# Babbel vs Lingwing

The clearest difference is monetization model: Lingwing at freemium against Babbel's subscription. Lingwing also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (72% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (754K vs 114) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Lingwing sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 114, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 72% of Lingwing's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Lingwing every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Lingwing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.5 (114 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingwing-language-learning/id1217989755/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 114 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **72.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Hitech LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1844381237) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Grossing · Education, #57 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


### Lingwing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingwing-language-learning/id1217989755)

This app offers a unique language learning experience designed to simulate immersion. It focuses on developing all essential language skills through interactive, personalized lessons and direct interaction with native speakers. Achieve fluency and confidence quickly with its innovative approach.

**Highlights:** Simulated immersion experience, Develop speaking, writing, listening, and spelling skills, Study in a chat-like interface, Personalized courses via algorithm, Gamification tools for engagement, Direct interaction with native speakers

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lingwing - Diligent | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lingwing - Diligent Plus Bonus | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lingwing - Plodder | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lingwing - Plodder Bonus | $33.99 | one-time |
| Lingwing - Polyglot | $37.99 | one-time |
| Lingwing - Polyglot Bonus | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Lingwing free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Lingwing?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Lingwing averages 4.5 from 114 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Lingwing have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Lingwing does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Lingwing?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Lingwing every 9 days. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 25, 2026 and Lingwing on September 13, 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.*