# Babbel vs Learn Italian (Beginners)

Babbel and Learn Italian (Beginners) both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Learn Italian (Beginners)'s written reviews are positive against 44% of Babbel's. Learn Italian (Beginners) also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (755K vs 74). 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 Learn Italian (Beginners) sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 Learn Italian (Beginners). That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 755K ratings behind it against 74, 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 87% of Learn Italian (Beginners)'s.

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, Learn Italian (Beginners) monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Learn Italian (Beginners) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (755K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[4.8 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-italian-beginners/id1622489869/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **755K** | 74 |
| Positive reviews | 43.9% of reviews | **86.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 178 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [BNR LANGUAGES INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1622487401) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Grossing · Education, #49 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


### Learn Italian (Beginners)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/learn-italian-beginners/id1622489869)

Master Italian with a comprehensive, self-paced course designed for beginners. Learn vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation through interactive exercises and native audio. Study offline anytime, anywhere, and track your progress.

**Highlights:** Offline Italian course, Learn alphabet and build vocabulary, Practice reading, writing, and listening, Native audio recordings, Interactive exercises with images, Review mode for reinforcement, Weekly user rankings

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlock all categories | $3.99 | per month |
| Unlock all categories | $5.99 | per month |
| Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlock all categories | $24.99 | per year |
| Unlock all categories | $44.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock categories - lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |
| Unlock categories - lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Learn Italian (Beginners) free?

Learn Italian (Beginners) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Learn Italian (Beginners)?

Learn Italian (Beginners) is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 755K ratings, while Learn Italian (Beginners) averages 4.8 from 74 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Learn Italian (Beginners) have ads?

Both Babbel and Learn Italian (Beginners) show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Learn Italian (Beginners)?

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, and Learn Italian (Beginners) monthly. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 28, 2026 and Learn Italian (Beginners) on September 26, 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.*