Duolingo vs Babbel: Free Courses or Paid Structure?

Pick Duolingo if you want to learn for free, in short game-style lessons, with more than 40 languages to choose from. Pick Babbel if you are willing to pay for structured courses in one of 14 languages and do not need a free option beyond a first lesson.

Both apps teach languages in small daily lessons on your phone or in a browser. The real split is the business model: Duolingo gives away every course and sells extras, while Babbel sells access to the courses themselves.

Duolingo vs Babbel at a glance

Is Duolingo really free?

Yes. Duolingo states on its App Store listing that "every course is free." You can finish a full course without paying.

The paid tier, Super Duolingo, removes ads and adds perks. Duolingo describes it as a way to learn "with no ads" and with "Unlimited Energy and Monthly Streak Repair." None of that is extra course content: the lessons are the same on both, so Super is about convenience, not access.

New users get a 14-day free trial of Super, according to the same listing.

Which is cheaper, Duolingo or Babbel?

Duolingo, because you can pay nothing at all. Babbel has no free plan beyond a sample lesson. Its App Store listing says plainly that "a subscription is required to access full courses."

If you compare paid tiers, prices depend on where and how you buy. Babbel keeps its current prices on its website, and those can differ from what Apple charges. Duolingo's US App Store listing shows Super Duolingo purchases at $9.99, $12.99, $83.99, $95.99 and $119.99, but it does not say which billing period each price covers, so we are not going to guess.

What we can say: on the US App Store, a year of Babbel for all languages ($107.99) costs about the same as the top Super Duolingo option ($119.99), and Duolingo's lessons stay usable even if you never pay.

What did we check ourselves?

On 6 November 2026, we read both apps' US App Store listings. Babbel's in-app purchases were $17.99 for one month of a single language (Spanish, Mexican Spanish, French or Italian), $45.99 for three months of a single language, $89.99 for a year of Mexican Spanish, and $107.99 for 12 months of all languages. So if you study for a full year, the all-languages yearly option worked out cheaper than paying monthly for a single language for 12 months.

The same day, Duolingo's listing showed the 14-day Super trial and gem bundles from $0.99 to $19.99. Gems are Duolingo's in-app currency. You do not need them to complete a course.

Which teaches more languages?

Duolingo, by a wide margin. Its App Store description says you can learn "40+ languages," including Spanish, French, Japanese and Korean.

Babbel's listing names 14: Spanish (Latin American or Spain), French, Italian, German, Portuguese, English (American or British), Russian, Polish, Turkish, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Dutch and Indonesian. If you want Japanese, Korean or another Asian language, Babbel is not an option.

Babbel's shorter list has one upside: it offers regional versions of its biggest courses, Latin American or European Spanish and American or British English, so you can learn the variety you will actually hear.

Which app works on more devices?

They are close. Both have iPhone and iPad apps that need iOS 17 or later, both list Apple Vision support, both have Android apps on Google Play, and both run in a web browser. Neither listing claims a Mac or Apple Watch app. Because both need iOS 17 or later, an iPhone that cannot update to iOS 17 will not install the current version of either app from the App Store.

Neither app is open source. If you are also weighing other apps, our list of Duolingo alternatives covers more free and paid options.

Which should you choose?

• You do not want to pay anything: Duolingo. Every course is free.
• You want Japanese, Korean or a less common language: Duolingo, which offers far more languages.
• You prefer paying for one structured course in a major European language: Babbel.
• You want to study several languages for a year: Babbel's all-languages 12-month option, or Super Duolingo if you want the free courses without ads.
• You want to try before you pay: Duolingo gives you the full course plus a 14-day Super trial; Babbel gives you a free lesson.

FAQ

Is Babbel free?

No. You can take a free lesson, but Babbel says a subscription is required to access full courses.

What does Super Duolingo add?

No ads, Unlimited Energy and a monthly streak repair. The courses themselves are the same as on the free version.

Does Babbel have a free trial?

Its App Store listing offers a free lesson, not a trial of the full subscription. Check Babbel's website for current offers in your country.

Can I use Duolingo and Babbel on a computer?

Yes. Both work in a web browser, as well as on iPhone, iPad and Android.