# Babbel vs LinDuo

Babbel and LinDuo both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of LinDuo's written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's. LinDuo 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 6 months) and ratings volume (757K vs 33). 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 LinDuo sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. 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 LinDuo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 757K ratings behind it against 33, 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 100% of LinDuo's.

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, LinDuo every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | LinDuo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (757K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[4.8 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linduo-learn-spanish/id1549646172/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **757K** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | 44.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 272 MB | 289 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Vitali Simsive](https://appshunter.io/developer/1247127045) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Grossing · Education, #39 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


### LinDuo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linduo-learn-spanish/id1549646172)

Learn Spanish with short, engaging lessons designed for busy schedules. Master pronunciation with native speakers, utilize visual aids, and review with interactive games. Ideal for beginners wanting to quickly acquire useful vocabulary.

**Highlights:** Native speaker pronunciation, 180 topic-based lessons, Offline access, Illustrated vocabulary, Phonetic transcription, Progress tracking dictionary, Interactive review games

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Work Offline! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Energy! | $4.99 | one-time |
| All Inclusive! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Help the Project! | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is LinDuo free?

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

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

LinDuo is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 757K ratings, while LinDuo averages 4.8 from 33 ratings.

### Do Babbel or LinDuo have ads?

Babbel shows ads; LinDuo does not.

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

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, and LinDuo every 6 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on October 25, 2026 and LinDuo on October 24, 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.*