LearnLingo vs Babbel for Learning English: Which Course Fits You?

Key takeaways

• Babbel is a subscription product with some free sample lessons; LearnLingo gives every lesson free and sells an optional Plus plan.
• Babbel feels like a structured adult course; LearnLingo feels like a game, with hearts, streaks, XP and weekly leagues.
• Babbel is ahead on offline use, podcasts, Android support, AI conversation (in beta) and live classes with teachers.
• LearnLingo is ahead on price, clear CEFR labels on every course, English-only depth, games and Turkish support.
• Neither replaces a human conversation partner on its own, except Babbel when you pay for Babbel Live.
• Babbel's prices depend on country, plan length and platform; always check the current price before you buy.

We checked Babbel's home page, its App Store listing and public material on the date at the top of this page. Babbel's pricing page did not load without an account session in our check, so the only prices we quote are the ones we saw on the US App Store. For the wider field, see our list of Babbel alternatives for English and the compare hub.

At a glance

Feature	LearnLingo	Babbel
Price model	Free course; optional LearnLingo Plus	Subscription by language or all languages; lifetime plan offered
Free tier	Every lesson and the full course	Some free lessons; Babbel says up to 80 depending on the language
Levels	CEFR A1 to C1, separate courses	Beginner to advanced, with a placement test; Babbel says content is aligned with CEFR
Teaching method	Short interactive exercises plus grammar tips and unit guides	Dialogue-based lessons with grammar tips and culture notes
Speaking practice	Speaking Coach game; browser speech recognition on web, listen and repeat on iOS	Speech recognition exercises; AI conversation partner in beta
Listening practice	Dialogues read aloud, Listening Lab game	Recorded dialogues and podcasts
Grammar explanations	Grammar tips, unit guides, Sage the Turtle explains answers	Grammar tips inside lessons
Native-language support	Turkish interface and explanations; more languages planned	Courses tailored to your native language
Platforms	Web browser and iOS app	Web, iOS and Android
Offline use	No offline mode on web	Downloadable lessons
Live teachers	None	Babbel Live, a separate paid product
Certificates	None	Check Babbel for current certificate options
Best for	Free, structured English practice with games	Adults who want a paid, calm course and optional teachers

Method and lesson design

Babbel's lessons are built around short, realistic conversations: you hear a dialogue, learn its key phrases, see a grammar tip in context and then practice with exercises. Lessons are described by Babbel as quick and bite-sized, and the tone is that of a course for adults. Babbel says its courses are created by more than 200 language experts.

LearnLingo's lessons are shorter exercise runs: choice, translate with a word bank, meaning, fill-in-the-gap, matching and listening. Each unit also has a grammar tip and a unit guide, and dialogues are read aloud by your browser's or phone's speech engine. Sage the Turtle explains answers using written, rule-based explanations; it is not an AI chatbot.

Verdict: Babbel's dialogue-first design is more natural for someone who wants to learn phrases they can use tomorrow, and its audio is recorded rather than synthesized. LearnLingo gives more repetitions per minute and more variety of practice through its games. Babbel feels like a textbook brought to life; LearnLingo feels like a game with a textbook inside it.

Curriculum and levels

Babbel describes its courses as running from beginner to advanced, with a placement test, and says its content is aligned with the CEFR. Inside the app, English is split into courses by level and topic, such as grammar, vocabulary and real-life situations. We could not confirm on an official page in our check exactly which CEFR level the English course tops out at, so look at Babbel's course list in the app if that matters to you.

LearnLingo labels everything by CEFR level: A1, A2, B1, B2 and C1. The free level test tells you where to start. Our guide to CEFR levels explained shows what each level can do.

Verdict: both cover beginner to advanced. Babbel offers more topic courses, such as specific situations or skills. LearnLingo is easier to map to an exam or job requirement because every lesson sits in a named CEFR level.

Grammar

Babbel shows grammar tips at the moment you need them in a dialogue, which is a strong way to learn grammar in context. Babbel also offers grammar-focused courses for some levels.

LearnLingo gives each unit a grammar tip, gathers rules in the English grammar hub, and goes deep in blog guides such as English grammar for beginners. When you get an answer wrong, Sage explains the rule behind it.

Verdict: close. Babbel's in-context tips are excellent for adults; LearnLingo gives more explicit, reusable explanations, available free.

Vocabulary and review

Babbel has a review feature that brings words back for practice, and many users mention quick review as useful. LearnLingo tracks the exact items you get wrong and brings them back in spaced practice, and games such as Word Match and Speed Quiz recycle vocabulary. Our guide to learning English vocabulary explains how to combine both approaches.

Verdict: roughly even. Babbel's vocabulary is taught through useful phrases; LearnLingo gives more varied review formats.

Speaking and pronunciation

Babbel uses speech recognition so you can practice saying words and phrases, and its App Store listing describes Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner that gives feedback, labeled as beta. Babbel Live, a separate subscription, offers online classes with Babbel teachers in small groups.

LearnLingo's Speaking Coach game uses browser speech recognition on the web, where the browser supports it. On iOS, speaking is listen and repeat with a self-check. There is no AI conversation partner and no human teacher.

Verdict: Babbel is better for speaking, especially if you pay for Babbel Live. A real teacher is the fastest way to speaking confidence. For free speaking practice you can do anywhere, see our guide to improve English speaking.

Listening

Babbel's dialogues use recorded audio, and Babbel offers podcasts for learners. LearnLingo reads dialogues aloud with the device's speech engine and has a Listening Lab game; quality depends on your device.

Verdict: Babbel is better for listening. Add free content too, as explained in how to improve English listening.

Motivation: streaks, XP and leagues

Babbel is deliberately calm. It tracks progress and reminds you to study, but it does not lean on leagues or heavy game mechanics. LearnLingo uses hearts, streaks, XP, levels, weekly leagues and 13 games.

Verdict: LearnLingo is better if games keep you going. Babbel is better if game mechanics feel childish to you. Neither approach is wrong; our tips to stay motivated learning English work with both.

Price and value

Babbel is a paid product. You can try some free lessons, and Babbel says the number varies by language. On the US App Store on October 14, 2026, we saw a one-month English subscription listed at 17.99 US dollars and an all-languages 12-month plan at 107.99. The listing also shows 3-month, 6-month, 12-month and lifetime options without visible prices. Longer plans usually cost less per month, and prices on Babbel's website or in other countries can differ. Babbel Live is priced separately and costs more than the app. Check the current offer before you buy.

LearnLingo's full course is free. LearnLingo Plus is optional: it comes in weekly, monthly and yearly plans, with current prices on the Plus page; App Store prices can differ. Plus gives unlimited hearts, more help from Sage and every game unlocked early. See LearnLingo Plus.

Verdict: LearnLingo wins on price, clearly. Babbel is good value if you will use its extras, such as offline lessons, podcasts and live classes.

Platforms

Babbel runs on the web, iOS and Android and supports offline downloads. LearnLingo runs in any modern browser and on iOS, with no Android app yet and no offline mode on the web.

Verdict: Babbel wins on platforms.

Turkish-speaker support

Babbel tailors its courses to the learner's native language and teaches Turkish as a target language. Whether English is offered from Turkish depends on Babbel's current catalog, so check in the app. LearnLingo offers a Turkish interface and explanations, and guides such as English mistakes Turkish speakers make and learning English for Turkish speakers.

Verdict: LearnLingo is the safer choice if you want explanations in Turkish.

Privacy and ads

Babbel is subscription-funded and does not rely on in-lesson ads. LearnLingo does not show ads in lessons either. Both store account and progress data; read each privacy policy before signing up.

Verdict: even.

Practice set: everyday phrases

Babbel and LearnLingo both teach practical phrases. Choose the most natural option.

1. At a cafe: "Can I ___ a coffee, please?" (have, take, make)
2. Meeting someone: "Nice to ___ you." (meet, see, know)
3. On the phone: "Could you ___ that again?" (say, tell, speak)
4. At a hotel: "I have a ___ under the name Kaya." (reservation, booking card, order)
5. Asking directions: "How do I ___ to the station?" (go, get, arrive)
6. Polite request: "Would you mind ___ the window?" (open, opening, to open)
7. At work: "Let me ___ you to my colleague." (introduce, present to, know)
8. Shopping: "Do you have this ___ a smaller size?" (in, on, at)
9. Small talk: "What do you do ___ a living?" (for, as, by)
10. Apologizing: "Sorry I'm late. I got ___ in traffic." (stuck, stopped, kept)

Answers: 1 have, 2 meet, 3 say, 4 reservation, 5 get, 6 opening, 7 introduce, 8 in, 9 for, 10 stuck. More phrases are in our guides to polite requests in English and small talk in English.

A sample week using both

Day	Babbel (15 minutes)	LearnLingo (10 minutes)
Monday	New dialogue lesson	Grammar Gap on the same rule
Tuesday	New lesson	Practice your mistakes
Wednesday	Podcast episode	Listening Lab
Thursday	New lesson	Word Match and Speed Quiz
Friday	Review	Writing Studio: five sentences
Saturday	AI conversation or a live class if you have one	Speaking Coach
Sunday	Rest	Weekly league push or rest

Who should choose Babbel

• You are an adult who prefers a calm, course-like app to a game.
• You want recorded dialogues, podcasts and offline lessons.
• You are willing to pay, and you may want live classes later.
• You use Android.
• You want to learn other languages on the same subscription.

Who should choose LearnLingo

• You want to learn English for free, with every lesson available.
• You like games, streaks and leagues.
• You want each lesson tied to a clear CEFR level.
• You are a Turkish speaker and want explanations in Turkish.
• You want targeted review of your own mistakes.

Using both together

The two fit together well because they are good at different things. Use Babbel as the main course for dialogues and listening, and use LearnLingo for extra free practice: grammar games, mistake review and writing. Or the other way round: if money is tight, follow LearnLingo as your main course and use Babbel's free lessons, or a short subscription, for recorded dialogues. Either way, check your level with the English level test every few months.

What a typical session feels like

Feature lists only go so far, so here is how fifteen minutes in each product tends to feel, based on how each company describes its lessons.

A Babbel session. You open a lesson on a theme such as checking in at a hotel. You hear a short recorded conversation between two people, then learn its key phrases one at a time. A grammar tip appears when a pattern comes up, for example why the dialogue uses "would like" rather than "want". You fill gaps, put words in order and say a phrase aloud for the speech checker. At the end you can review the words you met. The pace is steady, the tone is grown-up, and nothing flashes or counts down.

A LearnLingo session. You open the next lesson in your CEFR course. You answer a quick run of exercises: pick the meaning of a word, build a sentence from a word bank, fill a gap, match pairs and type what you hear. If you get something wrong, you lose a heart and Sage the Turtle explains the rule. At the end you earn XP toward your weekly league, and the items you missed go into your practice queue. If you still have time, you play a game such as Grammar Gap or Writing Studio on the same topic.

What this means for you. If you want to feel like you are in a quiet classroom, Babbel suits you. If you want a fast pace, many repetitions and small rewards, LearnLingo suits you. Both approaches teach real English; the best one is the one you will open every day.

People Also Ask

Is LearnLingo or Babbel better for learning English?

Babbel is the stronger paid product, with dialogue-based lessons, offline downloads, podcasts, an AI conversation partner in beta and optional live classes. LearnLingo is better if you want a free English course with game-style practice, clear CEFR levels and Turkish explanations.

Is Babbel free?

Babbel lets you try a number of free lessons, which Babbel says varies by language. The full course needs a subscription, and live classes are a separate, more expensive product.

How much does Babbel cost?

It depends on the country, the plan length and the platform. On the US App Store on October 14, 2026, a one-month English subscription was listed at 17.99 US dollars and a 12-month all-languages plan at 107.99. Longer plans cost less per month, so check the current price for your country.

Does LearnLingo have live classes like Babbel Live?

No. LearnLingo has no live classes and no human tutors. If you want a teacher, Babbel Live or a tutor platform is the better choice, and LearnLingo can be your free practice between classes.

Can I use Babbel offline?

Yes, Babbel's app lets you download lessons to study without a connection. LearnLingo has no offline mode on the web.

Which is better for Turkish speakers?

LearnLingo has a Turkish interface and Turkish grammar explanations, plus guides on common mistakes Turkish speakers make. Babbel builds courses for the learner's native language; check in the app whether English is offered from Turkish in your region.