# phase6 vs Babbel

The clearest difference is monetization model: phase6 at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. phase6 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (74% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (754K vs 204) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. phase6 sells 62 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 3 months 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.

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 204, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of phase6'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.

phase6 ships an update every 3 weeks, Babbel every 4 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | phase6 | Babbel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (204 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phase6-practice-vocabulary/id441493173/reviews) | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 204 | **754K** |
| Positive reviews | **74.2% of reviews** | 43.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#8** |
| Size | 141 MB | 263 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [phase-6 GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/441493176) | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) |

## What reviewers say

### phase6

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phase6-practice-vocabulary/id441493173)

Master vocabulary and grammar for German language learning with a scientifically proven spaced repetition system. Align your studies with popular textbooks and track your progress with motivating statistics. Ideal for students in Germany and Austria, or those learning German as a second language.

**Highlights:** Vocabulary sets aligned with textbooks, Spaced repetition learning system, Grammar trainer with AI feedback, Progress tracking and statistics, Ad-free learning environment, Cross-platform compatibility

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (62)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| phase6 Premium (Sync, Reports) | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| phase6 cloud (12 Monate) | $9.99 | per year |
| phase6 Silber (12 months) | $24.99 | per year |
| Silber (1 Jahr) | $26.49 | per year |
| Gold (1 Jahr) | $31.99 | per year |
| Platin (1 Jahr) | $36.99 | per year |
| Platin (1 Jahr) | $39.99 | per year |
| Diamant (1 Jahr) | $49.99 | per year |
| Einfach gut! A1.1 - EN-DE | $3.99 | one-time |
| PONS Meine Diktatwörter Deutsch mit Audio-Diktaten | $5.99 | one-time |
| À plus! Nouvelle édition Audio | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Découvertes Série jaune | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Découvertes Série Jaune Band 2 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Découvertes Bayern 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Découvertes Bayern 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Puente al Español NE 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Découvertes Série jaune - Band 5 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| DaF kompakt A2 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Adelante Nivel elemental | $9.99 | one-time |
| Campus B neu - Band 1 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Découvertes Bayern 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Découvertes (ab 2020) - Band 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Découvertes Bayern 4 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Vokabelbox - Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Netzwerk A1 - EN | $9.99 | one-time |
| Linie 1 A1 - EN-DE (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| English G Access 5 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Norsk for deg neu A1 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Langenscheidt Grundwortschatz Italienisch | $9.99 | one-time |
| Agite plus Bayern - Band 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| À plus! 3 Nouvelle édition BY | $9.99 | one-time |
| ¡Apúntate! Nueva edición 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| À plus! Charnières Neu (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tous ensembles 1 Französisch | $9.99 | one-time |
| ¡Apúntate! Nueva edición 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Aussichten A1 - EN (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cornelsen À toi! 1 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cornelsen Encuentros hoy 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Adeamus C - Band 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Campus C neu - Band 1 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cornelsen English G Access BaWü - Band 2 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Le cours intensif - Band1 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cornelsen Erweiterter Wortschatz (deutsch) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Green Line Bayern - Band 1 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Green Line Bayern - Band 4 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cornelsen Encuentros hoy 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Découvertes (ab 2020) - Band 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Green Line Bayern - Band 3 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Campus B - Band 3 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Campus B neu - Band 3 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Adeamus C - Band 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Netzwerk neu A2 - EN | $9.99 | one-time |
| Klett Découvertes Série Jaune Band 3 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Green Line Bayern - Band 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Con gusto nuevo A1 (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| À plus! 2 Neu (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| À plus! 3 Neu (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Cornelsen Grundwortschatz (deutsch) | $9.99 | one-time |
| À plus! 1 Nouvelle édition BY | $9.99 | one-time |
| Netzwerk neu A1 - EN | $9.99 | one-time |
| ¡Apúntate! Nueva edición 2 | $9.99 | one-time |
| À plus! 1 Neu (Audio) | $9.99 | one-time |


### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #8 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 phase6 free?

phase6 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, phase6 or Babbel?

Babbel is rated higher. phase6 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 204 ratings, while Babbel averages 4.7 from 754K ratings.

### Do phase6 or Babbel have ads?

Babbel shows ads; phase6 does not.

### Which is updated more often, phase6 or Babbel?

phase6 ships an update every 3 weeks, and Babbel every 4 days. Most recently, phase6 was updated on September 24, 2026 and Babbel on September 24, 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.*