Mondly vs Babbel

Editor's Choice

Babbel

• Frequent Discounts
• Money Back Guarantee

• Frequent Discounts
• Money Back Guarantee

Our Score

9.4

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Pros

• Babbel's program leverages a wide variety of exercises that are fun to work
• Lessons go really fast, taking just 10 to 15 minutes to complete
• Babbel's program is easy to follow and better organized than Mondly's
• Short daily review sessions are very effective for increasing retention
• Speech recognition technology is quick and accurate

Cons

• Slightly pricier than Mondly
• Lessons could use more conversational practice

Editor's Choice

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Why Choose Babbel Over Mondly For Language Learning

Let’s dive into this comparison by highlighting where Babbel beats Mondly, and what we particularly like about Babbel’s program.

Prioritization of Grammar

One of the clear standout features of the Babbel course is that they incorporate grammar content and exercises directly into their lessons, which is something Mondly doesn’t really emphasize that heavily.

With Mondly, the only real grammar instruction you get is a list of verb conjugations when you hover over a word. That’s it.

Babbel, on the other hand, takes it a step further with their explanations. They provide detailed grammar tips and tricks that you need to know to ensure you’re forming proper phrases and sentences.

And the nice thing is that Babbel does this without bogging you down with dense, boring grammar principles (this holds true whether you are learning German, Italian, or any other language).

I actually think too much emphasis on grammar can do more harm than good when you’re first jumping into a new language, but Babbel finds a really nice sweet spot.

They integrate grammar instruction into their lessons in a very subtle and efficient way.

For example, one grammar exercise might include just a brief one- to two-sentence explanation in English regarding feminine nouns, or adjectives vs adverbs, followed by a quick fill-in-the-blanks exercise to ensure you understand the concept.

So overall, I have to give Babbel props here. They really go out of their way to make grammar instruction a priority within their lessons while keeping it light and easy.

Deeper Lessons For Faster Fluency

My second factor in favor of Babbel is that their lessons are better suited for people looking to gain an intermediate understanding of a new language.

In other words, Babbel’s lessons show steady progression throughout their curriculum, moving towards more advanced topics, while Mondly’s lessons don’t really progress beyond the basic level.

In fact, the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels from Mondly don’t seem to be that much different from one another. Even when you get to the “advanced” level in the Mondly program, the lessons are quite basic.

They only seem to focus on present and past tense, and don’t progress towards the more difficult future or past imperfect tenses. Babbel’s lessons, on other hand, do advance past the basic stage.

Mondly just sort of throws you in, whereas Babbel both makes the intro steps easier for beginners so you feel comfortable from day one, and uses a really step-by-step progression so that you’re always appropriately challenged.

Now let me be clear, I don’t necessarily think Babbel or Mondly are ideal for advanced learners. I’m just not sure either program will get to you 100% language mastery with fast, fluent conversations (if that’s what you’re after, see Rocket Languages or Pimsleur).

However, there’s no question that if you’re goal is to reach an intermediate level with a new language, Babbel is the way to go.

Mondly

• Multiple Subscription Options
• 40+ Languages

• Multiple Subscription Options
• 40+ Languages

Our Score

9.0

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• 
• 

See our full review process

Pros

• Short & engaging lessons that go fast (just 5-10 minutes each)
• Focuses on teaching practical vocabulary and useful everyday language
• Less expensive than Babbel
• VR app lets you learn in a cool multisensory environment
• A very fun, "gamified" language learning experience

Cons

• Not as much emphasis on grammar and speaking practice as Babbel
• Lessons feel fairly basic and never progress into "advanced" realm

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Why Choose Mondly Over Babbel For Language Learning

Now that we’ve covered the highlights of the Babbel program, let’s switch sides and cover the major pros in favor of Mondly.

Gamified Learning

One of the clear standout features of the Mondly program is that is that they try to gamify the language learning experience. The main dashboard takes the form of a cool, interactive map and just has a sort of whimsical feel to it.

This giant map is covered with geolocation pins. Each pin you click on leads you to a collection of 8 lessons centered around one particular topic or theme – like travel, romance, or school. But here’s the thing: these are actually supplementary lessons you can hop into whenever you want an extra challenge.

The main lessons are pretty quick to complete, and Mondly does a good job summing up what you’ve covered so far with a brief vocab recap and some nice performance data. There’s also a neat interactive brain tool. This dynamic brain illustrates what you’ve learned and how you did in those sections. It’s definitely an impressive graphic – but as far as actual review goes, I have to say that Babbel’s more in-depth spaced repetition is more effective.

Then, as you complete lessons and drills, you earn experience points with a corresponding leader board where you can keep track of your streaks and compare your performance against friends and other Mondly users.

Plus, there’s always a little clock counting down how much longer you have to wait until tomorrow’s lesson is ready – it’s a nice, simple way to build a little anticipation.

For me, this fun, game-like environment is great for keeping yourself motivated and inspired.

Virtual Reality (VR) App

Beyond the gamification, perhaps the coolest aspect of the Mondly course is their virtual reality learning app that’s designed to complement their standard lessons.

This is really where Mondly differentiates itself from Babbel and other competitors, and why they are widely considered a pioneer in the digital language learning landscape.

The Mondly VR app is a virtual immersion tool that places you in simulated environments, like grocery shopping, booking a bus ticket, or ordering food in a restaurant. From there, you engage in chatbot conversations that help you practice your dialogue skills.

You’ll be immersed in all kinds of situations that require you to speak to locals and critically use what you’ve learned. In other words, the goal of the app is to simulate real situations with native speakers.

However, the app doesn’t come with the main program for free. The VR app is a one-time purchase that costs an additional $10, which isn’t too bad in itself, but the real hummer is that you need an Oculus headset.

Clearly, not everyone has Oculus, and this will cut down who this section applies to.

Overall, I found the VR app to be a nice change of pace from the standard lessons. They’re definitely not equivalent to a standalone program, but they are a nice complementary tool for pronunciation and conversational practice.

Plus, adding in some clever tech to diversify your lessons keeps things interesting.

Cool Job-Specific Lessons

Lastly, I like that Mondly offers over 300 job-specific courses and lessons. This is another aspect that separates Mondly from Babbel and other competitors.

Personally, I think these courses are super useful for working professionals and add value if you’re studying a second or third language for work purposes.

For example, Mondly offers courses directly related to marketing, negotiations, customer service, finance, and healthcare, among others.

These business courses dive into relevant vocabulary and local customs that can be very practical. Bottom line, if you’re learning a new language in part for your job or occupation, then Mondly is a great option.

➡ See our full review of Mondly here

Cost Comparison

Before we get to the final verdict, let’s quickly compare pricing, as cost can be a major consideration for many people. And let’s start with Babbel. They offer a few different plans, ranging from around $8 per month (for their 12-month plan) up to $15 per month (for their pay-as-you-go plan). Then the lifetime subscription, which includes access to all Babbel languages, costs about $300 MSRP, although you can usually get a deal with a promotion code.

Thus, the cost for Babbel depends on how long you want to commit to and pay for in advance.

With Mondly, they actually offer a free version, but it’s very limited. Honestly, it’s really more like a free trial than anything.

Instead, most people opt for the Premium Plan, which unlocks all Mondly content and features. This costs about $10 per month (pay-as-you-go) or about $62 if you want to pay up for an entire year in advance (i.e. about $5 per month). There’s also a lifetime access plan – pricing for that one varies based on current sales. With the right coupon, you can often find it for about $120 upfront.

Overall, the two companies are close in terms of pricing, with a narrow win for Mondly. That said, I should mention though that Babbel does offer a 20-day money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied, so there is a nice safety net with them.

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Verdict: Babbel or Mondly To Learn A Language?

That about covers all the detail in this comparison, so let’s get to the final verdict. Should you choose Mondly or Babbel?

Well, after testing each program, we have to give the win to Babbel. Although the two companies are similar in several respects, we believe Babbel is the better and more complete language learning program overall.

Yes, we like that Mondly offers unique ways to learn with their VR app, as well as their job-specific courses, but if you’re serious about mastering a new language, Babbel is the better option.

Our team likes that Babbel makes grammar more of a priority, their lessons advance beyond a basic level, and their live classes are organized and well-executed. All in all, we believe Babbel is the way to go.