People looking to learn a second or third language may wonder whether Busuu vs Babbel is the right choice for them. If you’re struggling with the same question, this article might help you.
While there are thousands of language-learning apps out there you can purchase, Busuu and Babbel have distinguished themselves from the pack. Both apps are extremely effective in helping people grasp a foreign language.
However, it made us wonder which app would win the race if they were put side by side. Hence, we’re here with a comparison article for Busuu and Babbel, where we’ll make it easier for you to distinguish between the two.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started!
Busuu vs Babbel (2024): In A Nutshell
Further in the article, we have compared each parameter in detail. However, for readers who want a quick summary of Babbel vs Busuu, here is a complete comparison table!
| Criteria | Busuu | Babbel |
| Free trial | Yes | First lesson is free |
| Price | $13.95/month | $13.95/month |
| Money back guarantee | Yes | Yes |
| Number of languages | 14 | 12 |
| Grammar | Top-notch, AI-powered | Incorporated into lessons |
Busuu vs Babbel: Overview
While we all know Babbel and Busuu is a popular language learning platforms, let’s go through an overview to know what it offers.
What is Busuu?
Busuu’s language-learning program gamifies the learning experience for you. It uses a speech recognition tool to help you connect with native speakers and learn directly from them. Instead of useless word games, Busuu provides digital flashcards and sentence structures to equip users with various words and phrases used in daily conversations.
Busuu allows users to learn at their own pace instead of imposing a strict schedule. Even if you’re a businessman with a tight schedule, you can still learn with Busuu by investing 10-20 minutes of your day. Whether you’re a beginner or need to brush up on your language skills, Busuu can help you achieve your goals.
What is Babbel?
Babbel’s features have gained quite popularity in the market. Its interactive exercises, such as vocabulary drills, reading exercises, and live conversations, will help you learn the basics of any language in no time. Each language course explores all areas of learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The app has an impressive adaptive algorithm that tracks your progress based on your answers to ensure you get the best out of the learning experience. Check Babbel review here.
Babbel was created by language experts who developed each course for people with different native languages. For example, learning French for Chinese natives will be a different experience from Spanish natives.
Busuu vs Babbel: Key Features
Various features of each platform distinguish them from the others. Let’s check some of the top features of Babbel and Busuu.
Busuu
- Native speakers correct your answers in written exercises.
- Voice recording and recognition allow you to record your voice during practice sessions and get feedback from native speakers.
- Grammar and vocabulary instructions are given in 15 different languages.
- Each word has voice recordings.
- With every new word you learn, examples and dialogues are given for better understanding.
Babbel
- Babbel’s daily life content makes you conversational in a few days.
- Lessons are extremely interactive and make the learning process fun.
- Helps learn perfect pronunciation with speed recognition.
- 60-minute live classes with a language expert allow learners to explore new topics and conceptions.
- Lessons are bite-sized to avoid overwhelming and confusing the learner.
Busuu vs Babbel: Lesson Structures
Whether you are a beginner or an intermediate-level learner, having a simple lesson structure makes learning easier and more fun.
Weighing the importance of lesson structures, let’s see how each platform stands out from the other.
Busuu Lesson Structure
When you first sign up with Busuu, you either start at the very beginner level or take a placement test to understand what level you are currently on in your target language. Then, you select the level of fluency you wish to achieve and when you are free to learn.
Once you complete the signing-up process, you will be directed to the Busuu dashboard, where you can view your lesson structure in an organized manner. You can also see and try the features included in your subscription. Each lesson takes about 15 minutes to complete, containing 3-4 short lessons.
Additionally, you will be prompted to review words and phrases you’ve already learned through a repetitive learning approach. This ensures you don’t forget the things you’ve previously learned while you progress.
Babbel Lesson Structure
Babbel’s learning approach is useful and effective as it first focuses on strengthening your foundation. Babbel explores all modes of teaching through drills, exercises, flashcards, and conjugation lessons. Additionally, it provides cultural tips about your target language, which most other language learning options lack.
There is nothing like connecting with a language expert live; Babbel realizes this has added a new feature. Now, users can speak with a language expert in real time and have their queries and confusions answered.
Babbel’s lessons are short, like Busuu, 10-15 minutes long. Each lesson contains engaging reading, writing, listening, and speaking exercises that motivate you.
Busuu vs Babbel: Languages Offered
We can’t judge a language learning platform without checking which languages they offer. One of the critical parameters that will decide your final choice is the number of languages it offers and whether it contains the one you are curious about.
So, let’s go through the languages chosen by Busuu and Babbel.
Busuu languages offered
Busuu offers 14 popularly known and spoken languages, including
- English
- Korean
- Spanish
- Dutch
- Japanese
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Chinese
- French
- German
- Turkish
- Italian
- Polish
- Arabic
Each language is developed using an internationally recognized standard for creating language courses called the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Babbel languages offered
Babbel offers 12 languages, including French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Norwegian, Indonesian, Danish, and Spanish.
Busuu vs Babbel: Customer Support
No matter how easy to use the platform is, having a reliable support team helps eliminate the hassle and ensures you do not get stuck. When reviewing customer support, we included their on-hand customer support as well as their DIY resources.
Busuu customer support
Busuu has a dedicated FAQ section containing the answers to various categories of questions, such as Troubleshooting, Profile setting, Premium subscription, billing, etc. For the user’s ease, there is a search bar where you can type the keywords to your question, and it will pop up. You can refer to the “Submit a request” page if your question does not exist in the FAQ section.
Babbel customer support
The customer service of Babbel is much like Busuu, where they have a dedicated FAQ section with various questions and a search bar. The FAQ section is called the Help Center, and if you are unable to find your query there, you can refer to the Contact Us page and send a request.
Busuu vs Babbel: Pros And Cons
We are almost at the end of our Babbel vs Busuu battle! Before we wind up the comparison, it is time to weigh their pros and cons!
Busuu pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Direct feedback from natives during exercises | Feedback can be wrong sometimes |
| Accurate translations in the target language | Free plan is limited and sometimes useless |
| Cultural tips for enhanced learning | Not for advanced learners |
| Grammar is prioritized | Limited grammar lessons in the free version |
| Excellent value for a long-term subscription | Relatively small language options |
Babbel pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Relatively inexpensive than other options | Have to pay for each course |
| Well-structured lessons | Lessons are repetitive and can be boring |
| Provides tons of detailed explanations | Not for advanced learners |
| Bite-sized lessons | Lessons are for English natives only |
| Live classes with a language teacher | Lessons have varying quality |
Busuu vs Babbel: Pricing And Subscriptions
Last, but important are the pricing differences between both platforms. It is better to have a platform that offers an affordable and flexible pricing structure. After all, you don’t want to rip a hole in your bank account for a language-learning platform.
With that, let’s see the pricing!
Busuu pricing
Busuu offers both free and paid plans for its users. While the free plan is unlimited, it may not be that useful since it only provides you with flashcards to learn new words. Therefore, besides building your vocabulary, the Busuu free version has no other features.
On the other hand, Busuu’s premium version has a whole range of content in store for you. The Premium version can be bought for one month at a time, six months, or 12 months at the price of $13.95/month, $8.45/month, and $3.48/month, respectively. Therefore, the longer the subscription, the more money you save.
Babbel pricing
Babbel offers several subscription options, and the monthly prices vary depending on the length of your subscription. You can buy for one, three, six, or twelve months at a time at $13.95/month, $9.95/month, $8.45/month, and $6.95/month, respectively. If you’re unhappy with the subscription, you can submit a refund request within 20 days and get your money back. You can also look for some working Babbel coupon which helps you save more on the plans.
Final Verdict: Which One Is Better?
All comes down to the final question: is Babbel or Busuu better for learning a new language? Well, honestly, there is no specific answer to this question. Both platforms are excellent and are what they claim. Whether Busuu or Babbel is better depends on your goals and learning style.
Busuu and Babbel essentially have a similar course structure and teaching style. They are well-designed, easy to use, and offer almost similar languages. Both apps offer interactive exercises, making learning fun and engaging.
On the other hand, Busuu and Babbel have similar downsides. For example, both are designed for beginners and can only teach up to the intermediate level. So, if you’re looking for advanced learning, you should look for another option.
Coming to the price factor, the monthly price for a single-month subscription is the same for Busuu and Babbel ($13.95/month). Therefore, there’s not much price difference.
So you see, there are not a lot of differences between the two platforms. Ultimately, it’s you who needs to decide which will work better for you and make a choice.
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Conclusion: Which Language Learning App is Better?
So, that was our article on Busuu vs. Babbel. If you ask us, we would say that both platforms are undeniably great at what they offer. However, it ultimately depends on the user’s preference. Both options help you learn a new language in the comfort of your home at similar prices.
One of the most important things to determine before starting a language course is the amount of time you can dedicate daily. Babbel and Busuu are both good for people with busy schedules. But, if you have extra time for in-depth learning, you might want to look elsewhere.
At the end of the day, you cannot go wrong regardless of whether you choose Busuu or Babbel. We hope you liked our article. Please refer to the comment section for feedback.
FAQs
Yes. Both Busuu and Babbel offer a money-back guarantee. You can request a refund within 14 and 20 days for Busuu and Babbel, respectively.
One major difference between Busuu and Babbel is the speech recognition feature. While Babbel depends on its software to provide accurate feedback, Busuu depends on its user base.
Yes. If you have the Babbel and Busuu mobile apps downloaded on your smartphone, you can use the apps without an active Internet or WiFi connection.
Yes. Both Babbel and Busuu start teaching a language from scratch (if you do not take the placement test and already have knowledge about your target language). They are good for building a strong foundation for beginners.
Babbel claims to teach the basics of a new language within three weeks, while Busuu claims to do the same within 22 hours of continuous practice. However, the time it takes to finish the entire course depends on how much time you can invest daily.
