Babbel vs Borne
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Babbel
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.
- Bite-sized lessons
- Expert-built courses
- Interactive conversation practice
- Smart review system
- Grammar in context
- Offline mode
- Learn 14 languages
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Speak a new language with real-life conversations. Babbel is the award-winning language learning app with courses tailored to your native language, built by 200+ language experts and trusted by millions worldwide. Because lessons are built for speakers of your language, an English speaker learning Spanish gets different lessons than a French speaker does. You learn to speak, listen, and understand grammar in context, then practice real conversations with Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner that gives you personalized feedback. Learn a new language faster with bite-sized lessons designed to fit your everyday life. With Babbel’s proven method, you could start having real conversations in as little as 3 weeks. Your language learning adventure starts with a lesson. WHY BABBEL WORKS • Tailored to your native language: Courses are created by language experts and tailored to your native language, so you learn naturally and efficiently. • Real-life conversations: Learn the language people actually speak, for travel, work, and everyday life. • Speak with confidence: Practice out loud with speech recognition and Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner to improve your pronunciation. • Research-proven results: Efficacy backed by researchers at Yale University: 100% improved their oral proficiency in 3 months.* TRUSTED BY MILLIONS • 25 million subscriptions sold • 1.5 million 5-star ratings (based on App store ratings) • After 10 hours with Babbel, 96% of learners saw better test scores on grammar and vocabulary** BUILT FOR REAL LIFE • Short, effective lessons: Learn in as little as 10 minutes a day • Lessons for every motivation: Learn for travel, work, or fun • Listen, speak, write: Options for every learning style • Stress-free conversation practice: Build confidence with Guided Conversations, then practice freely with Babbel Speak (Beta) • Smart review system: Boosts learning and retention • Grammar in context: Clear explanations exactly when you need them • Offline mode: Download lessons and learn anywhere, anytime • 5,000+ courses: Over 60,000 lessons across all languages LEARN 14 LANGUAGES Spanish (Latin American or Spain), French, Italian, German, Portuguese, English (American or British), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Dutch, and Indonesian. TRY BABBEL TODAY Download Babbel now and take a free lesson. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS A subscription is required to access full courses for one language. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your Apple account. Available plans: • 1 month • 3 months • 6 months • 12 months Privacy policy: https://about.babbel.com/en/privacy/ Terms of use: https://about.babbel.com/en/terms/ LEARN MORE Read Babbel Magazine for tips and insights: https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babbelusa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Babbel.usa CONTACT US Questions or feedback? Email: support-mobile@babbel.com *Based on a study conducted with Babbel users learning Spanish. Available at http://bit.ly/BabbelYale. **Based on a study conducted with Babbel users learning Spanish. Available: http://bit.ly/BabbelMSU.
Borne
Master new languages with an AI tutor that offers real-world conversations and instant feedback. Practice speaking anytime, anywhere, and build confidence in a judgment-free environment. Achieve fluency faster with personalized lessons tailored to your goals.
- Real-world conversation practice
- AI-powered adaptive learning
- Instant feedback on pronunciation and grammar
- Personalized lessons for various goals
- Multilingual support
- Progress tracking
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Speak Confidently with Borne: Your AI Language Tutor Master Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, English, or German with Borne—your personal AI language tutor designed to make language learning fun, flexible and effective. Engage in real-world conversations tailored to your skill level, practice anytime, anywhere, and start speaking in days, not months. Whether you’re a beginner, a student, a traveler, or a polyglot, Borne can help you achieve fluency. Why Choose Borne? • Real Conversations: Practice natural dialogues with an AI that adapts to your unique learning pace. Borne is your partner in mastering conversational skills for the real-world. • Learn Anytime, Anywhere: No rigid schedules. Borne fits your busy lifestyle, offering 24/7 language practice on your phone. • Instant Feedback: Receive real-time corrections on grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary to improve with every conversation. • Judgment-Free Learning: Make mistakes, learn quickly, and build confidence in a safe, supportive environment. • Affordable and Accessible: Enjoy high-quality language tutoring at a fraction of the cost of traditional tutors or language classes. • Personalized Learning: From greetings to advanced discussions, Borne tailors lessons to your goals, whether for travel, work or personal growth. How Borne Works Borne leverages cutting-edge AI technology to deliver immersive language lessons that mimic native dialogues. Choose your language — Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, English, or German — and dive into customized conversations that match your level and interests. Practice speaking, listening and comprehension through dialogues that feel authentic, helping you sound like a native speaker. Whether you’re preparing for a trip, boosting your career, or exploring a new culture, Borne makes language mastery achievable and enjoyable. Key Features • Interactive Lessons: Engage in dynamic conversations that evolve with your progress. • Multilingual Support: Learn multiple languages simultaneously to become a polyglot. • Cultural Insights: Gain context about customs and phrases to connect more deeply with native speakers. • Progress Tracking: Monitor your improvement with clear, motivating milestones. Start Your Language Journey Today Download Borne now and try a free conversation to experience AI-powered language learning. From beginner Spanish to advanced German, unlock fluency with an AI tutor that’s always ready to guide you. Join thousands of learners worldwide who are speaking confidently with Borne! Why Learners Love Borne: • Speak Spanish, French, German, and more from day one • AI-powered tutor with voice recognition for real speaking practice • Perfect for beginners, travelers, students, and professionals • Practice vocabulary, grammar, listening and speaking in context • Supports accent training and fluency for real-world conversations • Fun, fast-paced daily practice that keeps you motivated • Better than language apps with flashcards – speak naturally instead! Order tapas in Spain or negotiate in German with confidence! Borne’s gamified lessons and advanced voice tech refine your accent to sound native. Unlock new words as you level up. Enjoy a 3-day free trial to test your skills risk-free. Learn Swedish, Dutch, and more with fun, daily practice that fits your life. Speak Spanish, French, Italian, English, Swedish, German, Dutch or Portuguese with confidence from day one! Subscription Details Ready to unlock premium features? Choose a plan that fits your needs! If you choose a Premium plan with Borne, payment will be charged to your Apple account, with renewal charged within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Auto-renewal can be disabled anytime in your App Store settings. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited upon purchasing a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://borne.ai/privacy-policy/ Terms of Service: https://borne.ai/terms-of-service/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Borne at 100% against Babbel's 44%. Borne also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). Babbel's advantage is ratings volume (754K vs 66) and chart position (#11 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Babbel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Borne sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Borne 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 66, 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 Borne's.
Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Borne weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Babbel | Borne |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (754K ratings) | 5.0 (66 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 754K — better | 66 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #11 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 263 MB | 120 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Babbel GmbH | Mereo Technologies Inc. |
Customer experience
Babbel
Borne
User reviews
Babbel
From 754K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent structured learning
- 🚀 Effective vocabulary and grammar teaching
- 👍 Helpful pronunciation guides
- 👍 Engaging and practical lessons
- 👍 Useful review and repetition features
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Borne
From 66 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🗣️ Great for practicing speaking and fluency
- 💡 Interactive and engaging learning
- 🤖 AI understands and adapts conversations
- 💰 Affordable alternative to tutors
Bugs and requests
Babbel
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
Borne
Requested features
1 request- Dark mode option
In-app purchases
Babbel
- Mexican Spanish – 1-month plan$17.991 Month
- Spanish 1 month$17.991 Month
- French 1 month$17.991 Month
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Italian 1 month$17.991 Month
- Mexican Spanish - 1-month plan$19.991 Month
- Mexican Spanish – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
- Learn French – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
- Learn Spanish – 3-month plan$45.993 Months
- All Languages – 3-month plan$53.993 Months
- Mexican Spanish – 1-year plan$89.991 Year
- All Languages – 12-month plan$107.991 Year
- All Languages – 12-month plan7 Days trial$107.991 Year
Borne
- Borne Basic$5.991 Month
- Borne Premium (Monthly)3 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Borne Premium (Monthly)$9.991 Month
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Borne Standard$9.991 Month
- Borne Premium$14.991 Month
- Borne Premium (Annual)$49.991 Year
- Borne Premium (Annual)$69.991 Year
- Borne Premium (Annual)3 Days trial$69.991 Year
- 1 Hour of Conversation$1.99
- Premium Plan - Extra Hour$1.99
- Basic Plan - Extra Hour$2.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Standard Plan - Extra Hour$2.99
Questions
Is Babbel free?
Is Borne free?
Which has better reviews, Babbel or Borne?
Do Babbel or Borne have ads?
Which is updated more often, Babbel or Borne?
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