# Babbel vs Breakthrough! Visual Novel

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Breakthrough! Visual Novel at 100% against Babbel's 44%. Breakthrough! Visual Novel also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (754K vs 3). On price, ads, 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 Breakthrough! Visual Novel sells 3 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 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 100% of Breakthrough! Visual Novel's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Breakthrough! Visual Novel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/breakthrough-visual-novel/id1639829477/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | — |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 732 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Eric Ding](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639829479) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #12 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


### Breakthrough! Visual Novel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/breakthrough-visual-novel/id1639829477)

This educational game helps intermediate language learners improve vocabulary and reading comprehension through interactive stories and flashcards. It offers multiple languages and cultural insights, making learning engaging.

**Highlights:** Vocabulary building mode, Interactive story reading, Flashcard deck building, Unlockable in-game content, Multiple language support, Cultural exploration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Character Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Yuri - Story Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Jose - Story Pack | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Breakthrough! Visual Novel free?

Breakthrough! Visual Novel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Breakthrough! Visual Novel?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Breakthrough! Visual Novel averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Breakthrough! Visual Novel have ads?

Both Babbel and Breakthrough! Visual Novel show ads.

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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.*