# Babbel vs Hilokal

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hilokal at freemium against Babbel's subscription. Hilokal also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (754K vs 768) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, review sentiment, 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 Hilokal sells 26 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 768, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 44% and 45% positive.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Hilokal every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Hilokal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.4 (768 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hilokal-language-exchange-app/id1537500613/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 768 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **44.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 219 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Hilokal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537500615) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Grossing · Education, #70 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


### Hilokal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hilokal-language-exchange-app/id1537500613)

Learn languages like Korean and English with an AI tutor and a global community of learners. Practice speaking, writing, and listening with real-time feedback and interactive tools. Engage in themed chats and games to make learning fun and practical.

**Highlights:** AI-powered language tutoring, Real-time grammar and pronunciation correction, Interactive transcripts with AI insights, Word tracking and pronunciation analysis, Global language exchange community, Themed chat rooms and language games, Community-led learning sessions

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

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hilokal Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $10.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $10.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Plus 1 month | $19.99 | per month |
| Hilokal Premium 1 year | $24.99 | per year |
| Hilokal Premium | $24.99 | per 6 months |
| Hilokal Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus 6 months | $41.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $64.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $73.00 | per year |
| Premium Plus 12 months | $73.00 | per year |
| Hilokal 140 Beans | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium bundle 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium(1mo) Gift Card | $4.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal 500 Beans | $6.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 1 | $10.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 1 | $11.49 | one-time |
| Hilokal 1500 Beans | $18.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium bundle 5 | $24.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 3 | $37.00 | one-time |
| Hilokal Premium(1yr) Gift Card | $39.99 | one-time |
| Hilokal 5000 Beans | $64.99 | one-time |
| Premium Plus bundle 10 | $110.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for language exchange and practice
- 👍 Diverse community of users from around the world
- 🌟 Helpful and knowledgeable teachers/tutors
- 💡 Innovative features like AI tutor and role-playing
- 🤝 Great for making new friends and cultural exchange

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs, crashes, and connection issues
- 🔊 Volume control problems, echo, and audio distortion
- 🤖 Inconsistent performance of AI tutor feature
- 🔒 Weak security and moderation, allowing harassment
- 💰 Expensive subscription, lack of affordable options

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to log in or create account
- Sudden loss of audio/voice functionality
- Incompatibility with older iOS/Android devices
- Disappearing user profiles and conversation history
- Inconsistent performance after recent app updates

**Requested features**

- Allow selecting multiple target languages
- Add option to save/review conversation transcripts
- Implement better filtering and search for tables
- Improve moderation system to address harassment
- Provide more affordable subscription plans


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Hilokal free?

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

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

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Hilokal averages 4.4 from 768 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Hilokal have ads?

Both Babbel and Hilokal show ads.

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

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Hilokal every 9 days. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 24, 2026 and Hilokal on September 4, 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.*