Comparison

Yabla Italian 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 Italian

Learn Italian through authentic video content with interactive games and tools. Access a vast library of videos updated weekly, with features like slow playback and integrated dictionaries to aid fluency. Full access requires a subscription.

Highlights
  • Extensive video library updated weekly
  • Interactive video player with slowplay and loop
  • Integrated dictionaries and multi-language subtitles
  • Educational games like fill-in-the-blank and vocabulary review
  • Authentic content from TV, music, and interviews
  • Native speaker translations for accurate meaning
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

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
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 (Beta)*, 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 • 1.6 million 5-star ratings across platforms (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/babbel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/babbel.languages CONTACT US Questions or feedback? Email: support-mobile@babbel.com *Babbel Speak is in beta: functionality, quality, and availability may change or be withdrawn at any time. Babbel reserves the right to charge for this feature in the future. **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 Italian4 screens
Babbel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Yabla Italian at none against Babbel's shown. Yabla Italian also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 44%) and device support (4 vs 2). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (758K vs 11). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Italian sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Babbel sells 10 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Yabla Italian against 4.7 for Babbel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 758K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Yabla Italian's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Yabla Italian ships an update every 6 weeks, Babbel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Yabla Italian versus Babbel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYabla ItalianBabbel
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (11 ratings)4.7 (758K ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.9% of reviews — better44.1% of reviews
Number of ratings11758K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#14 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB286 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperYablaBabbel GmbH

Customer experience

Yabla Italian

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral18.2%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral15.4%
Negative7.7%

Babbel

All ratings757,706 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral3.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews2,799 reviews
Positive44.1%
Neutral13.9%
Negative42.0%

Bugs and requests

Yabla Italian

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 Italian

Subscriptions1
  • Yabla Italian$12.991 Month
One-time3
  • 30 Day Access Pass$14.99
  • 6 Month Access Pass$54.99
  • 1 Year Access Pass$99.99
10 purchases

Babbel

Subscriptions10
  • Mexican Spanish – 1-month plan$17.991 Month
  • Spanish 1 month$17.991 Month
  • French 1 month$17.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Italian 1 month$17.991 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
  • 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 Italian free?
Yabla Italian 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 Italian or Babbel?
Babbel is rated higher. Yabla Italian averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Babbel averages 4.7 from 758K ratings.
Do Yabla Italian or Babbel have ads?
Babbel shows ads; Yabla Italian does not.
Which is updated more often, Yabla Italian or Babbel?
Yabla Italian ships an update every 6 weeks, and Babbel every 4 days. Most recently, Yabla Italian was updated on November 1, 2026 and Babbel on November 8, 2026.

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