# Babbel vs EF Hello Speak

Babbel and EF Hello Speak both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 88% of EF Hello Speak's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's. EF Hello Speak also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (754K vs 9.4K) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, 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 EF Hello Speak sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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 EF Hello Speak. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 9.4K, 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 88% of EF Hello Speak's.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, EF Hello Speak fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | EF Hello Speak |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[4.8 (9.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ef-hello-speak-learn-english/id1324622665/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 9.4K |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **88.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 125 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) | [Signum International AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1197105708) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Grossing · Education, #54 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


### EF Hello Speak

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ef-hello-speak-learn-english/id1324622665)

Practice English conversation with an AI tutor that provides instant feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and fluency. Engage in short, personalized lessons designed for real-life scenarios, helping you build confidence for work, study, or travel.

**Highlights:** AI English Tutor (Addi), Real-time pronunciation and grammar feedback, Bite-sized 5-minute learning sessions, Personalized learning paths, Pronunciation Coach, Grammar Checker, Immersive listening exercises

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 month access | $9.99 | per month |
| 3 months access | $38.99 | per 3 months |
| 3 months premium | $38.99 | per 3 months |
| EF Hello Pro 3 Month Plan | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 months access | $48.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual access | $55.99 | per year |
| Annual Pro access | $55.99 | per year |
| Annual premium | $59.00 | per year |
| EF Hello Pro Yearly Plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Learn Spanish: 1-year plan | $79.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Access | $79.99 | per year |
| 1 year Hello Pro | $79.99 | per year |
| 1 year access | $79.99 | per year |
| 1 year premium | $84.99 | per year |
| EF Hello Pro Yearly Plan | $119.99 | per year |
| EF Hello Pro Family Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and easy to use
- 🚀 Intuitive AI features
- 💡 Practical real-life scenarios
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 👍 Helpful for improving language skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription required for full access
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance with voice recognition
- 🐛 Inability to review past lessons
- 🐛 Clunky interactions and meaningless quizzes
- 🐛 Lack of language selection options

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing issues when trying to access lessons
- Inability to change language settings
- Inconsistent behavior between app versions

**Requested features**

- More language options beyond English, Spanish, French, and German
- Improved voice recognition and feedback
- Better lesson review functionality
- Customizable difficulty levels
- Offline mode for lessons


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is EF Hello Speak free?

EF Hello Speak is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or EF Hello Speak?

EF Hello Speak is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while EF Hello Speak averages 4.8 from 9.4K ratings.

### Do Babbel or EF Hello Speak have ads?

Babbel shows ads; EF Hello Speak does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or EF Hello Speak?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and EF Hello Speak fortnightly. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 26, 2026 and EF Hello Speak on September 26, 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.*