Comparison

Learn French (Hello vs Babbel

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Learn French (Hello

This app offers a comprehensive French language course with 30 conversational lessons developed with effective, research-based methodology. Learn vocabulary, practice pronunciation with native speakers, and study offline anytime, anywhere.

Highlights
  • 30 conversational lessons
  • Native speaker audio
  • Offline access
  • Flashcards for vocabulary
  • Personal notes feature
  • Full app localization
Features
Read full description

Learn French (Hello-Hello) is the FUN way to learn a Language on the Go! French – Learn French (Hello-Hello) "for iPhone" is a full-fledged language course with 30 LESSONS developed in collaboration with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), so you can be assured that these lessons follow an effective research-based methodology. All lessons are conversational based on realistic dialogues and situations, rather than a collection of out-of-context words and phrases. All the content is stored in the app so that you have great responsiveness when you are ready to learn a language. You do not need to be connected to Wi-Fi or 3G networks to run the app. With Hello-Hello French you will be able to do the lessons and practice vocabulary anytime, anywhere developing all the skills you need to communicate in a foreign language. All lessons were recorded by native speakers so you can learn the correct pronunciation. With French – Learn French (Hello-Hello) "for iPhone" you can also: -Practice vocabulary with more than 300 words and phrases using our FLASHCARDS feature! (Please note that we will be adding more words and phrases in upcoming updates.) -Save your own NOTES form any lesson. -Full localization: You can see the entire app, including the translations of the lessons and words lists in your native language! Languages available: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese and Portuguese. Note about our methodology: At first, our lessons might seem advanced for some people but there is a purpose behind it. Our lessons are structured to give learners the ability to communicate effectively with others. If the learner is new to the language, it will be necessary to spend more time learning the basic phrases in order to begin to gain proficiency in the language. For those who already know other related languages, the time factor may not be as great to learn the basics. Beginners need to go slowly and may need to do the activities several times before they gain a comfort level in using them. And remember: The more time you spend doing the exercises, the more proficient you will become! CONTACT US: We are constantly trying to improve the app and take feedback from our users very seriously. The app has a “Contact Us” icon so that you can contact us easily, so please do not hesitate and send us an email if you have any questions, comments, complaints or suggestions. -- Try before you buy You can check out our content for free first and buy the rest later if you like it. Make sure to also check Hello-Hello Kids, our language learning app for children! ABOUT US Hello-Hello is an innovative language learning company that offers state-of-the-art online and mobile courses. Hello-Hello.com’s website couples social networking with language learning which allows users to interact with native speakers around the world. Hello-Hello’s iPad apps are among the top language learning apps on the iPad. Our conversational courses were developed in collaboration with The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), which is the largest association of teachers and administrators of all languages at all levels, serving more than 12,000 educators. For more information, please visit their website at www.actfl.org.

About

Babbel

Master a new language with expert-designed, bite-sized lessons that fit your schedule. Build conversational confidence quickly through interactive practice and a smart review system. Learn Spanish, French, German, and more for travel, work, or fun.

Highlights
  • Bite-sized lessons
  • Expert-built courses
  • Interactive conversation practice
  • Smart review system
  • Grammar in context
  • Offline mode
  • Learn 14 languages
Features
Read full description

Speak a new language with real-life conversations. Babbel is the award-winning language learning app with courses tailored to your native language, built by 200+ language experts and trusted by millions worldwide. Because lessons are built for speakers of your language, an English speaker learning Spanish gets different lessons than a French speaker does. You learn to speak, listen, and understand grammar in context, then practice real conversations with Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner that gives you personalized feedback. Learn a new language faster with bite-sized lessons designed to fit your everyday life. With Babbel’s proven method, you could start having real conversations in as little as 3 weeks. Your language learning adventure starts with a lesson. WHY BABBEL WORKS • Tailored to your native language: Courses are created by language experts and tailored to your native language, so you learn naturally and efficiently. • Real-life conversations: Learn the language people actually speak, for travel, work, and everyday life. • Speak with confidence: Practice out loud with speech recognition and Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner to improve your pronunciation. • Research-proven results: Efficacy backed by researchers at Yale University: 100% improved their oral proficiency in 3 months.* TRUSTED BY MILLIONS • 25 million subscriptions sold • 1.5 million 5-star ratings (based on App store ratings) • After 10 hours with Babbel, 96% of learners saw better test scores on grammar and vocabulary** BUILT FOR REAL LIFE • Short, effective lessons: Learn in as little as 10 minutes a day • Lessons for every motivation: Learn for travel, work, or fun • Listen, speak, write: Options for every learning style • Stress-free conversation practice: Build confidence with Guided Conversations, then practice freely with Babbel Speak (Beta) • Smart review system: Boosts learning and retention • Grammar in context: Clear explanations exactly when you need them • Offline mode: Download lessons and learn anywhere, anytime • 5,000+ courses: Over 60,000 lessons across all languages LEARN 14 LANGUAGES Spanish (Latin American or Spain), French, Italian, German, Portuguese, English (American or British), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, and Indonesian. TRY BABBEL TODAY Download Babbel now and take a free lesson. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS A subscription is required to access full courses for one language. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your Apple account. Available plans: • 1 month • 3 months • 6 months • 12 months Privacy policy: https://about.babbel.com/en/privacy/ Terms of use: https://about.babbel.com/en/terms/ LEARN MORE Read Babbel Magazine for tips and insights: https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babbelusa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Babbel.usa CONTACT US Questions or feedback? Email: support-mobile@babbel.com *Based on a study conducted with Babbel users learning Spanish. Available at http://bit.ly/BabbelYale. **Based on a study conducted with Babbel users learning Spanish. Available: http://bit.ly/BabbelMSU.

Screenshots

Learn French (Hello4 screens
Babbel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Learn French (Hello at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. Learn French (Hello also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (55% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Learn French (Hello sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Babbel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Learn French (Hello'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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Learn French (Hello ships an update every 2 months, Babbel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on August 3, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Learn French (Hello versus Babbel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearn French (HelloBabbel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (20 ratings)4.7 (754K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.2% of reviews — better43.7% of reviews
Number of ratings20754K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#11 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size124 MB263 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHello-Hello LLCBabbel GmbH

Customer experience

Learn French (Hello

All ratings19 ratings
Positive78.9%
Neutral5.3%
Negative15.8%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive55.2%
Neutral6.9%
Negative37.9%

Babbel

All ratings753,872 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews2,638 reviews
Positive43.7%
Neutral13.9%
Negative42.3%

Bugs and requests

Learn French (Hello

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Babbel

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Learn French (Hello

One-time10
  • Lesson 2$1.99
  • Lesson 3$1.99
  • Lesson 4$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Lesson 5$1.99
  • Lesson 6$1.99
  • Lesson 7$1.99
  • Lesson 9$1.99
  • Lesson 10$1.99
  • Lesson 11$1.99
  • Complete Course$19.99
12 purchases

Babbel

Subscriptions12
  • Mexican Spanish – 1-month plan$17.991 Month
  • Spanish 1 month$17.991 Month
  • French 1 month$17.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • Italian 1 month$17.991 Month
  • Mexican Spanish - 1-month plan$19.991 Month
  • Mexican Spanish – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
  • Learn French – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
  • Learn Spanish – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
  • All Languages – 3-month plan$53.993 Months
  • Mexican Spanish – 1-year plan$89.991 Year
  • All Languages – 12-month plan$107.991 Year
  • All Languages – 12-month plan7 Days trial$107.991 Year

Questions

Is Learn French (Hello free?
Learn French (Hello 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 French (Hello or Babbel?
Babbel is rated higher. Learn French (Hello averages 4.2 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Babbel averages 4.7 from 754K ratings.
Do Learn French (Hello or Babbel have ads?
Babbel shows ads; Learn French (Hello does not.
Which is updated more often, Learn French (Hello or Babbel?
Learn French (Hello ships an update every 2 months, and Babbel every 4 days. Most recently, Learn French (Hello was updated on August 3, 2026 and Babbel on September 25, 2026.

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