# Babbel vs Shock Dictionary

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shock Dictionary at 100% against Babbel's 44%. Shock Dictionary also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (754K vs 8) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, 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 Shock Dictionary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shock Dictionary holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 8, 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 100% of Shock Dictionary's.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Shock Dictionary every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Shock Dictionary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shock-dictionary-translation/id6499239870/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Pinecone Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763513051) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Grossing · Education, #65 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


### Shock Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shock-dictionary-translation/id6499239870)

Instantly translate words and sentences between 133 languages with this AI-powered dictionary and translator. Engage in AI-driven chat for learning and receive customizable reminders to reinforce new vocabulary. Track your progress and save favorite words for easy access.

**Highlights:** AI dictionary and translator, AI-driven chat for learning, Translate between 133 languages, Save favorite words and phrases, Learning progress tracking, Customizable vocabulary reminders

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Shock Dictionary free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Shock Dictionary?

Shock Dictionary is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Shock Dictionary averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Shock Dictionary have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Shock Dictionary does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Shock Dictionary?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Shock Dictionary every 3 weeks. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 25, 2026 and Shock Dictionary on August 27, 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.*