# Babbel vs DK Illustrated Dictionary

The clearest difference is rating: Babbel at 4.7 against DK Illustrated Dictionary's 3.7. Babbel also leads on ratings volume (754K vs 6) and chart position (#11 vs unranked). DK Illustrated Dictionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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. DK Illustrated Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 67% of DK Illustrated Dictionary'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, DK Illustrated Dictionary every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | DK Illustrated Dictionary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dk-illustrated-dictionary/id6448794266/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Dorling Kindersley](https://appshunter.io/developer/316351361) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #11 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


### DK Illustrated Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dk-illustrated-dictionary/id6448794266)

Learn over 10,000 words and phrases with clear illustrations and native speaker audio. This app supports the printed DK Illustrated Dictionary series, offering offline access to pronunciation guides and over 7 hours of high-quality audio.

**Highlights:** 10,000+ words and phrases, Crystal-clear illustrations, Offline audio recordings, Native speaker pronunciation, Over 7 hours of audio, Supports printed books

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is DK Illustrated Dictionary free?

DK Illustrated Dictionary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or DK Illustrated Dictionary?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while DK Illustrated Dictionary averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Babbel or DK Illustrated Dictionary have ads?

Babbel shows ads; DK Illustrated Dictionary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or DK Illustrated Dictionary?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and DK Illustrated Dictionary every 9 days. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 26, 2026 and DK Illustrated Dictionary on August 12, 2026.

---

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