Babbel vs Duolingo: Complete Side-by-Side Comparison

Whether you’re learning for career advancement or personal enrichment, learning a new language is a great way to understand a culture. The problem is, choosing the best language learning software can be tricky. In this article, we’re stacking two big names up against each other. It’s Babbel vs Duolingo and only one can be crowned the winner in this review.

About Babbel

Babbel is operated by Lesson Nine GmbH, based in Berlin, Germany. It was launched in 2007 by Markus Witte and Thomas Holland. In 2015, the company also opened a branch in New York City. At present, it offers 14 languages to learners and has around 10 million subscribers from across the world.

Babbel comes with a web app and a mobile app that helps you to learn and practice a new language. There is also bonus content in the form of podcasts for some languages to help advanced learners. To develop high-quality content, Babbel works with a core group of linguists, language experts, editors, researchers, polyglots, and instructional designers.

Note that Babbel works through a subscription-based model, and you can customize your learning experience based on your skill levels. It allows you to set the daily number of minutes you need to use for learning. If you already have basic knowledge of a language you can take a placement test. Babbel will let you start at the right level after judging your skills.

Interestingly, each language course offered by Babble is unique. The number of levels for learning each language also varies. The sessions are interactive and there are explainers that provide beginners with the necessary details about the language. There are quizzes, audio lessons, cultural bites, and matching games. Besides, the interface is simple and easy to use. For all recordings, Babbel uses real native speakers. That helps in getting the pronunciations correct.

Babbel comes at a competitive price point in the form of monthly subscriptions. If you choose a longer subscription period, the cost decreases. There’s a free version too, but it’s very limited. However, general subscriptions provide access to only one language. A complete subscription that allows access to all the language courses comes at a higher price.

Benefits of Babbel

Here are some of the main benefits of choosing Babbel.

• Babbel is a value for money option when you want to learn a particular language.

• It offers a rich range of content and high-quality lessons for most languages. Each learning module covers a lot of ground.

• The layout and the design of the interface are attractive and very easy to use. The overall user experience is one of the best in class.

• It uses a visualization technique with plenty of images that helps users to remember better and learn faster.

• Each lesson takes between 10 to 15 minutes. So they can be easily incorporated into a busy schedule.

• It comes with a Review Manager that presents a bank of the vocabulary you have learned so far. This makes it easy to commit the words to your long-term memory.

• The Babbel Live feature offers a 60-minute long live session with a language teacher. This is available for some of the languages.

Drawbacks of Babbel

Like everything else, Babbel has some drawbacks too. Here’s a look at the major ones.

• With less common languages, the course content is a bit limited. Babbel is best for learning popular languages like English, Spanish, German, French, etc.

• Since Babbel doesn’t offer advanced-level lessons, it’s not the best choice for students with high proficiency in a language.

• The learning model exposes students to vocabulary from the start. This can be overwhelming for some students.

• The instructional methods follow a traditional approach, which may get dull for some in the long run.

• While Babbel helps to develop grammar and vocabulary, it may not be the best option for developing practical conversation skills.

About Duolingo

Duolingo was launched in 2011 and has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The project was the brainchild of professor Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker, his postgraduate student. Duolingo was the first free language-learning app that was launched. With more than 300 million users across the world, Duolingo is the most downloaded education app.

Presently, Duolingo offers 38 different language courses in English. When the other languages of instruction are taken into account, the number is even higher. One big advantage of the app is it’s free. There's also a paid version called Duolingo Plus.

Once you sign up for a particular language, you need to choose a level based on the total time you want to dedicate to learning in a day. This can be Casual, Regular, Serious, and Intense and can take between 5 to 20 minutes. Perfect for fitting into your busy schedule.

The app interface is colorful and interesting and Duolingo follows a tree-based learning structure. Each language has multiple modules which come with multiple levels. You need to clear a set of levels before advancing to the next module.

In Duolingo, the primary method of learning a new language is through translation. You translate words or sentences to the language of instruction. This helps in learning the vocabulary, identify the verb forms, and develop grammatical skills.

Note that not much importance is given to speaking and listening in the core programs. However, there are some listening exercises where you need to type the words or lines you hear. There aren’t any live training sessions or human interactions either.

The other fun aspect of Duolingo is the gamification of the learning structure. As you learn, you also earn “Gems” or “Lingots” (two forms of Duolingo currency). You can use these currencies to buy extra lessons or to restore your health if you make mistakes.

Duolingo also tracks your progress and has tools like a goal-setting feature to help you stay motivated. It can also send you daily reminder emails to pull you back to the course. Since regular practice and long-term memory storage are essential for learning a new language, this is a practical feature.

Benefits of Duolingo

Here are some of the advantages of Duolingo that we loved.

• All the courses are offered free.

• There is a wide range of languages to choose from. There are multiple instruction languages as well. You can even learn multiple languages at the same time.

• The app tracks your progress and has multiple built-in features to help you stay motivated. There are plenty of visual reminders too.

• The simple game format helps to keep the learners interested. This also helps in progressing through the lessons at a faster rate.

• The context-based learning method doesn’t focus on the rote memorization of new words. This makes the overall learning process more effective.

• The interface is simple and easy to use. It provides a clear idea of the various options to the learner.

• The app allows you to redo certain exercises that help you to reinforce the skills you have learned.

Drawbacks of Duolingo

Let’s not forget that Duolingo isn’t without some cons either. Here they are.

• The range and quality of the content vary between the languages. The most popular languages have the best content. Also, the focus is more on English-based learners.

• There have been issues with Duolingo using bizarre sentences to help with grammar points. While the problem has been resolved to some extent, it still persists with some languages.

• It’s only for developing basic language skills and not for advanced users. If you want to pursue a language seriously for advancing your career you should take help from other resources.

• Some learners don’t prefer the gamified format of learning a language. The penalization system for mistakes can also be discouraging for some learners.

• The free version comes with a lot of ads.

Babbel vs Duolingo: Compared

The choice between Babbel or Duolingo isn’t easy, as both are good options in their own way. While the apps have some similarities, a closer look will tell you that they are different animals. Here are some of the main points of difference between the two.

• The primary difference is in the business models used by the two. Babbel uses a monthly subscription model whereas Duolingo keeps it completely free for users which makes it an incredibly accessible option. But it also has a paid service and generates revenues from advertising. In addition, Duolingo sells the translations done by the learners to major corporations.

• Duolingo offers a vast number of languages but Babble focuses on a few languages. If you have a fascination for learning exotic languages, Duolingo offers more options. However, the content quality in Babbel is more consistent.

• Babbel allows learners to skip back and forth between lessons and try smaller modules when they want. With Duolingo, learners get much less freedom. The lessons can’t be skipped and the course pattern needs to be followed to progress. Besides, Duolingo doesn’t offer you any information about the full course structure when you start.

• Babbel offers a balanced approach through writing, speaking, and listening practices. A recent addition also includes group classes through Babbel Live. In the case of Duolingo, there isn’t any actual speaking practice. Nor do you get any feedback related to your pronunciation.

• Babbel uses real native speakers for all the audio recordings in its lessons. On the other hand, Duolingo uses text-to-speech software for audio. So in terms of delivering pronunciation cues, Babbel does a better job.

• The lessons in Duolingo are simple and not challenging enough for making serious progress. The low-intensity training sessions don’t help you to gain the best vocabulary or grammar skills. Babbel is more challenging for advanced learners.

• The gamification of the learning structure in Duolingo makes it a more enjoyable experience for some users. The overall learning experience is more fun and less boring compared to Babble. At the same time, it can be distracting for serious learners.

• The user interface of Duolingo is more simple than that of Babble. In some cases, the software interface of Babble is more glitchy.

So what’s the bottom line?

If your goal is to learn one language and you prefer learning through actual conversations, Babbel is a better option. Users who have already crossed the basic steps in a language will also find Babble a more advanced tool. It can help you to make tangible gains within a set time period.

Duolingo works best for absolute beginners or for learners who want to play with multiple languages. It can also work as an additional support tool when you are already learning a language. Overall, it’s easily accessible and an addictive option for learners looking for something easy to begin their language journey.

Alternatives

Rosetta Stone - One of the oldest language learning software that offers a paid package. It uses a dynamic immersion technique to improve your skills at all levels.

Pimsleur - Offers an audio-based service to develop speaking and understanding skills of a new language. It offers over 50 languages with a monthly payment plan.

Mondly - It uses multiple practical tools and focuses on phrases rather than on words. It’s also useful for learners who don’t have English as a first language.

Memrise - It uses video learning sessions and a “Learn with Locals” feature to help you learn the actual accents of words and sentences. You can choose between a free or a paid plan.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, there’s no definite winner in the Duolingo vs Babbel duel. When it comes to learning languages, every student has their own preferences and learning style that works best for them. Characteristics like cost, course structure, the use of interactive elements, can play an important role in the choice.

After looking at both options in detail, we feel that Babbel is a better choice for learners who are seriously committed to one language. It offers a more intensive learning experience without making it overwhelming for slow learners. For others, Duolingo can also be a good option. In truth, even the best language software won’t help you to get fluent overnight. So it’s necessary to set realistic goals while using these tools.

Frank Smith said, "One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way." With multiple online tools to choose from, the possibilities are limitless for you to open the “new doors”.