In this article, we will talk about Babbel, Duolingo, and Memrise language learning apps. We will also see which language app is better. When it comes to learning a language, there are two ways through which users can learn different languages, one is by joining language learning classes and the other is by using an app.
Joining a language learning class is a great move to learn the language of your interest. However, if you join a language learning class, you should be present in the class at the required time. Therefore, language learning classes may not be a better option for working professionals. On the other hand, language learning apps can be a better option for all persons. Users can learn languages at any time from anywhere using these apps.
Babbel vs Duolingo vs Memrise Comparison
All of these three language learning apps are available on Google Play Store and App Store. You can also learn languages by visiting their official websites. Whether you learn languages on their websites or through their apps, the features remain the same. The only difference is their User Interfaces.
We will compare these three language-learning apps based on the following factors:
- Available language courses
- Content and course structure
- Features
- Pricing options
All of these apps have an option to select your level for a particular language you want to learn. For example, you can select whether you are a beginner or an intermediate in the language you want to learn. Let’s start.
1] Language support
First of all, let’s compare all these three apps based on the languages they offer to learn. Duolingo and Memrise offer the most language courses, whereas, Babbel offers only a few popular language courses.
Let’s see some of the language courses these apps offer:
- Babbel: Spanish, French, Italian, English, German, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, etc.
- Memrise: French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Turkish, Hindi, English, Korean, etc.
- Duolingo: Russian, English, Dutch, Greek, Polish, Latin, Hindi, Spanish, Korean, German, Arabic, etc.
The language learning courses you want to learn in Duolingo and Memrise depend on the language you speak. While selecting a language course, you will also see an option “I Speak.” Select the language that you speak. Then the app will show you the available language courses that you can learn from your native language.
For example, if I select Hindi as the language I speak, only English language course is available to me in both Memrise and Duolingo apps. I will get more language courses in both apps if I change my spoken language to English.
2] Content and course structure
Now, let’s see the content and the course structure of all these language-learning apps. Both Babel and Memrise offer limited courses in the free plan. Whereas, Duolingo offers many free language learning courses as compared to other two apps. The approach applied to all these apps to learn languages is different.
Here, we will talk about the content and the course structure offered by Babbel, Memrise, and Duolingo.
Babbel
Let’s start with the Babbel app. Babbel applies a Unit-wise approach to language learning courses. They have divided each language course into different units with each unit containing a number of chapters. You can view the list of all units and chapters on the Home page of the Babbel app under the Learning plan. Starting the lessons, you will see Flashcards, where the app will display a word and you have to guess its correct meaning. Don’t worry if you make mistakes, as it will repeat the words so you can learn them effectively.
Babbel contains different types of exercises, like flashcards, match-making exercises, fill-in-the-blanks, etc., that will help you learn the language effectively. It also has audio exercises in which you have to fill in the correct word after listening to the audio. After the completion of the exercise, Babbel will display your score on the screen.
On the Review page of the Babbel app, you can review your vocab. Babbel also offers free live classes to learn languages. You can access and book free live classes on the Live page of the app.
Memrise
Memrise has divided the structure of language courses into three parts, Build Vocabulary, Practice Listening, and Practice Speaking. You can access them on the Home page of the app. The practice sets contain different types of exercises, including multiple-choice questions, question-answers in the form of videos, etc.
The Scenarios page of the app has different lessons to strengthen your vocabulary in the language that you want to learn. The Scenarios page is the complete path to learning the vocabulary of a language. They have divided the vocabulary into different parts, including vocabulary related to food, professions, normal life, games, basic words, travel, etc. After learning the vocab, you can practice by attempting the tests.
Memrise also features videos to learn different words. The Conversation page of the app offers language conversation where you can learn the language in the form of a conversation. In the free plan, you will get only a limited number of conversations. After the free conversations have expired, you have to upgrade your plan to use this feature.
Related article: Free online courses from top universities like Harvard and Stanford.
Duolingo
Duolingo uses a different approach for language learning courses as compared to the Babbel and Memrise apps. The entire interface of Duolingo is animated. Hence, it increases user retention because it seems that a user is playing a game while attempting lessons. Duolingo has made language learning fun by introducing animated characters into the app.
The course is also divided into different units and lessons. Duolingo offers a lot more learning exercises in its free plan than the Babbel and Memrise apps. Though it lets users access a lot of courses in the free plan, the access is actually limited. You will get 5 hearts. One heart is used when your answer is wrong. You will get a free heart after every 5 hours or you can purchase a heart by spending gems. You will earn gems after giving after attempting lessons in each unit. You can also earn hearts by attempting more practice sessions. Unlimited hearts are available for paid users.
Duolingo also offers different types of learning exercises, like listening exercises, multiple-choice questions, translations, match-making, etc. You can review your mistakes on the Practice page of the app.
3] Features
Let’s compare all these apps based on the features they offer. We will talk about some of the features of these apps.
Babbel
- Babbel allows users to join free live classes.
- You can explore courses by level and by topic.
- Babbel features Podcasts by Babbel language experts. You can access these Podcasts on the Babbel website. They are now available in the app too. This is a new way to learn languages with Babbel.
- Babbel also features games. You can learn languages by playing games. You can access only a limited number of games in the free plan.
- You can also boost your learning by reading articles. These articles are available on Babbel Magazine, which is available on the Explore page of the app.
Memrise
- Memrise offers video lessons.
- You can learn vocabulary based on different scenarios with Memrise.
- By attempting conversations, you can gain confidence in speaking your favorite languages.
Duolingo
- Duolingo offers a lot of language learning lessons in the free plan.
- The whole interface is animated which makes language learning fun. This also makes Duolingo a good language-learning app for kids.
- You can unlock Leadership and attempt daily quests in Duolingo.
Related article: Learn English with English Club app for Windows.
4] Pricing options
The pricing plans of Babbel, Memrise, and Duolingo are different from one another. Babbel offers five different pricing plans, including 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and lifetime plans. The lifetime pricing plan of Babbel offers access to all languages. Babbel also offers 20 days money-back guarantee.
Memrise offers three different paid plans. The paid plans of Memrise are called Memrise Pro. You can subscribe to its monthly, annual, and lifetime paid plans.
The subscription plan of Duoling is called Duolingo Super. You will get unlimited hearts in the paid plan. Duolingo provides the paid plans free for 2 weeks to all users. After trying Duolingo Super for 2 weeks, you can purchase its paid plans. It offers two paid plans, namely, Duolingo Super and Duolingo Super Family.
To know the complete details about their paid plans, visit their official website.
Related article: Best e-Learning Apps, Websites & Tools to educate Kids at home.
Which is the best Language learning app?
We have talked about each of these apps above in this article. Now, let’s see which app is better. All these apps use a different yet effective language-learning approach. Memrise offers videos to learn languages, whereas, Babbel offers free live classes. On the other hand, Duolingo has an animated interface that makes learning fun. Both Babbel and Memrise offer limited free practice sets, whereas, Duolingo offers more practice sets in the free plan as compared to Babbel and Memrise.
Also, both Duolingo and Memrise offer more languages than Babbel. Hence, it depends on you which language app is better for you. You can select the language app for yourself based on your needs and interests.
That’s it. I hope this helps.
Is Babbel better than Memrise?
Bubble is better than Memories in some features, and vice-versa. Babbel offers live courses. Users can join free live courses as per their needs. This feature is not available in Memrise for now. Babbel also offers Podcasts and Babbel Magazine to help users learn languages effectively. On the other hand, Memrise offers video lessons and a conversational style learning approach. The languages Memrise offers are also more than Babbel. Therefore, selecting one of these apps depends on your needs.
Is Memrise better than Duolingo?
Memrise is better than Duolingo in some features, and vice-versa. The learning approach of Memrise is somehow more effective than Duolingo, as it offers video lessons and a conversational style learning approach. On the other hand, Duolingo makes learning fun by the introduction of animated characters. Due to the animations, it is also a suitable language-learning app for kids. Moreover, Memrise offers limited access to content in its free plan, whereas, Duolingo offers more content than Memrise in its free plan.