The conversation of Babbel vs Rosetta Stone depends completely on what kind of language learner you are, and how far you want to go with your language.
Rosetta Stone, for example, is great for ultimate beginner learners who just want to get to tourist-level understanding, while Babbel is for much more intensive learners.
But, if that doesn’t answer the question of Babbel vs Rosetta Stone for you, let’s go into detail. Both resources are genuinely high quality and very useful, but neither is for every single type of language learner.
Babbel vs Rosetta Stone: languages
First things first, which language(s) are you interested in learning? Both Babbel and Rosetta Stone teach:
- Dutch
- English
- French
- German
- Italian
- Polish
- Portuguese (Brazilian)
- Russian
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Turkish
Rosetta Stone also covers:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- Tagalog
- Greek
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Irish
- Japanese
- Korean
- Latin
- Farsi
- Vietnamese
And Babbel has:
- Danish
- Indonesian
- Norwegian
Babbel vs Rosetta Stone: lesson format
Both languages apps are structured very similarly…but there are key differences.
For example, Rosetta Stone is much more simple. It’s designed for the simplest goals: tourist level of the language. The lessons are static, and you know exactly what you’re going to get. You’ll also be consistently drilled several times over.
This is excellent for beginner language learners without any experience who need to get used to repetition, but boring for those with experience.
Babbel, on the other hand, is more responsive to your answers. If you keep getting something wrong, it’ll bring it up again and again until you get it. Plus, the content is going to go much more advanced, considering it’s built to be more textbook-like.
Babbel leads you through significantly less repetition than Rosetta Stone. Babbel does it SRS (Spaced Repetition) style, where you see more difficult terms more often; Rosetta Stone has a set number of repetitions for you to get through in every lesson.
If you try Rosetta Stone, you’ll learn very quickly if the repetition is too much for you, or if it’s exactly what you need.
From here, it’s pretty evident that Rosetta Stone and Babbel come from very different beginnings: Rosetta Stone being 3-figure-investment CD sets, Babbel being one of the first language learning apps.
Babbel vs Rosetta Stone: levels
As mentioned, Rosetta Stone is only going to get you so far. Babbel will get you…well, farther than that.
The first sign: Babbel asks you to assess your current level. And interestingly enough, the whole thing is in English!
On the other hand, Rosetta Stone doesn’t attempt to assess your level at all. Instead, it presents you with the lessons available and lets you choose the one that you think matches up with your current skill level. This approach is ideal for complete beginners.
Rosetta Stone’s static lessons follow the subject-verb-noun sentence structure all the way through its advanced content. It is engaging and well-rounded and helps you learn to use the language in more than one way, but it still maintains the same, identical patterns regardless of content.
This isn’t a problem if you just want to use the language to communicate simply, maybe for an upcoming trip or something. More experienced learners, however, will get bored quickly.
Rosetta Stone will get you speaking and understanding fast because of its real-life content; Babbel builds your skills over the long term because they’re being built to be more flexible, and useful in a variety of contexts (reading books, watching TV, etc.).
This isn’t to say Babbel doesn’t provide a real-life education, though, but we’ll talk about that later.
Language learning journeys: Rosetta Stone vs Babbel
One of the most important things to keep in mind is where your language learning app is going. It is worth noting here that the exact content from language to language isn’t going to necessarily match.
Like with any other language app, more popular foreign languages are going to be more developed. It’s a simple supply/demand thing. Regardless, here’s how the Spanish courses compare.
Babbel does offer support for more niche interests than Rosetta Stone, at least with languages as popular as Spanish.
However, Rosetta Stone, again, drills its lessons thoroughly. This leaves less room for the fun stuff or other needs you may have.
Speaking practice
If being able to speak your target language is important to you, it’s just as important to choose a language app that will support that goal. So when it comes to learning to speak, how do Babbel and Rosetta Stone compare?
While Rosetta Stone was offering live coaching for a minute, I’m guessing it never really took. At the time of this review, Rosetta Stone is limited to the tech in their app.
On the other hand, Babbel’s coaching system, Babbel Live, seems to be going strong! Basically, every month you can join a certain number of small group classes (limited to 6 participants) with a Babbel teacher where you can get real-life conversational practice.
*Note that a Babbel Live subscription is separate from the Babbel app, but if you pay for Babbel Live, you get the app thrown in free. The Babbel app is priced similarly to the Rosetta Stone app.
Which is your next language app?
While both Rosetta Stone and Babbel are pretty huge language learning apps and are insanely well-known within the language learning industry, they’re actually quite different from each other and serve wildly different needs.
Rosetta Stone is simple. It’ll get you to basic conversations pretty quickly, and will drill you again and again until the lessons truly sink into your long-term memory. And even if you want to eventually go into more intermediate content, Rosetta Stone is still a high quality start.
Babbel is more flexible. It follows your lead and gives you only the information that you need when you need it. Plus, the skills you learn from Babbel can be easily applied to any language learning goals you may have.
Made your choice?
If Rosetta Stone sounds more like your speed, you can learn more about it in my Rosetta Stone review or click here to get started.
Alternatively, if Babbel makes more sense, you can find my Babbel review right here, or click here to try the app.
Hi Jamie, just returned from DR and we want to return on vacation many more times. We travel a lot to Spanish speaking countries. I worked as a firefighter for 32 years with lots of Spanish speakers in my district. I have picked up a bit over the years but in no way do I really speak or understand the language. Italian and Irish decent and I remember a little Italian from my mom and grandmother. 67 now and I just want to learn Spanish enough to not be rude to Spanish speakers when I’m in their country. I’m guessing Rosetta but I will defer to you. I don’t mind putting the time in if that’s a concern. Thank you, Bill M.
Yup, Rosetta Stone’ll do you good! Especially if you’re already so familiar with the language. If the experience you already have makes Rosetta Stone too slow/boring for you, you might also want to consider Busuu for the community aspect, and the ability to prioritise speaking and understanding: https://multilingualmastery.com/busuu-review/
Great comparison! I’ve been torn between Babbel and Rosetta Stone for a while. I appreciate the breakdown of features and pricing. It really helped clarify what might work best for my language goals. Thanks for the insights!
Great comparison! I appreciate how you broke down the strengths and weaknesses of both platforms. It really helped me decide which one aligns better with my learning style. Looking forward to putting your advice into action!
Keep me posted! Feel free to shoot me an email and let me know how it goes 🙂
Hello Jamie! I’m brazillian, then i speak portuguese as mother Language. I decided to learn spanish to do business. I tried Duolingo but its so easy because both languages are very similar in structure and grammar. Now i’m looking for some app to learn fast main verbs, need vocabulary and the right pronunciation. Any advice? Babbel or roseta?
Thanks!
Babbel is more like to help with that!
I taught French and Spanish languages, and I am fluent on both. I know some italian. I am using a textbook from Italy written for English learners. I am also using Duo-lingo. I like reading the rules in my book, but I also like practicing with the Duo-lingo app.
Do you think I should add Babbel or Rosetta Stone?
I feel like Babbel is a good happy medium between the textbook knowledge and making it interesting.
Which program would be better suited for learning Portuguese specifically to pass the A2 language test required for citizenship? Any thoughts?
Babbel is more academic for sure.
My family in Southern Switzerland speak Italian but speak more my Mothers Italian Swiss DILECT (as she was an immigrant from that Canton) that I grew up with. My pronunciation is good since I grew up listening to it but I am interested in learning the Italian Swiss DILECT better so I can communicate better with my family. Which language app would you suggest?
Thank you, Maryanna
If your priority is communication, I would suggest Rosetta Stone.
My 11yo granddaughter ashamedly has Puerto Rican grandparents and father. They have not taught her to speak Spanish, though they use it in the home.
My goal is for her to learn Spanish, conversational, reading and writing.
Her grandmother has agreed to have Spanish phone calls with her to help with conversation.
She does know some items by name. And learns quickly, is bored easily
Why is their Puerto Rican ethnicity shameful? Sounds like it’s an excellent connection for her to have.
At 11 with a supportive family environment, she just needs it to be a positive part of her life. If you want to support her (assuming you don’t have any experience with Spanish), I would just do Duolingo with her! Get her motivated to connect with you with the game, and her parents and grandmother with the language.
She has all the tools, just help her be proud of her heritage and encourage her to pick it up naturally.
Also, no criticisms or judgements when she makes a mistake!
Hi there!
I’m American (from Texas), and my husband is from Oaxaca, Mexico. I studied Spanish for three years during my middle school and high school years. I’ve retained very basic phrases which I taught to our four kids. But as they’re growing, they’re losing their Spanish. My husband works all day. I’m a homeschooling SAHM speaking English all day. I’d like to be fluent in Spanish so that I can teach my children, enabling us to converse with my husband’s side without a translator. I can read, write, sing, but most often than not, I don’t have a full understanding of what I’m reading or singing. I just know a word here and there.
Which would you recommend in my case? Rosetta Stone? Babbel? Something else?
Hmmm good question. Sounds like you have the strategy down, it’s just a matter of following through. Whatever you’re reading or singing, look up what you don’t understand! It may feel overwhelming at first, but take it little by little and you’ll start picking things up without realizing it.
Hi, I’d love to learn how to speak Spanish and French frequently. Which app do you think would be best for me?
Rosetta Stone will definitely get you speaking sooner!
Hi Jamie, I’d like to learn enough Italian to gain entrance into a master’s program in Italian. I took two years of Spanish in college and did well. I’m much older now but I’d like something “traditional”. What do you recommend?
Thanks! Cindy
I would say Babbel is more traditional and more suitable for academic pursuits.
Hi – I can speak Spanish (I’m rusty, but I have a minor degree in it, and I worked in country for a few months). I know NOTHING about French, but I will be traveling there quite often for work for the next couple of years (I will be interacting with locals as well). Would Rosetta or Babbel be better for this scenario? Thanks!
I would probably start out with Rosetta Stone. If that isn’t challenging enough, try Babbel!
I am 73 years old. My ethnic background is my mother from Austria and father from Puerto Rico. I never learned either language. My wife’s of Colombian descent. Her family all speak Spanish. I would like to learn some Spanish just to participate in conversations. And also as a challenge for me at my age to use my brain in learning a new language. What say you.
Thank you.
Rosetta Stone! It may be overwhelming at first, but let your brain warm up a bit and it’ll respond appropriately.
Hi Jamie! I took 4 years of French and studied in France for a semester. While I was there, I reached an advanced beginner/low intermediate level in my speaking and comprehension. It’s been 5 years now and I feel like I’m back to entry beginner.
I would eventually like to do business in France, and need a good working level proficiency. I know if my speaking and comprehension improve, I have the knowledge to read and write effectively. So I am only concerned about speaking and comprehension.
I need a lot of practice with grammar and a lot of practice with vocabulary.
Do you recommend Rosetta or Babbel?
Thank you so much!
If you’ve reached a low intermediate level in the past and want to do business in the language, I’d suggest Babbel. I know it feels like you’re back at 0, but that experience will come back to you much faster than you think!
I work in special education and want to be able to communicate with my Spanish-speaking parents regarding their child’s academic progress and program goals for the upcoming year.
Which program would be best?
I would probably recommend Rosetta Stone just to get the basics down real quick, and then once you’re comfortable with speaking in the basic present tense, focusing on the vocabulary you’ll need.
I have been using duolingo but I thought I should try another app to see if their approach is better. I am learning Greek for an upcoming trip but I want to be fluent. I want to converse and read the language. Which app do you think would be the best or should I just stay with what I am using? Thank you
Stick with what you’ve got unless there’s something in particular you don’t like. If you’re always looking for another better approach, you’ll never make real progress.
THANKS FOR EXPLAINING . I JUST WANTS TO LEARN THE QUICKEST AND EASIEST WAY FOR MY UPCOMING TRIPS.
I don’t know which way to go. I want to learn conversational Italian so that I can speak to other Italians, fluently. I have family and friends that are Italian, also I am Sicilian and would like to learn to speak my native language.
Based on these 2 options? I’d probably go for Rosetta Stone.
Hi Anthony:
I’m of Sicilian descent and my husband reads, writes, and speaks German without any lessons. Picked up while stationed in Germany, and give him two days in a town and he I Ms up the dialect.
My grandmother, who was Sicilian would teach him all the #%+€¥ in the language and he really wants to learn the language. His ability is definitely languages and he has the ear for learning. Trying to get us both to learn Sicilian and honor my heritage. Which program are you selecting? Tks. Georgene (I was named after my Sicilian great grandfather who was promised the next grandchild would be named after him, and surprise I was a girl and he wouldn’t take no for an answer). Haha!
I need to communicate with a Spanish cook. I would also like to improve my French. Which app can I write a sentence which gets put into Spanish that I can show the cook? It’s more I need to communicate information to a worker quickly and in my free time practice both languages
For real time translation, Google Translate will work just fine. These resources aren’t meant to be translation apps.
Hi Jamie!
I’m a Nurse and would like to better communicate with patients that speak Spanish and French. Which route would you recommend?
Rosetta Stone! Even if your Spanish/French aren’t perfect, you’ll get better at using it in normal conversational settings.
Good info, however, I need to know how they approach the development of the natural order skills; listening, understanding,repeating,speaking and once c I nsolidating those skills, start reading and the last, writing.
No grammatical rules since the beginning.
Sounds like Rosetta Stone would be best for you. It’s all about actively using the language, with not much focus on grammar (if any). At least to start – it’s totally normal to switch resources ones your skills develop and you have different needs. Once you’ve learned all you want to learn from Rosetta Stone, you could seek out more intentional reading/writing practice.