Babbel vs FluentU: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 6 Oct 2026; Babbel's on 6 Sept 2026 · How we check
Babbel if you want a course with lessons in order.
FluentU if you want to learn from real videos and text.
| Question | Babbel | FluentU |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | $239.99 a year for all 10 languages, or $29.99 month to month |
| A lesson is | 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. | Short real-world videos with interactive captions, then quizzes on their words. |
| Try it | The first lesson of every course is free. | No free tier; 14-day free trial with no payment up front, plus a 20-day money-back guarantee. |
| App Store rating, 10 Oct 2026 and 12 Oct 2026 | 4.7 out of 5 from 755,567 ratings | 4.3 out of 5 from 2,789 ratings |
| Google Play rating, 11 Oct 2026 | 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1 million ratings | 3.4 out of 5 from 4,504 ratings |
How a lesson works in each
Babbel: course app
FluentU: immersion app
Side by side
| Compare | Babbel | FluentU |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | A1 to C1 | — |
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | $239.99 a year for all 10 languages, or $29.99 month to month |
| What it is | Course app: Short structured lessons with grammar notes and review sessions | Immersion (video, reading): Real-world videos with interactive captions and quizzes |
| Per month at annual billing | $8.95/mo ($107.40 a year) | $20/mo ($239.99 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $17.99 | $29.99 |
| Lifetime plan | $299.99 once, all languages | 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. | None |
| Languages offered | 14 | 10 |
| Speech recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Live tutoring | No · Babbel Live is no longer available to individual consumers | Group classes in some languages, offered free with the subscription for a limited time; no one-to-one lessons. |
| Offline mode | Yes · Downloaded lessons, vocabulary review and podcasts in the mobile app | Yes · audio, quizzes and transcripts download; the videos stream only |
| Placement test | Yes · Spanish, French, Italian and German | — |
| 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. | 14-day free trial with no payment up front, plus a 20-day money-back guarantee |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Babbel GmbH (Lesson Nine GmbH), Germany | Enux Education Limited, Hong Kong |
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$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.
FluentU
Immersion (video, reading)
In our comparison: strongest on trial and refund terms and offline use, weakest on the free tier.
$239.99 a year $20 a month, billed yearly · Plus$29.99 on the monthly plan
Real-world videos with interactive captions and quizzes. Live tutoring sold beside the app (Group classes).
Babbel is a course app and FluentU is an app for real video and text. Both teach French, Spanish, German, Italian and 3 more languages.
Which to choose
You want a course with lessons in order
Babbel
Babbel is a course app: 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises.
You want to learn from real videos and text
FluentU
FluentU is an app for real video and text: short real-world videos with interactive captions, then quizzes on their words.
You want the smaller yearly bill
Babbel
A year of Babbel costs $107.40 for all 14 languages; a year of FluentU, $239.99 for all 10 languages.
You would rather pay once than subscribe
Babbel
Babbel can be bought once and kept: $299.99 once, all languages. FluentU's paid plans are subscriptions.
Where they really differ
- Price: Babbel: $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month. FluentU: $239.99 a year for all 10 languages, or $29.99 month to month.
- A lesson: Babbel: 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. FluentU: Short real-world videos with interactive captions, then quizzes on their words.
- A real person: Babbel has no live tutors. FluentU sells live tutoring alongside the app (Group classes).
- Levels: Babbel states CEFR levels A1 to C1. FluentU doesn't state CEFR levels.
- Trying it: Babbel: The first lesson of every course is free. FluentU: No free tier; 14-day free trial with no payment up front, plus a 20-day money-back guarantee.
- Both: Listen to you speak and work offline.
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 |
FluentU
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plus (billed yearly)PlusThe regular price. A Back to School sale charged $143.99 for the year ($11.99 a month). | Annual | $239.99 | $20/mo | all languages |
| Plus (monthly)PlusThe regular monthly price; FluentU's sales discount the yearly plans. | Monthly | $29.99 | $29.99/mo | all languages |
| Super (monthly)SuperEverything in Plus, with much higher daily AI Tutor limits. | Monthly | $39.99 | $39.99/mo | all languages |
| Super (billed yearly)SuperThe regular price. A sale charged $199.99 for the year ($16.66 a month). | Annual | $479.99 | $40/mo | 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
Is Babbel better than FluentU?
Neither is better for every learner. Choose Babbel if you want a course with lessons in order, the smaller yearly bill, to pay once rather than subscribe and a course that states its CEFR levels. Choose FluentU if you want to learn from real videos and text, more speaking practice and a trial or money back. In our comparison, Babbel is strongest on teaching depth, weakest on the free tier, and FluentU strongest on trial and refund terms and offline use, weakest on the free tier.
Which is cheaper, Babbel or FluentU?
Babbel costs less by the year: $107.40 for all 14 languages, where a year of FluentU is $239.99 for all 10 languages. Month to month, and with any lifetime plan, the plans tables above give both.
Do Babbel and FluentU teach the same languages?
Babbel lists 14 languages and FluentU 10, each counting varieties its own way; 7 languages are taught by both. Each app's page here lists its languages, with a page for each language two or more apps teach.