# Babbel vs LingChat

The clearest difference is ads: LingChat at none against Babbel's shown. LingChat also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 44%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (758K vs 238) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and LingChat sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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 238, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 65% of LingChat'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, LingChat every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | LingChat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (758K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.5 (238 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingchat-ai-speaking-friends/id6450173794/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **758K** | 238 |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | **64.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | — |
| Size | 286 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Shutter Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1021177509) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Grossing · Education, #35 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


### LingChat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingchat-ai-speaking-friends/id6450173794)

Practice speaking over 60 languages with AI characters or real people. Get instant feedback, grammar help, and translation tools to build confidence and fluency in a safe, fun environment.

**Highlights:** Practice with AI characters, Connect with real language partners, Instant grammar feedback, Tap to translate messages, Native-like reply suggestions, Real-time word lookup

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LingChat Pro Monthly Discount | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $15.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan Pro Special Offer | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Standard | $20.00 | per month |
| Monthly Plan Pro+ | $29.99 | per month |
| 3-month Plan Pro | $35.00 | per 3 months |
| Premium Annual Discount | $69.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Plan Pro | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Plan Pro+ | $189.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is LingChat free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or LingChat?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 758K ratings, while LingChat averages 4.5 from 238 ratings.

### Do Babbel or LingChat have ads?

Babbel shows ads; LingChat does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or LingChat?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and LingChat every 10 days. Most recently, Babbel was updated on November 10, 2026 and LingChat on November 7, 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.*