Babbel vs Pimsleur: which to choose, and what each costs
Prices checked 6 Sept to 6 Oct 2026 · How we check
Babbel if you want each grammar point explained and the lower yearly bill.
Pimsleur if you want to speak first, by ear, away from a screen.
| Question | Babbel | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| A year costs | $107.40 a year, or $17.99 month to month | $164.95 a year, or $20.95 month to month |
| A lesson is | 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. | A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer. |
| Try it | The first lesson of every course is free. | A 7-day free trial on subscriptions, and 30 days' money back on purchases. |
How a lesson works in each
Babbel: course app
Pimsleur: audio course
Side by side, as published
| Compare | Babbel | Pimsleur |
|---|---|---|
| CEFR levels stated | A1 to C1 | — |
| A year costs | $107.40 a year, or $17.99 month to month | $164.95 a year, or $20.95 month to month |
| What it is | Course app: Short structured lessons with grammar notes and review sessions | Audio course: Half-hour audio lessons built on spoken recall, made for commutes |
| Per month at annual billing | $8.95/mo ($107.40 a year) | $13.75/mo ($164.95 a year) |
| Monthly plan | $17.99 | $19.95 for one language, $20.95 for all its languages |
| Lifetime plan | $299.99 once, all languages | $798 once, all languages. Also sold: the complete course for one language, owned for good, $575; one level of one language, owned for good, $150 |
| 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 | 51 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Placement test | Yes · Spanish, French, Italian and German | — |
| Refund or trial | Direct purchases: 14-day withdrawal where applicable, excluding US residents; early service can reduce the refund. US terms do not promise a pro-rata cancellation refund. App Store purchases follow store terms. | 7-day free trial on subscriptions; 30 Day money back guarantee on purchases |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web |
| Company | Babbel GmbH (Lesson Nine GmbH), Germany | Simon & Schuster, LLC (Pimsleur is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio) |
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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.
- Free tier
- Free account; the first lesson of every course is free, and up to 80 free lessons depending on the language.
- Languages
- 14
- 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
- CEFR levels
- A1 to C1
- Refund or trial
- Direct purchases: 14-day withdrawal where applicable, excluding US residents; early service can reduce the refund. US terms do not promise a pro-rata cancellation refund. App Store purchases follow store terms.
Pimsleur
Audio course
In our comparison: strongest on the number of languages and trial and refund terms, weakest on the free tier.
$164.95 a year $13.75 a month, billed yearly · All AccessMonthly plans: $19.95 for one language, $20.95 for all its languages
Half-hour audio lessons get you answering aloud, which suits a commute or a walk. Download lessons before you leave and you can practise without a connection.
- Free tier
- None
- Languages
- 51
- Speech recognition
- Yes
- Live tutoring
- —
- Offline mode
- Yes
- CEFR levels
- —
- Refund or trial
- 7-day free trial on subscriptions; 30 Day money back guarantee on purchases
Babbel teaches through short dialogues with the grammar explained in English as you meet it, in 10 to 15-minute lessons. Pimsleur teaches by ear: half-hour audio lessons in which you answer aloud. Babbel costs less for a year and covers reading and writing; Pimsleur gets you speaking sooner.
Which one, for whom
You want to understand why a sentence is built that way
Babbel
Babbel explains each grammar point in English as you meet it. Its yearly plan was $107.40 ($8.95 a month) for all 14 of its languages, and the first lesson of every course is free.
You want to speak, and you learn by ear
Pimsleur
Pimsleur's lessons are spoken prompts you answer aloud, which builds quick replies. All Access is $164.95 a year for 51 languages, with a 7-day free trial on subscriptions.
You want to own it rather than subscribe
Babbel's lifetime plan costs less
Babbel's Lifetime is $299.99 once, the same as 2.8 years of its yearly plan. Pimsleur's All Access Lifetime is $798; it also sells one language's complete course for $575, or one level of one language for $150, owned for good.
Where they really differ
- Price: Babbel: $107.40 a year, or $17.99 month to month. Pimsleur: $164.95 a year, or $20.95 month to month.
- A lesson: Babbel: 10 to 15-minute lessons built on short dialogues, with grammar notes in English and speaking exercises. Pimsleur: A 30-minute audio lesson: you hear a prompt, answer aloud, then hear the right answer.
- A real person: Babbel has no live tutors. Pimsleur doesn't mention live tutors.
- Levels: Babbel states CEFR levels A1 to C1. Pimsleur doesn't state CEFR levels.
- Trying it: Babbel: The first lesson of every course is free. Pimsleur: A 7-day free trial on subscriptions, and 30 days' money back on purchases.
- Both: Listen to you speak and work offline.
Every published plan
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 |
Pimsleur
| Plan | Billing | Price | Per month | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Access AnnualAll AccessA sale took 20% off the first year, charging $131.96. | Annual | $164.95 | $13.75/mo | all languages |
| Premium MonthlyPremiumAs shown on Pimsleur's Latin American Spanish course page. | Monthly | $19.95 | $19.95/mo | one language |
| All Access MonthlyAll Access | Monthly | $20.95 | $20.95/mo | all languages |
| Individual level (one language)PremiumOne level of one language; the price varies by language and level. A sale offered Level 1 for $105. | Lifetime | $150 | one-time | one language |
| Complete course, Levels 1-5 (one language)PremiumOne language's complete course; the price varies by language. A sale offered the Latin American Spanish course for $402.50. | Lifetime | $575 | one-time | one language |
| All Access LifetimeAll AccessA Labor Day sale offered it for $399. | Lifetime | $798 | one-time | all languages |
What will Babbel cost you for the months you study?
Total billed over 12 months
$108.48 less on annual billing1 full annual payment · $107.40 at the start of each year.
Check coverage. Monthly: one language. Annual: all languages. Features and language coverage may differ.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Babbel or Pimsleur?
Babbel: $107.40 a year for all 14 languages when checked. Pimsleur: $164.95 a year for all 51, or $19.95 a month for one language.
Is Pimsleur or Babbel better for speaking?
Pimsleur: every lesson is spoken prompts you answer aloud. Babbel has speaking exercises and speech recognition inside a course built around reading short dialogues.
Do Babbel and Pimsleur work offline?
Both state offline use: Babbel for downloaded lessons, vocabulary review and podcasts in its app, Pimsleur for its audio lessons.