# Babbel vs LingoMax

The clearest difference is monetization model: LingoMax at freemium against Babbel's subscription. LingoMax also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (67% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (757K vs 3). On price, 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 LingoMax sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

LingoMax holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 757K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 67% of LingoMax's.

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, LingoMax every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | LingoMax |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (757K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingomax-learn-english/id1478635684/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **757K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Jafar Najafov](https://appshunter.io/developer/946531378) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Grossing · Education, #47 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


### LingoMax

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingomax-learn-english/id1478635684)

Master English vocabulary through a fun game format with a built-in repetition system and memorization techniques. Track your progress with useful statistics and learn new words daily. Suitable for all levels, it offers themed word sets and native speaker audio.

**Highlights:** Game-based learning format, Integrated repetition system, Fast Brain memorization technique, Progress tracking statistics, 38 thematic word sets, Native speaker audio

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly subscription | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| 6 months subscription | $14.99 | per 6 months |
| Week | $2.99 | one-time |
| Month | $6.99 | one-time |
| Six Month | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is LingoMax free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or LingoMax?

LingoMax is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 757K ratings, while LingoMax averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Babbel or LingoMax have ads?

Babbel shows ads; LingoMax does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or LingoMax?

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, and LingoMax every 2 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on October 30, 2026 and LingoMax on October 25, 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.*