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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Babbel vs Memrise Easy Language Learning

Babbel 4.7★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Memrise Easy Language Learning
Memrise Easy Language Learning 4.8★ · Free + IAP 70

Memrise has a slight edge due to its broader language selection and perceived effectiveness for vocabulary acquisition, despite recent technical issues and AI integration concerns, while Babbel struggles with app performance and limited language options.

Full reviews: Babbel · Memrise Easy Language Learning

Babbel and Memrise both offer structured language learning, but recent reviews highlight significant technical issues and AI integration problems for Memrise, while Babbel users report app glitches and a limited range of languages. Memrise is praised for its extensive language offerings and real native speaker videos, but its recent updates have led to frustration regarding AI and bugs. Babbel is appreciated for its structured lessons but is criticized for its lack of engagement and technical problems.

Head to head

Features & Content edge: Memrise Easy Language LearningR2R3R12R13
Babbel Babbel offers structured lessons with speaking, listening, and writing options, and some users find it better than Duolingo for learning words and grammar R2R3. However, it's criticized for repetitive sentences in reviews, lack of new sentence generation, and limited vocabulary practice R3. Users also desire more AI integration and open dialogue . A significant drawback is the limited language selection, particularly the absence of Asian languages like Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, and other languages like Greek and Hebrew R12R13R25R42. Some find the content too fast-paced for beginners .
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise is praised for its extensive language offerings, including less common languages like Choctaw and Lakota, and a wide variety of courses . It features videos of real native speakers, which many users appreciate for authentic pronunciation . However, recent updates have introduced an AI chatbot that many users dislike and find intrusive, with no option to disable it . Some users report missing audio for certain languages and a lack of grammar lessons in the free tier .
Ease of Use & Engagement tieR2R5R8R14
Babbel Babbel is described as easy to learn and intuitive R2R14. However, some users find it lacks engagement features like daily streaks R5 and is not visually appealing compared to competitors R8. Review options are sometimes hidden or limited . Some users struggle with the pace, finding it too fast for older or inexperienced learners . The app is also criticized for not offering hands-free or voice control options .
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise is generally found to be intuitive and effective for quick vocabulary acquisition . It offers a flexible streak system . However, recent updates have made the app painfully slow and difficult to navigate for course recaps . Users also report issues with the review mode, finding it useless or buggy, and an inability to repeat previous lessons or review at their own pace . The interface has issues like small text and Arabic symbols .
Reliability & Performance edge: BabbelR6R9R10R14
Babbel Babbel users report frequent glitches, crashes, and performance issues, especially with progress tracking R6R9. Speech recognition is a common problem, with the AI failing to understand perfectly pronounced words and sometimes getting worse over time R14R22R29R30. Some users experience issues with the app not syncing across devices or not working in iPhone lockdown mode . There are also complaints about the Russian language keyboard not switching R10.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise has significant and widespread reliability issues, with many users reporting the app not loading, crashing, or not saving progress after updates . Progress, including streaks and completed lessons, is frequently lost R70. Specific issues include courses not loading, especially for paid lifetime members , and Japanese audio missing .
Price & Value tieR3R7R8R16
Babbel Babbel is a paid app, and many users express frustration about the paywall after initial free access R7R31R46. While some find the lifetime pass a good investment due to continued updates R8, others feel it's not worth the cost, especially if they don't achieve fluency or encounter difficult content at the end R16. The cost is also questioned given the app's repetitive review sentences R3.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise also has a paid model, and users report issues with billing without approval and difficulty canceling subscriptions R73. Some users feel the app is no longer worth paying for due to recent AI changes and removal of beloved features . There are complaints from lifetime members about content not loading, making their purchase worthless . However, some users appreciate that many features, including videos and AI conversations, are available without a paywall, and ads are short and skippable R80.
Customer Support tieR1R70R73R85
Babbel Babbel users report difficulty reaching support, with one user stating they had no luck reaching out despite having 6 months left on a paid subscription R1.
Memrise Easy Language Learning Memrise users frequently complain about non-existent or unhelpful customer support. Issues include automated responses, tickets being closed without human review, and no response to multiple emails regarding billing or app functionality problems R70R73R85.
Pick Babbel if

You prefer a more structured, class-like learning experience with a focus on European languages and grammar, and you are willing to overlook some app glitches and limited language options .

Pick Memrise Easy Language Learning if

You want to learn a wide variety of languages, including less common ones, and appreciate learning with real native speaker videos, even if it means dealing with recent app bugs and intrusive AI features .

Evidence note: Both apps have a mix of positive and negative reviews, with recent negative reviews for Memrise heavily focused on technical issues and AI integration. Babbel's negative reviews are more spread across app performance, content limitations, and language availability. The free vs. paid asymmetry is present, with some negativity for both apps stemming from free-tier limitations or frustrations with paywalls after initial free access R7R31R46R80.

Frequently asked

Which app is better for learning less common languages?
Memrise is significantly better for learning less common languages, as it offers a much broader selection including languages like Choctaw, Lakota, Urdu, Toki Pona, and Icelandic . Babbel is limited primarily to European languages and Indonesian, with users expressing disappointment over the absence of Asian languages like Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and others like Greek and Hebrew R12R13R25R42.
Do Babbel and Memrise have free versions?
Both Babbel and Memrise offer free versions with in-app purchases (IAP), but users report that Babbel quickly hits a paywall after an initial questionnaire or a few lessons R7R31R46. Memrise also has a free tier, and some users appreciate that many features, including videos and AI conversations, are available without a paywall, and ads are short and skippable R80.
Which app has better speech recognition and AI features?
Babbel users report significant issues with its speech recognition, with the AI often failing to understand perfectly pronounced words and its performance regressing over time R14R22R29R30. Memrise has recently integrated an AI chatbot, but many users find it intrusive, not engaging, and wish there was an option to disable it .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Babbel 5/5 · US great tool: easy tu learn
  2. [R3] Babbel 3/5 · US Good, needs improvement: I like the overall layout and scope of the program. The different speaking/listening/writing options are nice. The pacing seems right, but there desperately needs to be a function that generates new sentences to apply what the words and phrases learned. Using the same sentences over and over to review seems cheap given the cost of the program. Similarly, there should also
  3. [R12] Babbel 3/5 · US Ironic Name: It’s a nice app but ironic and disappointing that they don’t have Hebrew when the story of the Tower of Babbel comes from the HEBREW bible… Please add Hebrew!
  4. [R13] Babbel 2/5 · US No Asian languages: If all you want to learn are European languages, it’s fine. But they offer no Asian languages at all. No Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Malaysian, etc. Very disappointing
  5. [R5] Babbel 4/5 · US Review: It’s good but it does not encourage me enough So possibly add a daily streak Like Duolingo
  6. [R8] Babbel 4/5 · US Lifetime of evolving knowledge.: Love that I paid for a lifetime and they still update it. It’s a good investment for people who can’t afford the burden of paying subscriptions. The down side is that it needs to be more visually appealing in comparison to its counterparts like Duolingo. It’s known for being “cool” Babbel needs to increase appeal and interaction.
  7. [R14] Babbel 4/5 · US Almost perfect for first time leaner: Everything thus far is great and intuitive. However the speech recognition is having issues and not able to hear to my voice despite several tries and speaking volumes.
  8. [R6] Babbel 3/5 · US Glitchy: App glitchy and crashes when trying to view your progress
  9. [R9] Babbel 3/5 · US Starting off bad: Haven’t even been able to complete my first lesson after I just downloaded/paid for the app. Finish all the way to the last question, then it fails on me. Go back into the app and have to restart the same lesson. Doesn’t give me a lot of hope that this is going to be a useful tool
  10. [R10] Babbel 1/5 · US Keyboard glitch: We couldn’t switch the Russian language keyboard
  11. [R7] Babbel 1/5 · US Do we have to pay?: I really do hate apps that I have to pay in this app is one of them. I’m trying to learn so I can talk to my friends and understand what they’re saying, but I really can’t because every app I go to I have to pay so can somebody please tell me an app that doesn’t pay because I’m so sick and tired of apps staying like you have to pay you have to pay no I don’t like y’all just fin
  12. [R16] Babbel 1/5 · US lifetime pass not worth it: I purchased the lifetime pass thinking I could learn a language, but what ended up being the last segment was far more difficult than the penultimate lesson.
  13. [R1] Babbel 1/5 · US No longer works: I’ve been using the babel italian app for more than 4 years… suddenly it won’t link to my iPhone. I still have 6 months of my paid subscription remaining.. I’ve had no luck reaching out to them. When my subscription is up in December I’ll likely look for a different service.
  14. [R70] Memrise Easy Language Learning 2/5 · US Great until it's not: This app I can see potential in being more conducive and productive in learning languages. But as of the last update, the entire Learn Words set of modes are broken. By broken, I mean none of the completions are saving for ANY of the languages. To make it worse, the customer support/bug report from memrise is honestly disappointing in multiple ways. Automated responses withou
  15. [R73] Memrise Easy Language Learning 1/5 · US Billed without approval: Billing cancellation went through on desktop before renewal but you apparently need to cancel on your phone too. $100 plus charge, they do not respond at all, emailed 4 times same day of charge and nothing for weeks now. Desperate for money maybe, they will ignore you. Be careful with this company.
  16. [R85] Memrise Easy Language Learning 2/5 · US Used to Be Good - No Support: Disorganised app, sort of seems abandoned. Here's the text of a ticket I've opened twice to no response: There is no 'Memrise Shorts' tab in the videos section (iOS). And please just pay your employees to do videos--not only is it a mixed bag (one had animal abuse and extreme violence against women), it seems super sketch to be using YouTuber's videos to pad the app
  17. [R25] Babbel 1/5 · US You need Greek: You don’t have Greek as an option. If you had Greek it would be better!
  18. [R42] Babbel 3/5 · GB Limited options: I’ve heard great things from mates hence the 3 star review. Although the language options are very limited 13 , ES, PT, FR, DE, IT, SE, TR, NL, PL, NO, DK, IDN & RU. Happily use the app for these but not helpful if you’re planning on learning a language outside Europe or Indonesia / it’s 700+ other languages. It’s got a good platform and learning model but yes it’s limited to Euro
  19. [R31] Babbel 1/5 · US Misleading: The app is free but after filling out their questionnaire you’re hit with a $100 pay wall
  20. [R46] Babbel 1/5 · US My opinion: Got to pay right away unlike Duolingo where you can do it right away for free
  21. [R80] Memrise Easy Language Learning 5/5 · US 👍: I’ve loved this app because I can learning a lot new words just if you gave the app for free it will be better an more incredible for every us
  22. [R22] Babbel 1/5 · US Non Stop Issues: I am constantly having issues with this app from hearing my voice to failed attempts to speak with the ai chat bot helper. The program is ok. The execution is the worst.
  23. [R29] Babbel 4/5 · US Poor app performance: This app has regressed every year. I’ve had it why have speaking exercises when the app AI cannot understand a perfectly pronounced the word this is getting ridiculous. I know it can’t be perfect, but it just keeps getting worse. The Italian lessons must get the back burner from the developers.
  24. [R30] Babbel 3/5 · US Mic doesn’t work: I’ve tried all the trouble shooting I see online and nothing fixes it. That’s a huge feature that kinda ruins the experience

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store