Babbel vs Mondly: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 6 Oct 2026; Babbel's on 6 Sept 2026, Mondly's on 6 Sept 2026 · How we check
Babbel if you want to pay once rather than subscribe.
Mondly if you want the smaller yearly bill.
| Question | Babbel | Mondly |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | $47.99 a year for one language, or $9.99 month to month |
| A lesson is | 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. | Short daily lessons with pictures and audio, plus a chatbot you can talk to. |
| Try it | The first lesson of every course is free. | Free version with Daily Lessons, the Hello category and a chatbot lesson. |
| App Store rating, 10 Oct 2026 | 4.7 out of 5 from 755,567 ratings | 4.7 out of 5 from 33,226 ratings |
| Google Play rating, 11 Oct 2026 | 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1 million ratings | 4.5 out of 5 from 927,579 ratings |
How a lesson works in each
Both are course apps, so a lesson has the same shape
Side by side
| Compare | Babbel | Mondly |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels | A1 to C1 | A1 to B2 (by course) |
| A year costs | $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month | $47.99 a year for one language, or $9.99 month to month |
| What it is | Course app: Short structured lessons with grammar notes and review sessions | Course app: Short daily lessons across many languages, with a chatbot |
| Per month at annual billing | $8.95/mo ($107.40 a year) | $4/mo ($47.99 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $17.99 | $9.99 for one language, $15.90 for all its languages |
| 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. | Free version with Daily Lessons, the Hello category and a chatbot lesson. |
| Languages offered | 14 | 41 |
| Speech recognition | 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 | — |
| 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 |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Babbel GmbH (Lesson Nine GmbH), Germany | Mondly by Pearson (ATi Studios A.P.P.S. SRL), Romania |
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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.
Mondly
Course app
In our comparison: strongest on the number of languages and price, weakest on speaking practice.
$47.99 a year $4 a month, billed yearly · PremiumMonthly plans: $9.99 for one language, $15.90 for all its languages
Short daily lessons across many languages, with a chatbot. A free account with limits.
Babbel is a course app and Mondly is one too. Both teach French, Spanish, German, Italian and 10 more languages.
Which to choose
You want the smaller yearly bill
Mondly
A year of Mondly costs $47.99 for one language; a year of Babbel, $107.40 for all 14 languages.
You would rather pay once than subscribe
Babbel
Babbel can be bought once and kept: $299.99 once, all languages. Mondly's paid plans are subscriptions.
You want to learn without paying
Mondly
Mondly has a free account with limits; Babbel gives only its first lessons free. What each free route includes is in the table above.
You want to practise speaking
Babbel
Babbel: Speech recognition scores how you say words. Mondly: Its pages don't say whether it listens to you speak.
Where they really differ
- Price: Babbel: $107.40 a year for all 14 languages, or $17.99 month to month. Mondly: $47.99 a year for one language, or $9.99 month to month.
- A lesson: Babbel: 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. Mondly: Short daily lessons with pictures and audio, plus a chatbot you can talk to.
- A real person: Babbel has no live tutors. Mondly doesn't mention live tutors.
- Levels: Babbel states CEFR levels A1 to C1. Mondly states a CEFR range for each course, up to B2.
- Speaking: Babbel listens to you speak. Mondly doesn't say whether it listens to you speak.
- Offline: Babbel works offline. Mondly doesn't say whether it works offline.
- Trying it: Babbel: The first lesson of every course is free. Mondly: Free version with Daily Lessons, the Hello category and a chatbot lesson.
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 |
Mondly
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium yearlyPremiumA "starts at" price; Mondly doesn't say how many languages it covers. | Annual | $47.99 | $4/mo | one language |
| Unlimited Access - 12 Months (iOS in-app purchase)PremiumApple's US App Store price. | Annual | $74.90 | $6.24/mo | all languages |
| Premium monthlyPremiumA "starts at" price from Mondly's Android subscriptions page. | Monthly | $9.99 | $9.99/mo | one language |
| Unlimited Access - Monthly (iOS in-app purchase)PremiumApple's US App Store price, which differs from Mondly's Android prices. | Monthly | $15.90 | $15.90/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 Mondly?
Neither is better for every learner. Choose Babbel if you want to pay once rather than subscribe and more speaking practice. Choose Mondly if you want 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 Mondly strongest on the number of languages and price, weakest on speaking practice.
Which is cheaper, Babbel or Mondly?
Mondly costs less by the year: $47.99 for one language, 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 Mondly teach the same languages?
Babbel lists 14 languages and Mondly 41, each counting varieties its own way; 14 languages are taught by both. Each app's page here lists its languages, with a page for each language two or more apps teach.