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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	italki	Babbel
Overall score	87	90
Tagline	The thing AI still can't replace	Lessons written by actual linguists
Best for	Conversation fluencyExam & academicWork & business	Travel-ready basicsWork & businessConversation fluency
Use-case fit	8	8
Level fit & AI tutor	Beginner Intermediate Fluent No AI tutor	Beginner Intermediate Fluent No AI tutor
Verdict	Not an app that teaches you, but the fastest way to improve once you can speak at all. Budget two sessions a week alongside a course app.	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	Real humans, including certified teachers and exam specialists 150+ languages, including ones no app covers Community tutors are cheap enough for several sessions a week	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	Pay per lesson adds up quickly Tutor quality varies — finding the right one takes a few tries Requires scheduling around time zones	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

italki leads this comparison with an overall score of 87. It is strongest for Conversation fluency and Exam & academic. Babbel is the closest alternative at 90. Choose italki if real humans, including certified teachers and exam specialists; pick Babbel if courses are built per language pair, not translated from one template.