The short answer
Babbel and Pimsleur are not really competitors, even though everyone compares them. They do different jobs. Babbel is a screen app that teaches you the language - grammar, reading, writing, breadth. Pimsleur is an audio course that teaches you to speak it - pronunciation, listening, spoken confidence, hands-free.
If you want one well-rounded app to sit down with, Babbel is the better and cheaper choice, and it is our default pick. If your goal is to open your mouth and be understood, and your study time is a commute or a walk, Pimsleur is the better tool and worth its higher price.
Pimsleur vs Babbel at a glance
| Babbel | Pimsleur | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (from) | ~£5-6/mo on the annual plan | ~£15/mo for a single language |
| Method/format | Screen-based, grammar-led, reading and writing | Audio-first, spoken drills, hands-free |
| Teaches grammar? | Yes - explains the rule, then drills it | No - you absorb patterns by producing them |
| Speaking practice | Light, dialogue you read on screen | Heavy - the whole method is saying it aloud |
| Free tier | No (paid subscription) | No (paid subscription) |
| Best for | Desk-based learners who want breadth and value | Speaking-first learners with commute time |
How they teach
Babbel explains. A grammar point appears, Babbel tells you the rule, then drills it in practical dialogue you read on screen. You learn how the language works, and you see the written word, which matters for reading and spelling. It is structured, broad and unmistakably a course.
Pimsleur drills. There is no screen in the core experience - a voice prompts you, you say the phrase out loud, you hear it done right. You are not told the rules; you absorb correct patterns by producing them, hundreds of times, with spaced recall so they stick. It builds the mouth and the ear, and largely ignores the page.
Price
Not close. Babbel is around £5-6 a month on the annual plan. Pimsleur is roughly £15 a month for one language. You are paying Pimsleur's premium for the audio method, not for a bigger library - in fact Babbel covers far more content for far less money. If budget is the deciding factor, Babbel wins outright. Check current prices and promotions, as both discount often.
Breadth and depth
Babbel covers more ground: more vocabulary, more topics, reading and writing alongside speaking, and it carries you further before the content thins out. Pimsleur is deliberately narrow - you finish a level able to say a moderate amount with excellent pronunciation, and needing another tool for vocabulary breadth. Babbel is the more complete single product; Pimsleur is a specialist.
So which should you buy?
Choose by your bottleneck. If you do not yet understand the language, buy Babbel - it teaches, it is broad, it is cheap. If you understand it but cannot say it, buy Pimsleur - nothing builds the mouth faster. For most beginners, who genuinely have both problems, the optimal answer is both: Babbel at the desk, Pimsleur on the commute. They overlap almost not at all, and the pair still costs less than a single weekly tutor lesson.
And whichever you pick, remember the thing both apps are really preparing you for: a real conversation with a person. Read our full Babbel review and Pimsleur review for the detail on each, and when you are ready to actually talk, our italki review covers the next step.