Imagine strolling through Madrid and spotting a picturesque café. You walk over, smile at the waiter, and say confidently, Una mesa para uno, por favor.
That kind of real-world moment is exactly why so many of us download a language-learning app like Babbel, Rosetta Stone, or Duolingo. But with so many language-learning apps available, it can be hard to know which one will actually work for you.
This guide details the best language-learning apps, comparing the features of Babbel vs. Duolingo, Rosetta Stone vs. Babbel, and other top options like Speak and Pimsleur. You'll get a clear look at each app's features, teaching methods, pricing, and real user reviews to help you decide which one fits your learning goals and your budget.
So if you’re searching for the best app to learn Spanish, exploring free language-learning apps, or wondering “Is Babbel worth the money?” keep scrolling.
Choosing the right language-learning app depends on your learning style, goals, budget, and the language you want to study. Whether you're comparing Babbel vs. Duolingo or looking for the best app to learn Spanish (or another language), here’s what to consider:
Think about how you learn best.
Babbel offers structured lessons with guided grammar tips, and real-world dialogue.
Duolingo is gamified and habit-forming.
Rosetta Stone uses a visual, immersive method.
Pimsleur is audio-based.
Speak focuses on pronunciation and speaking drills.
Before choosing a language-learning app, it’s worth asking: What’s your actual goal? Whether you’re planning a trip, building your career, or reconnecting with your heritage, any effective comparison of language-learning platforms should begin with your personal goals in mind.
If you're learning for travel, relocation, or day-to-day communication, prioritize apps that offer speaking practice, listening comprehension, and real-life conversation scenarios. For example, Babbel teaches phrases like “I’d like a coffee” or “Where’s the nearest train station?” early in the beginner track—exactly what you’ll need in real-world situations.
If your goal is to become conversational or fluent, look for a platform with a clear curriculum, grammar support, and progress tracking. Apps like Babbel and Pimsleur help build skills over time with structured lessons and review systems. Babbel’s CEFR-aligned courses (A1–B2) make it easy to measure your growth.
Curious about your Spanish level? Take this quiz!For career advancement, choose a program that helps with practical communication—writing emails, taking meetings, or preparing for certifications. Babbel offers focused business topics in select languages and strong spelling and comprehension support.
If your goal is casual learning or building a daily habit, a free language-learning app like Duolingo may be a good place to start. It’s great for vocabulary exposure and motivation through gamified features, though it may not offer the depth needed for serious progress.
Is the Babbel language app free to try before you buy? Yes, Babbel, Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, and Speak all offer subscription plans with free trials or limited access to help you explore the platform before committing. Prices range from about $7 to $20 per month, depending on the app and plan.
Babbel starts at just $7/month, with free lessons at every level and flexible plans—monthly, quarterly, or annual. It’s designed to be affordable without compromising on quality.
Rosetta Stone and Pimsleur cost slightly more, often in the $12–$20/month range, depending on subscription length.
Speak is priced around $17.99/month and focuses exclusively on speaking practice for English learners.
For casual learners who aren’t ready to invest in a subscription plan, Duolingo offers a fully free tier with access to entire language courses, supported by ads.
Make sure the app supports the language you want to learn. Speak specializes in teaching English to non-native English speakers. Babbel offers 14 languages, with courses tailored to your native language—so a Spanish speaker learning French gets a different experience than an English speaker would.
Based on language-learning app reviews from real users, this personalized approach makes Babbel especially effective for learners who want content designed for their first language, not just a one-size-fits-all curriculum.
Duolingo offers over 40 languages, including pop culture conlangs (Klingon) and less common learning languages like Hawaiian. Rosetta Stone covers 24 languages using the same immersive method across the board. Pimsleur teaches 50+ languages through an audio-based format focused on speaking and listening.
Torn between two languages or not sure where to start? Take our quiz to decide which language you should learn.
Still wondering which language-learning app is right for you? If you’re comparing Duolingo vs. Babbel, here’s what you need to know about features, pricing, learning experience, and who each app is best suited for.
Babbel offers structured lessons that build grammar, vocabulary, and real-life conversation skills. Lessons are crafted by over 200 language experts and tailored for your specific native language.
Pricing: $7–13/month with a free trial and access to free lessons at every level.
User Experience: Feels like a guided course with clear learning paths, conversation practice, grammar tips, and review features.
Duolingo uses gamified drills to help you build a daily habit. It’s designed for casual learners with a focus on vocabulary and basic sentence structure.
Pricing: Free with ads, or $7–13/month for the premium version.
User Experience: Focuses on keeping you motivated through streaks, points, and rewards.
Babbel
✔️ Strong grammar foundation
✔️ Conversation-focused lessons
✔️ Tailored to your native language
➖ Less gamified, more structured
Duolingo
✔️ Free and fun to use
✔️ Great for daily practice
➖ Lacks grammar depth
➖ Not as personalized to the learner’s native language
– Babbel is best for motivated learners who want to understand how the language works and speak with confidence.
– Duolingo is best for casual learners who want to stay consistent and have fun along the way.
Details about Babbel are from Babbel.com; Duolingo information is sourced from Duolingo’s official website and app.
Sign up to try free Babbel lessonsIf you’re deciding between Babbel vs. Rosetta Stone, it often comes down to structure vs. immersion. Both are top-rated language-learning apps, but their methods and user experiences are very different.
Babbel provides structured, expert-designed lessons that focus on grammar, vocabulary, and real-world conversations. Courses are designed with your native language in mind, using what you already know to provide clear, easy-to-understand explanations of even the trickiest grammar topics.
Pricing: $7–13/month with a free trial and free lessons at every level.
User Experience: Offers short, clear lessons with speech recognition and cultural tips.
Rosetta Stone uses full immersion, teaching through images, repetition, and context without translation or direct grammar explanations.
Pricing: $8–12/month depending on subscription length; includes a 3-day free trial.
User Experience: Promises an immersive and intuitive experience, especially for visual learners.
Babbel
✔️ Structured and goal-oriented
✔️ Great for grammar and conversation
✔️ Personalized by native language
➖ Less visual, more text-based
Rosetta Stone
✔️ Strong visual learning method
✔️ Consistent immersion across all languages
➖ Less grammar focus
➖ Less flexible for different learning styles
– Babbel is best for learners who want a structured path to real-life communication.
– Rosetta Stone is best for visual learners who prefer to absorb language without translation.
Details about Babbel are from Babbel.com; Rosetta Stone information is sourced from Rosetta Stone's official website and app.
Both Babbel and Speak help users improve their speaking skills, but they take very different approaches. If you’re weighing Babbel vs. Speak, here’s how they compare across features, pricing, and learning experience.
Babbel offers full-language courses that include grammar, reading, spelling, listening, and real-world practice with guided conversations and an AI partner. Lessons are personalized by native language and aligned to CEFR levels (A1 to B2, with some C1 lessons for English and Spanish learners).
Pricing: $7–13/month with free lessons at every level and a trial period.
User Experience: Balances AI conversations with expert-designed interactive lessons, speech recognition, review tools, and grammar practice.
Speak focuses exclusively on speaking and pronunciation using AI-powered conversation practice. It’s designed primarily for non-native English speakers learning English.
Pricing: $17.99/month with a limited free trial.
User Experience: Offers AI-simulated conversations and pronunciation feedback for quick speaking repetition.
Babbel
✔️ Full-scope language instruction
✔️ Tailored for your native language
✔️ Practical, real-life topics
➖ Less focused on AI-only interaction
Speak
✔️ Fast, focused pronunciation practice
✔️ Great for extra speaking reps
➖ English only
➖ Lacks grammar, reading, and writing support
– Babbel is best for learners who want a complete learning experience with long-term progress.
– Speak is best for learners focused specifically on English pronunciation and speaking fluency.
Details about Babbel are from Babbel.com; Speak information is sourced from Speak's official website and app.
If you're comparing Babbel vs. Pimsleur, the choice often comes down to how you prefer to learn—visually and interactively, or through listening and repetition. Both are well-respected language-learning apps, but they serve different learner needs.
Babbel teaches grammar, vocabulary, reading, spelling, and speaking through short, structured lessons designed by language experts. Content is adapted based on your native language.
Pricing: $7–13/month with a free trial and free lessons at every level.
User Experience: Offers a balanced mix of reading, writing, listening, and speaking practice in a guided format.
Pimsleur focuses on audio-based lessons that train you to speak and understand through listening and verbal repetition, with minimal reading or writing.
Pricing: $15–20/month with a 7-day free trial.
User Experience: Delivers audio-first lessons ideal for listening while commuting or multitasking.
Babbel
✔️ Well-rounded instruction across all linguistic skills
✔️ Grammar explanations and cultural context
✔️ Personalized based on your native language
➖ Requires visual engagement
Pimsleur
✔️ Strong speaking and listening foundation
✔️ Great for auditory learners
➖ Minimal grammar or reading instruction
➖ Less interactive
– Babbel is best for learners who want a structured, comprehensive learning experience.
– Pimsleur is best for auditory learners who prefer to learn on the go.
Details about Babbel are from Babbel.com; Pimsleur information is sourced from Pimsleur's official website and app.
Babbel’s language-learning app was built by a team of over 200 language experts and linguists, using proven methods grounded in learning science. Courses are aligned with CEFR levels (A1–B2) and designed to help you build practical communication skills—not just memorize random words.
From your very first lesson, you’ll be immersed in everyday situations, like ordering food and introducing yourself. Babbel emphasizes real-world conversations and adapts content to your native language, helping you learn faster and more intuitively than many free language-learning apps.
Babbel’s built-in review tool, designed with spaced repetition in mind, helps reinforce everything you’ve learned. With this kind of language-learning app feedback, it’s easier to stay consistent and actually retain what you study.
Learn anytime, anywhere. Babbel offers plans starting at just $7/month with options for monthly, quarterly, or annual billing. You can try it with a free trial, and access free lessons at every level; ideal if you’re comparing Babbel vs. Duolingo or looking for the best free language-learning apps for beginners.
Step 1: Get started by registering for a Babbel account.
Step 2: Choose which language you want to learn (you can change it later) and answer a few questions about your motivation and goals.
Step 3: Confirm your email address, and then you’ll be taken to your learning dashboard.
Step 4: Click the first lesson to get started! Or, if you’re a more advanced learner, you can check out some of the other free lessons in the Explore tab. The first lesson of each unit is free, so you can try out a few different topics before committing.
Still wondering, Is Babbel worth the money? Check out these language-learning app reviews to see what real Babbel users are saying.
The Babbel Method helps you learn fast and speak confidently. Lessons are crafted by over 200 language experts and designed to get you conversation-ready with tools like AI-powered dialogues and speech recognition, as well as podcasts to match every learning preference.
And it’s not just theory, it’s proven. A Michigan State University study found that beginners using Babbel for just 10 hours showed significant improvement in speaking and comprehension—comparable to a full semester of college-level Spanish. Babbel has also worked with academics at institutions like Yale University and the City University of New York to advance research in language learning.
With over 15 million subscriptions sold and multiple awards, Babbel is one of the most trusted and effective language-learning apps in the world.
Babbel named Most Innovative Language Learning Company, 2023
Babbel wins prestigious EdTechX Language Learning Award, 2023
Babbel among 150 Most Transformational Companies in Digital Learning, 2023
"Babbel is the all-around best choice."
"Babbel improved my German and Spanish conversation skills after one month."
"An actually motivational language-learning app. It assigns me seven activities each week with a satisfying activity tracker that fills up as I check off lessons."