# Babbel vs Learn German

Babbel and Learn German both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of Learn German's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's. Learn German also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (757K vs 1.1K). On price, rating, 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 Learn German sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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 Learn German. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 757K ratings behind it against 1.1K, 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 82% of Learn German's.

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, Learn German every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Learn German |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (757K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-german-news-by-readle/id1483552317/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **757K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | **82.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [A-Type Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1574889877) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Grossing · Education, #49 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 German

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-german-news-by-readle/id1483552317)

Learn German through engaging stories and interactive exercises. Build vocabulary with smart flashcards and master grammar with built-in helpers. Practice listening with native speaker recordings and prepare for exams.

**Highlights:** 2,000+ German stories at your level, Smart flashcards with spaced repetition, Instant German dictionary and grammar helpers, Quizzes to test German skills, Native speaker audio recordings, Daily new stories

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Readle German: Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Readle Quarterly Subscription | $44.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Readle German Lifetime | $249.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great way to learn and practice reading
- 👍 Interesting and relevant stories
- 👍 Helpful vocabulary and grammar support
- 👍 Ability to save words for flashcard review
- 👍 Clear audio narration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional app freezes or crashes
- 🔒 Limited to one device per subscription
- 💰 Subscription cost may be high for some users
- 🔍 Lack of search/filter options for stories

**Reported bugs**

- Quizzes not working properly in some cases
- Audio not loading for certain stories
- Inability to exit vocabulary review without completing all words

**Requested features**

- Ability to sync progress across devices
- More free content for non-subscribers
- Offline reading mode
- Verb conjugation and grammar exercises


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Learn German free?

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

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

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 757K ratings, while Learn German averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Babbel or Learn German have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Learn German does not.

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

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, and Learn German every 5 weeks. Most recently, Babbel was updated on October 31, 2026 and Learn German on October 29, 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.*