# Babbel vs Language Zen

The clearest difference is ads: Language Zen at none against Babbel's shown. Language Zen also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (757K vs 7). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Language Zen sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $35.99 per 3 months. 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 4.9 for Language Zen. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 757K ratings behind it against 7, 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 71% of Language Zen's.

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, Language Zen every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Language Zen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (757K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[4.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/language-zen-spanish/id1393842024/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **757K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Language Zen Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1393842023) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Education, #41 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


### Language Zen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/language-zen-spanish/id1393842024)

This app offers a personalized approach to learning Spanish, adapting to your strengths and weaknesses. It uses real-world conversations and your interests, like music and sports, to make learning practical and engaging. Unlock full access to courses and features with a premium subscription.

**Highlights:** Personalized learning paths, Real-world conversation data, Interest-based courses (music, sports), Learn in 25 hours, 2.2X more effective than Rosetta Stone

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Month Premium Subscription | $35.99 | per 3 months |
| 3 Month Subscription w/ Trial | $35.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 Month Subscription | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| 6 Month Subscription w/ Trial | $59.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $95.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Subscription w/ Trial | $95.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Language Zen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Language Zen?

Language Zen is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 757K ratings, while Language Zen averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Language Zen have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Language Zen does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Language Zen?

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, and Language Zen every 2 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on October 25, 2026 and Language Zen on October 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.*