# Babbel vs SAYA

The clearest difference is monetization model: SAYA at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. SAYA also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (62% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (754K vs 1.2K). On price, 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 SAYA sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 62% of SAYA's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, SAYA every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | SAYA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saya-the-learning-app/id1612592914/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 1.2K |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **61.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 345 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Phyo Aung Kyaw](https://appshunter.io/developer/1463208113) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Grossing · Education, #66 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


### SAYA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saya-the-learning-app/id1612592914)

This app offers a fun and simple way to learn English and Japanese with video lessons, practice exercises, and interactive features. Improve your speaking skills with live classes and master new languages through bite-sized content and flashcards.

**Highlights:** Video lessons for all levels, Bite-sized videos, Micro reading lessons, Flashcards, Level tests, Character writing practice, Live and conversational classes

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6 Months | $12.00 | one-time |
| 3 Months | $14.00 | one-time |
| 1 Year | $18.00 | one-time |
| 6 Months | $21.00 | one-time |
| 3 Months | $21.00 | one-time |
| 1 Years and 6 Months | $25.00 | one-time |
| 2 Years | $30.00 | one-time |
| 6 Months | $30.00 | one-time |
| 1 Year | $34.00 | one-time |
| 1 Year | $48.00 | one-time |
| 2 Years | $51.00 | one-time |
| 2 Years | $79.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Listening experience
- 👍 Beautiful UI
- 👍 Nice app
- 👍 Valuable app
- 👍 Fun and great supplement to English class

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Units video not working
- 🐛 Cannot load video lessons
- 🐛 Level test not working
- 🐛 App not working on Mac
- 🚫 No free trial

**Reported bugs**

- Units video not working
- Cannot load video lessons
- Level test not working
- App not working on Mac

**Requested features**

- Add US phone number option
- Improve level test functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is SAYA free?

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

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

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while SAYA averages 4.5 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Babbel or SAYA have ads?

Babbel shows ads; SAYA does not.

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

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and SAYA every 5 weeks. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 25, 2026 and SAYA on September 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*