Do you love learning languages as much as I do? Or do you have a pending trip and need to quickly learn some phrases so the locals can warm up to you and you can make a good first impression?
There are so many ways you can learn a new language these days, and Rosetta Stone, Babbel, and Duolingo remain the top three apps for learning. This is no surprise, but you’ve gotta wonder which one is the best?
Honestly, that very much depends on you, your needs, and how you learn best, but there is a language-learning platform (of these three) I prefer the most. I’ve tried and tested these out for you, so here’s my honest and comprehensive comparison of Rosetta Stone vs Babbel vs Duolingo.
Who wins the language-teaching battle?
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What Is Rosetta Stone?
Rosetta Stone is seen as the gold standard in language-learning platforms.
Many companies, universities and colleges, medical institutions, and the U.S. military recommend Rosetta Stone as their learning app of choice.
It’s been around since 1992 and has kept up with the times. These days, you can learn a language on the Rosetta Stone website and its mobile app (available for Android and iOS devices).
Rosetta Stone offers immersive language learning in 25+ languages, focusing on pronunciation, reading, and real-life conversation through its dynamic immersion method.
Key facts and highlights about Rosetta Stone
- Rosetta Stone has a long history, initially starting with CD-ROM products before transitioning to online and app-based learning.
- Known for its immersive language learning method that uses no translations, focusing instead on intuitive learning through images and context.
- Offers courses in over 25 languages, catering to both individual learners and organizations.
- Features TruAccent, a sophisticated speech recognition engine, to improve pronunciation and accent.
- Acquired by Cambium Learning Group in 2020, expanding its reach in educational technology.
- Has received numerous awards, including PC Magazine’s Editors’ Choice and Best Language Learning Software.
PROs
- Immersive learning in the target language
- Engaging exercises to keep you interested
- Learn with native voice actors
- Multiple reviews available for each exercise
CONs
- No free trial
- Lack of lesson walkthrough
- Absence of grammar explanations
- No pronunciation feedback without additional expenses
Rosetta Stone’s Language-Learning Method
Rosetta Stone’s approach to teaching you a new language is immersive in nature. It wants to replicate how you learned your mother tongue, so you learn in the target language and not via translation and memorization (as is common for many other language-learning platforms).
The Dynamic Immersion method teaches you via native audio, images, real-world scenarios, and written words, and you have to put the puzzle of the new language together. This method requires a lot of patience and time.
The Target Audience of Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone’s immersive experience is quite overwhelming if you didn’t know what you signed up for. Plus, there are no walkthroughs with the lessons, making it quite confusing.
But that said, Rosetta Stone is targeted at teenagers and adults. If your kids want to learn, you can sit and help them (but knowing how clever my kiddies are, they’ll figure it out faster than most adults do!).
Beginner students will benefit the most, and intermediate students (like me with my Turkish and Italian studies) will only benefit if they want to revise the target language or get extra practice.
Unfortunately, Rosetta Stone doesn’t offer much or any advanced material for those who are relatively proficient in the language they are learning.
What Is Babbel?
Babbel was created in 2007 and launched to the public a year later. With a robust advertising and marketing spend, it’s become a popular language-learning solution for many.
The language learning app provides courses in 14 languages, emphasizing conversational skills through realistic dialogues and cultural insights.
It offers interactive, personalized lessons focusing on vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, with speech recognition technology.
Babbel’s structured approach suits learners aiming for practical language use in everyday situations.
If you believe in Babbel’s promises, you’ll be conversational in your new language in as little as three weeks. While that is kinda true, a lot of how much you learn, retain, and can recall in real-life situations depends on how much time and effort you put into your language studies (and what extra resources you use to help you learn).
Key facts and highlights about Babbel
- The most popular leanguage learning app made in Germany.
- Offers courses in 14 different languages, with a focus on European languages.
- Tailored towards practical conversation skills, integrating cultural context and real-life dialogues.
- Lessons adapt to user’s learning pace and style, offering review sessions for reinforcement.
- Incorporates speech recognition to aid in pronunciation and listening skills.
- Popular among learners worldwide, with a strong presence in Europe and expanding globally.
PROs
- Minimalistic interface
- Varied exercises to keep you engaged
- Basic grammar explanations for helpful learning
- Easy vocabulary review with a helpful tool
CONs
- Limited to learning 14 languages
- Costly; subscription covers one language
- Unequal content for languages under the same cost
- Live classes are not available for all languages
Babbel’s Language-Learning Method
Babbel’s language-learning method is also focused on immersion, but you mostly learn via translation and memorization on the app. Its real-life conversations are supposed to simulate what you’ll experience when you travel or converse with natives. And as you learn authentically, you learn about the local culture and traditions.
Babbel’s teaching approach is science-backed and aligned with CEFR (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
The Target Audience of Babbel
Babbel’s target audience is similar to Rosetta Stone. With the minimalistic interface, Babbel will appeal to teenagers and adults who are beginner language learners.
Intermediate and advanced learners won’t benefit much from learning a language on Babbel because there isn’t enough material to keep them interested or improve what they already know.
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What Is Duolingo?
Duolingo was the last of these three apps to join the language-learning fray (it was created in 2012), but there’s no doubt that it is the most popular of the bunch.
Duolingo offers interactive language learning in 30+ languages with a gamified, user-friendly approach.
It features bite-sized lessons, voice recognition, personalized review sessions, and a streak system to motivate users.
Focusing on vocabulary, and pronunciation, it’s ideal for beginners and intermediate learners seeking a fun, accessible learning experience.
Key facts and highlights about Duolingo:
- Duolingo was founded by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker at Carnegie Mellon University.
- Its mission is to make language education free and accessible to everyone worldwide.
- One of the most popular language learning platforms, with millions of active users globally.
- Went public in 2021, listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
- Pioneered the use of gamification and AI in language learning, constantly updating with new features and improvements.
- Recognized for its educational impact, including awards like Apple’s iPhone App of the Year and Google Play’s Best of the Best.
- Available for free with an optional paid subscription for an ad-free experience and additional features.
- Offers courses in over 30 languages, including less commonly taught languages.
PROs
- Offers diverse languages
- Engaging lessons with various exercises
- Requires only a 5-10 minute commitment
- Highly intuitive platform with no learning curve
CONs
- No grammar explanations in lessons
- Lesson quality varies based on the language
- No dedicated customer service team
- Need daily lessons to maintain Streak
Duolingo’s Language-Learning Method
Duolingo’s learning method is also science-backed and adheres to the international standards set by CEFR. You mostly learn through memorization and translation on this platform.
When you learn a language on Duolingo, you are immersed in a game-like environment with a colorful interface, animated characters, silly situations (and translations to keep learning fun), and rewards to keep you entertained, motivated, and learning.
The Target Audience of Duolingo
Duolingo’s target audience is pretty much anyone – kids, teens, and adults – all thanks to its cool interface that makes everyone feel like a kid.
Similar to Babbel and Rosetta Stone, Duolingo is also aimed at beginner language learners. I’m an intermediate Turkish and Italian learner, and I’ve just been using Duolingo to sharpen my skills.
Comparing Key Facts: Rosetta Stone vs Babbel vs Duolingo
Fact | Rosetta Stone | Babbel | Duolingo |
Launch date | 1992 | 2008 | 2012 |
Headquarters | Arlington, Virginia, U.S. | Berlin, Germany | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Free or paid-for app | Only subscription options | Free trial Subscription based | Freemium Subscription options |
Number of languages on offer | 25 | 14 | 40+ |
Languages the website is available in | 12 | 9 | 25 |
Number of monthly website visitors | 2.5 million | 8.5 million | 50 million |
App downloads | 10+ million | 50+ million | 700+ million |
What Languages Are Available on Babbel, Rosetta Stone & Duolingo?
Duolingo: 40+ languages, but what you can learn depends on your native language (or one you’re proficient in).
Read more: What Languages Are Offered on Duolingo?
Babbel: 14 languages
Rosetta Stone: 25 languages
Here’s a breakdown of the languages that Babbel vs Rosetta Stone vs Duolingo offers (and where they overlap):
Language | Rosetta Stone | Babbel | Duolingo |
Arabic | Yes | No | Yes |
Catalan | No | No | Yes |
Chinese (Cantonese) | No | No | Yes |
Chinese (Mandarin) | Yes | No | Yes |
Czech | No | No | Yes |
Danish | No | Yes | Yes |
Dutch | Yes | Yes | Yes |
English | Yes (British & American English ) | Yes | Yes |
Esperanto | No | No | Yes |
Farsi (Persian) | Yes | No | No |
Finnish | No | No | Yes |
French | Yes | Yes | Yes |
German | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Greek | Yes | No | Yes |
Haitian Creole | No | No | Yes |
Hawaiian | No | No | Yes |
Hebrew | Yes | No | Yes |
Hindi | Yes | No | Yes |
Hungarian | No | No | Yes |
Irish | Yes | No | Yes |
Indonesian | No | Yes | Yes |
Italian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Japanese | Yes | No | Yes |
Korean | Yes | No | Yes |
Latin | Yes | No | Yes |
Navajo | No | No | Yes |
Norwegian | No | Yes | Yes |
Polish | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Portuguese | Yes (Brazilian Portuguese) | Yes (Brazilian Portuguese) | Yes |
Romanian | No | No | Yes |
Russian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Scottish Gaelic | No | No | Yes |
Spanish | Yes (Latin America + Spain) | Yes (Latin America + Spain) | Yes |
Swahili | No | No | Yes |
Swedish | Yes | No | Yes |
Tagalog | Yes | No | No |
Turkish | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Ukrainian | No | No | Yes |
Vietnamese | Yes | No | Yes |
Welsh | No | No | Yes |
Yiddish | No | No | Yes |
Zulu | No | No | Yes |
Duolingo also has two fictional languages you can learn:
- For Game of Thrones fans – High Valyrian
- For Trekkies (Star Trek fans) – Klingon
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What are the Costs of Rosetta Stone, Babbel, and Duolingo?
Duolingo is the only language-learning solution that has a completely free version, while you need to pay to use Rosetta Stone. Babbel has a free trial, but the company doesn’t advertise it so consider yourself lucky if you know about it.
Here’s more detail about how much Duolingo vs Babbel vs Rosetta Stone costs:
Rosetta Stone Costs
With no free trial available on Rosetta Stone, you have to commit to test out the app. But you can reach out to customer services and request a refund within 30 days if you’re not satisfied.
Here are the costs for the subscriptions (undiscounted):
- US$15.99 per month (3-month subscription)
- US$10.50 per month (12-month subscription)
- US$399 for a Lifetime subscription
If you want live classes and one-on-one coaching, you’ll pay extra. Unfortunately, Rosetta Stone isn’t upfront about these costs.
Two group classes cost at least US$29.99 (excluding tax).
Babbel Costs
Babbel has a free trial, so you can do the first couple of lessons of the 14 languages the app offers for free. But if you like what you see and want to continue your studies on Babbel, you need to subscribe.
Read also: How Much Does Babbel Cost?
Choose between:
Babbel Self-Study, which includes interactive lessons
- US$13.95 per month (excluding the discount the site offers at times)
- Choose if you want to pay monthly, or go with a 3, 6, or 12-month subscription
- US$599.99 for the Lifetime subscription (not discounted)
Babbel Live, which includes interactive lessons and live classes
- US$99 per month (not discounted)
- Choose a monthly, 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month subscription
Duolingo Costs
As a freemium learning app, you can learn any language on Duolingo. While you have limited hearts (or lives) and ads after every lesson, you don’t have to worry about sharing your credit card details with Duolingo. Just enjoy learning or dabbling in languages.
If the ads become a hassle or you want to unlock premium features, Duolingo has two subscription options:
Super Duolingo
- US$7.99 per month
- US$47.99 for an annual subscription (once-off fee)
- US$71.99 for an annual family plan (once-off fee)
If you’re not sure Super Duolingo is right for you, access the free 2-week trial.
Max Duolingo
- US$30.00 per month
- US$168.00 for an annual subscription
Max Duolingo is only available if you live in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. (That’s a bummer for the rest of us!)
Rosetta Stone vs Babbel vs Duolingo Special Features
Here are some stand-out features each of these language-learning platforms offer:
Rosetta Stone
- Interactive lessons
- Live lessons
- One-on-one coaching
- Audio companion
- Phrasebooks
- Videos
- Stories
- Target language alphabet and phonics
Babbel
- Interactive lessons
- Live lessons
- Videos
- Stories
- The Babbel Magazine
- Toucan, a free browser extension to increase your immersive experience
- On and offline learning
- Special courses
- Podcasts
- Games
Duolingo
- Interactive lessons
- Stories
- Videos
- Official Duolingo Podcast
- Gamification with daily quests, streak, and legendary challenges
- Follow friends and friend challenges
- Easy review of the lessons, new words, and common mistakes
The Battle Is On: Rosetta Stone vs Babbel vs Duolingo
Rosetta Stone’s Pros and Cons
Pros
- One of the most well-known language-learning apps recommended by many.
- Varied exercises, so you can stay engaged.
- You can review an exercise or a lesson multiple times.
- You learn via natural language because of the native voice actors recording the audio for Rosetta Stone.
- Can learn 25 languages.
- Taught via immersion (you learn in the target language), which is a natural way of learning for some people.
Cons
- With no free trial, you have to share your credit card deets and pay for subscriptions. You can request your money back within 30 days of signing up, but you’ll likely lose out some $ due to the exchange rate.
- No lesson walkthrough, so it’s confusing to get the hang of things.
- No grammar explanations, which would make learning a language easier.
- You need to put in a lot more time and effort to learn via immersion. While you can fly through a lesson in 10-15 minutes, to really learn, you need to go back and review the lesson or exercises multiple times.
- If you want to learn more than one language, it gets costly because one subscription equals access to one language, unless you have the money for a Lifetime subscription.
- While the scoring is instantly gratifying, it’s demotivating when you don’t do well the first couple of times until you learn, figure out what the words/phrases mean, and improve your pronunciation.
- No pronunciation feedback, making it challenging to learn, unless you have the money to pay for live or one-on-one coaching lessons.
Babbel’s Pros and Cons
Pros
- You can try out Babbel’s interactive lessons and two live classes for free before committing. And even if you subscribe, you can request your money back within 20 days if you’re unhappy.
- The minimalistic interface is a huge draw for some people.
- Varied exercises, ensuring you stay engaged and focused.
- Basic grammar explanations, which are helpful while not being overwhelming.
- Native voice actors record the audio so you’re exposed to natural language usage.
- Easily review the target vocabulary, and the review tool is great to use and keep you on track.
Cons
- Can only learn 14 languages (compared to Babbel’s 25 and Duolingo’s 42).
- Babbel promises that you’ll be able to hold conversations within 3 weeks of starting to learn but that’s unlikely. Of course, being conversational in your target language depends on what your native language is, how much time you spend learning and practicing, and whether you are a complete newbie or already know some of the language you are learning.
- Costly since a subscription only gives you access to learn one language, unless you have a couple of hundred bucks to pay for the Lifetime subscription.
- The languages do not have the same amount of content, so it seems unfair to pay the same subscription cost per language.
- The live classes aren’t that great with it being limited to 6 students and you have to book far in advance to get into a class or topic you want to attend. Also, the live classes aren’t available in every language Babbel offers. I didn’t feel like the live classes added to my learning journey.
Duolingo’s Pros and Cons
Pros
- You can learn 42 languages for free.
- It’s the only language-learning platform that teaches you really diverse languages, including those from Africa and popular TV shows. (Rosetta Stone and Babbel only offer European, Middle Eastern, and Asian languages.)
- Budget-friendly; the subscription for Super Duolingo is the most affordable (compared to Rosetta Stone and Babbel).
- Gamification features may not appeal to everyone, but learning should be fun. Plus, the rewards and challenges keep you coming back for more learning-time.
- You’ll stay engaged during the lessons as you practice with different kinds of exercises.
- Only requires a 5-10 minute commitment for you to learn a language.
- Highly intuitive platform with no learning curve.
Cons
- No grammar explanations in the lessons, but you can access basic grammar info in the Guidebooks of each Level/Unit.
- To keep your Streak going, you must complete at least one lesson a day. That’s okay, but if you get busy or really don’t have time, it’s disheartening to lose your Streak, unless you have a Freeze.
- Speech recognition isn’t the best. Plus, you don’t get personalized feedback on how to improve.
- Quality of the lessons depends on what language you are learning.
- No customer service team, but the Help Center is extensive to guide you to an answer to your query.
- The silly sentences and translations don’t appeal to everyone.
Begin learning a new language with Babbel! 🌟 Unlock up to 55% OFF your Babbel subscription today!
The Final Verdict: Which Language-Learning App Is the Best?
So, which is the best app to teach you a foreign language?
Will it be Rosetta Stone because it’s been around for 30 years and it is considered as a “gold standard” for teaching languages immersively?
What about Babbel that has an intuitive interface and combines different teaching approaches to get you conversational ASAP?
Or Duolingo, which is super popular with the most app downloads, most languages on offer, and you can learn with its game-like interface completely free?
It truly depends on you, your learning style, what language you want to study, your budget, and your goals.
For me, I love Duolingo. The kid in me lights up with the colorful interface, and the competitor in me loves a good challenge and to win that Legendary trophy. I also like the little time commitment needed to complete a lesson or two per day, meaning I can stay motivated and find time to supplement my learning with other resources.
What language-learning app do you love, and why?
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Disclaimer: I select and review independently. If you buy through affiliate links, I may earn commissions that help support my testing at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure for more information.
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