# Babbel vs Spanish Learning for Beginners

The clearest difference is monetization model: Spanish Learning for Beginners at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. Spanish Learning for Beginners also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 44%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (754K vs 2.4K). 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 Spanish Learning for Beginners sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. 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 2.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 63% of Spanish Learning for Beginners'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, Spanish Learning for Beginners every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Spanish Learning for Beginners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.5 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spanish-learning-for-beginners/id1375331854/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 2.4K |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **62.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Vinh Tran](https://appshunter.io/developer/1227444688) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Grossing · Education, #70 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


### Spanish Learning for Beginners

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spanish-learning-for-beginners/id1375331854)

Master everyday Spanish with friendly lessons, real-life dialogues, and instant speaking practice. Designed for beginners, this app makes learning natural, fast, and fun, whether for travel, study, or relocation.

**Highlights:** Beginner-friendly lessons, Instant speaking practice with feedback, Smart review system, Authentic dialogues, Practical phrases, Offline conversations

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $0.99 | per month |
| 3-Month Premium | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| 6-Month Premium | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual Premium | $3.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for beginners
- 👍 Teaches grammar and sentence formation
- 👍 Clear and comprehensible spoken Spanish

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lacks comprehensive coverage of topics
- 🐛 Missing basic features like time-telling, days of the week, etc.
- 🐛 Disturbing ads, no ad-free version
- 🐛 Slow playback speed even in advanced sections

**Reported bugs**

- Loading screen issues, app won't progress past it
- No sound/audio playback

**Requested features**

- Add more comprehensive coverage of Spanish language topics
- Implement loop/repeat feature for better learning
- Provide settings to adjust font size and playback speed


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Spanish Learning for Beginners free?

Spanish Learning for Beginners is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Spanish Learning for Beginners?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Spanish Learning for Beginners averages 4.5 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do Babbel or Spanish Learning for Beginners have ads?

Both Babbel and Spanish Learning for Beginners show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Spanish Learning for Beginners?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Spanish Learning for Beginners every 3 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 25, 2026 and Spanish Learning for Beginners on September 24, 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.*