Babbel is the better app overall, scoring 8.3 to 8.1. Babbel wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Busuu on 1.
Adults who want structured, grammar-aware lessons for travel, work or a move abroad
Learners who want structured, level-based courses with real feedback
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Babbel | Busuu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning | Learning |
| Category rank | #7 of 12 | #9 of 12 |
| Developer | Babbel GmbH | Busuu Limited |
| Pricing | Subscription | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | No | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Babbel better than Busuu?
Babbel is the better app overall, scoring 8.3 to 8.1. Babbel wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Busuu on 1.
Which is cheaper, Babbel or Busuu?
Babbel: Subscription or Lifetime plan; one language from $17.99/month on the App Store. Busuu: Free lessons with ads; Premium and Premium Plus are priced by region and plan length. On value for money, Babbel scores higher.
Do Babbel and Busuu work on the same devices?
Yes, both run on iPhone & iPad, Android, Web.
Which is more private, Babbel or Busuu?
Babbel scores higher on privacy (7.6/10). App Store label says purchases, IDs and usage data may be used to track you across other companies' apps; contact info and content are linked to you. No ads in the app.
Strengths and weaknesses
Babbel
- Grammar is explained, not just drilled
- Lessons use practical, real-world dialogues
- No ads or game pressure, just steady progress
- Almost everything sits behind a subscription
- Only about 14 languages, with no Japanese, Korean or Mandarin
- Its App Store label lists data used for cross-app tracking
Babbel is the grown-up alternative to Duolingo. Lessons are built around practical dialogues, grammar is explained clearly instead of left for you to guess, and Babbel Speak adds guided AI speaking practice. Review sessions and podcasts round it out. There is no real free tier beyond sample lessons, and it covers far fewer languages than Duolingo, but the teaching is more structured. Get it for steady progress toward real conversations.
Full Babbel review
Busuu
- Structured lessons that explain the grammar
- Real people check your writing and speaking
- Courses go all the way up to advanced levels
- The free plan is limited and shows ads
- The best speaking tools need Premium Plus
- Only 14 languages
Busuu feels more like a real course than a game. Lessons follow clear levels from beginner up to advanced, and fluent speakers in the Busuu community can check your writing and speaking. A Study Plan fits lessons around your week, Smart Review gathers the words and grammar you've learned for practice, and Premium Plus adds AI conversation practice. It covers 14 languages. The free plan is limited and shows ads, and prices vary a lot.
Full Busuu review
