# Babbel vs Basic Russian conversation

The clearest difference is rating: Babbel at 4.7 against Basic Russian conversation's 4.0. Babbel also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (754K vs 4). Basic Russian conversation's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). 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 Basic Russian conversation sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Babbel holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Basic Russian conversation every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Basic Russian conversation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-russian-conversation/id924007139/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#13** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Natalja Morozova](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852342078) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #13 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


### Basic Russian conversation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-russian-conversation/id924007139)

Learn essential Russian phrases for travel and everyday situations with audio lessons and interactive exercises. This app helps you navigate tourism, dining, and city life with over 1300 phrases and 2500 words.

**Highlights:** Everyday conversation dialogues, Travel-specific phrases, Holiday and city life scenarios, Audio lessons for pronunciation, Interactive exercises, Over 1300 useful phrases, 2500 words with photos

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Unit 1: Good morning | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unit 2: Travelling | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unit 3: On a holiday | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unit 4: In a city | $1.99 | one-time |
| All units | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Basic Russian conversation free?

Basic Russian conversation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Babbel or Basic Russian conversation?

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Basic Russian conversation averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Basic Russian conversation have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Basic Russian conversation does not.

### Which is updated more often, Babbel or Basic Russian conversation?

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Basic Russian conversation every 6 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 26, 2026 and Basic Russian conversation on September 20, 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.*