# Innovative Language Learning vs Babbel

The clearest difference is monetization model: Innovative Language Learning at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. Innovative Language Learning also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (67% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (755K vs 34K). On price, rating and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Innovative Language Learning sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Innovative Language Learning against 4.7 for Babbel. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 755K ratings behind it against 34K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Innovative Language Learning's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's.

Innovative Language Learning ships an update every 2 months, Babbel every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Innovative Language Learning | Babbel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (34K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/innovative-language-learning/id668386019/reviews) | [4.7 (755K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 34K | **755K** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 43.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#9** |
| Size | 52 MB | 255 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Innovative Language Learning USA LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/285488930) | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) |

## What reviewers say

### Innovative Language Learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/innovative-language-learning/id668386019)

Learn to speak new languages quickly with short, engaging audio and video lessons created by experienced teachers. Access a vast library of content for over 30 languages and practice conversations from your first session.

**Highlights:** Short audio/video lessons (3-15 minutes), Lessons taught by real teachers, Instant practice with assessments, Offline lesson downloads, Progress syncing across devices, Multiple playback options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| French Basic Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Korean Basic Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Italian Basic Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Japanese Basic Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Spanish Basic Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| French Mobile Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Korean Mobile Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Russian Mobile Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Spanish Mobile Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Japanese Mobile Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Japanese Premium Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Spanish Premium Subscription | $24.99 | per month |
| Japanese Basic Subscription | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Well-constructed course
- 🚀 Comprehensive learning system
- 👍 Option to use a night screen
- 👍 Engaging and interesting lessons
- 👍 Helpful for learning and improving language skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Lessons getting locked after 7 days
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance across devices
- 🐛 Bugs with audio and video playback
- 🐛 Errors and typos in lesson content

**Reported bugs**

- Lessons not downloading successfully
- Screen freezing when using certain features
- Inconsistent lesson navigation between app and website
- Automatic subscription renewal issues

**Requested features**

- Flashcard functionality in the app
- Ability to create custom playlists
- Improved integration between app and website
- More advanced features like speech recognition
- Ability to switch between multiple languages


### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Grossing · Education, #45 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 Innovative Language Learning free?

Innovative Language Learning 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, Innovative Language Learning or Babbel?

Innovative Language Learning and Babbel are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 34K and 755K ratings respectively.

### Do Innovative Language Learning or Babbel have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Innovative Language Learning does not.

### Which is updated more often, Innovative Language Learning or Babbel?

Innovative Language Learning ships an update every 2 months, and Babbel every 5 days. Most recently, Innovative Language Learning was updated on October 13, 2026 and Babbel on October 14, 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.*