do cover the two languages.

Frequently asked questions

Does Rosetta Stone have Indonesian?

No. The current Rosetta Stone app does not offer Indonesian. An old boxed Level 1 Indonesian product was discontinued and is not available in the app.

Does Rosetta Stone have Malay?

No. Rosetta Stone has never offered Malay (Bahasa Melayu).

Will Rosetta Stone add Indonesian?

Nothing has been announced. Its recent additions have focused on other languages, so do not wait for it — free alternatives such as BahasaSystem.com are available now.

What is the best alternative to Rosetta Stone for Indonesian?

BahasaSystem.com for free vocabulary, reading and review in both Indonesian and Malay; Ling or Mondly for guided app lessons; Pimsleur for audio; italki for tutors.

Is Indonesian hard to learn without an immersion program?

No. Indonesian uses the Latin alphabet, has no tones, no verb conjugation and no grammatical gender. A good vocabulary with audio, some reading and regular review — exactly what BahasaSystem.com provides — is enough to make fast progress.

Ready to learn Indonesian and Malay for free?

Practise the most common Indonesian and Malay words — in your browser, at your own pace, no account needed.

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