# Learn Italian (Hello vs Babbel

The clearest difference is monetization model: Learn Italian (Hello at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. Learn Italian (Hello also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (67% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (754K vs 17). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Learn Italian (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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Learn Italian (Hello against 4.7 for Babbel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Learn Italian (Hello's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's.

Learn Italian (Hello ships an update every 3 months, Babbel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on June 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Learn Italian (Hello | Babbel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-italian-hello-hello/id426680688/reviews)** | [4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **754K** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 43.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#11** |
| Size | 123 MB | 263 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hello-Hello LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/371655433) | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) |

## What reviewers say

### Learn Italian (Hello

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-italian-hello-hello/id426680688)

Learn Italian through conversational lessons and interactive flashcards. This app uses a research-based methodology developed with language professionals, allowing you to practice pronunciation, writing, and vocabulary building offline. Save your own notes and learn anytime, anywhere.

**Highlights:** Conversational lessons based on real-life situations, Interactive flashcards for vocabulary building, Pronunciation and writing practice, Offline access to all content, Save personal notes within lessons, User-friendly interface with attractive graphics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lesson 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lesson 3 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lesson 4 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lesson 5 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lesson 11 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lesson 24 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lesson 26 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lesson 29 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lesson 30 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Complete Course | $19.99 | one-time |


### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Grossing · Education, #65 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| 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 - 1-month plan | $19.99 | 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 |
| All Languages – 3-month plan | $53.99 | 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 Italian (Hello free?

Learn Italian (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 Italian (Hello or Babbel?

Learn Italian (Hello is rated higher. Learn Italian (Hello averages 4.7 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Babbel averages 4.7 from 754K ratings.

### Do Learn Italian (Hello or Babbel have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Learn Italian (Hello does not.

### Which is updated more often, Learn Italian (Hello or Babbel?

Learn Italian (Hello ships an update every 3 months, and Babbel every 4 days. Most recently, Learn Italian (Hello was updated on June 22, 2026 and Babbel on September 25, 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.*