# Babbel vs Learn Spanish

The clearest difference is monetization model: Learn Spanish at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. Learn Spanish also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 44%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (754K vs 396). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Learn Spanish sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 4.6 for Learn Spanish. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 396, 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 58% of Learn Spanish's.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Learn Spanish every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and July 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Learn Spanish |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.6 (396 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-spanish-how-to-speak/id1451286513/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 396 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **58.0% 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 | **#8** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Nurlan Ispayev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441521060) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Grossing · Education, #66 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


### Learn Spanish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-spanish-how-to-speak/id1451286513)

Master Spanish vocabulary with a unique daily learning method. This app introduces 3000 popular words, focusing on repetition until mastery. It gradually introduces new words as you successfully learn existing ones, ensuring high-quality word retention.

**Highlights:** Learn 3000 popular Spanish words, Daily word introduction, Spaced repetition learning, Word mastery tracking, Gradual new word introduction

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advanced Levels | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Phrasebook Categories | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and effective
- 👍 Great way to review words and learn vocabulary
- 👍 Helpful for learning basics
- 👍 Excellent layout and easy to navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app not working
- 💰 Too many ads, even in the paid version
- 🔍 Can't see how many words have been learned
- 🤔 Too many cognates, not challenging enough

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to view word list
- Swiping feature causes app to crash
- Free version limited to only 300 words

**Requested features**

- Add ability to save/bookmark words
- Implement spaced repetition for better long-term retention
- Provide pronunciation audio for words
- Offer more language options beyond just Spanish


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Learn Spanish free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Learn Spanish?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Learn Spanish averages 4.6 from 396 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Learn Spanish have ads?

Both Babbel and Learn Spanish show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Learn Spanish?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Learn Spanish every 3 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 25, 2026 and Learn Spanish on July 30, 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.*