# Cambly vs Babbel

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cambly at none against Babbel's 10. Cambly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (64% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (758K vs 9.3K) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. Cambly asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 9.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Cambly'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.

Cambly ships an update every 11 days, Babbel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cambly | Babbel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (9.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambly-learn-english/id564024107/reviews) | **[4.7 (758K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9.3K | **758K** |
| Positive reviews | **63.6% of reviews** | 44.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#16** |
| Size | 214 MB | 284 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Cambly, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/544121602) | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) |

## What reviewers say

### Cambly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambly-learn-english/id564024107)

Practice English with native speakers through live, immersive conversations. Improve your speaking skills and build confidence for real-life situations, regardless of your current level. Lessons are tailored to your goals and supported by tutors dedicated to your progress.

**Highlights:** Live conversations with native speakers, Immersive learning experience, Personalized lessons based on goals, Tutor support for skill development, Practice for any level, Recorded lessons for review

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Helpful for improving English speaking skills
- 👍 Friendly and patient tutors
- 🌍 Opportunity to practice with native speakers
- 📽️ Recorded lessons for review
- 🕰️ Flexible scheduling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Inconsistent or unreliable tutors
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🔌 Connection issues and dropped calls
- 🗓️ Difficulty cancelling or managing subscription
- 🤷‍♀️ Lack of customer support responsiveness

**Reported bugs**

- Automatic subscription renewals without consent
- Lesson time deductions for connection issues
- Inability to access account/lessons after cancellation

**Requested features**

- Accent/dialect filters for tutors
- Improved tutor search and scheduling options
- In-app messaging and feedback system
- Tutor-focused app version
- Refund/credit options for missed/cancelled lessons


### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #16 Top Grossing · Education, #39 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 Cambly free?

Cambly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cambly or Babbel?

Babbel is rated higher. Cambly averages 4.5 out of 5 from 9.3K ratings, while Babbel averages 4.7 from 758K ratings.

### Do Cambly or Babbel have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Cambly does not.

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

Cambly ships an update every 11 days, and Babbel every 4 days. Most recently, Cambly was updated on November 13, 2026 and Babbel on November 14, 2026.

---

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