# Babbel vs Russian Learning For Beginners

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Babbel at 44% against Russian Learning For Beginners's 0%. Babbel also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (754K vs 28). Russian Learning For Beginners's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). 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 Russian Learning For Beginners sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. 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 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 0% of Russian Learning For Beginners's.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Russian Learning For Beginners every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Russian Learning For Beginners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.5 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/russian-learning-for-beginners/id1673564243/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | **43.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#10** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Ali Hassan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1669096087) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Grossing · Education, #63 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


### Russian Learning For Beginners

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/russian-learning-for-beginners/id1673564243)

Master Russian from scratch with structured lessons, vocabulary, and quizzes. Explore the first two chapters for free, supported by ads. Unlock the full course with a subscription or lifetime purchase for an ad-free, comprehensive learning experience.

**Highlights:** Structured lessons, Vocabulary building, Phrase practice, Chapter quizzes, Full course access, Ad-free premium option

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Russian Course | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Russian Course | $12.99 | per month |
| Russian Course | $34.99 | per year |
| Russian Course Premium | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Russian Learning For Beginners free?

Russian Learning For Beginners is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Russian Learning For Beginners?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Russian Learning For Beginners averages 4.5 from 28 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Russian Learning For Beginners have ads?

Both Babbel and Russian Learning For Beginners show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Russian Learning For Beginners?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Russian Learning For Beginners every 3 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 25, 2026 and Russian Learning For Beginners on August 29, 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.*