Babbel vs italki
Overview
Babbel is the world’s best selling language app with 10 million purchased subscriptions. It teaches common words and phrases and then immerses you in simulated conversation to practice them. Recordings of native speakers and advanced voice recognition help to hone your accent, and culture and grammar tips bring the language into context. A review manager tracks your progress and with Babbel Live you can receive small group tuition.
italki is an online language learning community which connects students and teachers for live online lessons in 150+ languages. It’s highly user oriented: you choose your teacher, the type and number of lessons you take and whether to learn 1-1 or in group sessions. You pay as you go with no subscription and can connect with other learners and native speakers for free via the community.
Pros
- Covers all elements of language learning - speaking, listening, reading and writing plus grammar explanations and exercises
- Personalized learning paths and a review manager to help identify weaknesses
- Provides access to native speaking teachers through Babbel live
- Regularly updated content and a focus on practical, real-life conversations
- Available on both web and mobile platforms
- Culture Bites and Babbel Magazine promote cultural savviness
- Integrated podcast series promotes language immersion
- Live tutoring from professional or community teachers to help you get fluent fast
- Connects you to native speakers - via the community and by selecting a native speaking teacher
- Flexible - learn what and when you want at your own pace and with no subscription
- 1-1 tuition enables you to personalize lessons 100% to your needs
- 150+ languages to choose from with lessons covering speaking, listening, reading and writing and tutors to cover all levels
- Free italki community to ask questions and receive feedback
- 1-1 or group lessons available
- Free resources to boost learning between lessons
Cons
- Pacing is a little slow at times
- Fewer languages than its competitors and only one Asian language (Indonesian)
- Minor interface annoyances with the desktop version
- Potential lack of consistency due to tutor availability
- May not suit absolute beginners, or those preferring a more structured approach
- Lack of curriculum
Best for
Best for: Babbel is a comprehensive language learning platform that’s great for a wide range of learners. That said, I’d say Babbel is best for those wanting to learn a new language from scratch or looking to improve their intermediate skills. It will especially suit people who want to learn flexibly in short bursts and those interested in joining small live tutorial groups.
Best for: Anyone wanting to receive live, individual one to one tuition and connect with native speakers from over 180 countries. Whether this is to learn a new language or improve on your existing skills. Also, those not wanting to commit to a subscription. However, as there is a tendency to use the target language almost exclusively in lessons, it may not suit those who are shy or tentative about doing this - or those who are absolute beginners.
Price
From $7.45 per month
From $10 per hour
Number of users
10 mlllion subscriptions sold
5 million
Overall
Overall: Babbel is an excellent choice if you want to learn a new language efficiently and effectively. Its well-designed lessons, practical approach, and customizable learning paths make it a great tool for gaining real-world language skills. Babbel Live instructor-led classes provide a more immersive experience for anyone serious about language learning. Combine Babbel’s curated courses with the Babbel Live classes and you’ll be speaking your target language in no time at all.
To providerOverall: italki is an adaptive, practical way to learn a new language or build on current skills. Live lessons get you reading, speaking, and writing in no time. Unlike many providers, italki connects you with native speakers and live teachers which allows you to get personalized real-time feedback. I found italki to be an effective platform for immersion in a new language but you do need to be prepared to dive right in and speak the target language from the off.
To providerSupported languages
Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, Swedish, Turkish, Polish, Norwegian, Danish, Indonesian, and English for non-native speakers.
The most popular are: English, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese (Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien), French, Italian, German, Korean, Arabic (Egyptian, Gulf, Levantine, Maghrebi, Modern Standard), Hindi and Russian. But equally, a range of less widely spoken (or even fictional) languages are also on offer including Basque, Choctaw, Dothraki and Klingon.
About
Babbel was founded in Germany in 2007 as the world’s first language-learning app. It’s now the best selling, with over 10 million purchased subscriptions. It has a strong focus on intuitive lessons that center on learning a new language through real-life conversations
Babbel’s methods have been developed by 150+ language experts and the platform now has 13,000+ hours of content across 14 languages. It uses proven techniques that move new vocabulary through all your brain’s memory stages before cementing it into long-term memory.
In a study of Babbel’s teaching methods by , researchers found that 100% of participants improved their language proficiency by a statistically significant margin
All Babbel’s courses are unique and take into account the similarities and differences between ‘language pairs’. That is, your native language and the one you’re learning. This accelerates progress and helps develop cultural sensitivity.
Babbel also provides customized experiences that adjust to your progress and preferred way of learning. It recently added live instructor-led classes to create a more immersive and interactive experience for anyone serious about language learning.
italki launched in 2006 as a social network for language exchange. It connected people around the world so they could learn from one another.
It expanded in 2008 to include a marketplace where learners could pay fees to teachers for live online individual or group lessons.
Italki now has over 5m learners and 20k+ teachers from 180 countries who offer personal tuition in 150+ languages. You select the language you want to learn, the level you want to learn at and the teacher that best suits your needs. And you pay as you go for lessons so there are no fixed fees or rigid timeslots to commit to.
How it works
Babbel is a subscription service available on both desktop and mobile, providing portability if you want to learn on the go. Lessons are self paced so you can fit learning around your schedule.
Core lessons are arranged by Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels. Additional lessons are grouped by language-specific skills and themes so you can pick and choose based on what you want to develop. This combo of both structured and flexible approaches lets you progress through the material in a logical but personalized manner.
The Babbel method:
- Is grounded in real-world conversations to get you speaking right away
- Promotes cross over learning by building grammar and vocabulary in each new language using “language pairs”. That is, similarities and differences between your native language and the one you’re learning
- Supports learning by teaching you in your preferred style, be it by reading, writing, speaking, seeing or listening
- Trains your brain to learn constantly with spaced repetition, periodic prompts and reviews
Uses audio dialogue examples recorded with native speakers (not bots)
You’ll also learn about the history of your target language, discover recipes and songs, and gain tons of helpful cultural tips.
Babbel tracks your progress and displays it on a leaderboard. This gamified approach encourages healthy competition among learners and makes language learning more motivating.
To get started you simply select the language you want to learn and answer some questions about why and how you want to learn, how much time you’re willing to commit each week, your age range and where you heard about Babbel. You then either select a subscription or scroll down the page for a free trial.
To get started you go to italki.com and simply click on ‘Start now’ and open a free account using your email address, Google, Facebook or Apple.
From that point on, you are in control of what and when you learn, as well as who you learn with.
After selecting the language you want to learn, you can choose your skill level, take a language placement test or work with a teacher to build a customized learning plan.
Teachers will be filtered to match your target language and skill level. Most offer a 30-minute trial at a reduced rate and hourly rates for each lesson. They set their own fees and sessions helping you find those best suited to your budget and schedule. And because you pay per lesson, there’s no fixed fees and you can choose how much time to commit.
The italki Classroom is similar to Zoom but is a built-in feature of the italki desktop and app versions. So, you don’t need to download any additional software. Some tutors also offer the option to use Zoom or Skype.
With the aim of immersing you in a language, italki tutors will speak to you mainly in the target language right from the get go.
You also have the option to record lessons and watch them back as often as you’d like, which is great for revision.
What a lesson is like
- Self-paced lessons that teach new material through context-based exercises
- Easy-to-understand grammar instruction
- Voice-recognition software to perfect your accent
- Babbel Live virtual instructor-led classes
Lessons take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete and are broken down into bite sized chunks.
Babbel introduces you to new vocabulary through context-based exercises, accompanied by images and native-speaker audio. This helps you memorize the vocabulary and understand how to use it in real-life situations. A combination of matching, fill-in-the-blank, sorting, writing and speaking exercises are mixed in with cultural and grammar tips.
Babbel's speaking lessons utilize voice recognition technology. You mimic a native speaker’s pronunciations and get instant feedback to help you perfect your accent.
Babbel also offers Babbel Live, which features live group classes led by certified language teachers. These sessions allow you to practice newly acquired skills with fellow students, receive real-time feedback, and engage in conversation.
Lessons on italki vary depending on the teacher you choose, lesson length, your skill level and your individual preferences.
Teachers will assess your current level if you’re new and help to develop a programme that suits you if you choose to commit. You can contact any teacher to clarify lesson content prior to purchasing.
Once you’ve chosen your teacher, you connect via italki’s own version of Zoom. This is built-in so you don’t need to download any software. The connection is stable and high quality so you can stay focussed on the lesson.
In a typical lesson you will:
- Converse directly with your tutor in the target language as much as possible (aiming for this to become 100% of the time)
- Speak, read and translate phrases from a worksheet, with real time feedback to help pronunciation
- Engage with interactive whiteboard content
- Pick up new vocabulary with picture clues and real life examples
Use the note function to write phrases
Each tutor and every lesson I took was conducted mostly in the target language. This was rather intimidating at first. But repetition, visual clues, use of worksheets, notes and the interactive whiteboard help to make things clear.
You can also review lesson content by re-entering the chat page and your teacher can share resources and set tasks to take learning beyond the classroom.
Who is it good for?
Babbel is an appealing and versatile language learning platform that’s great for a wide range of learners. That said, I’d say Babbel is best for the following learners:
Anyone who’s:
- Learning a new language from scratch
- Keen to improve their intermediate skills in another language
- Interested in applying language-learning to real-life scenarios
- Keen to join regular small group live tutorials
- Appreciates short, sharp bite sized lessons
- Needing to learn flexibly on any device
The italki learning style would suit anyone who:
- Feels they’d benefit from 1-1 teaching
- Is keen to spend time practicing conversation in their language of choice
- Is unable to commit to rigid programmes and fixed time slots
Already has some foundational skills and is looking to advance
While italki is designed for students of all skill levels, you will be expected to converse in your chosen language. So, coming to italki with some basic knowledge to build upon is ideal.
Right away, italki has you speaking and listening in your chosen language. This means you get real-life experience talking to a professional teacher and/or a native speaker!
Features
- Flexible learning with offline mode
- Personalized approach
- Speech recognition technology for pronunciation practice
- Babbel Live virtual group classes with certified teachers and native speakers
- Review Manager for reinforcing learned content
- Regularly updated content to ensure freshness
- Podcast series to aide language immersion
- Gamification
- Cultural insights and grammar tips
- Personalized 1-1 live tuition
- Direct contact with native speakers
- Immersion
- Flexible pay as you go learning
- Desktop- or device-based to best suit your needs
- italki Challenge
Is it worth it?
On balance, Babbel has a lot going for it if you want to learn a new language.
For a start, it’s more than just an app for acquiring vocabulary and phrases. It integrates cultural understanding into its programs because Babbel understands that language and culture are closely tied. An understanding of how a different culture works helps you learn the mechanics of the language associated with it.
Likewise, Babbel's grammar explainers ease you into complex concepts, whereas other apps rely on you learning grammar intuitively by constantly seeing it used in context.
And the addition of Babbel Live virtual classes addresses the shortcomings of purely pre-set programs. They're engaging, effective, affordable and absolutely no limit on the number you take.
The pacing and structure of core lessons may not be to everyone’s taste and may feel a little repetitive. But they could be ideal for time starved students who need to squeeze in some language learning into their daily hustle and bustle. And the Explore tab is always there in case you get a bit burnt out on the meat and potatoes in the primary lessons.
And while Babbel may not cater to all the Asian language enthusiasts out there, it's a goldmine for Euro-language lovers.
And with the free trial and generous refund policy, there’s really no reason not to give it a shot.
In short, it depends on your preference.
If you’ve tried out some other providers like DuoLingo and found the content hard to translate into everyday life, italki is an excellent resource for building your speaking and listening skills.
Also, if you have a busy/unpredictable lifestyle and find that you can’t commit to fixed days, italki makes the scheduling process easy and convenient for you by letting you choose your time slot.
Although I don’t have extensive speaking skills in my chosen language, I found that after only a couple of hours I had so much more confidence speaking Italian aloud than I ever did from using previous sites. That being said, as someone with zero knowledge of Welsh I felt very overwhelmed at first - though I did make progress by the end of the lesson.
While being thrown in at the deep end and conversing almost solely in your chosen language is intimidating, it is arguably the best way to progress and advance those foundational skills.
With trial lessons starting at as little as $5, with no commitment needed, you have very little to lose and a whole lot to gain. If you’re looking for adaptive learning that suits your needs and helps you to become fluent fast, italki is one of the best e-learning options out there.
So, why not browse the teachers and give it a go?