# Babbel vs Lingvist

The clearest difference is monetization model: Lingvist at free with in-app purchases against Babbel's subscription. Lingvist also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (59% vs 44%). Babbel's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (754K vs 3.7K). 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 Lingvist sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. 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 Lingvist. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Babbel has 754K ratings behind it against 3.7K, 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 59% of Lingvist's.

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, Lingvist monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Babbel | Lingvist |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (754K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babbel-language-learning/id829587759/reviews)** | [4.6 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingvist-learn-languages-fast/id969093402/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **754K** | 3.7K |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **59.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 263 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Babbel GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/357018535) | [Lingvist Technologies OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/969093401) |

## What reviewers say

### Babbel

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

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Grossing · Education, #66 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


### Lingvist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lingvist-learn-languages-fast/id969093402)

This app uses AI and scientific methods to teach vocabulary efficiently for faster language acquisition. It offers personalized learning plans, speech recognition, and spaced repetition to help users remember words long-term. Learn 16 languages with a focus on practical, high-frequency vocabulary.

**Highlights:** AI-powered vocabulary learning, Spaced repetition for long-term memory, Speech recognition for pronunciation, Learn grammar in context, Personalized learning plans, Customizable vocabulary lists

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Learn languages: 1-month plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Learn languages: 1-month plan | $19.99 | per month |
| Learn languages: 1-month plan | $49.99 | per month |
| Learn languages: 1-month plan | $49.99 | per month |
| Learn languages: 1-month plan | $49.99 | per month |
| Learn languages: 12-month plan | $55.99 | per year |
| Learn languages: 12-month plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Learn languages: 12-month plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Learn languages: 12-month plan | $79.99 | per year |
| Learn languages: 12-month plan | $199.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient vocabulary learning
- 👍 Useful sentence-based learning
- 📚 Comprehensive vocabulary coverage
- 📊 Helpful progress tracking
- 🔊 Good pronunciation examples

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Limited free version
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🤔 Inconsistent word acceptance
- 🤖 Robotic voice quality

**Reported bugs**

- Progress reset issues
- Keyboard blocking UI elements
- Inconsistent audio playback
- Placement test bugs

**Requested features**

- Add more language options
- Improve grammar explanations
- Allow custom word lists
- Provide more context-based learning
- Add speech recognition practice


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Babbel free?

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

### Is Lingvist free?

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

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

Babbel is rated higher. Babbel averages 4.7 out of 5 from 754K ratings, while Lingvist averages 4.6 from 3.7K ratings.

### Do Babbel or Lingvist have ads?

Babbel shows ads; Lingvist does not.

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

Babbel ships an update every 4 days, and Lingvist monthly. Most recently, Babbel was updated on September 25, 2026 and Lingvist 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.*