Babbel is a course app for 14 languages, and its lessons are built for speakers of your own language. On Reddit (r/languagelearning), Babbel learners ask what to add next to it. One learning Spanish wanted flashcards that helped words stay in memory. Another asked how much time to spend on things like reading outside the course.
Here are apps for each of those jobs, starting with Babbel itself.
What Babbel Does
Babbel
Babbel suits learners who like a set course with grammar explained as they go. Its App Store page counts more than 5,000 courses and 60,000 lessons, for travel, work, or fun.
- Lessons are made for your first language, so a French speaker gets different lessons than an English speaker.
- Pick Spanish from Latin America or Spain, and American or British English.
- Practice talking with Babbel Speak, an AI conversation partner.
- Flashcards
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Custom Lessons Made for You
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is the best app for serious learners. You learn from text and audio you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
In Bubblegum, Poppy, your AI tutor, writes reading and listening lessons that fit you. Ask for a lesson about the café you'll visit in Madrid, and she writes one at your level.
Poppy builds a flexible journey around your interests and level, so you can focus on what's most useful to you. The trade-off is that Bubblegum is not a person to talk with. For a teacher who talks with you, see Preply below.
- Poppy writes lessons at your level about the things you like.
- Short stories and news pieces give you more to read after your course.
- Ask Poppy why a word changed form, right inside the lesson.
- Regenerative Review™ puts your saved words into new lessons, so you review by reading.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- You can't import a song, an article, or an ebook of your own.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
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Learn by Listening
Pimsleur
Pimsleur's App Store page lists more than 50 languages, from Albanian and Cantonese to Twi and Urdu. Its audio lessons focus on vocabulary, pronunciation, and speaking.
- Learn by ear, with no grammar tables to study.
- Lessons work offline, with no Wi-Fi needed.
- Spanish learners can role-play with an AI conversation partner.
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Make Your Own Flashcards
Anki
Anki is a flashcard program, so you can fill it with words from any course. You choose what goes on each card, and its free AnkiWeb service syncs your cards across devices.
- Rate how well you remembered a card, and Anki plans its next review.
- Add audio, images, and video to your cards.
- Download decks other learners have shared.
- Flashcards
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Read Stories Beside Their Translation
Beelinguapp
Beelinguapp lets you read and listen at the same time, with the translation right next to the text. Since the translation is always there, you can try stories a bit above your level.
- Read a story in two languages side by side.
- Listen to the story as an audiobook while you read.
- Pick from stories, news, and songs for learners at every level.
- Flashcards
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Talk With a Tutor
Preply
Preply is a place to find a one-on-one tutor. Its site lists more than 120 subjects, with languages among them, so a tutor can work on what your course leaves for later.
- Choose a tutor from more than 100,000 on the site.
- Read tutor reviews before you book.
- Learn on its app or on the web.
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Other Apps We Looked At (4)
- BusuuCourses in 14 languages from A1 to C1, with feedback from fluent speakers in its community.
- Rosetta StoneShort lessons built on its Dynamic Immersion method, with TruAccent feedback on your pronunciation.
- Mango LanguagesMore than 70 languages, and Voice Comparison plays your recording next to a speaker's.
- ClozemasterFill in the missing word in real sentences, sorted so the most common words come first.
Common Questions
Which Babbel alternative should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning a language, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with Pimsleur if you want to learn by listening, or with Busuu if you want another set course with grammar notes.
What can I add to Babbel to remember more words?
Flashcards and reading both help. Anki lets you build cards from Babbel's words with audio and pictures, and reading stories in Beelinguapp or Bubblegum lets you meet those words again in new sentences.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Babbel: App Store listing (14 languages, 60,000 lessons, Babbel Speak)
- r/languagelearning: Babbel users, how do you like to incorporate flash cards?
- r/languagelearning: How much time should be spent on Babbel vs. other things like reading each day
- Pimsleur: App Store listing (audio lessons in 50+ languages, offline and hands-free)
- Anki: Powerful, intelligent flashcards
- Beelinguapp: Read and listen with parallel texts
- Preply: 100,000+ experienced tutors
- Busuu: Learn languages for real life
- Rosetta Stone: Dynamic Immersion and TruAccent
- Mango Languages: 70+ languages
- Clozemaster: Fill-in-the-blank sentences in 50+ languages
- Babbel
- Bubblegum
- Pimsleur
Checked on October 14, 2026 against each app's own pages.
