Babbel vs Busuu
Babbel and Busuu both teach 14 languages and both let you start without paying, so the choice comes down to method, language list and ownership. Babbel GmbH in Berlin builds dialogue-based courses written by more than 200 language experts. Busuu Limited, registered in England and Wales and part of Chegg since 2022, adds feedback on exercises from a community of native speakers.
Choose Babbel if
you want structured, dialogue-based lessons from beginner to advanced with spaced-repetition review, need Danish, Norwegian, Swedish or Indonesian, or prefer a company registered in Berlin.
Read the Babbel reviewChoose Busuu if
you want real people to comment on what you write and say, AI grammar training and pronunciation feedback, or need Japanese, Chinese, Korean or Arabic.
Read the Busuu reviewBabbel and Busuu side by side
| Babbel | Busuu | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Babbel GmbH | Busuu (Chegg) |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2007 | 2008 |
| Jurisdiction | EU (Germany) | United Kingdom and Spain; US parent company |
| Where the data sits | EU | EU/UK |
| Pricing | From about €6/month on longer plans; Babbel Live higher | Free tier / Premium from about €6/month |
| Free tier or trial | First lesson of every course free (up to 80 lessons) | Free tier |
| Certifications and checks | Not stated in our data | McGraw Hill certificates |
| Source code | Closed source | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Memrise | Duolingo, Babbel, Memrise |
| Position in our Language Learning guide | #1 of 13 | #2 of 13 |
Both are listed in our European Language Learning guide. The table is built from the same directory data as those entries; how we check it is described in the editorial process.
Where Babbel and Busuu differ
Across the five points below, Babbel has the edge on 1 point, Busuu on 1 point and 3 are a tie. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
How the course is built
Babbel says its courses are written by more than 200 language experts, with 60,000 lessons across 14 languages, levels from beginner to advanced and a placement test. Lessons combine dialogues, grammar explanations and cultural notes. Busuu offers compact lessons with speaking, listening, reading and writing practice, AI-powered grammar training and pronunciation feedback on videos of native speakers. Both are structured courses; neither is merely a vocabulary drill.
No clear winner on this point.
Feedback from real people
Busuu's distinguishing feature is its community: it combines self-paced study with feedback on your exercises from native speakers around the world. Babbel builds correction into the lesson itself, asking you to review and correct your mistakes at the end of each lesson and drilling difficult words more often. For comments from a human on what you actually produced, Busuu is ahead.
Edge: Busuu
Which languages
The counts match at 14, but the lists do not. Babbel teaches Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Danish, Dutch, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish and Turkish, plus English. Busuu covers Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Russian and English, and adds Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Arabic. Scandinavian learners go to Babbel; East Asian and Arabic learners to Busuu.
No clear winner on this point.
Trying it first
Babbel's sign-up is free and the first lesson of every course is open, with up to 80 free lessons depending on the language, so a learner can judge the method before subscribing. Busuu also invites you to start learning for free before choosing one of its Premium plans. Subscription prices for both differ by market, so the fair comparison is in your own country's checkout, not a headline figure.
No clear winner on this point.
Company and ownership
Babbel GmbH is registered with the Berlin-Charlottenburg local court under HRB 110215 B, with its office at Andreasstrasse 72 in Berlin. Busuu's service is owned and operated by Busuu Limited, registered in England and Wales, which became part of Chegg in January 2022; its privacy policy names Chegg, Inc. as parent. For EU establishment and European ownership together, Babbel is the clearer case.
Edge: Babbel
When neither Babbel nor Busuu fits
No app makes you hold a conversation. Lingoda runs live online classes with certified teachers, structured on the CEFR, and gives every student a certificate after each completed level; its 7-day trial covers up to three group classes. Mondly by Pearson offers 41 languages learnt from your own mother tongue.
Babbel vs Busuu: questions
Yes, both. Babbel's sign-up is free and the first lesson of every course can be taken without paying, with up to 80 free lessons depending on the language you pick. Busuu's site invites you to learn for free before choosing a Premium plan. Subscription prices vary by country.
Both list 14. Only Babbel has Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Indonesian; only Busuu has Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Arabic. Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Russian and English are on both lists, so for those the choice rests on method.
Babbel is: Babbel GmbH is registered in Berlin, Germany. Busuu Limited is registered in England and Wales, so it is European but outside the EU, and it has been part of Chegg since January 2022. Busuu's privacy policy describes data use by Busuu Limited together with its parent Chegg, Inc.
Other learners who are native speakers. Busuu describes itself as a mix of self-paced study and practice with native speakers around the world, who give feedback on your exercises, alongside AI-powered grammar training. Busuu says more than 120 million people have registered, which is the pool those corrections come from.
Sources
Facts, prices and plan details on this page were checked on the vendors' own websites on . Prices and plans change; the vendor's current page is authoritative.
- Babbel home page: languages offered, levels, placement test, first lesson of every course free and up to 80 free lessons, 200+ language experts (checked 30 September 2026)
- Babbel about page: 60,000 lessons across 14 languages, founded 2007, Berlin office (checked 30 September 2026)
- Babbel imprint: Babbel GmbH, Andreasstrasse 72, Berlin, HRB 110215 B (checked 30 September 2026)
- The Babbel Method: dialogues, grammar explanations, cultural insights, spaced repetition and customisable reviews (checked 30 September 2026)
- Busuu home page: languages offered, speaking practice with native speaker videos, start for free, 120 million learners (checked 30 September 2026)
- Busuu about page: launched 2008, part of Chegg since January 2022, community feedback, AI grammar training (checked 30 September 2026)
- Busuu terms of use: Busuu Limited, registered in England and Wales (checked 30 September 2026)
- Busuu privacy policy: parent company Chegg, Inc. (checked 30 September 2026)
- Lingoda home page: live classes with certified teachers, CEFR levels, certificate per completed level, 7-day trial (checked 30 September 2026)
- Mondly by Pearson business page: 41 languages from the mother tongue (checked 30 September 2026)