User Review: Babbel Lifetime Deal 6 Months Later

This post was originally published in fall 2023. Scroll to the bottom to view the April 2024 update.

You know those projects in elementary school where you’d make a family tree? Well, I never got to make one and I’m still a little salty about it. So I decided to start as an adult (minus the colorful construction paper) and gathered all the family gossip from my relatives. I already knew that I’m (literally 99.9%) German, but I didn’t realize that I was the first generation in my family to not be taught at least some of the language.

I tried to learn other languages before—French in high school and Spanish in college—but guess how much of it I know now? Exactly. This time around I wanted to try a different method so it would *actually* stick. I chose the infamous Babbel language learning app, which is currently available in a lifetime subscription for $200.

Babbel has amazing reviews and over 10 million users around the world—73% of which Babbel says noted they’d be able to have a short, simple chat in their new language within five hours of lessons.

Of 14 available courses, I (obviously) picked German. But I can practice all of them anytime I want.

Worth the Price...As Long as I Stick With It

The $200 price tag initially seemed high to me, so I did the math and realized the lifetime subscription will end up saving me thousands vs. paying monthly or yearly fees with other apps. And, it’s usually $599, so this price was too good to pass up.

What really sold me was the “speech-recognition technology” that listens to my pronunciation. When I studied French and Spanish, I’d have people ask me to say something, and I’d chicken out because I didn’t have enough practice. With Babbel, I’m forced to practice my speech, which is a good thing (though I can turn it off if I want to practice without talking!).

From Oktoberfest Lingo to Real German Studies

Babbel had me take a skill-level quiz, and I was placed into the beginner’s course; though I do know a little German lingo from attending Oktoberfest. I also set custom notifications that ping me to come for a lesson after work.

Each session really does take around 10 minutes—oftentimes a lot less! And, when I’m not in the mood to learn anything new (hello, Fridays after 5pm), I can grab a quick review session instead. It lets me choose if I want to review with flashcards, writing, listening, speaking, or playing one of the games (which nerds like me will think are super fun).

I’m also pleasantly surprised with the offline mode. I thought downloading lessons or review sessions was going to be a pain in the you-know-what, but it’s actually just a tap of the download button on each lesson.

I’m Hooked on Babbel FR

Warning: Babbel gets ADDICTING. And I’m not talking about cheesy motivational phrases, I mean like binge-reading an entire book in one sitting vibes. 

I’m following a character named Freddy through his move to Germany. I get to play him in mock conversations in things like ordering at a bakery, planning a bike ride, and even celebrating his birthday. At the end of each convo, Babbel tricks me into doing another lesson with something like: Come back to bake a cake for Freddy’s birthday! How can I say no? And just like that, I do 17+ lessons in one sitting.

I’ve been using Babbel for over a week now, and I’m halfway done with the Newcomer course—with ten (longer ones) to go! I think this is enough content to last at least a few years of consistent learning. Then I might have to dabble in some French or Spanish again because I seriously don’t remember a thing.

The Start of a Lifelong Journey

Now every generation in my family knows some German. I plan to continue using the app every day and build a really good habit. I mean, I got a killer deal on a lifetime Babbel subscription ($200, regularly $599) and I’m going to make the most of it! Who knows, maybe I can properly order a bier or vegetarian schnitzel at the next festival in my town.

April 2024 UPDATE: A New, Improved Babbel and Me

Hey peeps! I’m back with an update on my experience with Babbel after more than six months of using the app. And, well, I have good and bad news. The bad news first: I fell off the Babbel bandwagon—and hard. The good? I’m back at it stronger than ever.

Let’s start with where I went wrong. In the first few weeks of taking Babbel lessons, I was easily doing ten or so a day, but all of a sudden, things stopped clicking. 

I was getting essential words like “wie”, “wer”, “was”, and “wo” mixed up (can you blame me?), forgetting why “n” was added at the end of certain words, and eventually got tired of guessing. And, once I started ignoring my daily reminder notifications, I was pretty much a language-learning lost cause.

While being a little irritated at those and disappointed with myself for skipping lessons, I realized the app logo changed. Did Babbel get a spiffy, new update? It sure did!

Features New to Babbel…and to Me

The first thing I noticed in the update was that Babbel added learning streaks. As an ex-Duolingo user, this both delighted and frightened me. Despite those feelings, it was really what I needed to get back on track with my German and stick with it.

Plus, upon poking around on the updated app, I noticed a section I missed all along: Grammar-focused lessons?? And, man, I was really missing out.

These lessons started way, way at the beginning and are clearly supposed to reinforce concepts I was learning, but moving on too quickly from. Now, I’m a few dozen grammar lessons deep, and I can confidently say “wie” means “how” and “wer” means “who”. I plan to catch up on the A1 (Newcomer) grammar section before starting to learn new material. 

Getting Back Into the Babbel Groove With Review Lessons

Since I was obviously on some sort of accidental Babbel sabbatical, I also desperately needed (and still need) to review. Like, everything.

I’ve always been aware of the review lessons, but only recently did I notice that every term you learn falls into a bucket that Babbel calls “stages.” Essentially, the newer the term, the more frequently Babbel will make me review it, compared to words that I’ve known the longest that will be shown less often.

There is something that I dislike about the reviews, though: Some are a little too easy and others are super hard.

For example, sometimes I’m asked to string together a sentence with individual words—that’s easy. But right after, I’ll be asked to spell out a word I haven’t seen in weeks or months.

I’m sure part of this disparity is because I took so much time away. That's why my favorite way to review is playing the "Word Trax" mini-game where you have to spell the word correctly before the train falls off the tracks.

Struggles of Learning a Language via an App

Another thing I’ve been struggling with on Babbel is that it’s a little, well, lonely.

The other day, I was in a grammar lesson and was a bit confused by the principle of conjugating this specific verb, but, of course, there was no instructor to ask. This isn’t really the app’s fault or anything, but I’m starting to see how Babbel (and language-learning apps in general) may not be the sole path to complete fluency.

However, I did notice that Babbel offers live classes that could help fill that gap. You can actually take two for free! Only six seats are available in each class, so it’s likely pretty individualized. I’m hoping to set aside time for a free class or two once I reach more difficult courses. 

Is StackSocial’s Babbel Deal Legit?

Before I sign off again, I want to address a common question I received after my initial review: Is getting Babbel through StackSocial legit? The answer is yes.

Let me explain why the price for a lifetime subscription on Babbel’s website is $349, and why our deal price is $199.99 (and sometimes lower when it’s on sale!).

I work for StackCommerce, the company that owns StackSocial. Our category management team works hard with partners like Babbel to bring you such great prices. After purchase, we’ll send you a redemption link and a unique code to set up your account. Read more about how we operate here.

If you need a little more peace of mind about legitimacy, you might read through our 250+ user reviews on the product page. This one from Herman B. is one of my faves:

“I was afraid it was a scam, so cheap, but I contacted Babbel, and they told me to go for it. A top-rated language app for so little money.”

Yup, yup. I am biased, but we are pretty great!

Happy learning to those who are joining me on the language-learning journey with Babbel! And thank you to anyone following along. I’ll be back soon with another update!

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