Babbel vs Memrise: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 6 Sept 2026 · How we check
Babbel if you want a course with lessons in order.
Memrise if you want to build vocabulary a few minutes a day.
| Question | Babbel | Memrise |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | $61.99 a year for all 149 languages, or $24.99 month to month |
| A lesson is | 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. | Short clips of native speakers saying words and phrases, then spaced review. |
| Try it | The first lesson of every course is free. | A limited free version, then a 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| App Store rating, 10 Oct 2026 | 4.7 out of 5 from 755,567 ratings | 4.8 out of 5 from 217,240 ratings |
| Google Play rating, 11 Oct 2026 | 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1 million ratings | 4.4 out of 5 from 1.6 million ratings |
How a lesson works in each
Babbel: course app
Memrise: vocabulary app
Side by side
| Compare | Babbel | Memrise |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | A1 to C1 | — |
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | $61.99 a year for all 149 languages, or $24.99 month to month |
| What it is | Course app: Short structured lessons with grammar notes and review sessions | Vocabulary and flashcards: Short video clips of native speakers plus spaced-repetition review |
| Per month at annual billing | $8.95/mo ($107.40 a year) | $5.17/mo ($61.99 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $17.99 | $24.99 |
| Lifetime plan | $299.99 once, all languages | $329.99 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. | Limited free version of the app; the paid plan unlocks the rest. |
| Languages offered | 14 | 149 |
| Speech recognition | Yes | Yes |
| Live tutoring | No · Babbel Live is no longer available to individual consumers | — |
| Offline mode | Yes · Downloaded lessons, vocabulary review and podcasts in the mobile app | No · The current experience needs cloud-based tools |
| 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. | 30-day money-back guarantee; monthly plans have a 14-day refund window. Apple purchases require a refund from Apple. |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Babbel GmbH (Lesson Nine GmbH), Germany | Memrise, United Kingdom |
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.
Memrise
Vocabulary and flashcards
In our comparison: strongest on the number of languages and price, weakest on teaching depth.
$61.99 a year $5.17 a month, billed yearly$24.99 on the monthly plan
Short video clips of native speakers plus spaced-repetition review. Speech recognition scores your pronunciation.
Babbel is a course app and Memrise is a vocabulary app. Both teach French, Spanish, German, Italian and 9 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 build vocabulary a few minutes a day
Memrise
Memrise is a vocabulary app: short clips of native speakers saying words and phrases, then spaced review.
You want the smaller yearly bill
Memrise
A year of Memrise costs $61.99 for all 149 languages; a year of Babbel, $107.40 for all 14 languages.
You want to learn without paying
Memrise
Memrise has a free account with limits; Babbel gives only its first lessons free. What each free route includes is in the table above.
Where they really differ
- Price: Babbel: $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month. Memrise: $61.99 a year for all 149 languages, or $24.99 month to month.
- A lesson: Babbel: 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. Memrise: Short clips of native speakers saying words and phrases, then spaced review.
- A real person: Babbel has no live tutors. Memrise doesn't mention live tutors.
- Levels: Babbel states CEFR levels A1 to C1. Memrise doesn't state CEFR levels.
- Offline: Babbel works offline. Memrise needs a connection.
- Trying it: Babbel: The first lesson of every course is free. Memrise: A limited free version, then a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Both: Listen to you speak.
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 |
Memrise
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnnualProSold as a flash sale against a crossed-out $299.88, which is twelve months at the monthly price. Apple's US App Store lists the same plan at $61.99. | Annual | $61.99 | $5.17/mo | all languages |
| MonthlyProApple's US App Store sells the same plan for $24.99. | Monthly | $24.99 | $24.99/mo | all languages |
| LifetimeProApple's US App Store sells the same plan for $329.99. | Lifetime | $329.99 | 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 Memrise?
Neither is better for every learner. Choose Babbel if you want a course with lessons in order, a course that states its CEFR levels and lessons that work offline. Choose Memrise if you want to build vocabulary a few minutes a day, the smaller yearly bill, a free account to learn on, a trial or money back and more languages to choose from. In our comparison, Babbel is strongest on teaching depth, weakest on the free tier, and Memrise strongest on the number of languages and price, weakest on teaching depth.
Which is cheaper, Babbel or Memrise?
Memrise costs less by the year: $61.99 for all 149 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 Memrise teach the same languages?
Babbel lists 14 languages and Memrise 149, each counting varieties its own way; 13 languages are taught by both. Each app's page here lists its languages, with a page for each language two or more apps teach.