Babbel vs Duolingo vs LingoDeer: which to choose, and what a year costs
Prices checked 12 Oct 2026; Babbel's on 6 Sept 2026, Duolingo's on 7 Oct 2026 · How we check
Babbel if you want each grammar point explained in English in a European language.
Duolingo if you want a free daily habit in any of its 40 languages.
LingoDeer if you want a grammar-led course in Japanese, Korean or Chinese.
| Question | Babbel | Duolingo | LingoDeer |
|---|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | Free. Super's yearly price is not published; its US App Store purchases run $9.99 to $119.99 | $95.99 a year for all 20 languages, or $14.99 month to month |
| A lesson is | 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. | A few minutes of game-like exercises (translate, match, listen, speak), with English throughout. | Short lessons that introduce words and a sentence pattern with native-speaker audio and a grammar tip, then quizzes and flashcards. |
| Try it | The first lesson of every course is free. | Free for good; Super has a 1-week free trial. | A free version with limited lessons; a 7-day money-back guarantee on the website's yearly and longer plans. |
| App Store rating, 10 Oct 2026 and 12 Oct 2026 | 4.7 out of 5 from 755,567 ratings | 4.7 out of 5 from 5.5 million ratings | 4.7 out of 5 from 27,996 ratings |
| Google Play rating, 11 Oct 2026 and 12 Oct 2026 | 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1 million ratings | 4.7 out of 5 from 50.8 million ratings | 4.4 out of 5 from 454,133 ratings |
How a lesson works in each
All three are course apps, so a lesson has the same shape
Side by side
| Compare | Babbel | Duolingo | LingoDeer |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | A1 to C1 | A1 to B2 | A1 to B1 (by course) |
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | Free. Super's yearly price is not published; its US App Store purchases run $9.99 to $119.99 | $95.99 a year for all 20 languages, or $14.99 month to month |
| What it is | Course app: Short structured lessons with grammar notes and review sessions | Course app: Game-shaped lessons for every course; paid tiers remove the ads and the daily limits, and Max adds AI practice | Course app: Structured lessons with grammar tips, from absolute beginner to B1 |
| Per month at annual billing | $8.95/mo ($107.40 a year) | — | $8/mo ($95.99 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $17.99 | — | $14.99 |
| US in-app purchases | — | Super in the US App Store: $9.99 to $119.99, depending on the plan. | — |
| Lifetime plan | $299.99 once, all languages | No lifetime plan | No lifetime plan |
| Free tier | Free account; the first lesson of every course is free, and up to 80 free lessons depending on the language. | Full free tier with ads and limits; Super removes the ads and limits, and Max adds AI practice (Video Call and Roleplay). | A free version with limited lessons; a membership unlocks every course and feature. |
| Languages offered | 14 | 40 | 20 |
| Speech recognition | Yes | Yes | — |
| Live tutoring | No · Babbel Live is no longer available to individual consumers | No | — |
| Offline mode | Yes · Downloaded lessons, vocabulary review and podcasts in the mobile app | Yes · Limited lessons available offline; progress syncs when connected | Yes |
| Placement test | Yes · Spanish, French, Italian and German | Yes | — |
| Refund or trial | Bought from Babbel in the US: no refund promised if you cancel early. Outside the US: 14 days to change your mind, less what you have used. App store purchases: the store's rules. | 1 week free trial on Super | A 7-day money-back guarantee on yearly and longer plans bought on LingoDeer's website, one request per person; no refund for part of a period or a renewal you forgot. |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Babbel GmbH (Lesson Nine GmbH), Germany | Duolingo, Inc | LingoDeer Pte. Ltd., Singapore |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to the app makers' own sites earn us nothing. Commissions never affect which apps we recommend. Affiliate disclosure and how the data is collected.
$107.40 a year $8.95 a month, billed yearly$17.99 on the monthly plan
Short dialogues and grammar notes help you understand why a sentence works. Speaking exercises let you practise saying it aloud before you need it in conversation.
Duolingo
Course app
In our comparison: strongest on the free tier and teaching depth, weakest on speaking practice.
Free Super removes the ads and limits: $9.99 to $119.99 in Apple's US App Store, depending on the plan, after a 1-week free trial.
Short, game-like lessons make it easy to practise a little every day. You can follow the whole course free, with ads and limits.
LingoDeer
Course app
In our comparison: strongest on teaching depth and price, weakest on speaking practice.
$95.99 a year $8 a month, billed yearly$14.99 on the monthly plan
Structured lessons with grammar tips, from absolute beginner to B1. A free account with limits.
All three are course apps for your phone, and all three are free to start. Babbel's 10 to 15-minute lessons are built on short dialogues with grammar notes in English. Duolingo's few-minute exercises are free with ads. LingoDeer's short lessons each bring in a sentence pattern with a grammar tip, and its Japanese, Korean and Arabic courses open with a unit on the alphabet. A paid year costs $95.99 at LingoDeer and $107.40 at Babbel, each for all its languages. Your language may decide it: Babbel teaches none of Japanese, Korean or Chinese.
Which to choose
You are learning Japanese, Korean or Chinese
LingoDeer
LingoDeer teaches 20 languages, Japanese, Korean and Chinese among them. Each short lesson brings in words and a sentence pattern with native-speaker audio and a grammar tip, then quizzes and flashcards; the Japanese and Korean courses start with the alphabet, and Japanese has a drill for writing kanji. LingoDeer says its courses take you from A1 to B1. A year is $95.99 for every language, and plans of a year or longer bought on its website come with a 7-day money-back guarantee. Duolingo teaches all three languages too, free; Babbel teaches none of them.
You want the grammar explained in English
Babbel
Babbel explains each grammar point in English as you meet it, in 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, and its speech recognition checks what you say. Its 12-month plan is $107.40 ($8.95 a month) for all 14 of its languages, most of them European, and the first lesson of every course is free.
You want to learn without paying
Duolingo
Duolingo is free for good, with ads and daily limits, in 40 languages. LingoDeer's free version has a limited number of lessons, and Babbel's free part is the first lesson of each course. Super removes Duolingo's ads and limits; Apple's US App Store sells it for $9.99 to $119.99, depending on the plan.
You want an app to check what you say
Babbel or Duolingo
Babbel's and Duolingo's exercises use speech recognition to check what you say. LingoDeer has you record your own attempt after listening to a native speaker; its pages don't say that it scores what you say.
You wonder whether to use more than one
Duolingo free, beside LingoDeer or Babbel
Keep Duolingo's free tier for the daily streak and pay for one of the other two for the grammar: LingoDeer for Japanese, Korean or Chinese, Babbel for a European language. Where both teach your language, their courses cover much of the same beginner ground, so paying for both adds less than it costs.
Plans and prices
Babbel
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 monthsSold as "Save 50%" against $215.40, which is twelve months at the monthly price. Apple's US App Store sells the same plan for $107.99. | Annual | $107.40 | $8.95/mo | all languages |
| 3-month plan (iOS in-app purchase)Apple's US App Store price for one language. | Every 3 months | $45.99 | $15.33/mo | one language |
| 1-month plan (iOS in-app purchase)Apple's US App Store price for one language. | Monthly | $17.99 | $17.99/mo | one language |
| LifetimeBabbel sells Lifetime for less during sales: a Labor Day sale offered it for $199. | Lifetime | $299.99 | one-time | all languages |
Duolingo
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Duolingo, in the app (US)Apple's listing doesn't say which price is monthly, yearly or Family; the app shows yours at checkout. | Shown at checkout | $9.99, $12.99, $79.99, $83.99, $95.99, $119.99 | — | No ads or limits; 1-week free trial |
| FreeEvery course, with ads and daily limits. | Other | $0 | $0/mo | all languages |
| Super DuolingoSuper | Other | — | — | all languages |
| Super Family | Family | — | — | family up to 6 |
| Duolingo MaxMaxFor English speakers, Max has Video Call and Roleplay in Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese, and Video Call in Japanese, Korean and Chinese (blog.duolingo.com/duolingo-max, read 13 Oct 2026: 'English speakers learning Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese have access to both Video Call and Roleplay, and those learning Japanese, Korean, and Chinese can use the new Video Call feature'). | Other | — | — | every course; its AI only in some (see the note) |
LingoDeer
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-Year PremiumPremiumOne payment for six years of every language and feature, marked as a limited offer against a crossed-out $969.99. | 72 months | $239.99 | $3.33/mo | all languages |
| 3-Year PremiumPremiumOne payment for three years of every language and feature, shown at 60% off a crossed-out $479.99. | 36 months | $189.99 | $5.28/mo | all languages |
| AnnuallyPremiumShown at 40% off a crossed-out $159.99; renews automatically. | Annual | $95.99 | $8/mo | all languages |
| QuarterlyPremiumRenews automatically. | Every 3 months | $39.99 | $13.33/mo | all languages |
| MonthlyPremiumRenews automatically. | Monthly | $14.99 | $14.99/mo | all languages |
| FreeA free version with limited lessons; LingoDeer does not say how many. | Other | $0 | — | all languages |
What will Babbel cost you for the months you study?
Total billed over 12 months
$108.48 less on annual billingOne yearly payment of $107.40.
What each plan covers. Monthly: one language. Yearly: all languages.
Questions people ask
Which is better: Babbel, Duolingo or LingoDeer?
It depends on your language and on how much you want explained. LingoDeer suits Japanese, Korean or Chinese with each grammar point explained, Babbel a European language with the grammar explained in English, and Duolingo a free daily habit in many languages. The table above sets out what each app states about itself.
Which is cheapest?
Duolingo, which is free with ads. Of the paid years, LingoDeer's is $95.99 and Babbel's 12-month plan $107.40, each for all its languages. Duolingo's Super is priced in the app; Apple's US App Store lists it at $9.99 to $119.99.
Which is best for learning Japanese or Korean script?
LingoDeer's Japanese and Korean courses start with a unit on the alphabet, and its Japanese course adds a kanji writing drill. Duolingo teaches both languages free. Babbel teaches neither. For tools made for the script alone, such as WaniKani for kanji, see the best apps to learn Japanese and Korean.
Do they work offline?
LingoDeer lets you download a whole course in one click and learn without a connection, and Babbel lets you download lessons in its mobile app. Duolingo says only some lessons work offline, and your progress syncs when you reconnect.