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Compare language-learning apps

Pick up to four apps and compare scores, features, pros, and cons.

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App	Anki	Babbel
Overall score	79	90
Tagline	Ugly, free, and unbeatable	Lessons written by actual linguists
Best for	Exam & academicWork & business	Travel-ready basicsWork & businessConversation fluency
Use-case fit	6	8
Level fit & AI tutor	Beginner Intermediate Fluent No AI tutor	Beginner Intermediate Fluent No AI tutor
Verdict	Not a course, an engine. Every learner heading for an exam or a large vocabulary should be running it in the background of whatever else they use.	If you want to actually understand the language rather than pattern-match your way through it, Babbel is the best-designed course app for European languages.
Pros	The most effective retention tool in existence, at any price Free on Android, desktop and web; shared decks for every language Fully offline and syncs across devices	Courses are built per language pair, not translated from one template Grammar is explained in plain language at the moment you need it Dialogues are realistic and immediately usable
Cons	Interface is genuinely unfriendly You must build or curate decks yourself No lessons, grammar, speaking or listening practice	Only 14 languages, all European plus Indonesian and Turkish No AI conversation partner in the core app Content runs out around upper-intermediate
Full review	Read review →	Read review →

Quick takeaway

Anki leads this comparison with an overall score of 79. It is strongest for Exam & academic and Work & business. Babbel is the closest alternative at 90. Choose Anki if the most effective retention tool in existence, at any price; pick Babbel if courses are built per language pair, not translated from one template.