# Hand Talk vs Babbel

The clearest difference is rating: Babbel at 4.7 against Hand Talk's 4.1. Babbel also leads on ratings volume (754K vs 846) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Hand Talk's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hand Talk sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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.

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 846, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 44% and 44% positive.

Hand Talk ships an update fortnightly, Babbel every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hand Talk | Babbel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (846 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hand-talk-learn-sign-language/id659816995/reviews) | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 846 | **754K** |
| Positive reviews | **44.3% of reviews** | 43.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#14** |
| Size | 119 MB | 263 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Hand Talk Servicos Ltda](https://appshunter.io/developer/956364002) | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) |

## What reviewers say

### Hand Talk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hand-talk-learn-sign-language/id659816995)

Learn and practice American, Brazilian, and British Sign Language with virtual translators. Translate text or voice into signs, access a dictionary of thousands of signs, and practice through interactive characters. Offers offline access and customizable features.

**Highlights:** Text and voice translation to sign language, Learn ASL, Libras, and BSL, Virtual translators Hugo and Maya, Offline dictionary with thousands of signs, 360-degree sign viewing, Customizable translation speed, Educational videos

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium(1 month) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (1 Year) | $44.99 | per year |
| 10 HTCoins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 30 HTCoins | $7.99 | one-time |
| 50 HTCoins | $12.99 | one-time |
| 100 HTCoins | $24.99 | one-time |
| 200 HTCoins | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for learning sign language
- 🚀 Great for communication
- 💡 Customizable avatar
- 👍 Useful for working with special needs children/adults

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Inaccurate sign language translations
- 🐛 Lacks diversity in sign language models
- 🐛 Outdated and incorrect signs
- 🐛 Slow performance and lag

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Translations not working correctly
- Inability to open or use the app
- Incorrect sign language representations

**Requested features**

- Add more sign language options (e.g. BSL, SSL)
- Improve sign language accuracy and grammar
- Allow pasting text for translation
- Provide visual cues for sign language
- Offer free trial for subscription


### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #14 Top Grossing · Education, #58 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 Hand Talk free?

Hand Talk 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, Hand Talk or Babbel?

Babbel is rated higher. Hand Talk averages 4.1 out of 5 from 846 ratings, while Babbel averages 4.7 from 754K ratings.

### Do Hand Talk or Babbel have ads?

Both Hand Talk and Babbel show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hand Talk or Babbel?

Hand Talk ships an update fortnightly, and Babbel every 4 days. Most recently, Hand Talk was updated on September 26, 2026 and Babbel on September 27, 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.*