# Babbel vs Learn Russian Language & Vocab

Babbel and Learn Russian Language & Vocab both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Learn Russian Language & Vocab's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's. Learn Russian Language & Vocab also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (758K vs 5.4K) and chart position (#15 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Learn Russian Language & Vocab sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 Babbel against 4.8 for Learn Russian Language & Vocab. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 758K ratings behind it against 5.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 94% of Learn Russian Language & Vocab's.

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, Learn Russian Language & Vocab weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Learn Russian Language & Vocab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (758K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[4.8 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-russian-language-and-vocab/id1209480342/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **758K** | 5.4K |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | **94.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | — |
| Size | 301 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **9.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [PLANB LABS OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/527215806) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Grossing · Education, #40 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 features an AI conversation partner for pronunciation practice. Start speaking in as little as 3 weeks.

**Highlights:** Tailored courses for native speakers, Real-life conversation practice, AI conversation partner with feedback, Bite-sized lessons (10 mins/day), Grammar explained in context, Offline mode, 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


### Learn Russian Language & Vocab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-russian-language-and-vocab/id1209480342)

Learn Russian vocabulary and the Cyrillic alphabet through engaging, visually-driven mini-games. Sessions are designed to be short and addictive, fitting into busy schedules. Focuses on practical words with beautiful illustrations and native speaker pronunciations.

**Highlights:** Illustrated vocabulary learning, 5-minute daily sessions, Gamified learning experience, Rapid swipe and tap controls, Focus on practical words, Cyrillic alphabet instruction, Native speaker pronunciations

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Daily 10 minutes bonus | $2.99 | per month |
| Unlimited time! | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited time for all Languages! | $12.99 | per month |
| Premium | $12.99 | per year |
| Premium | $29.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium | $54.99 | per year |
| Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Premium | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Visually appealing design
- 🔁 Effective repetition and review system
- 🎓 Helpful for beginners learning Russian
- ⏱️ Bite-sized 5-minute lessons
- 🎉 Fun and engaging learning experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏳ Limited free time (5 minutes per day)
- 💰 Expensive subscription required for full access
- 🔊 Pronunciation audio could be improved
- 🤔 Unclear English translations for some words

**Reported bugs**

- Sound files failing to load for some users
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- More flexible time limits for free users
- Ability to practice writing/typing Russian words
- Option to learn through native language instead of English
- Placement test to determine appropriate starting level


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Learn Russian Language & Vocab free?

Learn Russian Language & Vocab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Learn Russian Language & Vocab?

Learn Russian Language & Vocab is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 758K ratings, while Learn Russian Language & Vocab averages 4.8 from 5.4K ratings.

### Do Babbel or Learn Russian Language & Vocab have ads?

Both Babbel and Learn Russian Language & Vocab show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Learn Russian Language & Vocab?

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, and Learn Russian Language & Vocab weekly. Most recently, Babbel was updated on November 5, 2026 and Learn Russian Language & Vocab on November 4, 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.*