# Babbel vs Russian Language Learning

The clearest difference is monetization model: Russian Language Learning at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. Russian Language Learning also leads on iOS requirement (15 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (754K vs 4). 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 Russian Language Learning sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 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 4.8 for Russian Language Learning. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Russian Language Learning every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Russian Language Learning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/russian-language-learning/id1546476894/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Imad Al-Zaidi.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1446309100) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Grossing · Education, #65 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


### Russian Language Learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/russian-language-learning/id1546476894)

Learn to read, write, and pronounce words and phrases in 100 languages through fun, educational games. This app covers thousands of words and phrases categorized into 100 topics for everyday life and travel situations.

**Highlights:** Learn reading, writing, and pronunciation, Supports 100 languages, Thousands of words and phrases, 100 topic categories, Smart educational games, Progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Features | $6.99 | per month |
| Unlock Features | $7.99 | per 6 months |
| Unlock Features | $8.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Russian Language Learning free?

Russian Language Learning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Russian Language Learning?

Russian Language Learning is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Russian Language Learning averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Russian Language Learning have ads?

Both Babbel and Russian Language Learning show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Russian Language Learning?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Russian Language Learning every 10 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 24, 2026 and Russian Language Learning on September 22, 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.*