Babbel Pros And Cons: My Experience Learning Spanish

Last Updated on January 1, 2025 by Kieran Beckles

Are you looking to learn a new language in 2025, but you’re not sure whether Babbel is the right app to start your language-learning journey?

I’ve been attempting to learn Spanish to speak to my wife’s Mexican family for the best part of three years after making a New Year’s resolution in 2021 to become fluent in the language.

Along the way, I’ve tried multiple apps and platforms, hoping to improve my Spanish and become more comfortable having day-to-day conversations with her Mexican family.

While I didn’t start with Babbel, it quickly became one of my favorite resources to learn Mexican Spanish.

Even though I’d recommend Babbel to anyone looking to learn a new language, there are some pros and cons that I’m going to share in this article.

Babbel Pros

Visually appealing

I’ve tried Duolingo, Rosetta Stone and Babbel during my language-learning journey. Of the three most popular apps, I found Babbel to have the most visually appealing userface. It’s much better than Rosetta Stone, while I preferred it to Duolingo. I could see my steady improvement on Babbel as I ticked off subjects and milestones. I found Rosetta Stone’s app to be less engaging and less stimulating. I wasn’t excited to open their app. But Babbel’s interface encouraged me to come back.

Different learning methods

Babbel provides users with the option to use the learning format that best works for them. Every time you start a lesson, you can decide between reading, audio, speaking or writing. I loved this feature because it allows the user to mix up their learning methods to best suit their needs or accommodate their mood that particular day. Seeing as I wanted to be able to speak and understand my Mexican family, I typically opted for lessons that required me to listen or talk.

Language levels

Babbel takes into account the different language abilities of users. If you’re just starting, you’ll enter at the A1 level. However, you can begin at A2 or B1 if you’re like me and you’ve been practicing the language for some time.

Learning environments

You can stick to the traditional classes where you’re by yourself and going through the modules, whether it’s listening, speaking, writing or reading. Babbel also offers live classes with teachers. Other students will join you in the class. My big breakthrough in learning Spanish was using Babbel in conjunction with online classes. I preferred one-to-one lessons utilizing this platform, but Babbel doesn’t offer one-to-one live lessons. They only accommodate classes with other students. This may or may not be for you, but it’s a nice option to have.

Regular lifetime discounts

If you’re serious about your commitment to learning a new language, I’d recommend investing in Babbel’s lifetime package. You can get a trial to test out the app before you pay for Babbel. For the initial years, I paid for the annual package but I ended up paying the same amount that I would have coughed up for the lifetime deal when I first started. Babbel regularly has the lifetime package at a 50% discount or better.

Babbel Cons

Only 14 languages

Babbel doesn’t have the same number of languages available on their app as some of their competitors. They currently offer 14 languages to users (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Turkish, Russian, and Arabic). Rosetta Stone gives customers the chance to pick between 24 languages. Duolingo comes out on top with over 40 languages on their app. If you’re an avid language learner, you may prefer to go for an app that has a more extensive range.

Costs more than other apps

Babbel offers an affordable way to learn a new language when you consider the cost of a tutor or even an online tutor. Babbel is pricy compared to Rosetta Stone and Duolingo. The other two apps come in slightly cheaper whether you’re looking at a monthly or annual -payment or purchasing a lifetime package. For instance, Babbel’s lifetime deal is usually priced at $599 (currently $299), while Rosetta Stone charges $129 for their lifetime deal.

Slightly repetitive

With any of these apps, you can expect some repetition. Babbel is no different. I would say Babbel is less repetitive than Rosetta Stone and Duolingo, but it isn’t perfect. This is something to bear in mind because it might be offputting for some users.

Wrapping Up

So there we have it. I’ve broken down the pros and cons of using the Babbel app.

It’s not perfect but it’s been my preferred app in my journey learning Spanish to speak to the Mexican members of my family.

Of the three apps I’ve tried, it’s my favorite because I like the interface, user journey and different language learning methods.