Comparison

Yabla French vs Babbel

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

Head to head
About

Yabla French

Learn a new language through authentic video content with interactive tools. Access a vast library of videos, integrated dictionaries, and educational games to improve fluency. Enjoy context-specific translations and practice at your own pace.

Highlights
  • Thousands of updated videos
  • Video player tools (slowplay, loop)
  • Integrated dictionaries and subtitles
  • Educational games (fill in the blank, vocab review)
  • Context-specific translations
  • Flashcard review (web app)
Features
Read full description

Learn a foreign language with authentic video content! Yabla is a video library for language learners with customized games and tools to help you become fluent. Yabla supports Spanish, French, Italian, German, ESL, and Chinese learners. Yabla offers 6 languages to choose from! Why is learning with Yabla different?: -Library with thousands of videos, updated weekly -Video player tools including slowplay and loop -Integrated dictionaries and subtitles across multiple languages -Educational games including fill in the blank, multiple choice, and vocabulary review IOS subscribers can take advantage of more features, with free access to our website! Scribe dictation, comprehension, and flashcards are available only via the web. Popular content includes television programs, music videos, interviews, animation, documentaries, and travel videos. Yabla is functional across devices. App subscription also includes access to our website featuring all exercises and language games! Use Yabla wherever you are, at home or on the go. The Yabla video player features translations by native speakers fluent in both languages. The meaning of words and phrases is reflective of the dialect and culture in the video. Yabla has no automatically generated translations. We give users accurate and context-specific meanings. Yabla features loop and pitch-corrected slow down options, for users to learn the material at their own pace. Users may take time to review phrases or words of difficulty, as well as go over them multiple times during a session. Click on difficult words to look them up in our multisource dictionary and add them for later review. Practice them in the flashcard exercise, available via our web app. Flashcard review helps to memorize new vocabulary. This App contains a limited selection of free language learning videos. Full access requires a purchased subscription. Subscriptions are available as a one-time payment, or as an auto-renewing subscription. Yabla brings immersive learning to you, anytime, anywhere. If you choose an auto-renewing subscription: - Your subscription will automatically renew each month and your credit card will be charged through your iTunes account. You can turn off auto-renew at any time from your iTunes account settings. - You will receive new content on a weekly basis, and have access to all previously released videos. - You may cancel your subscription at any time. After canceling, you will continue to have access through your "paid to date". - Auto-Renewing subscription price may be different based on currency. Exact pricing is disclosed within the app. Privacy Policy https://www.yabla.com/privacy.php Terms of Use https://www.yabla.com/terms.php

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. 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: • 3 months • 6 months • 12 months • Lifetime 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

Yabla French4 screens
Babbel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Babbel at 4.7 against Yabla French's 3.8. Babbel also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (757K vs 21). Yabla French's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (79% vs 44%). On price and in-app purchases 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. Yabla French sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month 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 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 757K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Yabla French'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

Yabla French ships an update every 6 weeks, Babbel every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Yabla French versus Babbel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYabla FrenchBabbel
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (21 ratings)4.7 (757K ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.3% of reviews — better44.1% of reviews
Number of ratings21757K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#17 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB272 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperYablaBabbel GmbH

Customer experience

Yabla French

All ratings21 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive79.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.7%

Babbel

All ratings756,839 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral3.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews2,799 reviews
Positive44.1%
Neutral13.9%
Negative42.0%

Bugs and requests

Yabla French

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

4 purchases

Yabla French

Subscriptions1
  • Yabla French$12.991 Month
One-time3
  • 1 Month Subscription$14.99
  • 6 Month Subscription$54.99
  • 1 Year Subscription$99.99
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 Yabla French free?
Yabla French 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, Yabla French or Babbel?
Babbel is rated higher. Yabla French averages 3.8 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Babbel averages 4.7 from 757K ratings.
Do Yabla French or Babbel have ads?
Babbel shows ads; Yabla French does not.
Which is updated more often, Yabla French or Babbel?
Yabla French ships an update every 6 weeks, and Babbel every 5 days. Most recently, Yabla French was updated on October 21, 2026 and Babbel on October 31, 2026.

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