Duolingo is the better app overall, scoring 9.0 to 8.4. Duolingo wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Babbel on 1.
Beginners who want a fun, low-pressure daily habit in a new language
Adults who want structured, grammar-aware lessons for travel, work or a move abroad
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Duolingo | Babbel |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Learning | Learning |
| Category rank | #2 of 8 | #5 of 8 |
| Developer | Duolingo | Babbel |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Subscription |
| Usable for free | Yes | No |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
Duolingo
- Free tier covers full courses, not just a sample
- Short lessons fit into any spare five minutes
- Habit features really do keep you practicing daily
- Limited open-ended speaking practice outside the Max plan
- Free version has ads and caps how much you can practice
Duolingo is the easiest way to build a daily language habit. Lessons take a few minutes, streaks and leagues keep you coming back, and the free tier covers whole courses. It now teaches math, music and chess too. The catch: it is better at recognition than real conversation, and free users see ads. Start here, then add a speaking app or tutor when you want fluency.
Full Duolingo review
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
- Fewer languages than Duolingo, mostly European
Babbel is the grown-up alternative to Duolingo. Lessons are built around practical dialogues, and grammar is explained clearly instead of left for you to guess. Review sessions, podcasts and optional live classes round it out. There is no real free tier, and it offers fewer languages than Duolingo, but the teaching is more structured. Get it if you want steady progress toward real conversations.
Full Babbel review
