# Babbel vs French Dictionary

The clearest difference is monetization model: French Dictionary at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. French Dictionary also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 12 months). On price, ads, 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 French Dictionary sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 756K ratings behind it against 146, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Babbel ships an update every 6 days, French Dictionary every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | French Dictionary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (756K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.2 (146 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/french-dictionary-translator/id1370926713/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **756K** | 146 |
| Positive reviews | — | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 256 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Puju Dekivadiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289574712) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Grossing · Education, #48 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


### French Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/french-dictionary-translator/id1370926713)

Learn and translate French with an offline dictionary and translator. Features include a French keyboard, word quizzes, and text-to-speech. Save favorite words and access search history easily.

**Highlights:** Offline English to French dictionary, French translator, French keyboard with suggestions, Word quizzes to test knowledge, Text-to-speech for English words, Save favorite words, Search history

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Pro Plan | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Pro Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is French Dictionary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or French Dictionary?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 756K ratings, while French Dictionary averages 4.2 from 146 ratings.

### Do Babbel or French Dictionary have ads?

Both Babbel and French Dictionary show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or French Dictionary?

Babbel ships an update every 6 days, and French Dictionary every 12 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on October 19, 2026 and French Dictionary on October 7, 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.*