Is Babbel Worth It in 2023? Complete Review

Babbel is an app that helps its users to learn new languages, it has over 10 million users from around the world and it’s only becoming more popular.

It currently has 14 languages on the app that you can learn and the language experts on the app will create a course based on your native language to help you learn a different language more efficiently and effectively. 

But is Babbel worth it? With so many different online language learning platforms on the market right now, it can be difficult to know which one to pick and which one is the best for your needs.

This article will break down how Babbel works, what its cost is and the pros and cons of the app. 

What Is Babbel?

Babbel is an online platform app that allows its users to learn a new language, it is designed around didactic teaching methods that focus on language communication, cognition, behavior and construction.

Users wanting to learn a language can be of any level, be it beginner or intermediate, as long as they’re willing to commit some regular time out of their day to learn the language. 

The curriculum of Babbel is designed to get progressively more difficult as you start getting more advanced in that language. Babbel (see also ‘Does Babbel Have Japanese? 3 Best Babbel Alternatives‘) teaches users a new language by using real-life dialogue and conversations instead of grammar or vocabulary drills.

You can learn these languages on Babbel: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Danish, Dutch, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Turkish and English. 

How Does Babbel Work?

Babbel was designed with the individual in mind, the team of linguists who created the online platform wanted a more personal approach to online language learning as possible.

The content of Babbel being more concerned with real-life conversations and dialogue lets users achieve their goals whilst learning content that they can actually use in real-life situations. 

How Are Babbel Lessons Structured?

You can learn a total of 14 different languages on Babbel (see also ‘What Is Babbel?‘) through reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

Most of the exercises on Babbel consist of filling in missing words to different sentences, spelling words, translating, writing short phrases and repeating words and phrases out loud.

Babbel will use voice recognition software to guide you through pronunciation exercises, but if you’re not comfortable with this, you can opt to turn your microphone off. 

During lessons, you’ll need to make sure that you pay attention to the spellings of words and context clues. Some users suggest taking notes as you go and practicing spelling vocabulary words. 

How Much Does Babbel Cost?

Babbel requires a monthly subscription to access its platform, it has four different subscription options that are available at different costs: 

• 1 month of access to Babbel costs $13.95 
• A 3-month subscription to Babbel costs $9.95 per month
• A 6-month subscription to Babbel costs $8.45 per month
• A 12-month subscription to Babbel costs $6.95 per month

Babbel was actually offering lifetime subscriptions during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, were these subscriptions actually real? 

Yes, lifetime subscriptions were real, and they still are! New users can purchase a lifetime subscription from StackSocialfor $299. You won’t find the subscription on Babbel’s site, but you can access the subscription from here, it’s currently discounted by 60%.

So, If You Purchase A 12-month Babbel Subscription, Do You Get 6 Months Free?

Yes, sort of. A 12-month subscription to Babbel will cost you $6.95 a month, and if you were to purchase 1 month of access to Babbel for 6 months, rather than purchasing a subscription, the cost would be $13.95 a month.

So essentially with a 12-month subscription, you’d be saving 50% of the normal cost. 

Babbel does unfortunately charge by language (see also our article on Memrise), once you purchase a subscription in your chosen language, you’ll get a full catalog of courses and learning levels in that specific language.

If you want to learn another language, you’ll need to purchase another subscription. 

Pros And Cons Of Babbel

Here’s a summary of some of the most common advantages and disadvantages that users have to say about using Babbel.

Advantages

• The lessons are intuitive. 
• You learn realistic words and phrases
• The platform is easy to understand 
• Babbel shows you the mistakes you’ve made, and how to fix them
• It helps review a language that you’ve learned in the past

Disadvantages

• The lessons can feel simple and boring after a while
• Technical issues can make the website or app unavailable 
• Some users are surprised that Babbel’s subscription auto-renews
• Unsubscribing from Babbel can be confusing

Can Babbel Make You Fluent?

 It all depends on how much effort you put into learning a language. If you’re being proactive and putting quite a lot of time and effort into learning the language outside of the app, it can be rewarding and go a long way in making you fluent. 

But it’s likely to not allow the average person to become fluent in a new language, but it does allow you to learn the basics, master some skills, and get ready for upcoming trips where you’ll need to speak your new language. 

Is Babbel Worth It?

If you’re determined to learn a new language and want to do it online, then Babbel is definitely worth getting. 

Since Babbel is completely online, you’ll have to be able to hold yourself accountable and stay consistent in your learning. You can set learning reminders that will remind you to learn at a time of the day that’s optimal for you. 

Babbel is one of the more affordable online language learning platforms out there, so it’s a good option if you want to learn a new language but also don’t want to spend too much money on it. 

Final Thoughts

Babbel is definitely worth it as it’s different from a lot of other online language learning platforms in that it allows you to learn directly from real-life conversations and dialogue, which is useful for those wanting to put their language skills into practice.