Babbel vs Duolingo: Which is Better?

Babbel vs. Duolingo – which language learning app/website is better?

I am sure you have been thinking about this question.

After all, they are among the best websites to learn almost any language. Both have good reviews and are good at teaching you.

Therefore, which website is the right one for you? We will discuss these two online language learning platforms in detail to determine that.

About Babbel and Duolingo

Babbel is known for its structured learning, clear concept explanations, and teaching you words and phrases that come in handy in day-to-day conversations. Sadly, Babbel doesn’t offer a free version. You can only access the first lesson in every course for free to determine whether it’s worth your money.

This may seem ample enough to determine a website’s worth, but first lessons can be deceiving. You may find that Babbel doesn’t suit your learning style later in the course. That is why we will discuss in detail why many people prefer Babbel. Some people feel neither Babbel nor Duolingo does a good job teaching you a language. We will look into that too. 

Duolingo is best known for its gamified approach to teaching you. You can learn more languages in Duolingo than in Babbel. More importantly, Duolingo is addicting. Therefore, you keep returning to the website or app, meaning you won’t lose your streak and will continue learning new words daily. And it has a free version.

Key Features Comparison

Duolingo and Babbel have loyal followers. ‘Is Babbel better than Duolingo?’ is a frequent question that has been hashed out in Reddit and Quora. And the discussion can get heated sometimes. However, it has only proven that the ‘Duolingo Vs Babbel’ debate will go on forever. Some appreciate Duolingo’s effort to keep you entertained with its characters.

And the stories you unlock are engaging and help you learn new words easily. Babbel supporters tell you how it focuses on practical conversation, and why that is important to master a language. So, let’s discuss the key features of both websites/apps. You will know which website is better by the end.

Content Quality

Babbel and Duolingo provide high-quality content. You can’t fault either app in this category. However, Babbel has a minor edge over Duolingo in teaching the natural way of speaking a language. Duolingo compensates for this by having sentence discussions where native speakers or experienced learners discuss how a native would speak.

The sentence discussions are read-only. You can’t add anything to it; but, you can view it. The forum was closed on March 22, 2022. So, you can’t view any of the posts. However, there is an unofficial discord server where you can post questions and get answers. 

Moreover, Babbel teaches you better grammar. However, Duolingo isn’t far behind either. It has improved a lot over the years and can hold its own against other popular apps and websites. But it hasn’t become superior to Babbel yet.

✅ Winner – Babbel

Learning Methods

Duolingo dominates when in this area; no one can refute that. Not even the haters can say Babbel has better learning methods. Duolingo has a guidebook for every unit to give you an idea of what you will learn. It has stories in between for you to learn new words, and the stories are fun. Trust me, I have been using this app for a while.

Moreover, learning using Duolingo is like playing a game. You lose a heart if you make a mistake similar to how you are one life short if you lose a game level. I am talking about the free version which gives you five hearts per day. Super Duolingo gives you access to unlimited hearts and helps you improve your weak areas in a language.

So, how is Babbel different from Duolingo? In short, it is a website/app version of a textbook. It does have videos, podcasts, and magazines to aid you in knowing more about a language. However, several YouTube channels, podcasts, and blogs are more suitable for that purpose. After all, they are specifically created for that purpose. 

The live classes Babbel offers can compensate for its dull learning methods. But you have to pay extra to access them. That can be a deal breaker for many people. I am not saying that Babbel is useless; it just falls short of your expectations when you ask yourself ‘How does Babbel compare to Duolingo in learning methods?’. 

✅ Winner – Duolingo

Practice Exercises

Duolingo is so much fun to practice learning. The exercises are captivating even though they can be repetitive sometimes. I know you are wondering how it can be fun to learn the same sentence or words repetitively. The point is that you don’t always retain what you have learned the first time. So, repetitiveness helps you assimilate what is learned.

Moreover, you can learn from the mistakes made, at the end of each lesson. The little owl says let’s take a look at the mistakes you made. You can get it right this time. The way the owl and the other Duolingo characters, even the grumpy one, cheer for you makes you want to improve.

Contrastingly, Babbel’s practice exercises can be tedious. Even some loyal Babbel supporters concede that point. However, Babbel is better when it comes to speech practice. Its voice recognition software is more accurate than Duolingo’s. It is not lenient like Duolingo. You need to pronounce the words perfectly to move on.

Moreover, it focuses on improving practical conversational skills. Just when it looks like we are finding the answer to ‘Which app is better Babbel or Duolingo?’, we get confused again. It is irritating but expected, as each app has pros and cons. Don’t lose heart, though. We still have many features to discuss.

✅ Winner – Duolingo

Customer Support

Unfortunately, both websites provide lackluster customer support. Some lucky people manage to get hold of someone responsible and get their grievance addressed. However, most people aren’t that fortunate. An entire Reddit thread is dedicated to venting about Babbel’s auto-renewal policy. 

Some have experienced the horror of being charged even after canceling the subscription. A Reddit user resorted to mentioning that thread in their four emails to Babbel to get a refund. At least, they got it; good for them. Duolingo isn’t better either. Getting a refund is an uphill battle. A Reddit thread regarding this issue exists. Check it out before you start subscribing.

✅ Winner – None

Pricing And Value For Money

Super Duolingo, the paid version that replaced Duolingo Plus, costs $12.99/month. You can opt for the annual or the family plan which costs $6.99/month and $120/year respectively. Most people wonder if the subscribing is worth it. Almost all users agree it is worth spending the money. However, you can use the free version as long as you want to test that claim.

Babbel’s 6-month plan costs $8.45/month, the annual plan costs $6.95/month, and the Lifetime plan costs $299.5. However, live classes are not included in these plans. Babbel Live gives you access to Spanish, French, Italian, and German for a much higher price. The one-month plan costs $99/month.

The three-month, six-month, and annual plans cost $70, $60, and $50 respectively. The prices change sometimes. The pricing I have mentioned is the price listed on Babbel at present. Now, we will address the hard question. Are the subscription plans worth the money? The short answer is no; the more complicated answer is it depends.

Babbel is fantastic at teaching certain languages. However, it isn’t so great at teaching other languages. You can learn only one language at a time when you subscribe to a plan. You must subscribe to Babbel Complete to learn more than one language; you can learn up to 13 languages. It costs $8.95/month and the annual plan costs $107.40/month.

Or, you can choose the Lifetime plan. So, what is the difference between Babbel and Duolingo? The latter lets you study as many languages as you want if you subscribe to Super Duolingo. It is a great investment considering you can learn 43 languages using Duolingo. 

✅ Winner – Duolingo

Community

Babbel isn’t the right option if you need community support. Duolingo isn’t much better. However, you can learn from fellow learners and native speakers in the sentence discussions. In short, both websites/apps depressingly do not offer community support. The unofficial Duolingo Discord server is your only option if you need to connect with others.

✅ Winner – Duolingo (only because of the unofficial discord server).

User Interface

Both websites/apps have excellent user interfaces. They are smooth to navigate and you won’t have trouble finding what you are looking for. However, Babbel’s pricing and subscription plans may throw you off. It is not immediately certain how to get the Babbel Complete plan. You may not find it if you’re not aware of it. 

How does Duolingo compare to Babbel in this area? Duolingo is more vibrant and stunning compared to Babbel. However, visually stunning aids are not for everybody. Some people prefer the toned-down Babbel UI, especially those who find Duolingo’s vibrancy disorienting.

✅ Winner – Both.

Device Compatibility

Duolingo is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. You can learn anything, anywhere, and anytime you want. The devices are synched if you use multiple devices to learn languages. However, certain features available in the web version may not be available in the app version.

Babbel is compatible with Windows 7 onward and  Mac OS X 10.13 or above. You can download the mobile app and use it offline, too. You won’t encounter synching problems if you log in the same way on all the devices you use.

✅ Winner – Both.

User Feedback

User feedback is mostly positive about Duolingo; that’s why it is one of the most popular websites for learning a language. However, according to Duolingo itself, no course is completely error-free. Therefore, the people behind Duolingo listen to user feedback and improve the content provided.

So, how can one provide feedback on Duolingo? You can use the flag icon, to choose from a list of options: the audio is missing, an image doesn’t look right, my answer should have been accepted, etc. Duolingo uses the Report Quality Estimation Tool to sift through the thousands of reports received daily. Reports with higher scores are given priority.

Babbel, too, has many satisfied learners. They praise its structured learning path and focus on improving conversational skills. However, there is always room for improvement. You can click the orange chat bubble on the bottom right corner of the web pages to chat with Babbel. App users can select help from settings to contact Babbel.

Alternatively, you can use their email ID support@babbel.com to connect with them. Duolingo and Babbel are among the most popular language-learning websites for a reason. They are both good at what they do. Unanimous user feedback about Duolingo is it’s fun, whereas Babbel is renowned for teaching grammar, vocabulary, and phrases.

✅ Winner – Duolingo

Variety Of Languages Taught

Duolingo is the King when it comes to the variety of languages available. Come on, it has 43 languages and you can access them all in the free version. You can upgrade to Super Duolingo if you don’t want annoying ads to disturb your learning process. 

Babbel can teach you only 14 languages. It can advance you to the B2 level in only some languages. Therefore, stop asking yourself ‘Which app is better Babbel or Duolingo?’.

✅ The clear winner is – Duolingo.

Who Should Use Babbel?

Anyone serious about learning a language may use Babbel. Maybe you are learning a language for your job or to move to a different country. Grammar fanatics should stick to Babbel. You won’t like Duolingo much if you want detailed explanations.

If you ask ‘Why is Babbel better than Duolingo?’, it’s better because it can usually get you to B1 or B2 level in the languages it teaches. Duolingo can only help you advance to A2 or B1 level usually. However, it is a dependable app in my experience. That can’t be denied.

Who Should Use Duolingo?

People who learn a language for fun and have all the time in the world to master it should use Duolingo. Duolingo is also a great supplementary resource for language learning. You can brush up on the language basics or review the new words Duolingo teaches you daily. Is Duolingo better than Babbel? 

Well, in some ways, yes. However, it has its flaws, too. You can advance levels faster in Duolingo than in Babbel because of how fun it is to learn using it. People who need motivation to keep studying a language should pick Duolingo because Babbel does a poor job of keeping you motivated.

Alternatives

You can choose other language-learning websites and apps instead of butting heads over ‘Is Duolingo or Babbel better?’. Memrise, Italki, Busuu, Anki, and Mango languages are good alternatives for you to explore. Or you can subscribe to YouTube channels that teach the language you need to learn. 

It is always good to use a combination of resources available than rely solely on a website, blog, book, or YouTube channel. So, explore the vast options available – free and paid – and pick a combination that suits your requirements.

Final Verdict: Babbel vs Duolingo

Briefly put, Choose Babbel if content quality is your only concern. Pick Duolingo if you want to learn in a fun way all the while receiving plenty of motivation. If you are still asking ‘Is Babbel or Duolingo better?’, I tend to favor Duolingo. 

This answer may surprise some of you, as Babbel supporters mock Duolingo for its tendency to teach you strange sentences now and then. Honestly, I may have chosen Babbel if it offered a free version; the keyword being ‘may’. 

Why subscribe monthly or annually to a website if you can achieve the same objective with a free website or app? That is why I picked Duolingo over Babbel besides the features discussed above. So, what do you think? Which is better Babbel or Duolingo?