Have you ever wanted to learn a new language? It’s never too late.
Today, we have the whole world at our fingertips. Language lessons that were once restricted to classrooms and textbooks are now accessible on our laptops and mobile phones, and we can take advantage of a wide range of materials to help us learn.
If you’re thinking of learning a new language, you’ll have plenty of language-learning programs to consider.
Babbel and Rocket Languages are two of the biggest names in the game, and today, we’ll be taking a closer look at their key features, biggest differences, and how they stack up against each other.
What is the difference between Babbel and Rocket Languages? Keep reading to find out.
Ready? Let’s get started.
What Is Babbel?
This comprehensive language app and subscription-based platform is a leading provider of online language learning resources and classes for students across the globe.
With Babbel, you can study 13 languages and practice all areas you need to become fluent, including reading, listening, writing, and speaking. (See also ‘Babbel Language Review 2023: Pricing, Features, And Much More.’)
Babbel language courses are also tailored to suit your interests and native language, so you can steadily build on what you already know, and learn new stuff at a reasonable pace while being guided by experts and native speakers.
Some of the languages you can learn on Babbel include:
- French
- Spanish
- Italian
- Polish
- Russian
- Dutch
- Turkish
- German
- Swedish
- Indonesian
- Danish
Babbel works with experts to create its language-learning course content, including over 150 linguists, language teachers, editors, designers, researchers, and more.
Babbel is subscription based, and you’ll steadily work your way through the daily lessons to enhance your language skills.
You’ll get plenty of control over your learning journey, and you’ll even be able to choose how many minutes a day you want to dedicate to learning a new language.
This time frame ranges from just 5 minutes to a whole hour, so Babbel will give you the support you need to learn about your current lifestyle – even if you’re busy!
You’ll also learn through a variety of techniques, including quizzes, vocabulary, sentence structure, review sessions, and more.
Note: not all languages will follow the same learning format.
Each language course will use its own unique mix of audio, video, games, and other interactive resources to get you learning and retaining information.
Babbel will cost you between $6.95 and $13.95 per month, and lifetime access can cost as much as $600, depending on the course.
What Is Rocket Languages?
Rocket Languages is another quality language-learning app that, like Babbel, uses a variety of interactive exercises, audio, video, and more, to help you become a master of another language.
Rocket Languages can be used as a website and an app, where you can learn over 13 languages. These languages include:
- Spanish
- Korean
- Arabic
- German
- French
- Japanese
- Portuguese
… and more.
Like Babbel and other language provider apps, Rocket Languages contains plenty of reading and writing lessons to help your learning journey, but it also contains plenty of speaking and listening exercises and in-depth grammar lessons which are great for more advanced learners. (Check out ‘Rocket Languages Vs Rosetta Stone: Which one is Better?‘)
Rocket Languages also makes use of Google’s voice recognition tech to test your pronunciation skills. You can adjust the difficulty level to suit your learning style, so the harder it gets, the more precise you’re expected to be with your pronunciation and language skills.
This feature is available to all members, whether you’re a trial or a full member, however, it only works in the Chrome browser.
The main educational resources that Rocket Languages offers are interactive audio lessons, and language and culture lessons. These are provided for all languages.
For example, when learning Rocket Spanish, with interactive audio lessons, you’ll listen to an English-speaking moderator who will guide you through the conversation in your desired language one step at a time.
You’ll then listen to native speakers talk, and the moderator will stop to explain and translate every few sentences, offering tips and grammatical explanations along the way.
Although Rocket Languages has a free trial, you’ll have to pay anywhere between $99-$450 depending on the language you’re learning, and how many levels you want to buy.
Babbel: Pros And Cons
Considering using Babbel for your language learning journey? Here are the most important pros and cons you need to consider.
Pros
- Good for basic vocabulary: You’ll be shown new material, and then be asked questions or given practical lessons to help you improve your skills and reinforce what you’ve learned.
- Flexible: You’ll have plenty of control over your learning schedule, and you’re free to dip in and out of learning whenever you like.
- Intuitive design: The Babbel app has a simple and clean interface that’s easy to navigate, and responsive.
- Versatile learning material: Babbel provides plenty of audio, visual, and practical activities to help consolidate your learning, so there’s material to cater to every learning style and help you reinforce your skills.
Cons
- Can be expensive for multiple languages: Unfortunately, if you want to learn more than one language, you may find Babbel’s pricing structure a little too expensive. However, for just one language, it’s reasonable.
- Not great for real-life conversations: Although Babbel offers plenty of learning materials, few of these require you to think outside the box or come up with your own phrases. So, when it comes to putting your conversational skills into practice in the real world, you may struggle.
Rocket Languages: Pros And Cons
So, how does Rocket Languages stack up against Babbel? Here are some pros and cons we’ve noted with the platform.
Pros
- Thorough and precise: Rocket Languages does a great job of catering to both beginners and advanced language learners. You’ll start with the basics and be gradually led into more complex dialogues, with thorough explanations.
- Lifetime access: With Rocket Languages, you won’t be tied to a subscription model. Simply pay once, and you’ll have lifetime access to your Rocket Languages courses. Lifetime also means lifetime, so your materials won’t expire after a few months!
- Downloadable materials: You can access your learning materials either online or via the mobile app, and you’ll also have the option to download them for on-the-go learning. You can even download MP3 files to listen to while you’re working, commuting, or going about your day. This is a great way to consolidate your learning.
- Culture lessons: Rocket Languages also offers advanced Language and Culture Lessons. Cultural information and tips help increase your knowledge of the target language you’re learning and can help with the practical application of language.
Cons
- Repetitive: Although Rocket Languages has a pretty diverse selection of learning materials, many of these are focused on repetition, which can make the core lessons feel a little dull and boring.
- Voice recognition issues: Although voice recognition is an excellent feature, it can struggle to pick up what you’re saying and feel a little buggy. This can be disruptive to your learning.
What Is The Difference Between Babbel And Rocket Languages
Babbel and Rocket Languages may both offer similar things, but they don’t offer them in the same ways. There are some pretty big differences between these two providers that you’ll need to consider before choosing one. Here are the biggest differences between Babbel and Rocket Languages.
Teaching Style
The teaching style is arguably the biggest difference between Babbel and Rocket Languages.
Although both providers use different materials to help you learn, Rocket Languages has a sharper focus on audio and speech, while Babbel uses a more blended approach, with audio lessons, visual, and interactive exercises. If you like variety, Babbel may be the stronger choice.
Pricing Plans
Babbel and Rocket Languages also have different pricing structures.
With Babbel, you’ll need to lock into a subscription of 3,6, or 12 months, or a lifetime subscription.
However, Rocket Languages doesn’t offer monthly subscriptions – just lifetime plans.
The price can vary depending on how many levels you want to purchase.
Although Babbel has a subscription model, it almost always works out cheaper.
So, if budget is your deciding factor, you’ll probably want to learn with Babbel.
Lesson Length and Structure
If you have less time to spare, Babbel may be the better option for you. Babbel usually offers much shorter lessons, which are great for those learning a language on the go. Rocket Languages lessons will require a little extra time each day, which may be restricting to some users.
One of the biggest differences between the two is Live lessons. Unfortunately, Rocket Languages doesn’t seem to offer these, but Babbel does. So, if you want the option to be able to learn in real-time, these lessons may be great for you.
Final Thoughts
One thing is for sure: if you’re choosing between these two competitors, you’re in great hands. Both Babbel and Rocket Languages are comprehensive, diverse, accessible, and rewarding to use.
However, although they offer similar services, there are some pretty big differences between the two. We’d recommend taking your lifestyle, learning style, and budget into account before choosing a competitor.
