Babbel vs Lingopie: 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.
Lingopie if you want to learn from real videos and text.
| Question | Babbel | Lingopie |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | $83.88 a year for all 15 languages |
| A lesson is | 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. | TV shows and films with two sets of subtitles; tap a word to save it as a flashcard. |
| Try it | The first lesson of every course is free. | No free tier; 7-day free trial. |
| App Store rating, 10 Oct 2026 | 4.7 out of 5 from 755,567 ratings | 4.4 out of 5 from 2,174 ratings |
| Google Play rating, 11 Oct 2026 | 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1 million ratings | 4.3 out of 5 from 6,747 ratings |
How a lesson works in each
Babbel: course app
Lingopie: immersion app
Side by side
| Compare | Babbel | Lingopie |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | A1 to C1 | — |
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | $83.88 a year for all 15 languages |
| What it is | Course app: Short structured lessons with grammar notes and review sessions | Immersion (video, reading): TV and film with interactive subtitles and flashcards |
| Per month at annual billing | $8.95/mo ($107.40 a year) | $6.99/mo ($83.88 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $17.99 | — |
| Lifetime plan | $299.99 once, all languages | $229 once, all languages |
| 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 | 15 |
| Speech recognition | Yes | Yes · Say It pronunciation practice |
| Live tutoring | No · Babbel Live is no longer available to individual consumers | Live group lessons on their own monthly or quarterly plan, for subscribers who pay by card; the first lesson is free. |
| Offline mode | Yes · Downloaded lessons, vocabulary review and podcasts in the mobile app | Yes · iOS only; up to 10 downloadable videos |
| 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. | 7-day free trial; yearly subscription is charged after the trial and cannot be refunded |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Babbel GmbH (Lesson Nine GmbH), Germany | — |
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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.
Lingopie
Immersion (video, reading)
In our comparison: strongest on offline use, weakest on the free tier.
$83.88 a year $6.99 a month, billed yearly
TV and film with interactive subtitles and flashcards. Live tutoring sold beside the app (Live Group Lessons; separate plan for eligible card subscribers, first group lesson free).
Babbel is a course app and Lingopie is an app for real video and text. Both teach French, Spanish, German, Italian and 6 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
Lingopie
Lingopie is an app for real video and text: TV shows and films with two sets of subtitles; tap a word to save it as a flashcard.
You want the smaller yearly bill
Lingopie
A year of Lingopie costs $83.88 for all 15 languages; a year of Babbel, $107.40 for all 14 languages.
You want to practise speaking
Lingopie
Lingopie: Live tutoring is sold beside the app (Live Group Lessons), and speech recognition scores how you say words. Babbel: Speech recognition scores how you say words.
Where they really differ
- Price: Babbel: $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month. Lingopie: $83.88 a year for all 15 languages.
- A lesson: Babbel: 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. Lingopie: TV shows and films with two sets of subtitles; tap a word to save it as a flashcard.
- A real person: Babbel has no live tutors. Lingopie sells live tutoring alongside the app (Live Group Lessons; separate plan for eligible card subscribers, first group lesson free).
- Levels: Babbel states CEFR levels A1 to C1. Lingopie doesn't state CEFR levels.
- Trying it: Babbel: The first lesson of every course is free. Lingopie: No free tier; 7-day free trial.
- 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 |
Lingopie
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly Plan | Annual | $83.88 | $6.99/mo | all languages |
| 3 Month Plan | Every 3 months | $41.97 | $13.99/mo | one language |
| Lifetime SubscriptionLifetime | Lifetime | $229 | one-time | 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 Lingopie?
Neither is better for every learner. Choose Babbel if you want a course with lessons in order and a course that states its CEFR levels. Choose Lingopie if you want to learn from real videos and text, the smaller yearly bill, more speaking practice and a trial or money back. In our comparison, Babbel is strongest on teaching depth, weakest on the free tier, and Lingopie strongest on offline use, weakest on the free tier.
Which is cheaper, Babbel or Lingopie?
Lingopie costs less by the year: $83.88 for all 15 languages, where a year of Babbel is $107.40 for all 14 languages. Month to month, and with any lifetime plan, the plans tables above give both.
Do Babbel and Lingopie teach the same languages?
Babbel lists 14 languages and Lingopie 15, each counting varieties its own way; 10 languages are taught by both. Each app's page here lists its languages, with a page for each language two or more apps teach.