# Babbel vs Phrases

The clearest difference is monetization model: Phrases at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. Phrases also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (75% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (754K vs 140). On price, rating, 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 Phrases sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 4.6 for Phrases. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 140, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of Babbel's written reviews are positive against 75% of Phrases's.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Phrases every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Phrases |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.6 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phrases-learn-languages-fast/id949423502/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 140 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **74.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#10** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Andrey Lebedev](https://appshunter.io/developer/636486462) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Grossing · Education, #63 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


### Phrases

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phrases-learn-languages-fast/id949423502)

Master a new language with engaging exercises and a smart learning algorithm. Offers ready-made or custom lessons, a built-in dictionary, and hands-free learning options. Track progress, earn rewards, and achieve fluency in just 20 minutes a day.

**Highlights:** 8 unique exercises, Customizable lessons, Built-in dictionary, Accurate pronunciations, Smart learning algorithm, Progress tracking and rewards, Hands-free and offline modes

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

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plus | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Plus | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium (English) | $13.99 | per month |
| Premium (Spanish) | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium (English) | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium (German) | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium (English) | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium (Spanish) | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium (French) | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium (German) | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus | $47.99 | per year |
| Premium (Russian) | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium (German) | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium (English) | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium (English) | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium (Spanish) | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus | $95.99 | per year |
| Premium Plus | $129.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Phrases free?

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

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

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Phrases averages 4.6 from 140 ratings.

### Do Babbel or Phrases have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Phrases does not.

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

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Phrases every 2 months. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 25, 2026 and Phrases on September 24, 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.*