Comparison

Babbel vs Wlingua

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Bite-sized lessons
  • Expert-built courses
  • Interactive conversation practice
  • Smart review system
  • Grammar in context
  • Offline mode
  • Learn 14 languages
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Wlingua

Master Spanish with a comprehensive online course designed for all levels. Improve your speaking, listening, and grammar with interactive lessons and targeted practice. Learn at your own pace with a proven method.

Highlights
  • Learn Spanish from scratch
  • Verb conjugation practice
  • Phone conversation skills
  • European Spanish pronunciation
  • Mexican Spanish pronunciation
  • Ser vs. Estar verb usage
  • Interactive vocabulary and grammar exercises
Features
Read full description

Learning Spanish has never been so easy. It is perfect for you whether you have a beginner, basic, intermediate or advanced level of Spanish. With our online Spanish course you will notice your Spanish improving very quickly. Millions of students have already tried our courses. Would you like to join them? Our online Spanish courses: Spanish Course In this course you will learn Spanish from the ground up. Whatever your starting level, the course is designed to help you learn Spanish from day one. Spanish Verb Conjugation Course In this course you will practice the conjugation of Spanish verbs in all their tenses. This is extra practice recommended for people who are already doing the Spanish Course. It includes regular and irregular verbs. Spanish Ser or Estar Course In this course you will learn how and when to use the verbs “ser” and “estar”. Each lesson contains explanations, examples, and exercises to practice these crucial verbs. You will learn which adjective goes with each verb, as well as several expressions used in everyday conversations. European Spanish Pronunciation Course In this course you will learn to recognize the sounds of European Spanish (Castilian). This course has 15 lessons and many exercises to practice and improve your pronunciation. Mexican Spanish Pronunciation Course In this course you will learn to recognize Mexican Spanish sounds. This course has 15 lessons and many exercises to practice and improve your pronunciation. Spanish for work You will also find courses to improve your Spanish in the workplace: On the Phone Spanish Course Our learning method: An easy, guided learning process designed for you: you will feel that you are learning more Spanish every day. Every sentence, exercise, review and reading has been carefully selected for you. Audio clips in Spanish: A wide variety of accents with clear, crisp pronunciation, recorded by professional narrators. Linked concepts: Each word is linked to its use or precise meaning. Tap a word in any sentence, exercise or reading to see its meaning or an explanation of its use. Lesson structure: Concepts are introduced progressively throughout the course. Only concepts that have already been explained are used to create the content (sentences, exercises and readings). Vocabulary: Learn the meaning, pronunciation and use of words with activities adapted to your progress. Grammar exercises: Practice your grammar with exercises linked to explanations. Vocabulary topics: Words are grouped into topic categories. Spaced reviews: Review vocabulary and grammar at increasingly long intervals. Search: Find whatever you are looking for, including vocabulary and grammar. Readings: Learn and practice with conversations, news, emails and interviews, among others. Diplomas: Earn a diploma that proves your knowledge at the end of each level. Account types: - Basic: With a Basic account the course is free, with some limitations. - Premium: With a Premium account you have access to all course content and activities. At Wlingua we work hard every day to offer you a quality Spanish app that helps you at work, with your next exam, on holiday or when talking to people from around the world. Download our app to learn Spanish! Terms of service: https://www.wlingua.com/en/terms Privacy policy: https://www.wlingua.com/en/privacy

Screenshots

Babbel4 screens
Wlingua4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Wlingua at 87% against Babbel's 44%. Wlingua 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 930) and chart position (#8 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Babbel sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month and Wlingua sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wlingua holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 930, 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 87% of Wlingua's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Wlingua every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Babbel versus Wlingua: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBabbelWlingua
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (754K ratings)4.9 (930 ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.7% of reviews87.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings754K — better930
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#8 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size263 MB64 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBabbel GmbHWLINGUA SOCIEDAD LIMITADA

Customer experience

Babbel

All ratings753,872 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.8%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews2,638 reviews
Positive43.7%
Neutral13.9%
Negative42.3%

Wlingua

All ratings930 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews199 reviews
Positive87.4%
Neutral3.5%
Negative9.0%

User reviews

Babbel

From 754K App Store ratings

What 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

Wlingua

From 930 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Comprehensive Spanish lessons
  • 👍 Excellent for vocabulary building
  • 👍 Structured and progressive curriculum
  • 👍 Explanations of grammar and syntax
  • 👍 Dual pronunciation options (Spain/Latin America)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional errors in translations or quiz answers
  • 🐛 Inconsistent voice recognition accuracy
  • 🐛 Lack of audio comprehension exercises
  • 🐛 Difficulty going back to earlier lessons
  • 🐛 Unclear when premium features are unlocked

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

Wlingua

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Blank screens during exercises
  • Inability to select options in grammar lessons
  • Crashes or freezes on certain devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to track vocabulary progress
  • More advanced grammar and conversation lessons
  • Integration with other language learning platforms
  • Offline mode for lessons
  • Expanded language options beyond Spanish

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Babbel

Subscriptions12
  • Mexican Spanish – 1-month plan$17.991 Month
  • Spanish 1 month$17.991 Month
  • French 1 month$17.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • 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
3 purchases

Wlingua

Subscriptions3
  • 1 month Premium access7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • 3 months Premium access7 Days trial$26.993 Months
  • 1 year Premium access7 Days trial$84.991 Year

Questions

Is Babbel free?
Babbel is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wlingua free?
Wlingua is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Babbel or Wlingua?
Wlingua is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Wlingua averages 4.9 from 930 ratings.
Do Babbel or Wlingua have ads?
Babbel shows ads; Wlingua does not.
Which is updated more often, Babbel or Wlingua?
Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Wlingua every 5 days. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 24, 2026 and Wlingua on September 23, 2026.

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