# Learn German vs Babbel

The clearest difference is ads: Learn German at none against Babbel's shown. Learn German also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 44%) and device support (4 vs 2). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (758K vs 135). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Learn German sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Babbel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 758K ratings behind it against 135, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Learn German's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Learn German ships an update every 2 months, Babbel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Learn German | Babbel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-german-wie-gehts/id414402262/reviews) | **[4.7 (758K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 135 | **758K** |
| Positive reviews | **74.5% of reviews** | 44.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#15** |
| Size | 771 MB | 286 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Online Language Help](https://appshunter.io/developer/355913258) | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) |

## What reviewers say

### Learn German

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-german-wie-gehts/id414402262)

This app offers interactive German language lessons and games designed for various learners. It covers essential vocabulary, phrases, and grammar through real-life scenarios and includes native speaker audio for pronunciation. Progress can be tracked across devices.

**Highlights:** 96 real-life situation lessons, 3000+ vocabulary words and phrases, Hangman and Concentration games, Native speaker audio for pronunciation, 7 verb conjugation lessons, Adaptive multiple-choice quizzes, iCloud lesson progress syncing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pangaea Passport | $2.99 | per month |
| Pangaea Passport | $9.99 | per year |
| Pangaea Passport - All Languages | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface and easy to navigate
- 🎮 Engaging games and interactive learning methods
- 🔊 Clear audio pronunciation and speech recognition
- 📚 Well-organized progressive lessons
- 💾 Effective memory retention and spaced repetition

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchase requirement ($10 passport)
- 🔐 Limited free content, most features locked behind paywall
- ❌ Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in lessons
- 🎓 Weak grammar explanations and limited advanced content
- 🐛 Inconsistent verb conjugation exercises (sie ambiguity)

**Reported bugs**

- Server connection errors and loading failures
- Incorrect pronunciation mappings (e.g., dreihundert/zweihundert)
- Misspelled words and typos in content
- Inconsistent verb conjugation answers
- App crashes and freezing issues

**Requested features**

- Slower audio playback speed option
- English-to-German translation exercises
- Flashcard system for vocabulary review
- Ability to save difficult words for later practice
- More interactive grammar explanations and tables


### Babbel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759)

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Grossing · Education, #41 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Learn a new language through real-life conversations and bite-sized lessons. This award-winning app, built by language experts, offers courses tailored to your native tongue and includes an AI conversation partner for pronunciation practice. Start speaking in as little as 3 weeks with a proven method.

**Highlights:** Tailored courses for native speakers, Real-life conversation practice, AI-powered pronunciation feedback, Bite-sized, effective lessons, Grammar explained in context, Offline lesson access, Smart review system

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mexican Spanish – 1-month plan | $17.99 | per month |
| Spanish 1 month | $17.99 | per month |
| French 1 month | $17.99 | per month |
| Italian 1 month | $17.99 | per month |
| Mexican Spanish – 3-month plan | $45.99 | per 3 months |
| Learn French – 3-month plan | $45.99 | per 3 months |
| Learn Spanish – 3-month plan | $45.99 | per 3 months |
| Mexican Spanish – 1-year plan | $89.99 | per year |
| All Languages – 12-month plan | $107.99 | per year |
| All Languages – 12-month plan | $107.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent structured learning
- 🚀 Effective vocabulary and grammar teaching
- 👍 Helpful pronunciation guides
- 👍 Engaging and practical lessons
- 👍 Useful review and repetition features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent voice recognition
- 🐛 Lack of flexibility in lesson progression
- 🐛 Confusing user interface and navigation
- 🐛 Overly strict scoring and lack of forgiveness for minor errors
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly

**Reported bugs**

- Lessons sometimes freeze or crash the app
- Subscription cancellation process is overly complicated
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between languages
- Keyboard issues and inability to use system keyboard

**Requested features**

- Add more language options, especially Asian languages like Japanese, Korean, and Chinese
- Improve review and practice tools to better reinforce learned material
- Provide more customization options for lesson pacing and content
- Implement a more forgiving scoring system and allow users to revisit past lessons
- Add a dark mode and optimize the app for better readability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Learn German free?

Learn German is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Babbel free?

Babbel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Learn German or Babbel?

Babbel is rated higher. Learn German averages 4.5 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while Babbel averages 4.7 from 758K ratings.

### Do Learn German or Babbel have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Learn German does not.

### Which is updated more often, Learn German or Babbel?

Learn German ships an update every 2 months, and Babbel every 4 days. Most recently, Learn German was updated on November 1, 2026 and Babbel on November 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*