Free or cheap online French courses - any recommendations?

Duolingo and Busuu have decent free versions to get started, but honestly they're more for solidifying the basics. If you want something more structured, YouTube has legit channels like Easy French that actually teach conversation, and there are also platforms like Coursera that offer university courses for free (you only pay if you want a certificate). It's also worth checking out language exchange groups on Discord or Facebook where you can find native speakers willing to chat in exchange - it's kind of chaotic, but you learn a lot faster by actually speaking.