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Education & E-Learning · head to head

Babbel vs Thinkific

Babbel logo

Babbel

Education & E-Learning

Language learning that works

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thinkific logo

Thinkific

Learning Management

Create and sell online courses your way

From
$36/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Babbel the App Store listing for Babbel (seller of record: Babbel GmbH) states that subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, with payment charged to the buyer's Apple account; plans are sold in 1, 3, 6 and 12 month terms, and the listing itself discloses no price figure, so the actual monthly-equivalent cost is not visible without proceeding into a purchase flow.; Thinkific no free plan, 14-day trial only
  • They diverge on capability: Babbel covers Bite-sized lessons, Thinkific covers Course builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Babbel and Thinkific actually diverge.

Attributes where Babbel and Thinkific differ
AttributeBabbelThinkific
Starting priceOn request$36/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, IOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile
CategoryEducation & E-LearningLearning Management
Founded20072012

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Babbel

  • Bite-sized lessons
  • Speech recognition
  • Review sessions
  • Podcasts
  • Games
  • Live classes
  • Progress tracking
  • Offline mode

Only in Thinkific

  • Course builder
  • Website builder
  • Quizzes
  • Certificates
  • Communities
  • Memberships
  • Marketing tools
  • Analytics

Both cover

  • Web support
  • IOS support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Babbel

  • Language learningnot Thinkific
  • Travel preparationnot Thinkific
  • Career developmentnot Thinkific
  • Hobbynot Thinkific

Thinkific

  • Course creationnot Babbel
  • Membership sitesnot Babbel
  • Coaching programsnot Babbel
  • Corporate trainingnot Babbel

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Babbel

  • The App Store listing for Babbel (seller of record: Babbel GmbH) states that subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, with payment charged to the buyer's Apple account; plans are sold in 1, 3, 6 and 12 month terms, and the listing itself discloses no price figure, so the actual monthly-equivalent cost is not visible without proceeding into a purchase flow.

Thinkific

  • No free plan, 14-day trial only
  • Transaction fees on third-party payment processors (5% on Basic tier)
  • PayPal only available on Grow plan ($199/month), not on Basic or Start
  • Limited customization on lower-tier plans
  • Cannot embed courses in external domains or iframes
  • Limited number of spaces per plan
  • Less interactive community features compared to alternatives
  • Features continuously moved to higher-priced tiers
  • Payment processing delays reported (up to 90 days)

Pricing, plan by plan

Babbel

On request
  • 3 Months$8.95/month
    • 1 language
    • All lessons
    • Speech recognition
  • 6 Months$7.45/month
    • 1 language
    • Review sessions
    • Podcasts
  • 12 Months$6.95/month
    • 1 language
    • Games
    • All features
  • Lifetime$249/month
    • All 14 languages
    • Lifetime access

Thinkific

$36/month
  • Basic$36/month
    • 1 course
    • Up to 500 students
    • Thinkific Payments (0% fees)
  • Start$74/month
    • Up to 3 courses
    • Up to 2,000 students
    • Third-party payment (3% fees)
  • Grow$149/month
    • Unlimited courses
    • Unlimited students
    • Third-party payment (0% fees)

Which should you pick?

Choose Babbel if

  • You need bite-sized lessons.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want speech recognition.
Babbel review

Choose Thinkific if

  • You need course builder.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want website builder.
Thinkific review

Questions people ask

Is Babbel or Thinkific better?
Neither clearly leads. Babbel starts at On request and Thinkific at $36/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Babbel or Thinkific?
Babbel starts at On request and Thinkific at $36/month.
Does Babbel or Thinkific run on more platforms?
Babbel runs on Web, IOS, Android. Thinkific runs on Web, Mobile.
What is Babbel best used for?
Babbel is most often used for language learning, travel preparation, career development, hobby. Of those, language learning and travel preparation are not what Thinkific is typically brought in for.
What can Babbel do that Thinkific cannot?
Babbel covers Bite-sized lessons, Speech recognition, Review sessions, Podcasts. Thinkific covers Course builder, Website builder, Quizzes, Certificates. Both handle Web support, IOS support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Thinkific: Does Thinkific have a free plan?

No. Thinkific does not offer a free plan but provides a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $36/month (Basic tier).

Source
Thinkific: Are there transaction fees on Thinkific?

Thinkific charges no transaction fees when using their built-in Thinkific Payments. Third-party payment processors incur 5% fees (Basic) down to 0% (Plus), plus 3.6% for Stripe with subscriptions.

Source
Thinkific: What payment methods does Thinkific support?

PayPal is locked to Grow plan ($199/month). Basic and Start plans do not support PayPal, limiting payment options for international creators and potentially reducing conversions.

Source
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