Babbel vs Pimsleur | Language Learning
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Babbel
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.
- Bite-sized lessons
- Expert-built courses
- Interactive conversation practice
- Smart review system
- Grammar in context
- Offline mode
- Learn 14 languages
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Speak a new language with real-life conversations. Babbel is the award-winning language learning app with courses tailored to your native language, built by 200+ language experts and trusted by millions worldwide. Because lessons are built for speakers of your language, an English speaker learning Spanish gets different lessons than a French speaker does. You learn to speak, listen, and understand grammar in context, then practice real conversations with Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner that gives you personalized feedback. Learn a new language faster with bite-sized lessons designed to fit your everyday life. With Babbel’s proven method, you could start having real conversations in as little as 3 weeks. Your language learning adventure starts with a lesson. WHY BABBEL WORKS • Tailored to your native language: Courses are created by language experts and tailored to your native language, so you learn naturally and efficiently. • Real-life conversations: Learn the language people actually speak, for travel, work, and everyday life. • Speak with confidence: Practice out loud with speech recognition and Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner to improve your pronunciation. • Research-proven results: Efficacy backed by researchers at Yale University: 100% improved their oral proficiency in 3 months.* TRUSTED BY MILLIONS • 25 million subscriptions sold • 1.5 million 5-star ratings (based on App store ratings) • After 10 hours with Babbel, 96% of learners saw better test scores on grammar and vocabulary** BUILT FOR REAL LIFE • Short, effective lessons: Learn in as little as 10 minutes a day • Lessons for every motivation: Learn for travel, work, or fun • Listen, speak, write: Options for every learning style • Stress-free conversation practice: Build confidence with Guided Conversations, then practice freely with Babbel Speak (Beta) • Smart review system: Boosts learning and retention • Grammar in context: Clear explanations exactly when you need them • Offline mode: Download lessons and learn anywhere, anytime • 5,000+ courses: Over 60,000 lessons across all languages LEARN 14 LANGUAGES Spanish (Latin American or Spain), French, Italian, German, Portuguese, English (American or British), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, and Indonesian. TRY BABBEL TODAY Download Babbel now and take a free lesson. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS A subscription is required to access full courses for one language. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your Apple account. Available plans: • 1 month • 3 months • 6 months • 12 months Privacy policy: https://about.babbel.com/en/privacy/ Terms of use: https://about.babbel.com/en/terms/ LEARN MORE Read Babbel Magazine for tips and insights: https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babbelusa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Babbel.usa CONTACT US Questions or feedback? Email: support-mobile@babbel.com *Based on a study conducted with Babbel users learning Spanish. Available at http://bit.ly/BabbelYale. **Based on a study conducted with Babbel users learning Spanish. Available: http://bit.ly/BabbelMSU.
Pimsleur | Language Learning
Master over 50 languages with daily 30-minute audio lessons. Achieve native-like fluency through a scientifically proven method focused on speaking and pronunciation, even offline. Perfect for busy adults seeking flexible, effective language learning.
- Learn 50+ languages
- 30-minute daily lessons
- Offline mode
- Hands-free learning
- Pronunciation practice
- AI language tutor
- Sync across devices
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Learn languages fluently with Pimsleur - Learn to speak 50+ foreign languages like a local with just 30 minutes of language learning practice a day! The Pimsleur Method™ is the most effective way to learn a foreign language, achieve native conversational fluency, and use the language in your everyday life. Learn to speak fluent Spanish, French, Korean, German, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese and more with ease. Pimsleur’s language learning resources make learning a language fun, flexible and rewarding. Practice speaking fluently with just 30 minutes of language practice a day! For 50 years, we’ve been helping people rapidly learn languages in 30 days. Want to learn Spanish to speak to Mexican friends? Need to learn Japanese for a trip to Tokyo? Choose from over 50 languages to learn while driving, at the gym, or while cooking. No Internet needed with offline mode. Plus the built-in hands-free mode makes it easy to learn a new language anywhere, anytime, even in the car! Our innovative online audio lessons focus on enhancing your vocabulary, pronunciation and speaking skills without the burden of grammar tables, making language learning and practice enjoyable and accessible. Dive into cultural topics that enrich your understanding and language fluency, and join thousands of adults who have transformed their language skills online with Pimsleur. Whether you're a beginner or already looking to improve your language fluency, Pimsleur offers a convenient and effective online language learning platform for adults designed for a flexible study schedule that fits into your daily routine. Learn to speak a new language anytime, anywhere - even in the car as a family. Why Choose Pimsleur as Your Language Partner? - Scientifically proven method for fast, lasting language fluency. - Just 30 minutes a day to speak a new foreign language with confidence. - Learn languages offline, hands-free, and without distractions, no Wi-Fi needed. - Perfect your pronunciation and practice real conversations with a smart AI language tutor. - Sync across devices to track your progress and keep your learning streak going. - Join the global community of Pimsleur language learners! Discover the full list of language courses here: Albanian, Eastern, Egyptian or Modern Standard Arabic, Eastern or Western Armenian, Cantonese or Mandarin Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dari Persian, Dutch, Farsi Persian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Ojibwe, Pashto, Polish, European or Brazilian Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Latin American or Spain-Castilian Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Swiss German, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Twi, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese. FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE Don’t miss out - try Pimsleur for FREE and start learning different languages today! With a complimentary lesson in 51 languages, you'll experience the most effective way to achieve conversational fluency from Day 1. PREMIUM FEATURES CORE CONVERSATIONAL LANGUAGE LEARNING LESSONS Enjoy 30-minute conversational language lessons anywhere. Quickly learn to speak another language in just 30 days! READ You won’t just learn foreign languages; you'll learn to read without sacrificing speaking skills! SPEAK Don't be shy! Learn to speak fluently with conversation partner role-play & review transcripts using AI language learning & voice recognition. Now available for Spanish learners. SKILLS Practice phrases by topic & learn easily with visual language learning through vocabulary flashcards. Learn foreign languages with Quick Match & Speed Rounds. SYNC PROGRESS Track learning progress across different devices, sync & stream offline with no ads. Feature availability depends on the language. Visit our website for more info & a complete list of the different languages available. CA Privacy/Info We Collect: Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information: Do Not Sell
Screenshots
Verdict
Babbel and Pimsleur | Language Learning both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 83% of Pimsleur | Language Learning's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's. Pimsleur | Language Learning also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and ratings volume (754K vs 30K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Babbel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Pimsleur | Language Learning sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 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 4.7 for Pimsleur | Language Learning. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 30K, 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 83% of Pimsleur | Language Learning's.
Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Pimsleur | Language Learning every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Babbel | Pimsleur | Language Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (754K ratings) | 4.7 (30K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | 82.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 754K — better | 30K |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #7 | #6 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 263 MB | 131 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Babbel GmbH | Simon & Schuster |
Customer experience
Babbel
Pimsleur | Language Learning
User reviews
Babbel
From 754K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent structured learning
- 🚀 Effective vocabulary and grammar teaching
- 👍 Helpful pronunciation guides
- 👍 Engaging and practical lessons
- 👍 Useful review and repetition features
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Pimsleur | Language Learning
From 30K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great for speaking and listening practice
- 👍 Effective for learning pronunciation and conversational skills
- 💡 Convenient to use while doing other activities
- 👍 Structured lessons build language skills progressively
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited content for some languages
- 📚 Lacks written materials and grammar explanations
Bugs and requests
Babbel
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
Pimsleur | Language Learning
Reported bugs
3 issues- Lesson downloads frequently get interrupted
- Inconsistent performance on older devices
- Sync issues between app and online account
Requested features
4 requests- More levels and content for less popular languages
- Ability to adjust playback speed of lessons
- Tighter integration with other language learning resources
- Improved voice recognition and feedback
In-app purchases
Babbel
- Mexican Spanish – 1-month plan$17.991 Month
- Spanish 1 month$17.991 Month
- French 1 month$17.991 Month
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- Italian 1 month$17.991 Month
- Mexican Spanish - 1-month plan$19.991 Month
- Mexican Spanish – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
- Learn French – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
- Learn Spanish – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
- All Languages – 3-month plan$53.993 Months
- Mexican Spanish – 1-year plan$89.991 Year
- All Languages – 12-month plan$107.991 Year
- All Languages – 12-month plan7 Days trial$107.991 Year
Pimsleur | Language Learning
- Spanish Premium Subscription3 variants$19.991 Month
- Italian Premium Subscription$19.991 Month
- Japanese Premium Subscription$19.991 Month
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- All Access Subscription$20.991 Month
- All Access Subscription7 Days trial$20.991 Month
- All Access Subscription1 Month trial$20.991 Month
- All Access Annual Subscription7 Days trial$131.991 Year
- All Access Subscription Annual7 Days trial$164.991 Year
Questions
Is Babbel free?
Is Pimsleur | Language Learning free?
Which has better reviews, Babbel or Pimsleur | Language Learning?
Do Babbel or Pimsleur | Language Learning have ads?
Which is updated more often, Babbel or Pimsleur | Language Learning?
Which is more popular, Babbel or Pimsleur | Language Learning?
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