# Babbel vs OkyDoky

The clearest difference is monetization model: OkyDoky at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. OkyDoky also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (60% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (754K vs 626) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence 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 OkyDoky sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 4.6 for OkyDoky. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 626, 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 60% of OkyDoky's.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, OkyDoky every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | OkyDoky |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.6 (626 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/okydoky-language-courses/id1553223727/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 626 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **60.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [HEYLINGO OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1553223729) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Education, #54 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


### OkyDoky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/okydoky-language-courses/id1553223727)

This app offers a fun and effective way to learn new languages with personalized learning paths and interactive lessons. It features a unique AI tutor for real-time conversation practice and detailed grammar guides to master language nuances.

**Highlights:** Live AI Tutor for conversation practice, Customizable learning paths, Interactive lessons (translation, listening, spelling), Detailed grammar guides, Real-life conversation practice, Word-by-word audio with speed options, Transliteration for non-Latin scripts

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plus Membership | $2.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Full Access | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plus Membership | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plus Membership | $14.99 | per year |
| Monthly Plus Membership | $19.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plus Membership | $24.99 | per year |
| Monthly Plus Membership | $24.99 | per month |
| 1 Year Full Access | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plus Membership | $79.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plus Membership | $89.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Plus Membership | $24.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plus Membership | $44.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $49.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plus Membership | $59.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plus Membership | $89.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plus Membership | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great method
- 👍 Enjoyable pace and imagery
- 👍 Helpful for learning
- 👍 Affordable subscription
- 👍 Unique and powerful features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Spelling mistakes
- 🐛 Crashes when inputting wrong answers
- 🐛 Freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Limited lesson content
- 🐛 Inconsistent translations

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing when importing wrong answers
- Lessons only covering numbers 1-10
- Incorrect translations for basic words
- Lifetime membership not including new features

**Requested features**

- Dialectical options for languages
- Ability to choose difficulty level
- More detailed grammar explanations
- Offline lesson downloads
- Simplified Chinese option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is OkyDoky free?

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

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

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while OkyDoky averages 4.6 from 626 ratings.

### Do Babbel or OkyDoky have ads?

Babbel shows ads; OkyDoky does not.

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

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and OkyDoky every 5 days. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 26, 2026 and OkyDoky on September 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.*