Babbel VS. Rosetta Stone – Which App Is More Popular?

Babbel vs. Rosetta Stone, which app is better for you? Let me help you out here to make your choice easier. To learn German you want to make it right from the beginning (since it’s no secret that we Germans tend to be a little overcorrect with everything) so you chose a popular app to learn most efficiently, that’s right! Let’s compare these two popular apps: Babbel vs. Rosetta Stone!

Babbel Or Rosetta Stone?

How Babbel works:

The app is designed to help German language learners to engage in pursuing a conversation in German with confidence. The content focuses mainly on daily language, which will be most beneficial to you since you will most likely use it in real-life contexts: It’s not so much about Grammar and correctness but rather about developing practical speaking skills. Whether making orders in a restaurant, or booking a bus ticket, or even understanding people in different situations when they are having a conversation in German… Babbel teaches all the basics we need to know about daily conversations.

How To Use It: 

Babbel lessons begin with single word vocabulary and then quickly advance to short phrases and entire sentences. Once you’ve practiced the phrases, you use them in a real-life conversation — one that lets you apply what you’ve just learned in an actual dialogue like the one you’d have with a native speaker. Babbel’s lesson content is created by native speakers in each of its lessons, you’ll hear the natural pronunciation in the language. The lessons aim to strengthen all of your senses in the four elements of language learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It’s a combination of matching, fill-in-the-blank, and speaking exercises, mixed with cultural and grammar tips.

Lessons take about 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and with both desktop and mobile versions of the app, you can take your lessons wherever you go and download them for offline use to accommodate your schedule and flexibility.

How Rosetta Stone Works:

One of the main distinguishing elements of Rosetta Stone is the software’s total immersion method, which teaches you a new language only in the language you’re learning. That means native English speakers will find no English at all in their learning journey.

While this can be effective for helping German learners remember information, this can also mean that Rosetta Stone lessons can be a bit more monotonous and repetitive than

How to use it:

Rosetta Stone features exercises that help language learners strengthen their understanding of the foundations of a new language. It is very structured, with professional drills and repetition of the same exercises — a combination of matching, writing, and speech recognition. It’s teaching you the basics, slowly walking through the learning process, which can make it good for those who have never learned a new language before.

It can be beneficial for users who want to learn a language without having to translate it back into their native tongue in their heads. But because there are no tips or grammar explanations in your native language, users who learn a language through this method can miss out on important contextual information and some key concepts on the practical side.

Other Rosetta Stone Features And Functionality

Rosetta Stone’s instant download mobile model enables users to learn across multiple devices from everywhere.

In addition to its core lessons, users can explore the Phrasebook module, which also features stories that are written and narrated by native speakers. Users of similar learning proficiencies can play games together, compete against each other, or otherwise play by themselves and build their language skills. In addition, Rosetta Stone’s Live Tutoring offers a chance for language learners to practice with up to three other learners and a native speaker in a small group. Most of these sessions must be paid for additionally on top.

Similarities And Differences

Babbel VS. Rosetta Stone

Similarities

• Both are subscription-based, so you pay for access to the app
• Short, 10- to 20-minute lessons on your own schedule
• Both allow you to sync offline wherever you are with multiple devices
• Both start out by teaching the basics before building from there
• focusing on all elements of language learning: reading, writing, listening, and speaking

Differences

• Rosetta Stone courses are more time-intensive. The apps drill you on the same vocabulary and expressions, repeating lessons
• Babbel lessons tend to cover more material at a bit of a faster pace
• Babbel, unlike Rosetta Stone, has a designated Review Manager feature to bring back information you’ve learned without slowing down your in-lesson learning
• Babbel has pop-up culture and grammar tips in your native language that help you contextualize what you’re learning
• Babbel is interested in long and lengthy dialogues while rosetta stones focus on sentences of individuals.
• Babbel provides explanations and English translations whereas Rosetta Stone targets language only.
• Babbel offers useful and practical explanations as well as translations of the words and sentences you learn
• Rosetta Stone’s immersion method does neither offer explanations nor tips in your native language
• Babbel has 14 different languages while Rosetta has 30 languages.
• The sound quality for Babbel is way less as compared to Rosetta Stone
• Rosetta Stone is far more expensive than Babbel
• Both the apps are not sufficient to achieve fluency in the German language

Pricing: How Much Does It Cost?

Both apps offer an introductory lesson as a free trial. After the trial Babble and Rosetta Stone require the purchase of a subscription before you can get full access. ( Psst, by the way, Babbel also offers tutorials and lessons totally free at every level)

Babbel subscription prices range between $6 and $13 a month, depending on the subscription length purchased.

Rosetta Stone can cost anywhere from about $12 per month of access to about $300 for a lifetime subscription.

Let’s Learn German!

Just because you are trying hard here to learn German, let’s express a sense of serendipity. The Germans will love you for your effort. However, if you want to be even more efficient try using the Readle – Learn German App. With this app, you can read and listen to news and stories based on your level. On top of that, you can click on each and every word in the text and see its proper translation, always based on the context! And the best thing, you’ll even get free content every week!