# Babbel vs Wlingua

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 (#9 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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 Wlingua sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Wlingua |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews) | **[4.9 (930 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wlingua-learn-spanish/id961908277/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 930 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **87.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#9** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [WLINGUA SOCIEDAD LIMITADA](https://appshunter.io/developer/473658200) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Grossing · Education, #70 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


### Wlingua

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wlingua-learn-spanish/id961908277)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 month Premium access | $12.99 | per month |
| 3 months Premium access | $26.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 year Premium access | $84.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*