Babbel vs Mango Languages: Which Language App Is Better?
Dennys Caldera Boka
Published on January 16, 2024
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Choosing the best app to learn a new language can be a time-consuming process, especially with so many options out there. Babble and Mango Languages are two of the most popular apps, each one offering top-quality content with its own approach to learning. But when it comes to achieving the best results, Babbel gets the trophy in today’s match-up.
Editor’s Choice
When choosing between two language apps, it’s important to consider your language goals, as well as your learning preferences. Both Mango and Babbel are interactive apps with reasonable prices. However, they have different approaches to language learning. If you want to dig deeper into the details, keep reading to find out.
Mango Languages vs Babbel: A Quick Breakdown
Both Mango Languages and Babbel cater to absolute beginners, thanks to their interactive approach and focus on real-life situations. However, Mango has a more immersive approach to learning languages, focusing on improving listening and speaking skills. Babbel, on the other hand, places more emphasis on building the basic skills by using spaced repetition throughout each lesson.
The table below shows you a side-by-side comparison of Rosetta Stone and Duolingo based on the languages they have, their price, and their free trial offers.
| Babbel | Mango Languages |
|---|---|
| 14 languages | 70+ languages |
| $14.95/month | $7.99/month |
| 1 free lesson | 14-day free trial |
 | |
Babbel vs Mango Languages: Cost Comparison
Babbel works on a subscription basis and offers different options. A basic subscription costs $14.95 per month, $35.99 for 3 months, $47.94 for 6 months, and $95.88 for a year. If you are committed, you can also buy Lifetime access for $499, allowing you to learn all the languages on the platform. You can try a lesson for free before purchasing a subscription.
A subscription to Mango Languages costs $7.99 per month and gives you access to all 70 languages available. An annual plan costs $79.99. Additionally, there’s a Complete Package priced at $17.99 per month, which includes valuable extras like language-specific films. But if you’d prefer to explore before committing, Mango offers a free 14-day trial period, allowing you to test its content and features for free.
Both Mango and Babbel are inexpensive compared to other popular apps. If you’re just looking for access to a single language, these two apps are in the same price range. Babbel also regularly offers deals and promotions almost year-round. And if you’re looking for a long-term commitment, Babbel takes the lead here, offering you lifetime access.
if you’re looking for other options, here are some similar alternatives.
Babbel vs Mango Languages: How They Work
Mango has a fairly standard structure for organizing its lessons. They’re short and immersive, and focus on real-world situations to get you speaking a foreign language right from the start. Every level in Babbel has different courses, and within each course, there are several lessons. You’ll have a variety of exercises to learn the content of each lesson. The goal is to build solid foundations to help you progress effectively.
Check out the table below to see how the apps rate across the web.
| Reviews | Babbel | Mango Languages |
|---|---|---|
| Langoly | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Apple Store | 4.7 | 4.8 |
| Google Play Store | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| Trustpilot | 3.9 | – |
| Average Score | 4.3 | 4.1 |
How Babbel Works
Babbel’s language courses are comprehensive, utilizing a wide range of resources to develop all major language skills. You can choose the starting level, or take a placement test to assess your knowledge. The lessons are short, 10-15 minutes, and include all types of exercises. You’ll find speaking and listening exercises, flashcards, mock dialogues, fill-in-the-blank, and more.
Grammar practice in Babbel is more extensive than in other apps. You’ll often find boxes and notes with grammar tips in every lesson. Sometimes, a whole lesson is dedicated to grammar, and there are quizzes so you can test what you’ve learned. There’s also a voice recognition tool you can use to test your pronunciation and develop your speaking skills.
Babbel has a consistent lesson structure throughout the course, using spaced repetition to help you remember what you learn. It also offers a wide range of additional features. Podcasts are available for some languages and are specifically designed to improve your listening skills. There are short stories that teach key phrases. And finally, you will find culture bites that describe the cultural aspects of your target language. You can learn more about the app in this Babbel review.
How Mango Languages Works
Mango Languages takes a conversational approach to language learning, immersing you in real-life dialogues. It seamlessly integrates grammar and culture lessons into everyday situations, creating an authentic learning experience that feels like chatting with locals. The interactive interface includes voice comparisons to fine-tune your pronunciation.
The course has five main units: Introductions, Connections, Community, Lifestyle, and Ambitions. Each unit has between 4 to 10 chapters, and there are 12-20 lessons per chapter. An English-speaking moderator guides you through the lesson, where you learn new words. Each lesson usually takes about 5 to 15 minutes to complete, depending on how involved you are. There are three main drill types to learn vocabulary: learn, speaking quiz, and critical thinking.
The platform also offers culture blogs, allowing you to delve into cultural nuances while honing your reading skills. It offers practical, real-life phrases that you can immediately put to use. And for those multitasking moments, Mango even offers a hands-free option. For a more in-depth look, you can explore this Mango Languages review.
Babbel: Pros and Cons
What I like the most about using Babbel is the lesson diversity. It can start with a speaking drill, have flashcards, and then a simulated dialogue. The variety of exercises makes the lessons go by quickly. The’re dynamic and steer clear of unnecessary information. As you progress through a lesson, helpful grammar explanations pop up in small bubbles, prompting you to apply the rules immediately.
Another important advantage is the review sessions. Every day, when you log into the app, it has you do a quick review session. What’s more, it gives you the chance to choose how you want to review the lesson, either with flashcards, listening, speaking, or writing. This approach promotes learning through practice rather than rote memorization. Additionally, Babbel offers a lot of flexibility, letting you start with the topics you want. If you find content that is too easy or you already have some knowledge of the language, you can always skip ahead to different lessons or levels.
Something that Babbel should improve is its speech recognition technology. While it gets the job done, it’s not as accurate as Rocket Languages or Pimsleur. Also, there should be more audio lessons across the whole program. You will see most of them in the beginner levels, but fewer as you progress in your language course. Finally, it has a limited free trial where you can only try out the first lesson of each level. Compared to other similar apps, it’s considerably shorter.
All in all, Babbel is a well-rounded app that offers a variety of tools and resources in their language courses. Even though its audio activities are not as good as the ones in other apps, Its focus on grammar and vocabulary makes it stand out from the rest.
Mango Languages: Pros and Cons
Mango Languages places a strong emphasis on practical conversations, enabling you to dive into real-life situations right from the start. This approach boosts your confidence and helps you build those language skills needed in everyday life. Something I really like is the voice analysis tool, which allows you to record yourself in any speaking drill. It then gives you a visual representation of your tone and inflection, so you can compare it to a native speaker’s.
Another relevant feature is Mango’s breakdown between literal and understood phrases. This tool helps you understand common terminology that sometimes can’t be translated word for word. It’s a switch that allows you to easily change between the everyday meaning of a phrase and its literal word-for-word translation in English. Another interesting feature for visual learners is the color coding. This feature separates all the parts of a sentence (noun, verb, adjective) and assigns it a different color, so you can identify and memorize them easily.
However, there are a couple of things that could be improved. The grammar explanations might not be as extensive as some other platforms, and its focus on practical conversations may mean that certain grammar structures receive less attention. Additionally, lesson structure can become repetitive, and after some time, even a bit boring.
Mango Languages offers a comprehensive package, with its practical approach, extensive language selection, and interactive features that create an enjoyable language learning experience. While grammar resources could be more detailed, the app’s emphasis on real conversations compensates for this gap.
Mango Languages vs Babbel: Which Language App Helps You Learn a Language?
Both Mango Languages and Babbel are excellent language-learning apps. Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced learner, they can help you develop the necessary skills to deal with daily situations in your target language with enough confidence.
However, this time around, Babbel is the winner. Its well-structured lessons cover various aspects of the language (listening, reading, speaking, and writing), while keeping an engaging learning environment. Additionally, its emphasis on grammar and vocabulary makes it an excellent choice if you’re serious about learning the language.
Babbel and Mango Languages: FAQ
The main difference between Mango Languages and Babbel is in their approach to learning a language. Mango focuses more on practical conversations, helping you develop your listening and speaking skills from the beginning. Babbel has a more comprehensive program, placing emphasis on grammar foundations and vocabulary acquisition.
While you can become conversational using Mango Languages, you won’t become fluent. Mango is a good choice for new language students, as it helps them develop their skills through listening and speaking drills. However, if you’re already an advanced learner, Mango isn’t the best option.
Babbel Spanish is a great option if you want to learn Spanish. It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for digestible lessons, diverse content, and useful resources. The lessons integrate grammar seamlessly, and the spaced reviews are effective for learning new words.
Accessing all of Mango Languages’ courses isn’t free, but it offers a 14-day free trial period. This way, you can test its content and features at no cost before subscribing to the app. However, some libraries, universities, and other public institutions offer Mango subscriptions for free.
