# Babbel vs Speak and Learn

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Babbel at 758K against Speak and Learn's 83. Babbel also leads on chart position (#16 vs unranked). Speak and Learn's advantage is iOS requirement (14.5 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Speak and Learn sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Babbel against 4.7 for Speak and Learn. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 758K ratings behind it against 83, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, Speak and Learn every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Speak and Learn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (758K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[4.7 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speak-and-learn-english/id6475697961/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **758K** | 83 |
| Positive reviews | 44.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#16** | — |
| Size | 301 MB | 204 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [ERVI FIRST LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620705094) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #16 Top Grossing · Education, #38 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 features an AI conversation partner for pronunciation practice. Start speaking in as little as 3 weeks.

**Highlights:** Tailored courses for native speakers, Real-life conversation practice, AI conversation partner with feedback, Bite-sized lessons (10 mins/day), Grammar explained in context, Offline mode, 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


### Speak and Learn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/speak-and-learn-english/id6475697961)

Practice spoken English with AI companions in realistic dialogues. Improve pronunciation and fluency with instant feedback. Track your progress and build confidence for exams, travel, or professional communication.

**Highlights:** Realistic AI conversations, Interactive AI companions, Speech recognition and feedback, Learning path with tailored scenarios, Progress tracking and analytics

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Speak and Learn - premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Speak and Learn - premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Speak and Learn - premium | $109.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Speak and Learn free?

Speak and Learn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Speak and Learn?

Speak and Learn is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 758K ratings, while Speak and Learn averages 4.7 from 83 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Speak and Learn have ads?

Both Babbel and Speak and Learn show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Speak and Learn?

Babbel ships an update every 5 days, and Speak and Learn every 8 days. Most recently, Babbel was updated on November 6, 2026 and Speak and Learn on November 4, 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.*