# Babbel vs Glisten · Language Podcasts

The clearest difference is ads: Glisten · Language Podcasts at none against Babbel's shown. Glisten · Language Podcasts also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 44%) and device support (5 vs 2). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (758K vs 26). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Glisten · Language Podcasts sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. 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 758K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 71% of Glisten · Language Podcasts'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, Glisten · Language Podcasts every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Glisten · Language Podcasts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (758K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.5 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glisten-language-podcasts/id6447008785/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **758K** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 286 MB | 172 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [The Mental Faculty](https://appshunter.io/developer/290947875) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #13 Top Grossing · Education, #36 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Learn a new language through real-life conversations and bite-sized lessons. This award-winning app, built by language experts, offers courses tailored to your native tongue and includes an AI conversation partner for pronunciation practice. Start speaking in as little as 3 weeks with a proven method.

**Highlights:** Tailored courses for native speakers, Real-life conversation practice, AI-powered pronunciation feedback, Bite-sized, effective lessons, Grammar explained in context, Offline lesson access, Smart review system

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| 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 – 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 |
| 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


### Glisten · Language Podcasts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glisten-language-podcasts/id6447008785)

Learn languages through authentic podcasts and guided listening exercises. This app offers synchronized transcripts with instant translations to help you understand real conversations and improve your fluency. It's designed for hands-free learning on the go.

**Highlights:** Learn from thousands of podcasts, Guided listening workouts, Synchronized transcripts, Instant translations, Progress tracking, Hands-free learning, Multi-device support

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Glisten · Language Podcasts free?

Glisten · Language Podcasts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Glisten · Language Podcasts?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 758K ratings, while Glisten · Language Podcasts averages 4.5 from 26 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Glisten · Language Podcasts have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Glisten · Language Podcasts does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Glisten · Language Podcasts?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Glisten · Language Podcasts every 6 weeks. Most recently, Babbel was updated on November 10, 2026 and Glisten · Language Podcasts on November 3, 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.*