# Babbel: what people say on TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, X

Read 242 posts and comments on 2026-11-14; 115 were about Babbel. Full report with links: https://sociallisteningai.com/samples/brand-babbel/

Babbel is widely seen as the more serious, structured alternative to Duolingo, with grammar explanations that actually teach the why and courses that feel organized. The biggest complaints are long, textbook-style lessons, too little repetition, and a course that moves too fast for beginners, plus confusing pricing that charges upfront. Users repeatedly ask whether it beats Duolingo and whether the lifetime deal is worth it, and many want more languages like Japanese. A surprising number of people treat Babbel as a complement to Duolingo rather than a replacement, and some build their own tools to avoid paying.

**How it feels** (115 on-topic): 31% positive, 8% negative, 15% mixed, 46% neutral.
- YouTube: 34 (15% positive, 6% negative)
- X: 9 (0% positive, 0% negative)
- Reddit: 60 (33% positive, 12% negative)
- TikTok: 12 (92% positive, 0% negative)

Not included this time: Instagram (the source did not answer).

## What people like

- **Grammar explanations teach you why, unlike Duolingo's guesswork** (7 mentions)
  - "These two apps are worlds apart! Babbel is a real learning resource with well-conceived courses, a big grammar section and very good podcasts (at least in German-Italian and German-French). Duolingo is only good for prac…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owcjagk/
  - "I just started using Babbel after years with Duolingo. I have both now, but Babbel is far and away better. It is so much better organized and has better explanations of grammar. Outside of the main lessons, there are oth…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/oweaohz/
- **Better than Duolingo overall for serious learning** (5 mentions)
  - "I learned Spanish. Babbel is a decent app, much better than DuoLingo in my experience. If you are looking for other materials and high immersion, I recommend the FSI course. It’s dated, but was used to teach diplomats a …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1x4umdy/have_you_tried_to_learn_a_new_language_as_an/
  - "I would happily stop using Duolingo if Babbel offered Japanese and other languages. I tried it for Norwegian and I’d say it’s better than Duolingo. Mind you, I’ve been using Duolingo for many years now and giving up an a…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1xd0rcv/is_duo_sabotaging_itself/
- **Well-organized courses with extra topic-specific lessons you can pick** (3 mentions)
  - "These two apps are worlds apart! Babbel is a real learning resource with well-conceived courses, a big grammar section and very good podcasts (at least in German-Italian and German-French). Duolingo is only good for prac…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owcjagk/
  - "I just started using Babbel after years with Duolingo. I have both now, but Babbel is far and away better. It is so much better organized and has better explanations of grammar. Outside of the main lessons, there are oth…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/oweaohz/
- **Lifetime subscription option is valued** (2 mentions)
  - "I used to have Babbel and now I'm thinking of going back. I like Duolingo as a starting point but I have finished Spanish, French and Russian there and there's no point of doing the revision with Duolingo. I'm just waiti…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owngj51/
  - "It used to be great as a way of jumping into the early stages of a language, and staying motivated enough to keep going. It still needed to be supplemented by other resources if you wanted to learn a language seriously. …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/French/comments/1xp0y8u/how_effective_is_duolingo_for_beginners/
- **Works well alongside Duolingo as a complement** (2 mentions)
  - "I like both, rather than saying one is better than the other I’d say they complement each other" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/om749tm/
  - "I use both apps and I find them somewhat complimentary of each other" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/ozs1bxp/
- **Teaches practical Spanish you'd actually use for travel and work** (2 mentions)
  - "Finally an app that teaches me Spanish I'd actually use! #LearningSpanish #SpanishLessons #SpanishForTravel #LanguageLearningJourney #BabbelApp" TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@babbel.alana/video/7693897856591219999
  - "I am really leaning toward Babbel. I could really use at least a basic understanding at my job, but I also would like to travel and not feel like I could get in a jam because I don't understand the language." YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjmltEUdgmk&lc=Ugzv5Kg4XeaHE_8-WfB4AaABAg
- **Conversation practice and Babbel Speak help warm up speaking** (2 mentions)
  - "Thoughts on Babbel?. My husband bought me lifetime subscription to Babbel. I’ve been using it pretty consistently for the past few weeks and don’t hate it.. I like the conversation function it’s a good way to practice (i…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/SpanishLearning/comments/1v5m7c9/thoughts_on_babbel/
  - "My boyfriend's family speaks Spanish, so I practiced before lunch 😅 I love that I can quickly warm up my Spanish brain with Babbel Speak 🧠 Use code CHLOE10 to…" TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@babbel.chloe/video/7698348344883662111
- **Flashcard checks and production exercises close the recognition-to-production gap** (2 mentions)
  - "Quick flashcard check on Babbel… 3 out of 4 😅 How many did you know? 👇 #LearningSpanish #SpanishPhrases #SpanishVocabulary #LanguageLearningJourney #BabbelApp" TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@babbel.alana/video/7706188896454937887
  - "Seeing a Spanish word and pulling it out of your brain are not the same thing 🧠 Lara says that gap is why so many learners freeze mid-sentence, and Babbel’s Re…" TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@testprepinsights/video/7707812547616836878
- **Covers speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary** (1 mention)
  - "I liked Babbel because it seemed to cover speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. But when I was 80% finished with the Spanish course, suddenly the exercises didn't make sense. It didn't do a grea…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owidx11/
- **Placement test, self-set daily practice time and audio recordings make it a game changer** (1 mention)
  - "Hi 👋 been teaching myself Spanish with YouTube and a high-school textbook for about 6 months. I pulled the trigger and got babbel for a month. So far it's really neat! I like that it tests your proficiency and gets you …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/19sdwuauy9bac/
- **More lessons, structure and retention than Duolingo** (1 mention)
  - "Not sure if you found something you preferred to Duolingo, but I really hated it. I used to use it for French but it was too gamified and I didn’t retain anything. Babbel has been much better for my retention but still d…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/p8gaui3/
- **Short daily lessons add up for busy people** (1 mention)
  - "You don’t need to sit at a desk for hours to learn Spanish, especially if you’re busy. I just do a little lesson with Babbel every day, and it really adds up 🎧…" TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@babbel.chloe/video/7697448458503965983

## Complaints and problems

- **No Japanese, Georgian, Hindi, Korean or Thai content people want** (5 mentions)
  - "I would happily stop using Duolingo if Babbel offered Japanese and other languages. I tried it for Norwegian and I’d say it’s better than Duolingo. Mind you, I’ve been using Duolingo for many years now and giving up an a…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1xd0rcv/is_duo_sabotaging_itself/
  - "Georgians are always over the moon when foreigners speak even a little passable Georgian in daily life It's a shame there aren't more learning resources for it on the web, and nothing for it on language apps like Duoling…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/languagehub/comments/1ximhk6/in_your_experience_what_cultures_and_countries/
- **Too little repetition and no guidance on which extra exercises or podcasts to use when** (3 mentions)
  - "Babbel is difficult to use. I bought a subscription to Babbel, but I'm finding difficult to use. It's not well structured, because the regular lessons move forward too fast and with too little repetition, which means you…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1t1knt4/babbel_is_difficult_to_use/
  - "If you are into apps, start with Babbel: good explanation of grammar and pronunciation in your language but easy to finish without actually learning (no repetition, or not too much). You can then move to Mjølnir app (gre…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Svenska/comments/1wuok10/i_have_c1_english_and_would_like_to_learn_swedish/
- **Subscription pricing is confusing: advertised monthly but charged upfront** (2 mentions)
  - "Alternatives to babbel. So I am trying to find a good language app to start learning Russian ( I am a complete novice) . I wanted to try babbel but there subscriptions confused me ( thought it was £8 a month instead I wo…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnRussian/comments/1v4jwlk/alternatives_to_babbel/
  - "Hi 👋 been teaching myself Spanish with YouTube and a high-school textbook for about 6 months. I pulled the trigger and got babbel for a month. So far it's really neat! I like that it tests your proficiency and gets you …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/19sdwuauy9bac/
- **Feels like it assumes prior knowledge and tests rather than teaches** (2 mentions)
  - "I used Babel years ago and at the time found it to treat me like I’m supposed to already know the language and I’m testing my knowledge of that language (Spanish) rather than actually trying to teach me the language. It …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/om5n12j/
  - "It’s different in that Duolingo is very simple at the start and progresses slowly and easily. It’s fairly easy to get 100% in Duolingo lessons at the start and is often still easy to do so even as you move up to more adv…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/om9ebob/
- **Lessons are long, boring and full of standard textbook phrases** (1 mention)
  - "I’ve been doing Babbel for a year now for Italian after finishing the Duolingo Italian course. In parallel, I’ve been improving my Portuguese on Duolingo. I like Babbel, but within eight months I have reached the maximum…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1wmdq3v/i_finally_made_the_switch/
- **Course moves too fast and is poorly structured for beginners** (1 mention)
  - "Babbel is difficult to use. I bought a subscription to Babbel, but I'm finding difficult to use. It's not well structured, because the regular lessons move forward too fast and with too little repetition, which means you…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1t1knt4/babbel_is_difficult_to_use/
- **German course has little content; B1 reachable in under 40 hours, then disorganized vocab** (1 mention)
  - "The German course on Babel has very little content to practice with. Thus it's very easy to get to the "B1" course after less than 40 hours. The rest of the "content" involves disorganized vocabulary practice which is no…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owg5wq7/
- **Grammar/syntax explanations fail near the end; can't communicate after finishing Spanish** (1 mention)
  - "I liked Babbel because it seemed to cover speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. But when I was 80% finished with the Spanish course, suddenly the exercises didn't make sense. It didn't do a grea…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owidx11/
- **Repetitive exercises grow stale; podcast content missing for Swedish** (1 mention)
  - "I have used both. Got to B2 with Swedish in Babbel. At the beginning it was fun. However, Babbel grew _very_ stale with its incredibly repetitive exercises. They also keep sending me emails telling me I have spent zero m…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/oxcjwgx/
- **Doesn't help with pronunciation** (1 mention)
  - "Not sure if you found something you preferred to Duolingo, but I really hated it. I used to use it for French but it was too gamified and I didn’t retain anything. Babbel has been much better for my retention but still d…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/p8gaui3/
- **Past bus and alien adverts seen as racist and stereotyping** (1 mention)
  - "I remember Babbel's scandalous bus and alien adverts (I was verbally and physically assaulted on the bus the first month after arriving in the country I immigrated to). No immigrant has self-respect would use Babbel. It'…" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=UgyPrHT4HLemFFmiSV54AaABAg
- **Structured dialogues alone don't fix the speaking gap without real interaction** (1 mention)
  - "I get the whole “less gamified, more serious” angle, but I’m not fully convinced that alone fixes the speaking gap. Structured dialogues help, sure, but without real interaction it still feels limited. I notice the same …" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=UgxKglrEupA_nDAVe3h4AaABAg
- **People build their own apps to stop paying for it** (1 mention)
  - "Building apps that you paid for. I used Claude to build me a language learning app so I could stop paying for Duolingo + Babbel." Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeAI/comments/1x5or3q/what_is_an_ai_lifehack_that_people_dont_seem_to/

## Questions people ask

- **Is Babbel better than Duolingo, or does it feel the same?** (7 mentions)
  - "Babel vs Duolingo. Hi guys! I’m new here. I want to try learning French again, and I’m choosing between Duolingo and Babbel. I’d like to hear about your experience with Babbel. With Duolingo, I really dislike the grind, …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/
  - "Anyone tried babbel how does it compare?. I don’t really like the gamification of Duolingo or the way it “teaches” I really like the flash cards / the way it pairs words and images etc and found it very good for improvin…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/
- **How does the web-to-app funnel and paywall work?** (5 mentions)
  - "💰 $3M/month from a language learning app. Babbel has been around for years. 4,000 Google ads, 200+ Facebook ads Majority of ads point to a web-to-app funnel that skips Apple's 30% tax and get payment in 2-3 days vs Appl…" X https://x.com/AIAdsApps/status/2035750303178567819
  - "$3M in monthly revenue. Babbel looks like a simple language-learning app. But under the hood, it’s a well-oiled paid ads machine. Here’s how Babbel really grows: 🧵👇 https://t.co/Pa3t7aYcKz" X https://x.com/AIAdsApps/status/2018686536489807920
- **Is the premium/lifetime subscription worth it for a beginner?** (4 mentions)
  - "Is Babbel worth it?. Hej! :) I've decided I want to learn danish as a way to take my dream more seriously, as I want to finish my studies and move to Denmark. I've seen people talk about how the most important thing is t…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnDanish/comments/1w4l10s/is_babbel_worth_it/
  - "Is it worth it to purchase premium version of the BABBEL app for learning Spanish?. I’m a complete beginner in Spanish. I’m looking for an app that is comprehensive and is grammar focused. I used the trial version of the…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/SpanishLearning/comments/1vjrogj/is_it_worth_it_to_purchase_premium_version_of_the/
- **Which languages does Babbel cover, e.g. Hindi or Korean?** (2 mentions)
  - "Hi Lois, am looking at Babbel in order to learn Hindi. Any suggestions?" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=UgycL5DuZ-a7q34Z0Yx4AaABAg
  - "I am doubt about what languages should i to learn Should i choose babel to focus only and forever in 14/ langusges or kore giver only by babbel?" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbK89-s_V1E&lc=UgwIKrbWGAbQW0ba7fR4AaABAg
- **Has anyone tried the new Babbel Speak for speaking and pronunciation?** (1 mention)
  - "Has anyone tried Babbel Speak yet? Thoughts. I saw that Babbel launched Babbel Speak, which focuses solely on speaking and pronunciation. Has anyone here tried it yet? Is it worth it, or is it just marketing? Unfortunate…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1qmi4o5/has_anyone_tried_babbel_speak_yet_thoughts/
- **Is it true Babbel is going under?** (1 mention)
  - "Have you tried fluency for grammar lessons? I find it very helpful. I am B2 French.. I heard Babbel’s going under. Is that true?" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/19s3i8sk77axw/
- **Where is the 60% discount code, only 50% sale shows?** (1 mention)
  - "Curious, I dont see a 60% code. The link takes me to the website that is currently having a 50% off memorial day sale...is that what you meant or did I miss the code somewhere?" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjmltEUdgmk&lc=Ugwwhvfcsez3kH4GvJR4AaABAg
- **Is there a modded/patched version of the app?** (1 mention)
  - "Is there a moded version of Babbel Learn Languages app?. As the title said, I am searching for the Babbel Learn Languages app. If anyone knows please tell me. Thanks." Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/moddedandroidapps/comments/1sag73t/is_there_a_moded_version_of_babbel_learn/
- **What do users think of Babbel overall and has anyone had success?** (1 mention)
  - "Thoughts on Babbel?. My husband bought me lifetime subscription to Babbel. I’ve been using it pretty consistently for the past few weeks and don’t hate it.. I like the conversation function it’s a good way to practice (i…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/SpanishLearning/comments/1v5m7c9/thoughts_on_babbel/
- **Is the reviewer's video AI-generated?** (1 mention)
  - "Bros got AI-ed" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=UgwUy1b7Y5ofBc2vBZ14AaABAg
- **Is Babbel made by AI?** (1 mention)
  - "It's not AI, it's made by Babbel, a language learning app" Reddit https://i.redd.it/gnu2l2md31yh1.jpeg
- **How is Babbel for learning Spanish at A2 level?** (1 mention)
  - "How is Babbel for learning Spanish?. According to ChatGPT, I’m around an A2. I took a year and a half of Spanish classes in undergrad and sporadically practice vocab, listening and speaking. I recently went to Spain and …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Spanish/comments/1tmwjoi/how_is_babbel_for_learning_spanish/

## Buying signals

- **Bought a lifetime subscription** (2 mentions)
  - "I liked Babbel because it seemed to cover speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. But when I was 80% finished with the Spanish course, suddenly the exercises didn't make sense. It didn't do a grea…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owidx11/
  - "Thoughts on Babbel?. My husband bought me lifetime subscription to Babbel. I’ve been using it pretty consistently for the past few weeks and don’t hate it.. I like the conversation function it’s a good way to practice (i…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/SpanishLearning/comments/1v5m7c9/thoughts_on_babbel/
- **Considering paying for it over Duolingo** (2 mentions)
  - "How would you compare Babbel to DuoLingo? Like you mentioned listening to shows and obviously immersing yourself in a language is the best way to learn, but from a phone app perspective, would you recommend paying for it…" Reddit https://i.redd.it/v4lr11ohqnxh1.png
  - "Hi, thank you for this video - i am from germany and want to improve my english and also get my french back that i learned once in school, thats over 40 years ago now. I started from scratch with Duolingo, as i had the f…" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjmltEUdgmk&lc=UgyEB7l7qlbcK4ho7TF4AaABAg
- **Recommends signing up or starting with it** (2 mentions)
  - "Get her a workbook for A1 and sit down with her and help her. I teach English to little kids and I don’t exactly have formal training though I got the hang of it after awhile. Start with basics Yo tengo Yo quiero Me gust…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/SpanishLearning/comments/1whzgas/teaching_my_wife_from_scratch/
  - "If you are into apps, start with Babbel: good explanation of grammar and pronunciation in your language but easy to finish without actually learning (no repetition, or not too much). You can then move to Mjølnir app (gre…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Svenska/comments/1wuok10/i_have_c1_english_and_would_like_to_learn_swedish/
- **Paying for it and considering going back or waiting for a lifetime sale** (1 mention)
  - "I used to have Babbel and now I'm thinking of going back. I like Duolingo as a starting point but I have finished Spanish, French and Russian there and there's no point of doing the revision with Duolingo. I'm just waiti…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owngj51/
- **Bought a subscription but finds it hard to use** (1 mention)
  - "Babbel is difficult to use. I bought a subscription to Babbel, but I'm finding difficult to use. It's not well structured, because the regular lessons move forward too fast and with too little repetition, which means you…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1t1knt4/babbel_is_difficult_to_use/
- **Wanted to buy but confused by the upfront charge** (1 mention)
  - "Alternatives to babbel. So I am trying to find a good language app to start learning Russian ( I am a complete novice) . I wanted to try babbel but there subscriptions confused me ( thought it was £8 a month instead I wo…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnRussian/comments/1v4jwlk/alternatives_to_babbel/
- **Would switch from Duolingo if Babbel offered Japanese** (1 mention)
  - "I would happily stop using Duolingo if Babbel offered Japanese and other languages. I tried it for Norwegian and I’d say it’s better than Duolingo. Mind you, I’ve been using Duolingo for many years now and giving up an a…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1xd0rcv/is_duo_sabotaging_itself/
- **Trialed it and liked it, asking if premium is worth buying** (1 mention)
  - "Is it worth it to purchase premium version of the BABBEL app for learning Spanish?. I’m a complete beginner in Spanish. I’m looking for an app that is comprehensive and is grammar focused. I used the trial version of the…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/SpanishLearning/comments/1vjrogj/is_it_worth_it_to_purchase_premium_version_of_the/
- **Leaning toward buying for job and travel needs** (1 mention)
  - "I am really leaning toward Babbel. I could really use at least a basic understanding at my job, but I also would like to travel and not feel like I could get in a jam because I don't understand the language." YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjmltEUdgmk&lc=Ugzv5Kg4XeaHE_8-WfB4AaABAg
- **Uses it alongside other paid apps** (1 mention)
  - "Im learning french and i use pimsleur, rocket, duo and babbel. Ive invested a lot of time lol" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=Ugx9yFdUkmaXpqfZcwt4AaABAg
- **Thankful for discount link before committing to purchase** (1 mention)
  - "Thank you for this well structured and informative video, exactly what I needed before committing to purchase - and thank you for the discount link... :)" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=Ugz1JBgl4w5uJaoXmTh4AaABAg
- **Interested in Babbel and wants the giveaway** (1 mention)
  - "I'm not sure if you've done your giveaway for this month, but I'm very interested in Babbel and would love to utilize the giveway for that app." YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjmltEUdgmk&lc=UgzL2T0Pztx_YxtUZSR4AaABAg

## Compared with other brands

- **Babbel vs Duolingo: Babbel more serious and structured, Duolingo more gamified** (18 mentions)
  - "Babel vs Duolingo. Hi guys! I’m new here. I want to try learning French again, and I’m choosing between Duolingo and Babbel. I’d like to hear about your experience with Babbel. With Duolingo, I really dislike the grind, …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/
  - "These two apps are worlds apart! Babbel is a real learning resource with well-conceived courses, a big grammar section and very good podcasts (at least in German-Italian and German-French). Duolingo is only good for prac…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owcjagk/
- **Babbel vs Pimsleur/Rocket/other apps used together** (4 mentions)
  - "Im learning french and i use pimsleur, rocket, duo and babbel. Ive invested a lot of time lol" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=Ugx9yFdUkmaXpqfZcwt4AaABAg
  - "In the programs that I sampled this year, Rocket Spanish had the best grammar section. Very complete, well organized, easy to understand presentation on grammar. I cancelled my subscription (good customer service!) becau…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Spanish/comments/1xdyehv/any_suggestions_for_intermediate_spanish_workbooks/
- **Babbel vs Duolingo: they complement each other rather than one being better** (2 mentions)
  - "I like both, rather than saying one is better than the other I’d say they complement each other" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/om749tm/
  - "I use both apps and I find them somewhat complimentary of each other" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/ozs1bxp/
- **Babbel vs Rosetta Stone and Memrise for different designs** (2 mentions)
  - "Best Way to Learn French: Babbel vs Pimsleur vs Rosetta Stone" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FbLBYJxOfA
  - "Pimsleur vs Babbel 2026 | Which App is Best?" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO5BwDDQPug
- **Babbel vs Duolingo on grammar teaching** (2 mentions)
  - "I second this!! Using Duo I had a VERY hard time understanding the *why* of grammar. It just throws shit at you and expects you to follow along. I was constantly frustrated and confused and was guessing half the time. I …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owg43vr/
  - "Babbel is better than Duolingo for grammar, but Duolingo is great for beginners and Intermediates who wanna keep their skills up. Duolingo also has a lot of neat phrases to use in conversation." Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owcwtyb/
- **Babbel vs Duolingo on repetition and vocabulary retention** (2 mentions)
  - "I use both Babbel and Duolingo. I started with DuoLingo but was disappointed that I didn't really understand the language. Now that I have added Babbel I understand the language better but I still use DuoLingo for repeti…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owdxez5/
  - "I have both. I jabemt used babel in a long time. languages don't come easy to me. while I like the set up, drills and explanations in babel, there wasn't enough repeated practice for me. I am back on duo and am using Goo…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owe8skb/
- **Babbel vs Duolingo on course length and content depth** (2 mentions)
  - "I’ve been doing Babbel for a year now for Italian after finishing the Duolingo Italian course. In parallel, I’ve been improving my Portuguese on Duolingo. I like Babbel, but within eight months I have reached the maximum…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1wmdq3v/i_finally_made_the_switch/
  - "The German course on Babel has very little content to practice with. Thus it's very easy to get to the "B1" course after less than 40 hours. The rest of the "content" involves disorganized vocabulary practice which is no…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owg5wq7/
- **Babbel vs Duolingo Max and AI-native apps** (2 mentions)
  - "Which AI Language Learning App is the Best in 2026? (Babbel, Duolingo Max, Enverson AI, and Others Compared). # If you've looked for a language learning app recently, you already know the landscape has completely flipped…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/AI_language_learners/comments/1xeqj9o/which_ai_language_learning_app_is_the_best_in/
  - "Which AI Language Learning App is the Best in 2026? (Babbel, Duolingo Max, Enverson AI, and Others Compared). If you've looked for a language learning app recently, you already know the landscape has completely flipped. …" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/AI_language_learners/comments/1v3kcsf/which_ai_language_learning_app_is_the_best_in/
- **Babbel vs Busuu: Busuu sits between Duolingo and Babbel in gamification** (1 mention)
  - "These two apps are worlds apart! Babbel is a real learning resource with well-conceived courses, a big grammar section and very good podcasts (at least in German-Italian and German-French). Duolingo is only good for prac…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owcjagk/
- **Babbel vs Duolingo on speaking practice** (1 mention)
  - "I get the whole “less gamified, more serious” angle, but I’m not fully convinced that alone fixes the speaking gap. Structured dialogues help, sure, but without real interaction it still feels limited. I notice the same …" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=UgxKglrEupA_nDAVe3h4AaABAg

## What people want next

- **Add more repetition and tell users which extra exercises and podcasts to use after each lesson** (3 mentions)
  - "Babbel is difficult to use. I bought a subscription to Babbel, but I'm finding difficult to use. It's not well structured, because the regular lessons move forward too fast and with too little repetition, which means you…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1t1knt4/babbel_is_difficult_to_use/
  - "If you are into apps, start with Babbel: good explanation of grammar and pronunciation in your language but easy to finish without actually learning (no repetition, or not too much). You can then move to Mjølnir app (gre…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Svenska/comments/1wuok10/i_have_c1_english_and_would_like_to_learn_swedish/
- **Cover Hindi and clarify which languages are offered** (2 mentions)
  - "Hi Lois, am looking at Babbel in order to learn Hindi. Any suggestions?" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=UgycL5DuZ-a7q34Z0Yx4AaABAg
  - "I am doubt about what languages should i to learn Should i choose babel to focus only and forever in 14/ langusges or kore giver only by babbel?" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbK89-s_V1E&lc=UgwIKrbWGAbQW0ba7fR4AaABAg
- **Add Japanese and more languages** (1 mention)
  - "I would happily stop using Duolingo if Babbel offered Japanese and other languages. I tried it for Norwegian and I’d say it’s better than Duolingo. Mind you, I’ve been using Duolingo for many years now and giving up an a…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1xd0rcv/is_duo_sabotaging_itself/
- **Add Georgian** (1 mention)
  - "Georgians are always over the moon when foreigners speak even a little passable Georgian in daily life It's a shame there aren't more learning resources for it on the web, and nothing for it on language apps like Duoling…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/languagehub/comments/1ximhk6/in_your_experience_what_cultures_and_countries/
- **Make pricing clearer instead of confusing upfront charges** (1 mention)
  - "Alternatives to babbel. So I am trying to find a good language app to start learning Russian ( I am a complete novice) . I wanted to try babbel but there subscriptions confused me ( thought it was £8 a month instead I wo…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnRussian/comments/1v4jwlk/alternatives_to_babbel/
- **Include podcast content for Swedish** (1 mention)
  - "I have used both. Got to B2 with Swedish in Babbel. At the beginning it was fun. However, Babbel grew _very_ stale with its incredibly repetitive exercises. They also keep sending me emails telling me I have spent zero m…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/oxcjwgx/
- **More real speaking interaction, not just structured dialogues** (1 mention)
  - "I get the whole “less gamified, more serious” angle, but I’m not fully convinced that alone fixes the speaking gap. Structured dialogues help, sure, but without real interaction it still feels limited. I notice the same …" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=UgxKglrEupA_nDAVe3h4AaABAg
- **Better grammar/syntax explanations later in the course** (1 mention)
  - "I liked Babbel because it seemed to cover speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. But when I was 80% finished with the Spanish course, suddenly the exercises didn't make sense. It didn't do a grea…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owidx11/
- **More content in the German course and level-classified vocabulary** (1 mention)
  - "The German course on Babel has very little content to practice with. Thus it's very easy to get to the "B1" course after less than 40 hours. The rest of the "content" involves disorganized vocabulary practice which is no…" Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owg5wq7/
- **Courses tailored to native language, e.g. German explained to Croatian speakers** (1 mention)
  - "the native language thing is the part people skip over. german explained to a croatian speaker can drop half of what an english speaker needs on cases, and almost nobody builds courses that way. also the owl drinks milk …" YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbK89-s_V1E&lc=Ugzs_TcvcBOhAoz5BTp4AaABAg

## Quotes

> These two apps are worlds apart! Babbel is a real learning resource with well-conceived courses, a big grammar section and very good podcasts (at least in German-Italian and German-French). Duolingo is only good for practising and vocabulary training, imho. Busuu lies somewhere in between them, less gamified than Duolingo, but more than Babbel. Babbel and Busuu have native speakers, Duolingo has o…
> -- u/PorcupineInPyjamas on Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owcjagk/

> Alternatives to babbel. So I am trying to find a good language app to start learning Russian ( I am a complete novice) . I wanted to try babbel but there subscriptions confused me ( thought it was £8 a month instead I would have had to pay the £96 upfront). So I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations of any similar apps that are affordable but aren't deceiving in costs. Thanks in advance.…
> -- u/mniccnr on Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnRussian/comments/1v4jwlk/alternatives_to_babbel/

> The German course on Babel has very little content to practice with. Thus it's very easy to get to the "B1" course after less than 40 hours. The rest of the "content" involves disorganized vocabulary practice which is not classified by level, thus useless.
> -- u/cbjcamus on Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/babbel/comments/1ur0bpx/babel_vs_duolingo/owg5wq7/

> Hi 👋 been teaching myself Spanish with YouTube and a high-school textbook for about 6 months. I pulled the trigger and got babbel for a month. So far it's really neat! I like that it tests your proficiency and gets you started right where you left off. I also like that you can choose how much practice per day you'd like to do. I do about 15 mins a day. The recordings make it a game changer! I do …
> -- u/Bitter_Leader18 on Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/19sdwuauy9bac/

> Not sure if you found something you preferred to Duolingo, but I really hated it. I used to use it for French but it was too gamified and I didn’t retain anything. Babbel has been much better for my retention but still doesn’t help with my pronunciation. I’m now taking an online class and that was much better for my pronunciation and my retention. Just reading through r/learninglanguages it comes …
> -- u/ElderberryPretend712 on Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/duolingo/comments/1tepuch/anyone_tried_babbel_how_does_it_compare/p8gaui3/

> I remember Babbel's scandalous bus and alien adverts (I was verbally and physically assaulted on the bus the first month after arriving in the country I immigrated to). No immigrant has self-respect would use Babbel. It's not worth receiving education from an institution that legitimizes racism and stereotyping.
> -- @aishe-hy on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQBcX87_os&lc=UgyPrHT4HLemFFmiSV54AaABAg