Babbel Review 2024: An Honest Opinion on the Oldest Running Platform

Today, if we check, hundreds of platforms focus on teaching a language. Each has a different approach to teaching a new language. Some may have courses, whereas others may have a live tutoring approach. Fortunately, I found a platform that offers both: Babbel. Babbel is a well-known name in the world of language learning. Actually, it’s the oldest running platform. When I learned this, the only thing I had in my mind was, ‘Is it really worth it?’ So, I thought, why not try it? If you are at a point where you can’t decide whether to choose it or not, just read this Babbel review. I am sure you will find the answers to all your doubts.

Quick Takeaways

• Babbel is the oldest language-learning platform.
• There are only 12 languages available on it. Two popular languages – Japanese and Chinese, are also not available on it.
• Despite the regular course, there are additional features like podcasts, games, etc to help learn the language.
• It also offers live teaching services with the first two classes free.

What is Babbel?

As mentioned above, it is the oldest running platform teaching only 12 languages. The lessons are interactive and enjoyable with some engaging exercises like quiz style and fill-in-the-blanks. The real-life dialogues make it a perfect choice to understand how to have conversations.

Is Babbel free?

Babbel is a paid platform with limited free content. It means I had to get the subscription plan to take advantage of it. Here is the table representing the prices of the platform-

Type of the plan	Pricing
Monthly	$13.95 per month
3 Months	$29.85 ($9.95 per month)
6 Months	$50.70 ($8.45 per month
12 Months	$83.40 ($6.95 per month)
Lifetime	$299.5

Remember: There is no free trial for the subscription plan. However, it does offer a 20-day money-back guarantee.

Babbel languages

The worst part of this platform is the limited number of languages offered. There are only 12 languages on this platform which I have mentioned below-

• Spanish
• French
• German
• Italian
• Russian
• Norwegian
• Dutch
• Polish
• Turkish
• Swedish
• Danish
• Indonesian 

Note: I was shocked to know that there is no Chinese and Japanese course on it. 

Course Overview

Despite being the oldest platform, it is important to understand how the course is created. Thus, I will give an overview to understand the sections available on it. There are five tabs on the platform-

• Home 
• Review
• Live
• Explore
• Prices (which I have already covered above)

1. Home tab

It is the tab that will cover the whole course. In starting you will see two sections: Today and Learning Path. Both sections are the way to start with the lessons. In the Today section, you can directly start with the lesson. Whereas,  in the learning path there will be the structure of the course.

The course is divided into various units, which are divided into multiple lessons. The way this path is created is similar to Duolingo’s learning path. Each unit focuses on a specific topic. However, all the courses start from learning how to greet and introduce yourself. The lessons are covered with explanations and multiple exercises.

In starting I got some words, a picture, and its translation. After that, there will be exercises based on it. Following are some exercises that I got in the lessons-

• Choosing the correct meaning of the translated words
• Listen and choose the correct answer
• Completing the sentences
• Match the words with the meanings
• Sort the items 
• Completing the conversation by filling up the missing words

There is also a practice session for each lesson. It will unlock once the lesson is completed.

2. Review tab

It is the tab that helps to practice the words and phrases to maximize the vocab learning. To review the vocab, there are 4 features for it-

• Flashcards: There is a picture with the meaning of the word. Tap on it to get the translation. Once the translation is spoken, it will ask if you remember it correctly or not.
• Listening: In it, I had to listen and choose the translation of it.

• Speaking: This section is what we need to improve our pronunciation. In this section, select the primary language and confirm the privacy policies of the platform. Then there will be audio which I had to listen to and practice the exercises.
• Writing: This section is more like choosing the words rather than typically writing them. There will be a picture with the sentence. I have to choose the structure of the translated sentences from the options of the words given below. In addition to that, other sections help me to save the words that I find harder to learn.

3. Live tab

The next tab is the live tab. I got some good tutors on this platform. In this tab, I could find multiple tutors. It also allowed me to filter the tutor based on different factors. Remember the first class is free to book. The main thing that makes this feature different from other live teaching platforms is the price you pay. I like other platforms where the pricing of all the tutors is the same. It means that I had only paid a one-time subscription plan, which allowed me to choose any tutor. The following table shows the subscription plans for taking live classes-

Types of plans	Pricing
1 Month	$99
3 Months	$163.35 ($54 per month)
6 Months	$267.31 ($45 per month)
12 Months	$415.83 ($35 per month)

Note: The platform allows you to get the first two classes freely. 

4. Explore Tab

It always feels great when you get something extra. This platform gave me that extra thing that boosted my self-confidence. Following are some extra features that I got under this tab-

a. Courses

 There were extra courses that I could choose from depending on the levels and the topics. The highest level course was for B2 learners in the Russian language. It means there is no specific course for advanced learners. 

b. Grammar Guide

It is the section that covers the grammatical explanations for the lesson learners. In the very beginning, it will be empty. But as soon as you move on,  there will be the addition of grammatical explanations in this section.

c. Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to get knowledge of the things you are learning. I personally use podcasts a lot when it comes to learning a new language. But I never thought of getting it on the platform where I am learning it. Babbel has made it possible to get them on a single platform. After listening to them, I can definitely say that Babbel has great Russian podcasts.

d. Games 

I have always said there is no better way of learning a language than the help of the gamification element. It makes things interesting and easy to understand. To play your first game, getting some new words is important. I got my first game unlocked when I completed 3 to 4 lessons. 

e. Babbel Magazine

The way I looked at the magazines was really different before I checked Babbel magazine. I used to believe that they were for entertainment purposes. But after I checked Babbel magazine, my whole concept changed. It is way more than just entertainment. If you are a serious learner I would say it’s important to check it out. It’s a package of guidance for language learners.

Babbel review: Is it worth it?

Before choosing any platform, we are always stuck between doubting whether it is a useful resource or not. The same was the case for me when I chose Babbel. After using it for Russian, I could easily understand why it is the longest-running language-learning platform. The course is created in such a nice manner. There was no confusion on which unit to choose first. It started from the introduction part and slowly landed up to a higher level.

Another thing that makes the platform worth using, is the additional features. It not only had a particular course but also podcasts, magazines, games, etc. If you want, there is a live tutoring session, which is an extra advantage for you. Overall the platform works amazingly when it comes to language learning. Also, I believe getting so much for just $13.95 per month is unbelievable. However, if you are on a tight budget, it may be a problem for you.

Here is a quick comparison to make the choice easy for you-

Pros	Cons
The course is created keeping beginners in mind	The speech recognition tool is not that good.
Multiple additional resources – Podcasts, Games, Magazine, etc.	Some exercises may be repeated again and again
Single subscription plan to get unlimited live classes	There is very limited free content on the platform
The lessons are short
The platform is easy to use

Alternatives of Babbel

Some learners may have a very tight budget. In such a case, they may want some free platforms to look at. Or you might not find it a nice platform. Thus, I am sharing some alternatives that are really good at teaching a new language-

1. Tandem 

Practice makes a man perfect

This is what exactly Tandem will help you to do.  It’s basically a language exchange program where we could talk to native speakers online for free. It is like a practice app. Connect with native speakers and practice as much as possible. 

2. LingoDeer 

One thing that I think is lacking in Babbel is the teaching of characters. LingoDeer is a perfect platform that not only teaches the language but also its characters. It starts with teaching the alphabet and then switching to the course. In fact, in my whole journey, there was no such platform that teaches the alphabet. 

3. utalk

It’s a perfect choice for visual learners. There are images on the screen and based on them, the words are taught. Although, in starting it’s easy to use. But after some time, it may be tough to understand what is in the image. Once I got a picture where a person and a dog were watching each other. I thought it was about playing with the dog. But the translation was different.

Important: Preply and iTalki are two great alternatives for learning a language live from a tutor. However, I would suggest sticking with Babbel Live. Getting unlimited live classes for just $99 is great.

Conclusion 

Choosing Babbel was a great experience. The design of the course was amazing. There was a particular path that started from the introduction part. It also gave me so many additional resources that helped me to improve my Russian knowledge. Some of these resources were games, magazines, and podcasts. The live feature makes it a great tool to use. There is a single-subscription plan for unlimited classes, making it a great choice for live classes.

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