Babbel vs Mondly
Babbel and Mondly split on depth versus breadth. Babbel GmbH, in Berlin, teaches 14 languages through 60,000 lessons written by more than 200 language experts. Mondly, sold as Mondly by Pearson, covers 41 languages that can be learnt from your own mother tongue, with business plans that add live group classes. A major European language points to Babbel; a rarer one to Mondly.
Choose Babbel if
the language you want is one of Babbel's 14 and you want depth in it: grammar explained, dialogues, spaced-repetition review and levels up to advanced.
Read the Babbel reviewChoose Mondly if
you want a language outside the usual handful, want to learn it from your own native language instead of through English, or are buying for a company's staff.
Read the Mondly reviewBabbel and Mondly side by side
| Babbel | Mondly | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Babbel GmbH | Mondly (Pearson) |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany | Brasov, Romania |
| Founded | 2007 | 2013 |
| Jurisdiction | EU (Germany) | EU (Romania); UK parent company |
| Where the data sits | EU | EU |
| Pricing | From about €6/month on longer plans; Babbel Live higher | Free tier / Premium from about €10/month; lifetime option |
| Free tier or trial | First lesson of every course free (up to 80 lessons) | Free tier |
| Source code | Closed source | Closed source |
| Usually replaces | Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Memrise | Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone |
| Position in our Language Learning guide | #1 of 13 | #5 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 Mondly differ
Across the five points below, Babbel has the edge on 2 points and Mondly on 3 points. A count like that is a summary, not a verdict: the point that matters to you may be the one the other product wins.
Number of languages
Pearson's page for Mondly lists 41 languages, against Babbel's 14: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Danish, Dutch, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Turkish and English. If the language you need is not on Babbel's list, the comparison ends there, and Mondly is the one of the two that may teach it.
Edge: Mondly
Depth of each course
Babbel counts 60,000 lessons across its 14 languages, with levels from beginner to advanced and a placement test. Pearson describes Mondly's app-based learning as more than 130 hours of self-paced study, 135 topics and over 1,600 lessons. The figures are not measured the same way, but on what each vendor publishes, Babbel offers far more material per language.
Edge: Babbel
Learning from your own language
Pearson says Mondly lets learners take its 41 languages from their mother tongue, so a Polish speaker need not go through English to learn Spanish. Babbel's site presents its courses by the language you learn, not by the language you start from. For a learner whose first language is not English, Mondly's promise is the more explicit.
Edge: Mondly
Who is behind it
Babbel GmbH is registered in Berlin under HRB 110215 B and names its managing directors in its imprint. Mondly is marketed on Pearson's own languages site as Mondly by Pearson, alongside Pearson's English tests and courses, so buyers deal with a Pearson product. A buyer who wants an EU-registered company with a published imprint has that documented for Babbel.
Edge: Babbel
Buying for a team
Pearson sells Mondly to employers in three plans, Essentials, Enhanced and Ultimate, all with a dashboard and reports on staff usage; Ultimate adds blended learning with instructor-led group classes of up to six people, and the upper plans include business role-plays with digital humans. For an HR team buying language training centrally, Mondly's packaging is well documented.
Edge: Mondly
When neither Babbel nor Mondly fits
If you need a recognised level or real speaking practice, look beyond both: Lingoda runs live classes with certified teachers structured on the CEFR and certifies each completed level. Busuu adds feedback on your exercises from a community of native speakers.
Babbel vs Mondly: questions
Babbel teaches 14 languages across 60,000 lessons. Pearson lists 41 languages for Mondly, learnt from the learner's mother tongue. If your language is among Babbel's 14, compare depth; if it is not, Mondly is the one of the two that may cover it.
Yes. 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. That is enough to judge the dialogue-based method, the grammar explanations and the review system before paying for a subscription, whose price varies by country.
Mondly makes the more explicit promise: Pearson says its 41 languages can be learnt from the learner's mother tongue. Babbel's course list is organised by the 14 languages you learn, so check in the app that your own starting language is supported before subscribing.
Pearson sells Mondly to employers in Essentials, Enhanced and Ultimate plans with a usage dashboard and downloadable reports. The upper plans add business role-plays with digital humans and personalised feedback, and Ultimate adds instructor-led group classes of up to six people alongside self-study.
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)
- Mondly by Pearson business page: 41 languages from the mother tongue, 130+ hours, 135 topics, 1,600+ lessons, business plans and group classes (checked 30 September 2026)
- Pearson languages page for educators: Mondly marketed as Mondly by Pearson (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)
- Busuu about page: feedback on exercises from native speakers (checked 30 September 2026)