Learning a new language is easier than ever before. We're still far away from having chips implanted into our brains that will teach us a new language within minutes, but at least with language-learning apps like Rosetta Stone and Babbel we can learn a new language whenever and wherever we want. These two companies take advantage of present-day technology to provide comprehensive courses that teach more than disconnected vocabulary. One example of this is the voice recognition they both use to test their students’ speaking capabilities and point out where they need to improve. Indeed, Rosetta Stone and Babbel have their fair share of similarities, but there are still differences that will make one of them work best for you.
| Overview | Rosetta Stone | Babbel |
| Logo |  |  |
| Rating |  | |
| Reviews | Reviews | Reviews |
| Visit | Visit Site | |
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial |
| Coupons | Coupons | Coupons |
| Headquarters | U.S. | Germany |
| Founded | 1992 | 2007 |
| Main Features | Rosetta Stone | Babbel |
| # of Languages | 24 | 14 |
| Languages | ES, FR, DE, JP, IT, CN, RU, PT, EN | ES, FR, DE, IT, PT, RU, SW, NL, PL |
| Placement Test | ||
| Interactive Games | ||
| Audio | ||
| Videos | ||
| Live Tutoring | ||
| Average Duration of Lessons | 15 mins | 10 mins |
| Cultural Context |
| Language Skills | Rosetta Stone | Babbel |
| Vocabulary | ||
| Grammar | ||
| Writing | ||
| Reading | ||
| Speaking | ||
| Listening |
| Platforms | Rosetta Stone | Babbel |
| Browser Version | ||
| Windows | ||
| Mac | ||
| Linux | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS |
| Pricing | Rosetta Stone | Babbel |
| Lowest Price | $10.38/mo | $6.25/mo |
| Monthly Subscription | $13.95/mo | |
| Quaterly Subscription | $26.34/mo ($79) | $9.05/mo ($27.16) |
| Biannual Subscription | $19.84/mo ($119) | $7.65/mo ($45.91) |
| Yearly Subscription | $14.92/mo ($179) | $6.25/mo ($75) |
| One-Time Purchase | $199 | |
| Free Trial | 3 days | 1 lesson |
| Free Version | ||
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 20 days |
| Payment Methods | Rosetta Stone | Babbel |
| Visa | ||
| Mastercard | ||
| American Express | ||
| PayPal | ||
| Wire Transfer | ||
| Discover | ||
| Amazon Payments | ||
| Google Checkout |
| Customer Supporter | Rosetta Stone | Babbel |
| 24/7 | ||
| Live Chat | ||
| Community | ||
| On Call |
Rosetta Stone
Providing courses for more than 20 languages, Rosetta Stone is available on both desktop and mobile. It offers an immersive learning experience from the get-go that forces students to learn without using their native language as support. In other words, lessons are written in the language being learned, and users acquire new vocabulary by association.
The courses are well structured and display a clear path to follow, but students can jump around the program as they see fit. The app tackles reading, writing, listening, and speaking exercises, but since it teaches through repetition, it can become tedious over time. Fortunately, Rosetta Stone offers extended learning games as well as the option to schedule live sessions with native teachers, so there are different learning experiences available that make the process more entertaining.
The software is extremely easy to use. Sadly, the price is not as user-friendly. Quarterly installments are the shortest billing cycle available, costing $11.99 per month and giving access to only one language course. To get full access to all the language courses with only one subscription, students have to get at least the yearly plan, which costs $7.99 per month. Furthermore, there's also the option to get a lifetime subscription for $199.
Rosetta Stone Course Structure
Rosetta Stone Vocabulary Exercise
Rosetta Stone Live Tutoring
Babbel
Babbel offers language-learning programs for 13 different languages. Although this is a smaller number than some of its competitors, the company covers the most popular ones, and it’s available for desktop and mobile. The app also builds up to an immersive experience where English indications slowly fade away throughout the course.
The Babbel Method consists of real-life dialogue and spaced repetition. Lessons offer some cultural context, and users juggle between writing and speaking while learning vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Although there’s a designated path, Babbel students can decide what course structure they want to follow, and there are class bundles focusing on specific themes such as work or traveling. There are also extended learning options to make the process more enjoyable, such as podcasts, review exercises, and videos with learning tips.
A separate subscription is necessary to unlock each language program. The billing cycle can go from monthly to yearly installments, and as usual the longer the user commits, the cheaper the service becomes. In this case, while a monthly plan with Babbel costs $12.95, the yearly one costs $6.95 per month, which translates into a 46% price drop.
Babbel Interface
Babbel Cultural Context
Babbel Extra Courses
Conclusion
It's no wonder why both Rosetta Stone and Babbel are major players in the language-learning industry. They offer comprehensive language courses that teach all the necessary skills to speak a language fluently. Nonetheless, there are some differences between them. Babbel is the only one of them offering cultural context, making it a better app for students who want to know more about the country where the learned language is spoken. On the other hand, Rosetta Stone is the only one that offers the possibility of scheduling live lessons with a native teacher. Even though these are paid separately, it's a nice addition that Babbel should consider incorporating into its service. Pricing-wise, Babbel may be cheaper than Rosetta Stone, but the subscription only unlocks one of the languages in its portfolio. Rosetta Stone on the other hand grants access to all 24 of its languages for subscriptions with a higher commitment than one year, making it more attractive for people who want to learn several languages at the same time.